Mainly overcast with a couple of morning showers. Some sunny spells later. A fresh NW wind
Heysham skear - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:30
Not much new today so I've included some terrain shots. A heavy shower was just ending as I was walking out.
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| The rain managed to hold off while I was out, but only just |
Eider at least 21
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| Eider between Honeycomb worm reefs on the north side |
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| Eider between a Mussel bank and a sandbar |
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| These are on the south side and I would call these large Honeycomb worm beds rather than reefs. The south of the skear takes the brunt of the storms and reefs struggle to become fully established, but it does happen occasionally |
Great Crest Grebe 2
Little Egret 12
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| Little Egret. The stakes mid distance right are all that remain of the old Battery skear fish traps |
Grey Heron 1
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| Heron resting on the extensive Honeycomb worm beds in the SE corner, perhaps these will become large enough to be called reefs this year. |
Oystercatcher a lot more birds today probably 3500
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| The partially leucistic one was amongst them. These are on a sandbar you can see the indents in the sand left by the recent shower |
Bar-Tailed Godwit 1 juvenile - first one this autumn
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| Juvenile Bar-Tailed Godwit |
Turnstone 45
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| Turnstone, giving me a dirty look! |
Two visits by a Peregrine might explain the low numbers of small waders
Middleton Nature Reserve - Rosemary and Peter Silvester
Insects seen at the Southern end were:
1 Ruddy Darter
Several Male Common Darters (no females)
2 Migrant Hawkers
1 Small Copper
3 Speckled Wood
2 Small White
2 Red Admiral
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| Ruddy Darter |
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| Common Darter |
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| Migrant Hawker |
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| Common Blue Damselfly at the main pond |
We didn't see any dragonflies when we were at the main pond but it was only a very brief visit today.
Southnshore - Malcolm 15:00 - 15:30.
I just did a circuit around Ocean Edge
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| Common Darter on the fence at the entrance to Ocean Edge There are still lots of Harlequin Ladybirds here too |
Linnet 10 flew out to the saltmarsh
Wheatear 1 along the foreshore
Rock Pipit 5 - 1 on the foreshore and at least 4 more on Red Nab
Pied Wagtail 1 on Ocean Edge grass
In the Nature Park
Common Darter 4
Small White 1
Large White 1
Red Admiral 1
Speckled Wood 5
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| Small White |
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| Large White |
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| Male Speckled Wood |
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| Female Speckled Wood |
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| The female flew down to a lower leaf and the male joined her...... I made my excuses and left |
