Decent seawatch and an interesting development

Sea 0830ish to 1345 with virtually nothing after 1230 with clearing skies and dropping wind

Manx Shearwater - 196 out with highest density about 1200-1215 just before the Stormie as thought the Bay was 'emptying out' as the weather cleared
Storm Petrel - one out about 1222-23hrs (Pete) - Knowlys Rd VP definitely best height for petrels - on view all the time
Fulmar - 3 out - one cliff-hugging, two distant
Bonxie - one out mid-am (Tom), one out 1240 (Matt but also seen from Far Arnside)
Kittiwake - flock of 23 out, a few after I left
Sandwich Tern - 1
prob Guillemot - one out
Gannet - just 5 adult and one 2CY out
Bar-tailed Godwit - two unseasonal birds out
Common Scoter - 1
Swallow - one north over sea!

Tom, Matt and Pete at various times

Rock Pipit - pair with nesting material!!!!   Watch this space after tomorrows investigation

Warning

There were two dangerous off-lead dogs on Middleton NR and surrounding area today with a single male owner.   They were either Dobermann or very similar.   A photographer was attacked and bitten on the back of the leg after repeatedly having to fend one of them off.   Unacceptable.  Any other incidents/idea who this is please?

Incoming tide outfalls/ocean edge
2cy med gull
Black-headed gull - 175
Common gull - 16
Whimbrel - 1

No news today

Nothing received today but a one-off summer sea-watch coming up on Thursday with 40 mph SW going W on the incoming tide.  Please note that the best time to see any possible Storm Petrel is often as they fly out on the dropping tide so a post-tide watch worth it

Yet again no Red-veined Darter yesterday - that's it I suspect

Still haven't got the seagull breeding info so that will be updated tomorrow

Fluffy things on rooftops

Gull nest count day - haven't got the figures though - update tomorrow

First 6-spot Burnet of the year - thanks Janet

Mixed bag

A Short-winged Conehead found yesterday at Red Nab - previously 'bat-detected' on Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Teneral Common Darter today at Middleton.  Bad news for Red-veined - never recorded Red-veined as new for the year, as far as I am aware, after the teneral Common D's appear:

Poor breeding season for waterfowl on Middleton.  Mute Swan down to one chick by all accounts.  No obvious sign of successful Little Grebe.   Gadwall chicks down to 7+2

THREE singing male Cetti's today including the western marsh bird for the first time in ages

Another sunny insect day

……..…..but still no sign of any Red-veined Darter

30 Canada Geese off Ocean Edge yesterday evening

Some nice pics from Janice Sutton's dragonfly searching visit.  Thanks Janice

Med Gull

A quite early unringed summer adult Med Gull was on the tideline between the old sewage pipe and Heysham 2 outfall just after morning high tide

Three Little Egret around

15 adult summer Black-headed Gull also showing the seasons are changing

Nothing notable on Middleton CES but two singing Cetti's Warbler

Insects and wanderers

The insects are making the most of the hot weather on Middleton nature reserve. Large numbers of dragonflies including: Emperor, 4-Spotted chasers, Broad bodied chasers and Black tailed skimmers. Plenty of butterflies too, including first Meadow brown (for me at least).

Birds on Middleton NR:
Canada goose - 3 on model boat pond all morning
Gadwall - 3 adult plus two lots of young chicks (5 & 11) "no swimming" pond
Mallard 2 female with chicks (2 mature & 8 young)
Little grebe, at least one feeding on "no swimming" pond
Just one pair of mute still with active nest, but the two failed pairs are still present.
Cetti's warblers 2 singing birds, "no swimming" pond and central marsh

Two additional mute swan feeding on Red Nab again today.

Two Pinkfoot south 9:00.
MD

Coastal bits and pieces

Sandwich Tern - 16 feeding in Kent channel region on dropping tide
Arctic Tern - one fishing slightly closer in than above
More diving white dots further out in the heat haze
Eider - couldn’t find a single one in scan from Knowlys
Shag - 2cy still on and around wooden jetty
Great crested Grebe - still one
Rock pipit no show

Jackdaw - two in sheep field - never seen them foraging on south side of head before!

Grey Seal - one between outfalls

MD and PM

Summer variety

Birds
Two sandwich tern in low tide channel off outfalls

Middleton NR
Dragonflies
Three black-tailed slimmer and four emperor

At least one Little grebe feeding on "no swimming" pond (pair feeding on main pond yesterday).
Cetti's warbler singing from central marsh.
2 Gadwall plus at least three chicks