Friday, 31st May 2013

Over to the right the ringing totals for the observatory have been updated to include the totals for 2012. In 2012 a total of 1,938 birds of 44 species were ringed, bringing the grand total to 16,462 birds of 61 species.

Three new species were ringed at the obs in 2012 and these were Brambling, Magpie and Spotted Flycatcher. The top ten species ringed in 2012 were as follows:

1. Greenfinch = 345

2. Swallow = 311

3.Meadow Pipit = 111

4. Blue Tit = 108

5. Blackbird = 98

6. Reed Warbler = 90

7. Great Tit = 81

8. Goldfinch = 78

9. Wren = 72

10. Turnstone = 70

Compare this with the top ten species ringed for all years:

1. Swallow = 10,231

2. Greenfinch = 1,385

3. Sedge Warbler = 761

4. Reed Warbler = 602

5. Meadow Pipit = 399

6. Blue Tit = 282

7. Reed Bunting = 251

8. Whitethroat = 241

9. Blackbird = 219

10. Great Tit = 177

Greenfinch

 Swallow

Thursday, 30th May 2013

Ian is still sunning himself in the Med and no doubt finding time to look at a few birds, and Seumus has been up to his neck in Great Crested Newt work, which has meant an enforced lack of coverage at the obs. However, we recently received the details of three colour ringed Sanderlings observed at the obs and the movements of these birds are quite fascinating.

Sanderling D38484 was ringed at Seizal in Portugal on 21/02/2012 (see Google Earth image below) and was recaptured there on 12/11/2012 and 21/12/2012. It was observed at Rossall Point (part of the obs recording area) on 12/05/2013.

Sanderling 872291 was ringed at Sandgeroi in Iceland on 03/06/2007 (see Google Earth image below) and was subsequently re-sighted there in May 2008, 2010 and 2012. The sighting at Rossall Point on 13/05/2013 was the first sighting of this bird away from Iceland!

 

Sanderling 8224653 was ringed at Hochstetter Forland in Greenland on 03/07/2011 (see Google Earth image below) and was last observed here on 16/07/2011. This bird has only been observed three times since the last observation in Greenland, shortly after rinigng, and these have been at Rossall Point on 15/12/2011, 14/10/2012 and 04/05/2013. All interesting stuff! 

 

Saturday, 25th May 2013

Coverage at the obs over the next twelve days will be a little patchy at best as the main observer on a daily basis, Ian, is sunning himself in the Med. and Seumus is busy with conservation projects away from the obs.

 This Skylark was singing away from a fence post at the obs this

morning

 
 Offshore
1 Shelduck north, 15 Knots north, 11 Sandwich Terns and 1 Auk sp. east.

Visible Migration
67 Swallows north, 4 House Martins north, 7 Redpoll north and 3 Golodfinches east.

Grounded Migrants
3 Wheatears.

Others
22 Oystercatchers, 114 Sanderlings, 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlins and 4 Turnstones.  

  Roosting Sanderlings

 Moments earlier this Meadow Pipit was carrying food to a nest on 

the edge of the golf course 

   

Friday, 24th May 2013

Offshore
7 Common Scoters west, 2 Fulmars east, 9 Manx Shearwaters east, 30 Gannets east, 1 Red-throated Diver east, 1 light morph Pomarine Skua west, 2 Arctic Skuas east, 42 Kittiwakes east, 10 Sandwich Terns east, 19 Arctic Terns east, 2 Guillemots east and 13 Auk sp. east.

Visible Migration
3 Swallows north and 1 Redpoll east.

Grounded Migrants
1 Wheatear.

Others
8 Knots, 100 Sanderlings and 4 Turnstones.     

Thursday, 23rd May 2013

Offshore

2 Garganeys east, 11 Common Scoters east, 8 Manx Shearwaters west, 12 Gannets west, 1 Arctic Skua east, 7 Kittiwakes east, 11 Sandwich Terns east, 2 Common Terns east, 1 Guillemot west and 3 Auk sp. west.

Further observation during the evening produced 17 Common Scoters east, 10 Manx Shearwaters west, 13 Gannets west, 2 Arctic Skuas east, 14 Kittiwakes east and 18 Sandwich Terns east.

Visible Migration

14 Whimbrels east.

Grounded Migrants 

1 Wheatear.

Others

5 Ringed Plovers, 73 Sanderlings, 8 Dunlins and 5 Turnstones.

Wednesday, 22nd May 2013

Offshore:

1 Teal east, 3 Common Scoters west, 2 Fulmars east, 27 Manx Shearwaters east, 15 Gannets east, 1 Arctic Skua east, 22 Kittiwakes east, 15 Sandwich Terns east, 2 Common Terns east, 9 Guillemots east and 23 Auk sp. east.

 

 Fulmar

Further observation during the evening produced 23 Common Scoters west, 38 Manx Shearwaters west, 16 Gannets west, 1 Great Skua east, 3 Kittiwakes west, 25 Sandwich Terns east and 2 Auk sp. west.

 

 Gannets

Visible Migration

46 Swallows north-east and 6 Redpolls east.

Grounded Migrants 

3 Whimbrels, 3 Wheatears and 1 Redpoll.

 

 Lesser Redpoll

Others:

46 Sanderlings and 7 Turnstones.

Tuesday, 21st May 2013

Offshore 

405 Common Scoters east, 10 Manx Shearwaters east, 17 Gannets east, 1 Arctic Skua east, 10 Kittiwakes east, 16 Sandwich Terns east,1 Common Tern east, 5 Guillemots east, 8 Auk sp. east and 1 Black Guillemot flew east at 09:34.

 

 Common Scoters

Visible Migration 

14 Swallows north-east, 2 House Martins north-east and 2 Redpolls east.

Grounded Migrants:

4 Whimbrels, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler and 1 Wheatear.

 

 Whimbrel

Others

8 Ringed Plovers, 65 Sanderlings, 11 Dunlins and 17 Turnstones.