Saturday 15 March 2014

Adult Twite gathering

Heysham Obs


Pretty dire this morning, although the pristine 2CY male Scaup continues to favour the Middleton model boat pond.


The rest of it saw the sea, land and sky given 10-15 minutes each and producing nothing Kittiwake or Meadow Pipit-wise, the "dead sea" backed up by John Webb's more conscientious vigil at JB Point.


The feeding station on the north harbour wall was topped up and visited an hour later for the WeBS and this revealed a settled group of birds allowing ring combinations to be noted


Twite - all bar three of the 17 birds were adults ringed during the 2012/13 winter period.  The remainder were what was presumably the usual (3CY or +) Machrihanish-ringed adult with green/white on both legs, a pre-2012/13 Heysham bird with orange/blue combination and just one with the new individually-inscribed white rings from the 2013/14 winter.  The greater coverts etc appeared to indicate this was the only 2CY bird in the flock, but the number could not be read.
Linnet - 14, 10 of these ringed
Goldfinch - 2 - both ringed


Middleton model boat pond
Scaup - 2CY male
Gadwall - 3
Little Egret - 1
Mute Swan - 2 adult and 6 young
Teal - pair
Mallard -male
Lapwing - 2
Tufted Duck - 10-12


Moths
Hebrew Character and March Moth