Sunday 25 March 2012

Very early morning fencehopping redpoll?

Heysham Obs
Quieter morning with the main interest being a Lesser Redpoll sporting a closed ring as used by aviculturalists.  This was removed as it was too large for the leg - easily passing over the joint on to the upper leg - and has been despatched to the BTO

Office area
Chiffchaff - 4 ringed, including the first female of the year
Goldcrest - 7 ringed (one male)
Lesser Redpoll - at least 19 (two registrations not seen, counted as 'one') (5 ringed (or re-ringed!))
Meadow Pipit - 288 NE
Siskin - 1+10 NE
Chaffinch - 2 NE
Goldfinch - 6 NE
Sand Martin - 1 NE
Linnet - 6 NE
alba Wagtail - just 2 NE
Jay - two of unknown status making a lot of noise and flying about
Bullfinch - 'lost' female contact calling around the office for 5 minutes before heading north
Lapwing - 2 south
Woodpigeon - fairly definite migrant flocks of 6+4 north
Rook - star bird of the morning - one south-east
Dunnock - one unringed bird caught
Wren - as above
Kestrel - 2 north

North wall
0740-0840, 0915-0935
Meadow Pipit - 65 N and NE
Redpoll sp - 10 N
Grey Wagtail - 1 N
alba wagtail - 18 N
Siskin - 3 N
Linnet - 6 N
Jackdaw - 1
Black-headed Gull - 82 in

Wheatear - the only one seen anywhere this morning was a male on the mound

Ocean Edge
Populous!
Knot - 12,000
Bar-tailed Godwit - 600
Ringed Plover - 20 at high tide on OE beach (as yesterday)

Insects
The earliest ever Speckled Wood made and appearance next to the office in the early afternoon