Sunday 31 May 2020

Hot day and decent records

The breeze continued from the east, the constant sunshine made it a very warm day.

Stone Jetty 5:45-7:30 (Nick G)
Osprey 1 distantly
Common tern 1 out
Common scoter 29 in
Goosander 2 males North
Gannet 1 in
Guillemot 2 in
Canada goose 19 N
 23 Canada goose flew out over Red Nab 11:00

Middleton Nature Reserve
A very comprehensive survey by Dan (H)
Singing male warblers (where exceeding my previous count last week);
Whitethroat 10
Willow Warbler 9
Reed Warbler 5
Lesser Whitethroat  1 only as per last visit.
Cetti's Warbler-- pair feeding 2+ recently fledged young. Some song as they were doing it too!
Picture by Dan

Blackcap-- fledged young noted.

Butterflies;
Common Blue 25
Small Heath 13
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Speckled Wood 4
Large Skipper 1
Red Admiral 1
Gatekeeper 1
Both the above the first reported this year

Cinnabar moth 2

Odonata;
Four-spotted Chaser 45+
Broad-bodied Chaser 23 incl 3 females (one ovipositing)
Picture by Dan

Black-tailed Skimmer 20+
Picture by Kevin

Emperor 5-6 males
Picture by Kevin

Damsels: Large Red, Azure, Common Blue, Blue-tailed all present but few flying in stiff easterly breeze.

Bee Orchid just starting to bloom.
Picture by Kevin

Lighthouse area
Rock pipits, only two adult seen, one occasionally standing guard over the nesting hole. But neither birds seen carrying food. One did fly to north roundhead twice, so just possible they have a juvenile over there. We'll see.
This Lesser Black-backed gull had caught a crab and was "opening" it by throwing it at the concrete floor.

And finally - it was a hot day to spend sitting exposed on a nest. This Herring gull was panting!