Tuesday 27 March 2012

In-off Red Admiral surprise

Heysham Obs
Office area dawn to 0930hrs
As is often the case, the main migrant in the clear conditions this morning was Lesser Redpoll, perhaps surprisingly (for so early in the redpoll migration season) all those ringed were adult females or last year's young birds.

Vis mig dawn-c0930hrs
Mute Swan - 3 east (low)
Whooper Swan - 5 north
Meadow Pipit - c60 north
Lesser Redpoll - 27 north (16 ringed)
alba Wagtail - 2 north
Linnet - 5 north
Grey heron - one high to NW
Goldfinch - 4 north
Carrion Crow - 1 north

Grounded
No definite night migrants seen at all!
Twite - one north wall

Insects
Loads of Small Tortoiseshell and a few Peacock around but the main surprise was a Red Admiral butterfly (probably male) which flew in-off from the SW at Ocean Edge at about 1355hrs.  Surely a hibernator spurred by the weather and not a primary immigrant?  Diurnea fagella in the moth trap