Wednesday 2 May 2012

Nice varied morning of migration

Heysham Obs
Well worth the backtrack and 1.5hrs migration coverage from Jean (sea) and myself prior to returning back past my house to go and work in a mobile/internet-free dale near Hawes.  Alan also put in a major effort covering the mist-netting side of things from dawn.  John and Pete also helped the coverage and the only shame was missing the flock of four Poms which must have gone through us at about 0930 (tracked past Blackpool/Rossall but no seawatching here 0815-0935)


Anyone responsible for Lesser Redpoll L458922?



North harbour wall 0635-0810, 0935-1135
Pink-footed Goose - big departure (for early May): 220+80+140+120 north prior to 09.40
Common Scoter - 3 out
Gannet - 23
Peregrine - 1 in off sea flying E over HM Bay
Whimbrel - 3 in 
Pomarine Skua - single light morphs in at 0755 & 0805 (see above)
Arctic Skua - 3 in (2 dark at 10.18 / 1 light at 10.56)
Kittiwake - 59 in (4/ 17 / 38)
Sandwich Tern - 62 in/blogging
Arctic Tern - 154 in (largest flock just 29)
Swallow - 0935-1135: 139 NE along wall & offshore (probably only c.50% of movement - many coming in behind me)
Willow Warbler - 3 early one (one ringed on right leg, therefore not one of ours from this morning), 1m later singing in sea buckthorn
Wheatear - 10
Whinchat - one male
alba Wagtail - one north
Meadow Pipit - 19 NE (more heard)
Goldfinch - only 6 NE!
Linnet - 1 NE!

Office vis intermittently/ringing 
Lesser Redpoll - c27 NE (5 ringed and one control)
Swift - one NE
Swallow - c37 NE
Siskin - 5 NE
Tree Pipit - one NE
Sedge Warbler - one singing tank farm

Mist netting included the above Lesser Redpoll, 30 Willow Warbler plus a few Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroats and a single Common Whitethroat 


Insects
When these were received from Janet (thanks Janet) this evening, the first thought was that they were early (especially the Common Carpet moth).  However, it is early May, even thought the temperatures and those for the immediate future don't feel like it.  Anyone able to say whether these are Azure or Common Blue damselflies, please?