Medfest increases, including early juvenile

An amazing roost today with reduced numbers of Black-headed Gull and increased numbers of Med Gull giving only a 4:1 ratio in favour of BHG at high tide!

Med Gull
16 x adults (one with 'pale' darvic and black letters)
3 x 3CY
6 x 2CY
1 x juvenile

There was no sign however of yesterdays distinctive red darvic-ringed 2CY or indeed the white darvic bird of a few days ago - must be quite a turnover, even this early in the 'autumn'

See how many you can find on here - all the above ages represented:

Mute Swan - unringed adult male in saltmarsh channel
Whimbrel - one heard
Curlew - 87 Red Nab

Meds increase

Disappointingly no feedback over the weekend on gulls but today saw a great heap of meds but all rather frustrating for ageing eyesight

Med gulls
11x ad, 3x 3cy, 5 x 2cy

One of the 2cy had a four charactered red darvic with white lettering on the right, metal below tarsus on left and would have been a doddle to read if I had either remembered to bring my mobile or had a zoom!   It was an odd bird with a 'completely adult' summer plumages head and bill

Only four of the above were on red nab at high tide, the rest were on the uncovered mudflats just south of ocean edge salt marsh

Whimbrel - first of autumn
Common sandpiper - 1-2
Redshank - 21
Curlew - 97

Model boat pond MNR
Little Grebe - quite mature chick diving with adult

Ringed med at last

Thanks to pete woodruff for comprehensive coverage of the late afternoon tide

Med gull - 9 adult, one 3cy, four 2cy (one with white darvic)

Sand martin - two adults flew south over heysham nr in a purposeful manner - first southbound vis of the "autumn"?

Gulls head to the wet fields?

Male red-backed shrike recently reported flying across the car park and landing on top of a bush before flying off again.  At least the black tail and chestnut wing patches were seen.  Any more info on this please get in touch,  Thanks

Real lack of gulls on the outfalls today with bhg down by 80 per cent and only 4 meds ( 3 ads and a 3cy)

Nothing else of note other than a second brood early thorn - very early!

Adult med increase

Nine adult meds this am including a very small individual.   Also three 3cy and a single 2cy

One common sandpiper and three redshank

Little Gull new in

A decent catch of moths last night as the ideal pre-rain warm sector 'leading' cloud cover lasted well into the night and not unusually producing a wet trap check this morning.  50 species in actinic Middleton in sharp contrast to the meagre fare in the clear polar air on Monday night.  This is the hoped for target at this time of year: Silver Hook - a very localised species in damp areas at/near the coast in Lancs

A wet record shot in situ - thanks Justine 

Outfalls
A low tide check saw a 2CY Little Gull in the shipping channel off Heysham 2 outfall and about 5 Ad/3CY Meds flying around the seaward end of the outfalls, but the later count was thwarted by a mutt clearing all the gulls off Red Nab and nearby shore on the incoming tide but at the same time there seemed to be a big reduction of stuff on the outfalls

Heysham skeer
Little Egret - at least 16 (per Malcolm) but no sign of the 200 Eiders at low tide which had floated in the JB Point at high tide yesterday

Willow warblers and ringlets

Unusually high June number of 20 unringed willow warblers this morning with a mix of moulting adults and surprisingly advanced juveniles - almost like a catch in late July.   Other birds included a few unringed adult sedge warbler and two young grasshopper warbler

Outfalls

Med gull - 6 ads, 2 3cy, 2 2cy

Heysham skeer

Two adult common or Arctic tern early am

Middleton boat pond

Red veined darter - one tatty male

Sand martin - 1 ad

House martin - 4 ad

Swift - 3
Little grebe - ad catching small crayfish

Butterfly transect HNR

Ringlet have arrived at last (two in ne corner).  One burnet companion still and both burnet moths in low single figures.   Also about half a dozen small skipper

Med fest and mist net rides

Gave the outfalls a really good check on the incoming tide this morning using a scope from Ocean Edge caravan park

Med Gull - At least 6 adult, 3 3CY and 4 2CY - 10 of them were un-ringed unless there was a metal above the tarsus and four were not seen well enough to be sure.  I cannot remember a sample of 10 before where there were no darvic rings on show
Little Egret - 1
Eider - two females onshore in red nab channel

The mist net ride by the office was cleared as regards the ability to put up mist nets and the feeders  filled for the first time this 'autumn', but hadn't got the gear for lopping the tops off the branches.   Crutches make a useful rake, but it was really hard going and Jean, recovering from a broken toe, did most of it.  This is what happens when you couldn't do what you usually do last autumn/winter to keep on top of it.   Mist net ride maintenance should be part of a trainee permit - a lot of recent permit holders seem to think they look after themselves :-)

Routine

Still no sign of any seabirds despite a prolific fylde coast watch.

Outfalls
Med gull - ad and 2CY
Black headed gull - leucistic bird

Moth
Burnet companion still heyshsm nr

Worst ever seawatch in south-westerlies?

Nowt in about an hour on and off on incoming tide

Outfalls/Red Nab
Common Tern - a welcome Adult feeding and resting
Tern spp - very brief view facing away - think it flew into bay (yesterdays Sandwich?)
Med Gull - ad and 3CY but disappeared very quickly and not there after 0900
Redshank - 2