Decent overnight moth catch and early influx of Redshank

Heysham Obs
Apparently an early influx of Redshank has been noted at other sites and this was certainly the case just after the tide off Ocean Edge

Outfalls/Red Nab and area
Redshank - 185, equally distributed on the newly-uncovered mudflats either side of the old water pipeline
Black-tailed Godwit - one with the above
Curlew - 130 scattered around
Med Gull - too late to 'do' the gulls - they were scattered far and wide but two adults were seen.  It is always best to 'do' the gulls on the incoming tide - about 3 hrs before high tide - not on the dropping tide

Moths
New for the year included Yellow Tail, Wormwood Pug, Dingy Footman, Garden Tiger (not annual these days) and notable were Straw Underwing, Double Dart and Agonopterix nervosa

Definitely two sporadically active Red-veined Darter in marginal temperatures

Heysham Obs

Dragonflies on model boat pond
Thanks to Michael Foley, Janet and Phil from Hampshire for confirming two individuals were present - one in the SE corner and one along the spit - neither particularly active and absent for long periods in the rather low temperatures for this species

Thanks to Michael Foley for the top pic of one individual and Janet for the bottom two of the second individual

Black-tailed Skimmer - c6 males, 3 females
Emperor - ovipositing female
4-spotted Chaser - 2-3
Common Blue Damselfly - 200+


Now the tide is coming round to a 'sensible' time of day before the heat-haze gets going, a check was made of waders and gulls on the back end of the 'low' high tide

Red Nab/outfalls/Ocean Edge
Curlew - 230, split between Red Nab and along the shore south of Ocean Edge
Redshank - 47 - Red Nab
Oystercatcher - 220, mainly Red Nab
Med Gull - 5 adult, 3 2CY, one 3CY, possibly more 2CY as hard to see all birds on Red Nab
Black-headed Gull - 370
Kittiwake - 2CY
Common Gull 15
Shelduck - 12 - way to the south of OE

Ringing by the office
More variety than quantity with little on the feeders today

A young Whitethroat at Middleton - sadly not many of these around this year.  Thanks Janet

Moths
Better than expected after a cool night but nothing above the adrenalin level of late Turnip moth and another Ebulea crocealis

Reasonable numbers of Meadow Brown on the wing at the moment.  Thanks Janet

This should be Wednesday!

Heysham Obs
A bit cool and windy for dragonflies today, despite the requisite sunlight and as far as I am aware, sightings on the model boat pond limited to female Emperor, a few teneral Common Darter and 2-3 Black-tailed Skimmer

Please keep any dogs away from this pond whilst searching for dragonflies (Mute Swan pair and 8 young)

Moth
The local Ebulea crocealis was the only scarcity in a much reduced catch this morning

Birds
No check of the outfalls as far as I am aware.  Thanks to Janet for these excellent hirundine pics from the model boat pond:

Twitchable Chamomile Shark larva headlines a good insect day

Heysham Obs
First of all here are the excellent pics from last Saturday of male Red-veined Darter taken at Middleton by Sandra and John on what was a really inspired date-choice for an organised Dragonfly event!  How many others have successfully gone ahead in this country this summer? .

Moths

This Chamomile Shark larva was first seen yesterday along the road by Middleton NR and was still there today.  Thanks Janet

Hut trap
Excellent, although too time-consuming in relation to work!  Stand-outs for here amongst the 50 species of macro were V-Moth, Miller and Bordered Sallow with new for the year being Antler, Double Square Spot, Lesser Yellow Underwing.  A different Eyed Hawk-moth was a surprise this late and others of interest included Eucosma campoliliana, Diamond Back Moth, 4 Silver Y and a few as yet unidentified micros.  Just to remind people, this trap comprises a blended 160 watt dangling from the ceiling of a 'spare' toilet with 'prison bars' over an otherwise open window, egg packing over the floor and the toilet lid 'sealed'.  It is operated 24/7 and is especially successful during westerly sector winds and useless during easterly winds of any strength (window faces east and moths like to fly into the wind).

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Late afternoon whistle stop saw:
Med Gull - 4 adults (2 off Ocean Edge saltmarsh/2 on Red Nab),  at least 2 2CY on Red Nab
Kittiwake - 2CY Red Nab
No migrant waders along the tideline at Ocean Edge

Red-veined Darter confirmed

Heysham Obs

Middleton model boat pond this afternoon.  Thanks Janet.  Are they still hanging out at this formerly prolonged breeding site or is this a primary migrant? (one sighting on one day in last year's grotty summer).  One was thought to have been photographed on the dragonfly event on Saturday, so hopefully another pic on its way from the observer.

Also seen up to 6 Black-tailed Skimmer, a single male Ruddy Darter and at least one Emperor

Please take care not to disturb the Mute Swan family if you visit this pond.  Thanks

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull -  at least 4 2CY and one adult
Arctic Tern - at least one adult
Common Tern - one adult

Moths
A really decent catch by this year's standards.  New for the year were: White Satin, Dotted Clay, Barred Yellow, Scalloped Oak and I think V-Pug.  Notable were Broad-barred White, a latish Eyed Hawk-moth, Bee Moth, Diamond-back Moth, 3 Silver Y and 6 Double Dart.  Clay (15) the most numerous  

Thorough check of Med Gulls

Heysham Obs
A careful check of the Med Gulls on the outfalls over the low tide period saw 15 individuals but no sign of yesterday's juv!  Thanks Mark (and others?)

