Decent sea passage and huge insect migration

A fresh NE wind, plenty of sunshine, temperatures peaking at 21°C by lunchtime.

First a couple of updates from yesterday 

Sparrowhawk high over Janet's house

Middleton Nature Reserve - ringing report by John

Nets set from 6.30am to 11.00am. Much warmer with light winds.

No significant overhead movement observed and catch comprised;

Lesser Redpoll            x 10

Chiffchaff                    x   3

Willow Warbler            x  2

Sedge Warbler             x  2

Garden Warbler            x  1 (1st of the year, plus a male was singing)

Wren                             x  1

Goldfinch                      x  1

Blackbird                      x  1

Heysham Nature Reserve - ringing report by Alan

three nets but the catch was rather poor:

Wren  1 retrap

Dunnock  1

Blackbird  1

Lesser Whitethroat  1

Whitethroat  2

Blackcap  3

Chiffchaff  1 retrap

Blue Tit  3 retraps

Great Tit  2 retraps

Seawatch today - Pete:

from back of harbour 0650-0850 in unless stated : 

3 ad summer little gull

38 kittiwake

7 gannet

15 sandwich tern

180 common scoter

female scaup

59 arctic tern (7 small flocks)

2 common tern

3 Teal

1 red throated diver (out) 

two pink feet (on)

2 dark morph Arctic skua

295 swallow/swallowish bombing through bottom of scope

flock 30 grey plover

120 Dunlin

8 bar tailed godwit seemingly migrating

3,500 Knot

Additional after Pete left - Mark Prestwood

1st S little gull

4 sand tern

1 red-throated diver

1 gannet

20 common scoter

34 arctic tern

This male Whinchat was spotted by Martin Jordon on Heysham Head early afternoon, with at least 6 Wheatear.

Male Whinchat

Also from Martin 17:00 fromOcean Edge

Wheatear 10 (so at least 16 today)

Whimbrel 4 

Whimbrel 

Rock Pipit

Heysham skear - low water 13:15 (Malcolm)

Eider 54 - quite a hotchpotch of plumages.

Red-breasted Merganser 1

Oystercatcher 1500

Knot 1500

Redshank only 2 seen

Turnstone 120 - more than of late

Dunlin 35

Curlew none seen or heard

Whimbrel 3

Bar-Tailed Godwit 128 resting till moved on by the tide. Not one showing any sign of breeding plumage.

These are just some of them, you might just be able to pick out one with a yellow flag, barely above the water

(Just a glimpse of the yellow flag 14 seconds into the clip)

Bar-Tailed Godwit

South shore

Kevin had a walk along the sea wall this afternoon. It was classic conditions here for insects coming in off the sea and resting along the wall. NE wind, warm and sunny and the tide out. Not all the insects have been identified yet. These are just a selection of what Kevin saw.

a smart ichneumon fly but it was distant and is heavily cropped.

10-spot Ladybird 

Just a few of several hundred Seven Spot Ladybirds 

"Ladybird" with a Groundhopper 

It was amazing! Quite overwhelming really.

Just out of the recording area - horse paddock behind Middleton Parish Hall. The Glossy Ibis was checked for several time today, starting at 07:30. No sightings.