Misbehaving gulls and warblers filtering through

Heysham Obs
It was same again as Ian and Gavin on Red Nab on the incoming tide but the green darvic-ringed 2CY Med was too distant and the 3CY wouldn't show its legs to see if it was last winter's returning bird

Ian and Gav's pics of what were the same birds today.  Thanks for these.  Anyone doing a moult score?!

Red Nab just before high tide
Med Gull - single green-ringed 2CY, 3CY & adult
Kittiwake - just one 2CY located

Middleton NR early morning ringing and observation
25 warblers were caught and only two were already ringed!  This is despite a CES visit to the same area three days ago.  There were no Sedge Warbler retraps, just single Whitethroat and Reed Warbler.  So we really should be covering this site every day during the current movement-prompting high pressure

Odds and ends at Middleton included
Tufted Duck - 3 males and female on model boat pond
Sand Martin - juv over model boat pond
Lesser Redpoll - two seen early morning
Swift - 5 south
House Martin - 3 south
Swallow - c30 - seemed to be all blogging

Moths
A really good catch in the Middleton central marsh actinic including Silver Hook, 2 Silky Wainscot, 14 Drinker, Cyclamen Tortrix, Blackneck and topped by 16 Map-winged Swift.  The office trap held a Gothic.

Wanted: someone with two good eyes to read 2CY Med darvic!

Heysham Obs
The haemorrhaged right eye still causing trouble - doesn't like the heat.  Some Med pics from Gavin and Ian - from yesterday -  thanks for these

Otherwise a bit of ringing produced a trickle of Willow Warbler,  Whitethroat and finches and a surprising unringed brood-patched Great-spotted Woodpecker.  Moth trap included Fan-foot, Common Emerald and 4 Double Dart

Whoops............. the laptop wont load the pics up - not a good week for computer problems.  Sort them out tomorrow.

Redstart surprise

Heysham Obs
A small amount of ringing by the office produced a few new warblers and a major surprise in the form of a spotty juvenile Common Redstart.  The nearest breeding site is at least 15km as far as I am aware and implicitly this is by some way the earliest autumn record here.  However a brood was ringed on 26th May in Hindburndale, well before any of the other box-nesting Blue/Great Tit/Pied Flycatcher, and implicitly it was not as late arriving this spring as some other migrants

Outfalls/ocean edge beach in the heat haze
Med Gull - 2 ads, two 2CY, one 3CY
Kittiwake - 2 2CY

Moths
Getting better! White-line Dart, Muslin Footman, Dotted Clay and Common Emerald new for the year

Autumn time for Sedge Warblers

Heysham Obs
Middleton NR
As suggested by visits to clear the mist net rides, many of the "1J" Sedge Warblers ringed on the last visit at the end of June have simply moved on and only 5 new Sedge were ringed this morning.  Reed Warblers are giving cause for concern elsewhere.  Only a small population here but the impression this spring is of a protracted arrival of a handful of singing males not receiving any response from absent females and moving on.  Is this the pattern elsewhere?

7 Jackdaws may seem unremarkable but they are not common here!
Pr Gadwall flying about and at least 2 intermittently singing Grasshopper Warbler early on

Moths
Actinics at Middleton produced a few Drinker and the first Smoky Wainscot of the year. The new bulb in the office trap is doing ok species-wise, but not pulling the numbers in.  Highlighted by Shaded Pug (2), Black-neck, Pale-shouldered Brocade and especially Millar.  Straw Dot and Yellow Shell were new for the year and 3 Double Dart the norm for this top site for this species

Dragonflies
YESTERDAY late afternoon saw 5 x Black-tailed Skimmer and two Emperor on the model boat pond but no darter spp.

Moths to the fore

THURSDAY 4th July & Friday 5th July
An overnight actinic at Middleton NR confirmed Justine's findings about a week ago, confirming this site as a national 'hotspot' for seriously declining Double Dart - it was again the commonest moth with 5.  Others included Small Clouded Brindle and the first Drinker of the year

The 'enforced' use of a small purple light in the office toilet trap (no two pin 160s left (has anyone got one or two?) and screw threads have been deemed unsafe) produced a moderately reasonable species list but again no numbers.  Highlighted by single Double Dart, Golden Rod and Wormwood Pugs and a late worn Dog's Tooth.  The first Rustic and Small Fan-footed Waves of the year appeared

Ringing saw a steady stream of Blue/Great Tits and Green/Gold/Chaffinches at the feeder

More gulls but a pain in the butt

Outfalls
All the stuff was facing away from me so could easily have missed some e.g. 2CY Meds

Med Gull - Ad, 2CY and juv
Kittiwake - 2 2CY

Middleton
Little Ringed Plover - ad & 2 juvs model boat pond

Moths
Buff Arches was nice as was Lime Speck Pug but the (enforced) new bulb is not really producing the goods

Gulls and LRP flock!

Heysham Obs
Absolute rubbish light at the evening high tide but still managed to locate 4 Meds and a Little Gull.  Could have been a lot more

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore
Med Gull - adult, 2 x 2CY and juvenile - one of the 2CY had a metal ring above the tarsus on the right leg
Little Gull - 2CY but very mobile and unsettled and seen to fly around the end of the wooden jetty
Kittiwake - At least one 2CY

Middleton NR
Little Ringed Plover - 3 adults and 2 juvs, presumably on the model boat pond

Moths
Highlighted by Shaded Pug and Double Dart, neither of which are a big deal here but certainly are anywhere else in NW England

Outfalls build up

Saturday 29th June
Outfalls post high tide
Absolutely not the best time but still:
Kittiwake - 2 x 2CY
Med Gull - ad & 2 x 2CY

I'm really struggling with eyesight problems - can someone else please grill these gulls as we could easily be missing something (incoming tide best).  Thanks.

Sunday 30th June
The moth trap catch including Buff Arches

Must do better!

Heysham Obs
We will refocus on daily coverage soon - honestly!  Message for the rest of the team: Please could you post routine stuff, not just the 'unexpected'.  Thanks.

Shaded Pug and Peach Blossom graced the moth trap

A Tale of Two CES's

A fairly windless, although rather too sunny, morning allowed both Constant Effort ringing sites to operate their fifth visit of the season. At Middleton, 30 new and 16 retraps were caught, including the first numbers of migrant warbler young. In contrast, the Heysham site yielded 3 new birds and 5 retraps - not a good return on four hours' set time for 6 mist nets!

Heysham Nature Reserve

Whitethroat- family party of young around the hut area.
Linnet - pair at top of slope above hut.
Swallow - at least two pairs feeding around hut area.  Presumably local breeders
House Martin - also 1-2 pairs feeding as above.

Middleton
Swift - 32 south
Grasshopper Warbler - at least 3 singing plus two (ad & juv) caught
Reed Warbler - 2 possibly three extra singing males in the central marsh since the last visit - not unusual for late migrants to be dribbling in with this species - one was trapped and was unringed
Lesser Black-backed Gull - at least 63 pairs on industrial estate roofs
Herring Gull - Just 5 or so pairs as above