Common Buzzard double

Heysham Obs
Not too bad a morning for migration although the overhead passage was a little disappointing as recorded during the Middleton CES.  Thanks to Mark Breaks for helping with the evening Swallow roost.  120 Swallow and 8 Sand Martin were ringed with an additional Sand Martin control: Y551211

Middleton
Low single-figures of each of the common warbler species (Willow, Reed Sedge, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Lesser & Common Whitethroat) were ringed but no sign of any Grasshopper Warbler
Grey Wagtail - one south very early but none subsequently, despite tape being played by a non-CES net
Tree Pipit - two south
Meadow Pipit - 5 south
House Martin - c70 south-east in three swirling groups
Swallow - probably about 40 SE (hope the roost is still extant later today!)
Common Buzzard - 2 juveniles circling around high then headed north at about 0845hrs - rare here!

Heysham NR
Much quieter migrant-wise but out of habitat Reed Warbler caught in the office nets

Outfalls/Red Nab pm (thanks to Mark for info)
Med Gull - 17, including 6 juvenile
Little Gull - adult
Sandwich Tern - 3
Grey Plover - 230
Bar-tailed Godwit - 260
Dunlin - c150
Knot - c60

Moths
Large Wainscot was early

Early morning trick missed?

Heysham Obs
A cluster of 5 Chiffchaffs seen at Middleton whilst on a mist net guy replacement mission mid-afternoon hinted at what might have been missed in the dull calm conditions this early morning.  Contra several forecasts, the lack of early morning wind and rain should perhaps have been responded to with a short monitoring ringing session

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 5 juvs, one adult, one 2CY

Moths
Included Agriphila latistria and geniculea but nothing dramatic

A day for aerial feeders

Heysham Obs
Middleton NR in the evening
Big Swallow roost this evening with over 450 birds and the single net was closed at 2000hrs allowing 70 birds to be processed in good time ahead of the threatening skies to the south
Male Gadwall seen this evening and also yesterday evening

Ocean Edge
A quick pre-tide check mid afternoon was a little early and just 5 distant juvenile Meds were recorded

Office area
Virtually nothing grounded - not a single Willow Warbler seen for example.  A few Swallow tricked south (c40) and a further 65 moved ahead of a area of dark cloud along with a late Swift and c10 House Martin

Moth
A late Gothic was unexpected

Butterflies
Red Admiral on the office buddliea but no sign of yesterdays Painted Lady

Twenty one Meds and an obscure moth

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab area
Med Gull - 10 juv, 7 adult/3CY, 4 2CY
Little Gull - adult

Middleton swallow roost
A cautious session this evening as befitted the possible threat of sudden rain out of a pretty uniform grey sky.  A single net visited regularly and taken down before dusk produced 44 Swallows (one adult) and a Sedge Warbler

Insects

Thanks Janet

Moth trap
An obscure thing I've forgotten the name of like a Coleophora with a tapering body - managed to locate it = Batrachedra praeangusta. Also three Agriphila latistria

Summer is over as the Old Lady visits the toilet?

Heysham Obs
A fresh autumnal morning after quite a warm early part of the night saw a moth catch seriously reduced in species as we seriously hit the 'rustic' season

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Med Gull - at least 6 juvs, 3 adult, 3 2CY
Little Gull - adult
Whimbrel - one

Moths
Old Lady was new of the year in the 'toilet trap' and Bordered Beauty best of the rest which saw a significant increase in Flounced Rustic (36) and surely the last Straw Underwing and Heart and Dart of the year?

Plumes highlight a full moth trap

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab
A miscreant racing around the mudflats in a four-wheel drive (N957 FWY) followed by three dogs.
Med Gull - 10 juvs, 3 adult/3CY, 4 2CY
Little Gull - moulting adult
waders pushed too far away towards the Lune by above vehicle

Yesterdays Swallow roost ringing
Sunday evening's session at Middleton NR was pre-roost and another session yesterday evening led to a further 85 Swallow and one Sand Martin being ringed out of about 250 roosting in a nearby reedbed.  In addition, there was a Swallow bearing a brand new ring from elsewhere - Y519776.

Insects from Heysham Nature reserve north yesterday afternoon:

Comma have not been particularly common this year and Least Yellow Underwing is a regular day-time flier, usually seen whizzing about rather than quietly nectaring like this individual.  Thanks Janet.  

