A few more waders

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab brief visit 0730hrs
Bar-tailed Godwit - 15
Grey Plover - 49
Redshank - 233
Turnstone - 7
Curlew - 156
Whimbrel - 1
Med Gull - 2 x 2CY
Little Gull - adult summer

Moths
Star of the show was Elachista atricomella - dont think I've noticed it before but there are a dozen or so previous records.  Otherwise just over 100 moths with a Dingy Footman, Golden-rod Pug, Barred Straw and Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet the most "notable" for here

Common Tern makes a rare appearance

Heysham Obs
Very quick check on the morning tide (no time for proper seawatching) off Ocean Edge area saw:

Common Tern - adult Red Nab
Little Gull - adult summer Red Nab
NO Meds!

Moths
Dingy Shears the most notable with Six-striped Rustic new for the year and Straw Underwing still over 50!

Moths and gulls plus a tern and Manx

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls/Ocean Edge 0745-0815
Unfortunately the big gull flock was sent in the direction of Pott's Corner by a dog and 2CY Meds may have been missed

Med Gull - 2 x ad & 1 x 2CY
Little Gull - adult summer Red Nab
Sandwich tern - adult Red Nab
Whimbrel - one
Curlew - 187
Grey Plover - 44
Redshank - 210
Manx Shearwater - one distantly offshore flying out

Moths
Another rather large 220+ catch with minor highlights including singles of White Satin, Double Dart, Dingy Footman, Garden Carpet (!), 3 Blackneck, but more especially the occurrence of both Small Fan-foot and The Fan-foot on the same night - neither regular here

The last of the overnight moth madness?

Heysham Obs
Its been a moth week when, despite traps being emptied and checked from the early hours, the identification and documentation has seriously 'crept' into work time!

Moths
Despite the rather late check at 0830hrs (in sunny conditions), with the predictable downturn in flighty geometrids which had presumably made their escape in the earlier morning sun, the trap was still heaving.  After an hour of checking and chucking out, 62 Straw Underwing topped the bill which was again devoid of real 'show-stoppers', but did include Grass Emerald making a welcome first appearance, Dun-bar also new of the year and one or two relatively scarce species in the form of Dingy Shears, Dingy Footman and Blackneck

Outfalls/Red Nab
Very heat-hazy afternoon check with the tide not really far enough in

Little Gull - adult easy to find with its conspicuously black head
Med Gull - 1 x 2CY and 2 x Ad in the heathaze, could have been more
No terns seen

More time-consuming moths

Heysham Obs
Another decent moth catch with no real surprises.  New for the year were Udea lutealis, Southern Wainscot and Cloaked Minor and I think LBB Yellow U/W.  Of interest for here were Plain Golden Y, Slender Pug, Agapeta zoegana (with hamana for comparison), Agonopterix nervosa, Blackneck, Dingy Footman (3), Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, a latish Double Dart and just 58 Straw Underwing

Outfalls/Red Nab late afternoon
Redshank - 235
Turnstone - 4
Oystercatcher - 1,140
Med Gull - 2 x ad, 1 x 2CY
Little Gull - adult summer
Sandwich Tern - 3 adults early afternoon, then just one adult
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 44

Autumnal stirrings

Heysham Obs
A decent incoming tide this afternoon although potentially the best bird, a 'miniature redshank' (with Redshank) was flushed by a bait-digger whilst still a distant complete silhouette, towering high and up and away

Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Little Gull - adult summer
Sandwich Tern - 4 ad, 6 juv
Med Gull - adult and 2 2CY
Oystercatcher - c970
Curlew - 135
Dunlin - 6
Redshank- 40+

Moths
Nothing startling such as the Bedstraw Hawk Moth sat on a moorland trap I ran last night.  Best was Pinion-streaked Snout and others included 5 Dingy Footman, Chinese Character, Slender Pug, Golden-rod Pug, Marbled Beauty and just 38 Straw Underwing

Where-ever there is clover you can often find this moth in the daytime and it also visits the moth trap, although is one of the first to shoot out of the window at the slightest disturbance.  Shaded broad Bar.  Thanks Janet

Warm drizzly moth-fest

Heysham Obs
After turfing loads out of traps at or near home for the last month or so, it was rather ironic that the 'rarest' moth at Heysham this morning was Plain Golden Y.  A large catch included 4 each of White Satin and Dingy Footman, 2 Dingy Shears, Golden rod Pug, Latticed heath, 5 x Blackneck, what is now known as Acrobasis advenella, a massive 53 Straw Underwing (a strangely localised species and this single-night total is guaranteed to be a much larger than in the rest of VC60 combined for the whole year) and just 5 Large Yellow Underwing, a species which has been held well in check so far this year

Not a lot else happening so far!

Three minor notables

Heysham Obs
First of all it took ages to find a way of posting on here (had to sign out, then sign in via the north Lancs ringing group blog!) and I cannot access a toolbar to upload any pics (or boldface/italics).  Will do that tomorrow from the office.  Apologies.

Office area
A Grasshopper Warbler was singing regularly in the tank farm area - typical of a breeding male just starting up again (prolonged singing from there in spring) & the habitat is fine

Moth
White-line dart is a one-two per year wanderer from the nearby coastline and a pristine speciman was in the trap this morning

Red Nab
Single Whimbrel

Moths Purple Patch

Heysham
The eighth CES visit was made today after early rain and rather stronger wind than was comfortable for mist nets.
There were few birds around and fledged young were conspicuous by their absence - for instance, no juvenile Blackbirds have yet been caught this year.

Five juvenile Greenfinches caught at the feeders by the Hut.

Moths
A decent catch of of 48 species although no great numbers of any one species (the species total being maximised by very early check on the trap).

Another Blackneck caught, together with Light Arches, Chinese Character, White Satin, Latticed Heath and Purple Thorn (only the second record at this site).

ajd

Red-veined Darter weather

Heysham Obs
Dragonflies Middleton model boat pond
A short look late morning as the wind was slowly increasing produced:
Red-veined darter - probably just the one very mobile male seen on and off around the spit, including good views at rest at the swan loafing area
Black-tailed Skimmer - c8
Common Darter - c15, including one "reddish" imm male
Emperor - female
Emerald Damselfly - first records this year?

Birds
Med Gull:  low tide check produced 7:   metal-ringed adult, metal-ringed 3CY, 3 unringed adult, 2 unringed 2CY.  6 of these were together between the wooden jetty and Heysham one outfall

Middleton CES in sunny but fairly calm conditions re-emphasised that Whitethroat and Reed Warbler have so far seem to have had appalling breeding success (just one juv Whitethroat and no juv Reed Warbler caught), Sedge Warbler & Lesser Whitethroat pretty poor (just 4 juv Sedge caught at this peak(ish) time) but Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff not too bad.  Thanks to Alan and John for doing this.

Moths
Moth trap highlight was a single Gothic and a bit of a surprise was a late flush of newly-emerged Buff Ermine - this has been a feature of this weather-disrupted summer