Refugee from the moors

Catoptria margaritella via John Girdley. Thanks John. Two Red-veined Darter pics from Colin Whittle

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE

Red-veined Darter - one male model boat pond but windy & cool. A female was probably seen but not 100% claimed by a cautious experienced observer as the pterostigma was only glimpsed before it took flight & was lost

Black-tailed Skimmer - 3 males model boat pond

Heysham NR

Gatekeeper - after years of pussyfooting around in single or low double figures, they have 'taken off' with 43 casually counted today in rather windy conditions

Common Hawker - 2 males

Small Skipper - 200+

Moth trap
The pyralid Catoptria margaritella is a familar sight at sheet and light trapping on the local moorlands and also in the MV traps nearby this 'habitat' e.g. Millhouses & High Tatham. It is pretty scarce away from these areas and the first record for here materialised this morning. Also the first Barred Rivulet for the year.

Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Med Gull: 4 adults (2 Red Nab, one off OE saltmarsh, one on mudflats S of OE) & one 2CY
Whimbrel - 2
Common Sandpiper - 1

The early bird catches two seabirds

***Doubtfully any Storm Petrel weather tomorrow, not windy or squally enough on the latest forecast - already been contacted by targeters re-the time and place for them based on the forecast & posting two days ago! The next hour (posted at 1900hrs) looks possible for a few bits and bobs

Heysham Obs
..........whilst the latecomers managed one each

Offshore
Some stunningly desultory seawatching at various times in a wind which was too far to the north west was won by Malcolm with two seabirds
Gannet - one out 0700ish
Manx Shearwater - one in then out 0700ish, one out 0900ish
Fulmar - one across the mouth of the bay

North harbour wall
Common Sandpiper - one

Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Med Gull - 3 adults, one 2CY

Elsewhere
Really poor recently in this area; due a Pec at the EM Pools at the very least

Dreary weather

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge early morning, then late afternoon
Med Gull - 2 x adult, 1 x 2cy late afternoon on incoming tide

Moth trap
Small Dotted Buff quite scarce here

They think it's all over

Heysham Obs
Sunday and Monday am look possibilities for Storm Petrel
Best from the end of the north harbour wall, checking off the seaward end of Heysham one outfall and the area around the red buoy. Perhaps most likely Sunday pm

Middleton industrial estate
60 Swifts south between 0800 and 0930 - does this mean summer is over?
7 Swallows south
1 Meadow Pipit
5 Pied Wagtails SE

Ringing (0700-0945):
2 Willow Warblers (adult and juv)
Sedge Warbler (3 adults, 1 juv)
Reed Bunting (juv)

Other birds (minimum numbers, these are just the ones seen/heard):
2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling, 4 Reed Warblers chuntering, at least one Lesser Whitethroat singing, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Ringed Plover, Coot feeding young, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon.
50+ Lesser Black-backs, 3 Herring Gulls and a Black-headed Gull at the sewage farm.

Warning: Guard gull! Nearly had my head taken off by a Lesser Black-backed gull the other day when I wandered into the Tim Butler territory to investigate dragonflies.

Moth trap
Gothic a welcome new species for the year (millenium?!) % another Dingy Footman.

Darters and skimmers

More Middleton Red-veined Darter pics from John Rayner. Thanks John

Middleton IE model boat pond

Red-veined Darter - just the one seen in rather marginal windy conditions

Black-tailed Skimmer - 13+, including 2 ovipositing

Common Darter - plenty of tenerals and two in tandem

Common Hawker - one northern side of model boat pond

Brown Hawker - as above

Welcome Blackwits

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Black-tailed Godwit - 8 islandica adults in the channel alongside OE saltmarsh. Not all that common here.
Med Gull - FOUR adults on Red Nab (could only see that one was unringed) plus 1 x 2CY, probably the usual fairly black-headed one

Elsewhere
Male Yellowhammer showing well early morning in LDBWS area at western side of Wakebarrow Scar, visible from road. SD597877

Bits and bobs

Heysham Bird Observatory
CES ringing study
Not a great deal ringed but did include an adult female Swallow

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - one adult