Outfalls area early am
Med Gull - 8 x 2CY, 2 x 3CY, 5 x adult.  No info on whether any were ringed and not sure if anything else was seen
Redshank - 56 over the afternoon tide (all but one adult)
Whimbrel - 1 (IOA) over the afternoon tide

Office area
Ringing suggested that resident species had not done too badly but juvenile summer migrants, other than Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, were well below par.  'New' birds included (juv unless stated):  4 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Wren, 12 Greenfinch, 6 Robin, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinch but just 2 Whitethroat and one juvenile and two adult female Blackcap

Moths
The first Straw Underwing of the year

Ruddy Shelduck visit earlier this week

Heysham Obs
Thanks to Sandra and John for showing us pics of two Ruddy Shelduck which were on the mudflats by Ocean Edge saltmarsh on 2/7/12.  Just going out to see if they are still around.

Thanks very much to Sandra and John for these pics which suggest two female or immature Ruddy Shelduck with no obvious evidence of any hybridisation.  They are part of an established pattern of summer post-breeding influxes, perhaps from a feral population in the Netherlands or elsewhere

Outfalls/Red Nab
Curlew - influx with 221 on Red Nab, then flushed on to mudflats off OE
Redshank - 31 - influx
Grey Plover - 9
Med Gull - the first juvenile of the autumn on the outfalls, at least 3 2CY, including the strikingly black-headed bird but only one adult could be found
Kittiwake - 2CY
no terns on the incoming tide

Office area
Swift - at least 30 high to the south & others heard
Greenfinch - 15 new birds ringed on the feeder
Chaffinch - 5 as above
Ones and twos of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff ringed during the morning in the office nets

Moths
The first Common Rustic & Chilo phragmitella of the year.

More Meds and miserable weather

Heysham Obs

A glum juvenile Wren in the rain wondering if there could be a better life elsewhere (thanks Janet)

A different lot of young wrens taking their first steps into the world. Thanks Janet

Outfalls/Red nab

Med Gull - 2 2CY, one a new bird (both unringed), one adult but the tide a little too high for a proper check

Moths

Decent catch by this summer's standards with not all the small stuff identified yet.  Best were a late and worn Shaded Pug (one of the few pugs you can easily identify when worn!), an Obscure Wainscot, two Double Dart and a single Silver Y

Close encounter with a Silver Y and a Straw Dot at Middleton.  Thanks Janet

Middleton CES and a Raven mystery

Heysham Obs
Sanity was questioned this morning as I drove through the Lune valley at some ridiculous hour with rain showers and a gusty wind.  Blind faith in the forecasted weather window for the Middleton CES and already the wind speed was way out.  The net-setting was a bit tricky but as soon as the CES period started the weather changed for the better - indeed it was too sunny!  With the assistance of John Mason and no heavy shower clouds on the horizon, we were able to set two supplementary nets, mainly to try and assess the Grasshopper Warbler situation.  The following observations were made:

Middleton NR 0545-1045hrs
Raven - Four flew very high from the west - seemingly from over the Bay and headed due east until lost from sight.  An odd record for this time of year but they breed early and disperse early?
Siskin - five lots of calls heard - all appeared to be single birds heading south/south-east
Swift - 7 south
Reed Warbler - there appears from ringing data and other singing birds to be about 6-7 territories
Sedge Warbler - Four separate independent 'old' juveniles were caught along with one unringed adult and one adult retrap which did at least have a brood patch.  This was thought to be associated with just the one obvious territorial male, the only one heard singing or calling
Grasshopper Warbler - With the assistance of a caveat on my ringing permit allowing brief playback for this species at Middleton, two retrap adults, one unringed adult and two juveniles were caught.  Much better than expected after the recent weather and obvious demise of the much larger Sedge Warbler population.  The playback, of course, was only used by the two supplementary nets, not within the CES envelope.
Gadwall - male seen once in flight
Curlew - three separately high to the east

Ringing at Middleton NR
Better than expected with quite a few tits and Willow Warblers keeping the session going in the absence of any significant numbers of other warblers, especially Sedge.  41 new and 12 retraps were caught with almost half the newly-ringed total being Blue Tit and Willow Warbler

Red Nab and outfalls - quick mid-morning check
Med Gull - three adults and at least 2 2CY
Kittiwake - usual 2CY
no terns seen

Moths
A very early Toadflax Pug was left for me to look at by John Girdley (thanks John) - no, not a misidentified Foxglove Pug - this is a known site for Toadflax and we do know what they look like!  Common Emerald best of the rest

.First Common Darter of the year and there are still no known Emperor records.  Thanks Janet

First Greenshank of the 'autumn'

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls/Ocean Edge incoming tide
Greenshank - adult in the saltmarsh creek
Grey Plover - 9 on the tideline
Dunlin - 3 on the tideline
Med Gull - 3 original 2CY plus a large and small adult
Arctic Tern - 2 adults
Kittiwake - usual 2CY

Middleton NR
Not a single Sedge Warbler seen or heard during mist net ride clearance.  Therefore perhaps the key species in terms of numbers out of the equation as regards positive local breeding bird CES data.  Hopefully the CES visit tomorrow will not be watching paint dry even if the weather allows it to take place.  Fortunately, the last visit was reasonable with bits and pieces of mainly non-wetland species keeping it ticking over

Insects
A poor catch in the hut trap as there was a bit of east in the wind.  Common Emerald was the only geometrid at an overnight sheet/light at Middleton and quite a few Map-winged Swift at one of the few lowland sites where this species is common

Yellow Shell at Middleton NR this afternoon.  Thanks Janet