Med day

At least 18 different birds at low tide including returning German adults ASRE and ANLT and also 8 juvs

Sandwich Tern - one surprisingly on Red Nab at low tide

Rock pipit south harbour lighthouse
Wheatear 1 female type near lighthouse

Sallow NFY in moth trap

A bit of ringing in the only suitable weather

The forecast suggested the CES would be problematic on a later date, so had to go for it in the dreaded north-westerlies this morning.  Sometimes this can work after a windy spell and two new Reed Warblers out of habitat have been caught by Heysham NR office so far and a new juvenile Cetti's Warbler on the Middleton CES

Wednesday 7th

No reports - outfalls/red nab not checked - any sightings from visitors please?

Canary Shouldered Thorn in moth trap indicating how autumnal its getting!

Sandwich terns

Not quite strong enough at the wrong state of tide to prompt any proper seawatching so just an outfalls and red nab scan from a soggy Ocean Edge foreshore

Sandwich Tern - 4
Little gull - ad
Med - at least 32 with at least 5 juvs

Back to the westerlies

Lot more birds on the outfalls now the distraction of flying ants has ceased

Med gull - 41 in a quick sweep, mostly SW end Red Nab
Little Gull - ad the outermost bird on Heyshsm two
Arctic Tern - ad Red Nab

Coal tit in song Moneyclose Lane

Early morning ringing

Rather unexpected to find Chiffchaff the highest ringing total of the warblers so early in the autumn.  10 were ringed, followed by 9 Whitethroat and low single figures of other species

Cetti’s Warbler - a recently fledged juvenile in the central marsh at Middleton was the most interesting individual capture

Tree sparrow - one plus at least two south over Heyshsm and at least two with a gang of House Sparrow on heyshsm heliport site

Dark Spinach in moth trap at Middleton

Yellow Wagtail

Middleton NR early session
Nothing better early on than a single Garden Warbler and an early (or secretively breeding) Water Rail - also present, but not logged on 26/7.  Surely single secretive breeding pair at this irregular known site, albeit with no evidence of success. 

Yellow Wagtail - one south at 1133hrs
Swallow - at least 80 south/feeding for a short time (25 ringed)
Sand Martin - 1 south
House Martin - 2 south
Not a great deal of obvious landbird migration for an easterly with a bit of cloud cover but still a respectable trickle of warblers ringed, a majority (11) being Whitethroat, as usual in early August

Red veined Darter.  At least five males and a female abs almost certainly another pair in cop but the latter not seen quite well enough to eliminate Common Darter (thanks Janice)

Harbour lighthouse area (SD35Z) MD
ESE breeze again brought insects in off at low water.
Butterflies:
Only Painted Lady and Small White were seen coming in, at a rate around one a minute. But there was an increase of Common blue on the scrub to 5, plus a Peacock and, first here this year, Gatekeeper.
Moths:
Silver Y - 4
Dragonflies:
Unfortunately the tide was rising before the time likely for dragonflies to arrive. But one flew overhead at 11:20 (tide was already up to outflows), almost certainly a darter with red abdomen.

Wheatear - 1 female type
Grey Seal - 1 male

Friday

Middleton Nature Reserve

Red-veined Darter - 4 male on main pond. This one has either come a long way, or been here a long while, or both!

Gadwall c20 adult, or almost adult size birds on "no swimming" pond

Thursday

Red- Veined Darter - still one on dog walk pond (this is the small pond on the walk between Red Nab and the Reserve).

Wednesday - provisional

Red-veined Darter - another 'new' site
Three males on the bare eastern edge of the 'dog walk pond' (one previous here - years ago)

Humming-bird Hawk-moth - one on nature park buddliea

Mediterranean gulls - good numbers on Red Nab early in rising tide, including two ringed birds read by Pete Crooks.  Later in the tide, about 40 scattered around along the still exposed mud south of Ocean Edge but no compact gull roost due to dog
Little Gull - ad summer
Sandwich Tern - 2
Whimbrel - at least 4

Common Sandpiper 1 - Ocean Edge foreshore

Other returning waders on Red Nab and salt marsh
Ringed Plover 5
Dunlin 1
Lapwing 9
Whimbrel 1
Redshank c200

Picture below showing some of yesterday's Painted Lady "topping up" after coming in off sea near lighthouse. There were c20 on this knapweed. I can find 16 in this frame.