Seeing Red

Ian and I were out at the obs at first light this morning putting up some mist nets in the 5 - 10 mph easterly wind, with only 1 okta of cloud cover. Looking north and east across the bay we could see that Heysham was 'locked' out with murk and this would affect the direction of movement of vis later in the morning.

We ringed only five birds and it was nearly all red in the form of four Robins and a Blackbird. There were 11 Blackbirds around this morning and the bird we trapped certainly didn't look like a continental bird. Other grounded migrants included two Chiffchaffs, a Jay and a Goldcrest.

 Robin

The vis was a little slow in getting started this morning and when it did it was a little to the west of us and moving north to south across the bay avoiding the murk. Birds leaving Walney would have had a clear view of the Fleetwood coastline on the other side. The vis included eight Swallows, 85 Meadow Pipits, eight Goldfinch, ten Alba Wags, six Grey Wagtails, five Greenfinch, 61 Pink-footed Geese, two Mistle Trushes, 31 Linnets, three Magpies and three Skylarks.

The wind is going southerly and then veering westerly overnight, with some heavy ran coming in from the Irish Sea. In the morning it will be quite a stiff westerly and as I am going to a beer festival this evening I might just give birding a miss in the morning!