Gannet dead and alive

One dead on Middleton tideline per Mike

One alive flying out

Nowt on outfalls from half tide onwards (about half of what you get at low tide)

Later Pete Woodruff had what was presumably the same leucistic BHG as the other day

Large Yellow Underwing in moth trap!

Thursday

2CY Med outfalls - nowt else

Red-veined Darter male located and photographed by Linda Renshaw roosting away from the waters edge by model boat pond

Bits and bobs

Heysham Outfalls/Red Nab
Arctic Tern - adult resting on Red Nab, Common or Arctic on outfalls briefly
Common Scoter - two between the power stations outfalls, then flew into the bay at 10.20
Med Gull - 2CY Red Nab, adult seaward end Heysham one briefly
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird (beware!)

Offshore
A visiting birder had
Gannet - one out distantly
Fulmar - two out close

No obvious sign of Red veined Darter Middleton in highly marginal conditions that in fact didn't produce anything resembling a dragonfly!

The Hut moth trap in its present configuration is not performing well.  The current records will not be usable for comparison with other years.  It didn't perform last night because the electrics were off but that allowed anything from the two previous unchecked nights to clear off!  In this respect, given the small numbers, no incentive to check it if it involves going out of your way

Heysham NR

Burnet Companion moths numerous on the plateau area.  These images from Wednesday of this difficult species to photograph by Janet:

The hut moth trap is picking up some moths now but numbers still below par - 13 regular species this morning.

Middleton NR

No Swimming Pond - still two Gadwall with families of 4 and 8 young.

Cettis Warbler at least one singing near the north east corner.

Model Boat Pond - excellent display of Northern Marsh Orchids around the west fringe and on the spit.

Plenty of Brown Hawker dragonflies plus at least one pair of Emperor, numerous Common Blue damselfies plus at least three Red-veined Darter.  These last seen in less-than ideal conditions - broken cloud, brisk wind and quite cool.

ajd

The A Team Are Away

With the main contributors away in the freezing north of Norway for a week, apologies for what will be rather sparse reporting.

Heysham
The last two broods of Great tits in the nestboxes were ringed today.  Great Tits have done well this year with 9 successful broods.
Blue Tits have had a terrible year here with only one nest in a box.  A brood of 9 young were raised to the half-grown stage but were all found dead today.

Two Burnet Companion moths were seen along with a number of Common Blue butterflies on the plateau.

Middleton NR from Wednesday 31st May
Gadwall - 2 with 4 and 8 chicks
Cettis Warbler - Now 2 singing from NE and SW corners of No Swimming pond. Apparently was only one territory there previously but perhaps a second bird has taken part of the territory.

Dragonflies
At least 4 Red veined Darters on model boat pond.  A couple of examples of great shots taken by Stan Parrott reproduced here:

ajd

Three of note in quick visit

Heysham outfalls is an easy food source and can attract waifs and strays, notably coffin-dodging young Kittiwakes in winter gales.  This Arctic Tern appeared today and the anomolies may have impeded its migration.  Wheatear very late - a small female

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - at least one 2CY - didn't look like either of yesterdays with a lot of black on head
Arctic Tern - oddly plumaged adult-type

Wheatear - female OE foreshore

Two 2CY Meds

The cutting edge was a bit less blunt this am with 2 x 2CY Med Gulls on the outfalls in much better viewing conditions than yesterday

At least 5 singing Reed Warbler Middleton including one in SE corner of model boat pond

A Freyers Pug graced the moth trap but not a lot else

Grey Seal off outfalls

Fox ran across Moneyclose lane

Lots of common seagulls

Couldn't pull anything out of the bag on the outfalls this morning:

Sandwich Tern - 1 out
Gannet - 2 casually noted flying out

Late afternoon sunshine saw one male Red-veined Darter being seen in the SW corner of Middleton model boat pond and 'with' it a probable female (per Dave)

Broad-barred White in the moth trap

Grey Seal offshore and Weasel Middleton NR

A day of unsynchronised seasons

Stop press: three prob four male red veined darter over the water on model boat pond this afternoon also one male black tailed skimmer


ust out of the area - a Large Heath was photographed on Heysham Moss in one of the few areas not affected by the recent fire devastation........but why is it out a month early?

Mediterranean Gull - A 3Cy male was displaying to an adult female on the mudflats next to Heysham two outfalls - very early for this age class on ??autumnal dispersal and they should surely have already found a room in a BHG colony?

The third record of note was a flock of 17 Canada Goose adults floating in on the tide.  What on earth are they doing?

Nothing else of note on the outfalls but BHG were 700+ all seemed to be 2CY.  Watch this space! 

Outfalls bonanza

Things are really kicking off on the outfalls now the outage has produced a full flow.  A shortish visit on the incoming tide saw up to 450 Black-headed Gulls (all wandering 2CYs with obvious implications re-similarly wandering rares), 50-70 2CY Common Gull, lots of large gulls and some other odds and ends - see below:

Common Tern - at last!!  Adult seaward end Heysham one briefly (with one of the Arctics), then flew around the jetty into the bay
Arctic Tern - Ad with the above and another remaining on the inner end of Heysham one throughout
Little Gull - 2CY briefly seaward end Heysham 2 then couldn't find it - may have flown with BHG towards Middleton
Swallow - 2 in-off

Re-security and telescopes etc at Red Nab and along the seawall by the outfalls.   You will/may be paid a visit by security staff and will be expected to give full details - obviously something like a driving licence with you will help.  So no change, but assume more regular patrols - there are no restrictions unless eg some idiot tries to photograph through the power station fence.  In this respect you will be on camera at all times.  The harbour police are responsible for the north harbour wall and area and the same situation as above applies