Sunday 9 July 2023

Meds and guests

A light southwest wind. Dry and mainly sunny till the early evening thunderstorms began.

South Shore
A total of 43 Mediterranean Gulls – 17 adults, 8 2nd summer, 18 1st summer – between Heysham Harbour mouth and the mudflats south of Ocean Edge during the morning
Whimbrel – 1 on Red Nab
Eider 1 female
Pete Crooks and Shaun Coyle


I had a walk along the shore in the morning and a visit to Red Nab on the rising tide in the afternoon. (MD)
Wheatear 1 juvenile at the saltmarsh 

Juvenile Wheatear


Linnet 14 - 6 saltmarsh, 2 Red Nab, 6 lighthouse area
Goldfinch 8 on saltmarsh 
Rock Pipits 4 - 2 juvenile on foreshore, 1 Red Nab, 1 lighthouse.
Juvenile Rock Pipit

I visited Red Nab in the afternoon to try and locate the three characters white ringed Mediterranean gull - success!
LCG - an old friend. Ringed as a nestling in Holland in 2010.
It has been a summer visitor here since 2013, and normally seen wintering in Spain.

This is a nice clip of gulls bathing in the freshwater runoff from Red Nab. Black-Headed, Mediterranean and Common gull.

Common Sandpiper 1 on Red Nab preening amongst the gulls.

There were 12 species of butterfly in the Nature Park:
Red Admiral several
Painted Lady 2
Peacock 1
Comma 3
Large White 2
Small White several
Small Tortoiseshell several
Meadow Brown several
Gatekeeper several 
Ringlet just 1 faded individual 
Common Blue 1
Small Skipper 2

Painted Lady