Some bits of interest

Middleton Nature Reserve - late morning
This hybrid duck on "no swimming" pond, will certainly have some interesting DNA.

Red-Veined Darter - 1 male over main pond (in flight picture for a change)

South shore early evening.
Mediterranean gull - minimum 11 adult 1 juvenile.
Wheatear - 1 female type. Ocean Edge foreshore
Sandwich tern - 4 blogging briefly out from Red Nab. At least 2 were juvenile.
Rock pipit - 1 near lighthouse.

Finally, this Grey seal (male I think (MD)), was fast asleep about 30m out from sea wall, and had been for a while. It was completely dry. It eventually opened one eye, looked at me, then went back to sleep. It was that sort of evening!

Where did they go?

Just when you think you understand some wildlife behaviour, nature seem to take great delight in proving you wrong (MD).
There were 32 Mediterranean gulls between No.1 outflow and wooden jetty yesterday. Today, at the same stage of tide (11:45) there were just 3. Then they got fed up and left. Checked again in evening, still only 3 (2 adult plus a 2cy). 1 juvenile on No.2 outflow.

Rock pipits - 1 Red Nab. 2 near lighthouse

Decent ringing session at Middleton this with just over 60 birds all but five or so new unringed.  Included two Grasshopper Warbler (with another singing) and good numbers of Whitethroat and Blackcap.  Below par with Willow Warbler and no sight or sound of any Cetti’s or lesser Whitethroat

There is still at least one male Red-Veined Darter on main pond at Middleton Nature Reserve.

Meds continue to increase

There were 32 Mediterranean gulls between wooden jetty and No.1 outflow at 11:15. This only included 2 juveniles. There were 11 juveniles at high tide roost. So, absolute minimum total is 41.

Little gull - adult summer plumage. 1 feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outflow.

Rock pipit - adult with juv near lighthouse

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid afternoon
No sign of Red-veined darters today.
Little grebe - adult feeding two chicks (no swimming pond)
Gadwall - 30 including chicks
Stock dove 1

It’s back?

It took a few years to twig that there appeared to be a single adult Little Gull returning each late July to early October to moult.  This is because in the earlier years there were a few more birds involved but, take the odd 2cy, it has been on its own the last few years

Outfalls area
Little gull - ad summer
Med gull - 9 juvs and 20 others - about 13 feeding on sandmason worms
Common Gull - 2 Juv

Grey seal - 2
Harbour Porpoise - one

Med coverage and a bit of seawatching after shower

Manx Shearwater - a lengthy stream of 22 in 15 mins after which skies cleared

Med gull - at least 13 individuals seen

Meds again

The Ben My Chree struggled in the mist today, weighed down by kipper-infused blocks of ice

In the foreground out of pic on Red Nab were at least 21 Meds.  They are losing their hoods now and getting a bit tricky asleep and half-hidden amongst all the BHG

6 x juv
3 x 3CY
2 x 2CY
10 x Ad

Thursday

Meds
Influx of 8 juvs
darvics: yellow juv and 3CY, white red and green adults - none readable!

Little Gull
2CY seen in moult but its incredible elusive if its here all the time!

Arctic tern - ad

Middleton
Red-veined Darter - one still on spit
Southern hawker - 2
Green Sandpiper - TB pond
Little Grebe - ad & juv no swimming pond
Gadwall - 11 ad,21 juvs of all sizes no swimming pond

Wednesday

No sign of Southern Migrant Hawker

Pod of dolphin spp off the end of the outfalls (per IFCA)

Med Gulls
4 x juv
2 x CY
2 x 3CY
16 Ad or not so obvious 3CY

Wheater - 1 female type on rocks below wooden jetty

Rapid blue eyes

Middleton NR
A good description of what seemed to have been a male Southern Migrant Hawker on Middleton NR this afternoon.  Unfortunately very mobile and not attached to any water body and only a distant blurred record shot was possible

Red-veined Darter - as yesterday still one male at least
Green Sandpiper - Tim Butler pond

Common Sandpiper - main pond
Little Grebe - adult feeding juv today.

Due to transport logistics, a late start but still a decent ringing session of stuff moving about in the cloudy conditions, notably Blackcap and Whitethroat.  The session ended with a Magpie!

Red Nab
Still juv Med Gull but most of the others already displaced by tide

Wooden jetty area - 3.5hr before high tide am
Mediterranean gulls - 9 including one, almost read, white darvic ringed bird.
Rock pipit - female with, one each, first and second brood young.

Clouded Yellow

An is it/is not worth checking Red Nab on the incoming tide in bright heat-hazy sunshine paid off.

A male Clouded Yellow was over the florally rich north end of Ocean Edge grass but wouldn't land for a pic.  It then flew behind the car and presumably south along the foreshore edge bank
'
A juv Med was amongst 11 others (9 ad, two 2CY) on Red Nab

A good candidate for the website 'record shot my xxxx' (juv Med)