Routine in the routine rain

Heysham Obs
A quick pre-work check and therefore no time to wait for the "trickle of Manx" as suggested by the weather

Red Nab/Ocean Edge area high tide
Kittiwake - 2CY
Med Gull - just 2 adults
Redshank - 237 (mostly adults)
Curlew - 133 (mostly moulting adults or 2CY)
Whimbrel - 2
Grey Plover - 14
Oystercatcher - 266
No terns

Moths
Mediocre catch enlivened by a Drinker

High fives for Blackneck

Heysham Obs
When the spread of this species reached the north of Lancashire, it seemed like Heysham might become a hotspot due to the proliferation of Tufted Vetch.  This has happened this year and there were 5 individuals this morning after what was not a particularly good moth night

Ocean Edge/outfalls/Ocean Edge foreshore at high tide
Med Gull - 3 ads and one 2CY in amongst reduced numbers on Red Nab (disturbed prior to arrival?)
Grey Plover - 36
Dunlin - 8
Redshank - 157
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2
Knot - 2

Moths
5 Blackneck notable and new for the year were Dingy Shears, Pale Mottled Willow and Common (uncommon here) Wainscot.  There were also 2 Double Dart and 4 Straw Underwing

Another half decent insect event

Heysham Obs
As last Saturday, the weather was again kind to an insect event, this time butterflies, especially looking at the forecast for the rest of the week

Birds
Ringing at Middleton and Heysham again revealed a dearth of young birds, although 10 Sedge Warblers were caught in a prolonged session at Middleton.  Just the one Grasshopper Warbler materialised in the nets although Janet was able to photograph a singing male on nearby Heysham Moss.  Thanks Janet.

Outfalls
Med Gull - single adult on the dropping tide (thanks Geoff and Chris)

Insects
No sign of Red-veined Darter at Middleton as far as I am aware in marginal temperatures and a niggling wind by the time the sun appeared

Gatekeeper - first of the year on the reserve
Burnet Companion - surely the last of the year?
Ebulea (or now Anania) crocealis found at Middleton (thanks Geoff)
Currant Pug the star of the moth trap

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.