Sunday 24 September 2017

Dog's dinner coverage

The problem this morning was not oversleeping as the only known observer (no ringing today), but the usual breakfast with the sliding door open revealed some pretty decent vis mig at home at High Tatham, including a definite Redwing (as opposed to the usual early "Redwing" misidentification of a migrant Song Thrush).  So I gave it 45 minutes before starting out to put a shift in at Heysham/Middleton.

Vis mig 0800-0900 Middleton
Although the grounded stuff was ok, the vis mig was terrible for the first 40 minutes, then the floodgates opened
Meadow Pipit - 91 SE (all but 5 after 0840)
alba Wagtail - 16 SE
Chaffinch - 22 S
Swallow - just 3 SE
Mistle Thrush - 4 SE
Skylark - heard twice
Reed Bunting - 2
Goldfinch - at least 57 seemed to be vis mig plus about 40 blogging - far more conspicuous on the ground than eg yesterday

Grounded Middleton
Lesser Whitethroat - 1
Chiffchaff - 2+ with LTT
Goldcrest - c20
Cetti's Warbler - singing male western marsh reedbed area
ALL the grounded done in situ whilst doing the vis mig - no 'groundwork' put in so probably a gross underestimate of what was around 

Bits and bobs vis/grounded during the rest of the morning whilst in transit
Meadow Pipit - 35
alba Wagtail - 8
Grey Wagtail - 2
Reed Bunting - 1 
Wheatear - 2
Goldcrest - 10+ around HNR office
Chiffchaff - one HNR office area
Swallow - 11 SE

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Little Gull - usual Ad
Med Gull - 7 visible on Red Nab but others may have been hidden (1 x 1CY, 3 x 2CY, 3 x Ad).  Additional 1CY seaward end Heysham one

No attempt made to address the waders in bright rather glaring light and the tide not far enough in