Thursday 1 November 2012

More northbound pink-feet and a November wasp

Heysham Obs
Social wasps have been almost mega-alert status this year and to find one (late worker) making a nuisance of itself in the office this lunchtime was most unexpected.  A loose flock of c420 Pinkfeet headed over at lunchtime and looking at postings elsewhere there was a much larger gang heading similarly over the Lesser Yellowlegs site on the Lune estuary earlier in the morning.  What is happening?

Office area
Mostly work this morning, so just about 15 minutes of vis mig before a heavy shower put the lid on it
Chaffinch - 8 SW
Lesser Redpoll - 1 SW
Hardly any thrushes in the bushes and no obvious vis mig
Post-rain, a short spell of mist-netting saw a huge "foreign" male Chaffinch, a similarly large and long-winged female Blackbird and a handful of Green and Goldfinches

North wall
45 Goldfinch, 7 Linnet, 6 Twite, 4 Meadow Pipit

Middleton
At least 18 Tufted and 2 male Pochard