No obvious Med Increase

Heysham Obs
Should get back to normal in the next few days with postings.  Rather like the participants at the angling match on the north harbour wall on Saturday night (winner one crab?!), the sea has been in the doldrums - far too warm and calm and any gulls on the outfalls subject to dreadful heat-haze during quick scans from Ocean Edge.  Much better coverage today by Mark and Ian:

Whimbrel - 2 adults
Med Gull - 4-5 ads (one green-ringed), one 3CY, 4 2CY

Moths
Bordered Beauty a welcome new for the year but a big sign of autumn!
A session on the north harbour wall provided nothing new with a handful of White-line Dart, Cabbage Moth, Crambus perlella, Heart and Dart, Straw Underwing, Dark Arches, Large Yellow Underwing and Phyticodes maritima/saxicola - both have been recorded here but need genitalia examining

Bits and bobs from last few days

Heysham Obs
Saturday 12th
c20 Swift south Middleton

Friday 11th
Swallow roost - 75 plus a Sand Martin
6 Meds but again checked too late in tide (5 x ad/3CY)

Thursday 10th
to be added

Heysham CES

Heysham Obs
Dunnocks have been featuring strongly recently and we have ringed 30 juvs and 11 (new) adults so far this year plus numerous retraps of other local birds.  This is far more than usual.  No problem getting used to/forgetting to put B rings on!

A few young Chiffchaff around this morning and odds and ends of other young warblers of presumably local origin

Heysham Obs

Birds today included a very early Grey Wagtail at Middleton, 3 Little Egrets at Red Nab and four (2 x 2CY, 2 x Ad) Meds on the dropping tide.  At least three different Grasshopper Warbler singing Middleton.  Ringing at Middleton included 15 unringed Sedge Warbler

 

Thanks for the pics Janet: male Emperor, imm male Common Darter, Cinnabar larva, then some nice easy birds!

 

Moths in the trap included Dingy Shears.  Moths on the north harbour wall included Swallow-tailed Moth (new for 10k square), Agapeta zoegana and lots of White-line Dart and Lime-speck Pug



 

 

 

Todays offerings from the Middleton site.

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Evening at Middleton

Heysham Obs

Grasshopper Warbler - four singing males
Swallow - c100 in roost which took place very early as a dark cloud appeared

Moth trap fairly full but nothing better than Dingy Footman and an unfamiliar small brown micro which will be checked out.  Watch this space.

Med check

Heysham Obs
The final National Moth Night night was a dreadful cold affair after a roller-coaster with the previous two nights - these two were brilliant providing you did exactly what you were asked to do and set a trap in sheltered woodland.  Even managed a bit of sheet and lighting near my house (one hour, 30 spp, including a local mega - Dingy Shell) on the Friday night until the rain started to seep through the dense canopy.  A real shame for any event organisation and therein lies the problem.  Do you put all your eggs in one basket and tie yourself to an event or do you (perhaps selfishly) stay flexible and therefore able to play the weather conditions as best possible?    I always remember a similarly freezing cold night in upper Roeburndale at the end of May which produced lots of enthusiastic kids and parents, who assumed a "nice day" would mean a good night for moths.  Result: a few early midges and Daddy Long Legs, one geometer flying past and NO other moths before boredom quickly set in.

The Heysham toilet trap held Wormwood Pug this morning which added a new species to the list for the three nights in this area. 

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 4 ads (including 2P96), one 3CY, 4 2CY and another birder reported a green-ringed bird which was additional

The first of the national moth nights

Heysham Obs
Two traps were in operation, the usual 24/7 toilet trap at Heysham NR and an actinic in a sheltered spot on Middleton - both checked by Alan as I had 5 other traps to check/collect!

Middleton produced some of the goods, although lack of Silver Hook a little disappointing.  It is a very good site for Double Dart and the local reeds produced Silky and Southern Wainscot plus the habitat in general favoured Scoparia subfusca, Eudonia pallida and what appears to be another Agonopterix conterminella

No birding today!

More Med Gulls

Heysham Obs
A bit more of Red Nab visible during a brief gull check this pm, but it was the very uneven outer part and gulls were difficult to observe


c600 in total with a few Meds scattered around:


5 Ad
1 Ad/3cy (wingtips not visible)
3 3CY
4 2CY (minimum!)


Yellow, green and white darvics seen at long range - no details - someone with a zoom, time and good eyesight gratefully received

Little Ringed Plover lift off

Heysham Obs
The Little Ringed Plover nesting in glass-strewn rubble in the corner of Middleton Industrial estate (out side the reserve boundary) relocated their three chicks to the model boat pond today - presumably they can fly!

Four Meds at high tide included 2P96 and a 3CY with a green ring on it - perhaps one of the returning German birds?  Hopefully someone will get a reading

A ringing session at Middleton was pretty good, given the breeze probably reduced the catch by 10-15 birds.  10 each of new Sedge W and Whitethroat and a good variety including some old ringed Sedge and Reed Warbler as well as a Willow Warbler in rather early advanced moult (e.g. tailless!)

A couple of decent moths in an actinic on Middleton:

Not 100% sure of the first (conterminella?) but the second is the first Blue-bordered Carpet for SD45E.  Thanks Justine

Juvenile Reed Warbler in early dispersal

Heysham Obs
Still at least one Burnet Companion around today - please stay alive until Friday morning!  Please support National Moth Nights (see Butterfly conservation website) - I'm happy to pass any casual kitchen window records on (PMrsh123@aol.com).  No Meds seen in quick HT check

A bit of office ringing produced a surprise in the form of a juvenile Reed Warbler - almost a km away from breeding habitat with no obvious 'straight' corridor.  Such records are usually August or later!

The moth trap produced Coleophora trifolii