Moths

Todays catch was large and typically dominated by Sallow, Flounced Rustic, Square Spot Rustic and the 'back-end' of the Six-striped Rustic emergence.  The other two 'plague species' at this time of year are never common in this trap (Large Yellow Underwing) and are having a bad year (Common Rustic (agg)).  Highlights were a late Grass Emerald, Agriphila latistria (3), Cochylis dubitana, Dusky Plume (Oidaematophrus lithodactyla) and Ambtyptilia acanthadactyla

  

Reptilian mega

Heysham Obs
A non-bird day as the murk and mist of the morning failed to deliver - it was the wrong kind for Willow Warblers and the like.  It was also a little too wet and the Heysham CES was seriously affected.  However, the afternoon really produced the goods in the form of the first ever Slow Worm for the Heysham area in at least recent times, found on the boardwalk to the pagoda on Heysham reserve by Cameron Bell and photographed by Alex Simpson and Kirsten Bradley

Female Slow Worm Heysham NR taken by Kirsten Bradley

Ocean Edge/Red Nab incoming tide

Med Gull - 3 juvs

Grey Plover - 260 

Bar-tailed Godwit - 185

Butterflies

A nice emergence of Peacock in recent days with up to 5 on the office buddleia.  At least one Comma around the reserve and a small influx of Large White

Moths

Another Bordered Beauty, Herald, Epinotia tenerana and Agriphila latistria highlighted a rather small catch

Paragliders seriously disrupt roosting waders

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Half way through the wader check on the incoming tide, two paragliders appeared over Potts Corner and the effect on Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Knot was quite immediate and dramatic.  Despite being over 500m (horizontal distance) from the paragliders, all the above species towered up into the air and headed in the direction of Pilling/Knott End, high in the sky.  This was the most dramatic and far-reaching disturbance I have seen on this section of coast and it is to be hoped this does not become a regular event 'within range' of this major roost which will soon build up to internationally important numbers.  I am not sure how these people became airborne but they definitely landed on the shore by Potts Corner

Fast estimates of waders:
Grey Plover - 230
Bar-tailed Godwit - 190
Knot - 130
Dunlin - 65
Med Gull - just 4 juvs seen

Middleton CES
Slow with clear skies/very high cloud in the morning not conducive to major arrival!  Nevertheless a small number of Willow Warblers filtered through (9 ringed) and 4 juvenile Sedge Warbler, two juvenile Reed Warbler, three juvenile Whitethroat were ringed.  The only other warbler in the nets was a Blackcap.  No Grasshopper Warblers were seen/heard
Tree Pipit - one south
Pheasant - male in the western marsh
Swallow - c30 south

Heysham NR office ringing
A small arrival of Willow Warbler from about 0700hrs onwards (14 ringed), the first multiple capture of presumed migrant Robin (4), three Whitethroat and a few feeder-related odds and ends

Swallow roost Middleton NR
CES nets 2 and 3 were set and 64 Swallow, 2 Sand Martin and a few odds and ends including Linnet and Sedge Warbler were ringed prior to 2030hrs when the nets were taken down to avoid a heap of Swallows in fading light.  About 300 seemed to be roosting with 'quite a few' Sand Martin judging by calls, but too busy to really study the swirling birds

Moths
A much better catch with the highlights being the overdue first Bordered Beauty of the year, Currant Pug, a late Dingy Footman, Flame Carpet (rare here) and Cochylis atricapitana

Tidal mistiming and a decent drop of migrants

Heysham Obs
Plenty of Willow Warblers around this morning and a belated mist-netting session by the office is still proving productive at 1230hrs.  The record count attempt for juv Med Gulls needs to wait for another day as the tide was too far in yet still 12 were seen!

Office area
Willow Warbler - 30+
Whitethroat - at least 2
Swallow - c45 SE
Swift - two together south (late for here)

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Med Gull - 12 juveniles (no other birds seen!), mainly sat on the sea by Red Nab
Common Gull - 2 juvs
Common Sandpiper - one along the shore
Wheatear - at least three

Moths 
Another poor catch included a Silver Y

One man and his dog

A check of Red Nab on the incoming tide saw the above but not a lot else in good viewing position.  Certainly a good chance of beating the record count of juv meds in the next two-three days

Red Nab
Med Gull - 12 juvs, 2 2CY, one adult
Common Gull - 2 juvs (beware!)
Oystercatcher (high tide WeBS) 43
Tide and waves too high for any other waders roosting south of the harbour mouth/wooden jetty

Wooden jetty
Cormorant 24
Redshank 37
Turnstone - 41

Heliport
Oystercatcher - 350
Redshank - 52
Lapwing - 7

Moths
Rubbish - wind into the window