Rain alarm app proves its worth

Ringing at Middleton
A short session before the rain with two nets was timed to perfection thanks to the rain alarm app - taking notice of the main forecasts would have seen the rain arrive about an hour early!  20 birds comprising mainly Willow Warbler and Whitethroat with three Reed Bunting

Outfalls/Red Nab (Malcolm)
Greenshank calling from SE corner of salt marsh 6:30 then from Red Nab 8:00. Didn't see bird on either occasion but confident with identification. Salt marsh was silent at 8:30, so I am presuming this was same bird.
71 Redshank feeding along OE foreshore on incoming tide.
9 Dunlin flew east
1 Little Egret on salt marsh and another on Red Nab

Foreshore Rocks
C20 Pied Wagtail
14 Linnet
1 Meadow Pipit

Outflows
Nothing on No.1
Very nice adult SP Little Gull on No.2 outflow at 7:45 not there at 7:15.
About 6 Med Gulls around (3 juvs)

Greenshank new in

Adult Greenshank in ocean edge low tide channel this am

Gulls scattered all over the place on the early drop tide so only 3 Meds (2 x juv).  Will check later  

Windy but still ok for insects

Red Nab at low tide
26 Med Gulls, including two juveniles and about 6 2CY but some hard to age as they were bit-parts hidden behind rocks.  Just the one juvenile and one 2CY visible on the outfalls

Whimbrel - at least 4

Middleton
Dragonflies at Middleton saw hordes of Common Darter amongst which was this one - I don't think it is a Ruddy as the yellow thoracic sides appear to be hidden in shadow and the legs deceptively dark - also never seen one on bare ground even when they were common here.  Also a Black-tailed Skimmer still, 6 + Emperor, 3 Brown Hawker (thanks Malcolm)

Quick check

11 meds in a quick visit, including three juvs but red nab was disturbed just prior to my arrival and could only find four adults

Routine at low tide

At least three Med darvics to read if anyone able (assuming just one of each colour):
Green
Red
prob White or another pale colour

Med Gull - 29, 20 of these on Red Nab at low tide:  3 x 1CY, 18 x Ad/3CY, 8 x 2CY
Little Gull - ad summer (the 2CY appears to have moved on as coverage has been good this last week)
Whimbrel - 1

Heysham One outfall erratic this am with no food seemingly flowing down early on and no birds on the seaward end at low tide - a Med fest usually

Runt Black-headed Gull causes trouble

Outfalls/Red Nab low tide, scanned from OE foreshore
A distant and partially obscured small gull, obviously not a Little, and dwarfed by surrounding Meds and the odd Black-headed revealed itself to be a 2/3 sized adult Black-headed Gull when it finally lifted it head

Med Gull - at least 27, including a roosting flock of 17 on Red Nab - often do this at low tide and not including any which were resting on the mudflats between the outfalls.  (3-4 juvs, 18 or so ad/3CY) and at least 6  2CY)
Common Tern - ad
Commic Tern - too distant and heat-hazy but probably an adult arctic
Little Gull - ad summer
Gannet - 2 offshore

Later a running total of 34 Meds on Red Nab in 30 minutes with a trickle leaving south and a trickle coming in from the outfalls.  At least 8 2CY

Moths
Old Lady in the trap

Outfalls check

Checked by Tom Walkington and Pete Marsh this morning during the early stages of the incoming tide

Med Gull - absolute minimum of 26 but almost certainly a further 6 which were seen by Tom on the outfalls mudflats - the 26 were assessed from OE foreshore checking the seaward end of the outfalls and Red Nab.  At least three and probably four juvs around, 6 2CY and at least 17 ad/3CY

Little Gull - adult summer
Common Tern - adult
Whimbrel - 4

Wednesday

c15 meds and the adult summer Little Gull

Warblers on the move

Willow Warblers were a feature of the ringing this morning, along with smaller numbers of Blackcaps Sedge and Reed Warblers and, later in the morning, Whitethroats. 50 birds ringed.  (Will put the ringing totals on tomorrow.) A similar movement took place at Leighton Moss where 60 birds were caught.

Med Gull count at the outfalls today = 8

The only other birds of note at Middleton NR were 2 Water Rails squealing, A Skylark over, heading eastwards and a Kingfisher calling on the reedbed pond.

Its back

The 22nd Med Gull of the morning was the only one on the north harbour wall side and sure enough the above tarsus metal ring indicated it was the returning Czech bird, first seen here as a 1CY in autumn 2003

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 21 (12 x ad, 3 x 3CY, 5 x 2CY, including the red darvic-ringed summer plumaged bird seen a bit ago, one juv)

Anyone read this :-)

Little Gull - Ad summer but no sign 2CY
Whimbrel - 4

Heliport
Oystercatcher - 2200 (late influx from SS Groyne - anglers on there again?)
Redshank - 260
Ringed Plover - 1
Med Gull - see above

Middleton pm
Swallow - c60 roosting (21 ringed)
Water Rail - 2+
Grasshopper Warbler - 3 singing males, two western, one central marshes
No sign regular Barn Owl
Brown Hawker still flying about at 2130hrs