Downpour

Heysham Obs
A quick look at the tide off Ocean Edge revealed a 3CY Med in amongst some rather poor visibility - shedload of gulls seaward end Heysham one (best watch from north wall).  Two Little Egret seen

Few Young Birds Yet

Middleton
A ringing session at Middleton Nature Reserve this morning was mildly disappointing.  There was little evidence of fledged young moving around, with only three juveniles caught - 2 Greenfinch and 1 Great Tit.
Four unringed Sedge Warblers and one Reed Warbler were trapped.  Many migrant breeding warblers are presumably still incubating eggs and therefore out of the picture until feeding begins.

ajd

Recent records

Heysham Obs
Sorry getting a bit behind with this


Dark-bellied Brent Goose - one flew 'out' past half moon bay on 31st May (thanks Malcolm)


A pretty thorough check of the gulls yesterday produced a typical result - nothing - other than about 675-700 common seagulls with fewer Common but more Black-headed than previously.  Still looking good!

Tuesday 3rd June

Heysham Obs
Not perfect, but a bit better look at the gulls today produced 675 with about 350 2CY Common - a very late influx after very few at the usual time earlier in the spring

The only 'oddity' was a 2CY Med - unringed

Moths
6 Burnet Companion recorded on the butterfly transect at various places around Heysham NR.  The trap held an increasing variety of common early summer species, but none of the local specialities.  By far the best was a single Figure of 80 - just about annual here

Game on

Heysham Obs

A very early influx of gulls on to the outfalls - not sure whether these were around yesterday (coverage didn't seem to include this area).

Outfalls low tide mid morning
Mixed Black-headed/2CY Common - c600-700
Med Gull - moulting adult (first of autumn)
Little Gull - 2CY
Common/Arctic Tern - one in heat haze

Many of these could not be seen well due to heat haze and the fact they were miles away on the outer shoreline by Stage one

ACCESS

ONLY via the Nature Park/Red Nab and you can walk as far along the seawall as Heysham Two Outfall

Early morning fare

Heysham Obs
Now May is behind us, the worst migration month I can remember here, a murky calm morning at High Tatham seemed to suggest a session at Middleton might just produce something, as well as getting another tedious early season CES out of the way.  So as soon as I arrived the skies cleared and a northerly breeze set in!


Middleton NR 0515-0900
Highlight was the return of V901330 - a Reed Warbler which was first encountered here as an adult male in 2010 and has bred every year since.  Three un-ringed presumed male Sedge Warblers were a bit unexpected - presumably on foraging trips from elsewhere, not late migrants


Otherwise three Greylag flew over, a couple of Jackdaw were seen and Pheasant were high profile compared to recent years with at least two calling.  No Grasshopper warbler sang this morning


Moths
A decent night, but sun blazing into the window and many were certainly lost.  Nothing bettered the "usual" Shaded Pug and Treble Bar, however.

Brief check of Ocean Edge and outfalls

Heysham Obs

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Med Gull - black-headed 2CY - again could not see legs properly for rings - seen in flight or right on the low tide edge
Common Tern - one seaward end of Heysham Two outfall
Wheatear - smallish female near slipway

Moths
Marbled Minor agg new for the year and two Shaded Pug of note

Marsh Harrier

Heysham Obs

Marsh Harrier - one with some cream on the crown headed across the bay from the SSE to NNW about 745ish this morning
Wheatear - 'enormous' female on the north wall sandworks
Swallow - 6 NE

Moths
Actinic in SD36 produced two new 10k square records: Common Swift and Cyclamen Tortrix and three yet to be identified micros....also a Tawny Shears of note

Mostly insects

Heysham Obs
A few insect-dominated observations from the past few days


Today
Wall Brown butterfly by the bottle dump on Middleton (ex Tim Butler area) - really rare around here at the moment, but this area seems the best!
Elachista argentella also seen Middleton
Reed Warbler - a newly-arrived singing male at Middleton was ringed elsewhere (Y954 sequence)
No vis mig (e.g. hirundines) observed
Sedge Warbler singing by Heysham NR office was new in, I think


Yesterday (with Anne Smith and Mike Bloomfield)
Bioblitz of Heysham SD36V part two
Common Blue butterfly - at least 12
Small White - at least 4
Wheatear - one passed through rapidly - seemingly came in-off
Swallow - at least 24 in 1.5 hours north
Cauchas rufimitrella - this seemed to be an out of habitat puzzle, but communication with Steve Palmer indicated that it does occur in this sort of area (e.g. by the sandwinning plant at Marshside) with the larval foodplants also including Scurvy Grass spp.
Celypha lacunana was new for 10km square!!!
Grapholita compositella new for 10k square
Triangle Plume (the coltsfoot one) - four of these were found and were new for the 10k square

Although there have been several Four-spotted Chaser so far this month, as might be expected (the other widespread early species, Broad-bodied Chaser, is scarce here), this appears to be a teneral Black-tailed Skimmer which is very early (Thanks Janet)