More variety today

A few light showers before more consistent rain by evening. A light SW breeze

South shore

I went to watch the tide reach Red Nab - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:15

Mediterranean gulls 14. 10 adult, 1 3rd calendar year and 3 2nd calendar year. They were very flighty again and were lifted off Red Nab twice after everything was spooked by the young peregrines.

They were gathering nicely on Red Nab

Then everything either left to the south or settled on the mud

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull

A lot of gulls, including Meds returned to Red Nab.
When Pete checked closer to high water there were still 11

Osprey 1 heading south

Osprey 

Curlew 194 flew south, many from Red Nab but some directly from the north side

Common Sandpiper 2 flew towards Red Nab out from the sea wall

Common Sandpipers and a Common gull

Plenty of butterflies in the Nature Park, but of the home grown variety, as opposed to migrants.

Small Skipper 1

Large White 3

Ringlet 7

Meadow Brown 2

Comma 1

Gatekeeper 1 - first record this year

Comma

Gatekeeper 

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Red-veined Darter 1 male resting by the bench at the main pond bottom car park

Male Red Veined Darter

Four-spotted Chaser

Well camouflaged Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Small Skipper

Red Soldier Beetle (also known as bonking beetles for some reason)

Alder Leaf Beetle larvae 

There was a dead Water Rail chick by the pond on the southern section 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:15 - 16:45

Unfortunately the steady rain started just I was in my favourite area for checking the gulls for rings. There were c400 again, but I only managed to see one of yesterday's again before having to cede to the rain.

This close up allows you to see the form of the colour ring. It is just a curved
strip of very thin plastic sheet. N:47K. We now have its history. Ringed as a chick
on Walney Island 2024, it was also on the skear last year. N:49K which was close
by yesterday, also ringed at Walney 2024, but yesterday was its first sighting.

Sandwich Tern 1 flew north

Great Crested Grebe 1

Curlew c25

Oystercatcher c1000