Wednesday 27 September 2017

Wrong kind of cloud

A few problems this morning with mist netting delayed at one of the sites.  Once again, we took a chance ringing-wise on the supposed 15mph winds from the word go and, being a SE we got away with it, only for some thick low cloud to materialise which both cut off the vis and failed to drop any new migrants.  The yellow-browed-ometer was pretty much zero given a wind straight from SE England.  The forecast shows a possibility in mid-October of some easterlies but otherwise it looks like a west coast reality check for eastern scarce.  Cue one tomorrow in the light westerly!

Vis mig - very intermittent and only well-recorded when it had virtually stopped!  Middleton records.
Meadow Pipit - 105 SE
Grey Wagtail - 5-7 SE (2 ringed)
alba Wagtail - 27 SE
Swallow - 61 SE
Skylark - 8 SE
Goldfinch - 54 SE
Reed Bunting - 7-9 SE
Greenfinch - 3 SE (over Middleton so definitely vis)
Common Buzzard - 1 ESE
Mistle Thrush - 4 SW
Song Thrush - 1 E
Chaffinch - 16 S

Grounded /ringing
Very little seen away from the ringing area but Stonechat very welcome - they have become really rare in autumn recently
Stonechat - male Middleton
Chiffchaff - 20ish (10 ringed)
Goldcrest - 30ish (8 ringed but many missed on Middleton)
Blackcap - one ringed, none seen in field - scarce at the moment
Robin - 2 lightweights ringed

Middleton pools
Gadwall - the flock of 21 again
Tufted Duck - 4
Cetti's Warbler - just the usual singing male Middleton west - need a new influx to maintain the population I think

No coastal coverage