Tysties

There were a few uncertainties in the forecast last night that made it tricky in deciding what to do this morning. It looked like it could be a touch windy for mist nets and how soon would that rain clear. In the end I decided to abandon the idea of ringing at the Obs and just bird.

At first light I had virtual clear skies with a 10 mph west-northwesterly wind. It was borderline for mist netting, but I'm not sure if I would have caught much anyway as it wasn't a grounded morning as you will see. In fact the only grounded migrants I had were a single Chiffchaff and four Wheatears that made an appearance a couple hours after sunrise.

There was some vis this morning, though it wasn't heavy, and I recorded 20 Goldfinches, 112 Meadow Pipits, a Swallow, 21 Linnets, three Alba Wags, three Lesser Redpolls and two Siskins.

The main interest on the sea concerned two Black Guillemots that headed north at about 0815. I picked them up when they were about two thirds out and they were heading north and moving closer all the time. They kept dropping as if they were going to land on the sea and then climbing a bit and then dropping down. Eventually I lost sight of them and gave Ian a ring, who was further round and looking in to the Bay, to tell him that a pair of Tysties were on their way to him. He didn't get them immediately, but picked them up later when they drifted in on the tide. They then took off and headed northeast.

There wasn't much of a supporting cast on the sea just two Cormorants, an Eider, 630 Pink-footed Geese north, three Gannets, 21 Common Scoters, two Red-throated Divers and two Whooper Swans north.

It's some birding to earn a crust for me tomorrow as I start a series of breeding bird surveys mainly in north Cumbria, a part of the world that I really love!