Still little change

Early morning showers followed by light showers during the say. A light SW wind.

South shore 

Janet checked mid morning,

Mediterranean gulls on Red Nab, from left to far right
Two adult a second summer and a first summer

This Lesser Black-Backed gull wasn't finding a shore crab easy pickings

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse. We have seen this effect before.
Last time it was a known female, and suspected it was caused by her
sitting on nest with her back touching the roof in the hole.

Grey Mullet below the sloping sea wall

I checked early afternoon (Malcolm)

Mediterranean gulls 18 - 10 adult, 4 first summer and 4 second summer. 

The gulls on the beach near the wooden jetty were catching a few Sandmason worms, but only in shallow water, not on the beach itself.

The Black-Headed gull has a Sandmason worm

Second summer Mediterranean gull with a Sandmason worm

Heysham Nature Reserve (Mark Jones)

Ringlet the most abundant butterfly here too

Impressive looking Labyrinth Spider

No real change, other than behaviour

It just about managed to stay dry, with occasional sunny spells. The NW wind drifting round to the west by evening.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Grasshopper warbler

Common Whitethroat 

One of many Goldfinch 

Male Pheasant zipping over

Ringlet the most abundant butterfly

Six-spot Burnet

This Common Whitethroat was singing on Heysham Head this morning - Tim Woodward

South shore (Malcolm)

Only time for one outing today, so I checked the beach next to the wooden jetty as the tide was ebbing at lunchtime. There tends to be less opportunities for the gulls to catch the sandmason worms on these neap tides. Presumably the worms are staying safely at the bottom of their tubes. 

None of the gulls were trying to catch them today, but were feeding on both outflows and resting/preening on the mud.

Mediterranean gull 14 minimum - typically 6-10 were resting on the beach by the jetty at any one time, then returning to feed on the outflows.

Two Meds here with Black-Headed, Herring and Lesser Black-Backed gulls

They seemed to be finding plenty to eat, but it must have been small as not readily visible. Perhaps the tiny Sandeels (see yesterday's post)

These are two first summer preening and joined by an adult.

Both the two German ringed birds stopped off for a preen between
feeding, this is the veteran detailed yesterday 

Kittiwake 1 first summer seen feeding on both outflows

Rock Pipit 1 along sea wall

A flock of Long-Tailed Tits were feeding in the Nature Park.
This juvenile stopped for a rest on the perimeter fence.

Butterflies:

Only a Specked Wood was seen on the way out, but it was trying to rain then.

On the return leg the sun had come out 

Ringlet 12

Small White 1

Small Skipper 1

Meadow Brown 1

Meadow Brown

Well read Med

The NW wind continues. Overcast with showers, some heavy.

South shore.

This report and images by Martin Loftus are from Martin's walk along the sea wall yesterday afternoon.

200+ LBB / Herring Gulls

100+ BH Gulls 

5 common gulls 

1 first summer kittiwake

c20 Mediterranean gulls

This adult Med has picked up a tiny Sandeel from the surface of the outflow

Shaun Cole checked this morning on the ebbing tide:

Mediterranean Gulls 17 (Ad 7, 2nd summer 6, 1st summer 4). 

Kittiwake 1 1st summer

Rock Pipit displaying near the lighthouse 

I checked the beach between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty as it became exposed. For reasons only known to them, the gulls swooped in as soon as the mud was showing. Unlike yesterday when it took a while for any to turn up. These are some of the early arrivals 

So many gulls trying to feed in a small area, things were bound to become fractious!

Unfortunately, a shower was just beginning and the darkening skies told that it was set in for a while, so I left. By that time 13 Mediterranean gulls had arrived to feed.

A quick evening check around Red Nab towards high water (Malcolm). We are back to neap tides now and the tide isn't high enough to cover all the mud so the gulls tend to spread out more.

Black-Headed and Mediterranean gulls resting in the lee of a small outcrop.
One of the Meds behind it had a green ring, but not good enough views to read

At least there was no Peregrine disturbance tonight, although the gulls were still jumpy. A Carrion Crow managed to spook these off Red Nab. At least when they first land you get to see their legs.

That was the yellow ringed German bird

There were at least 20 Mediterranean gull on and around Red Nab. 13 adult, 5 first summer and 2 second summer 

This Blackbird in the Nature Park has a fecal sac.

Janet had a walk along the sea wall in the evening sunshine 

Cinnabar moth near the Harbour - first of the year

Lighthouse Rock Pipit

The Peregrines haven't moved on they were just mucking about further along the wall.

Peregrine Falcons

Juvenile with adult Black-Headed gulls

Juvenile Black-Headed gull with first summer Mediterranean gull

This is the green ringed Med gull that arrived on Saturday, we now have the sightings
history and know that she is a female. Just a month ago she was back in Germany at
the site where she was ringed 12 years ago. Even the following list is not complete,
some multiple same site records have been edited out. This Med has certainly been
read many times. And she's still looking good. Hopefully many more records to come.

A lengthy life history - so much easier to read roof nesters during the breeding season than gravel and wetland nesters obscured by vegetation