Still ticking over

Quite a strong blustery wind mainly from NNE. Generally overcast. Quite cool.

Middleton Nature Reserve late morning
Wildfowl and warbler status pretty much as yesterday.
Swift 2
Swallow 2
House martin 1
All above feeding over the main pond.

Stock Dove - very active today - two flying together seen several times. Once to SE followed less than a minute later with two (more?) also flying to SE. They would have had to have doubled back very quickly if it was only two birds. Also single birds seen a couple of times.

Meadow pipit - one very territorial bird

Very few insects seen in the cool windy weather, but this Burnet Companion was taking a high energy drink.

Rock Pipits - a much better showing today
Two feeding together near lighthouse, one following the other. Couldn't manage a good enough view to confirm ages (hopefully one juvenile)
One adult by waterfall
Janet reported one from Half Moon Bay, possibly one of those from John (D) report below.
Today on the Heysham Head shore there were two rock pipits foraging amongst the rocks, young birds I think. Another one flew past from Half Moon Bay towards the nest site so maybe a second brood is on the way.

The Rock Pipits are not the only birds with a second brood in mind

This Dunnock was painstakingly gathering dog hairs from John's garden.

More observers, but still not much to observe

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid morning
Mute Swan - still 7 "interlopers" being held at bay by the resident male on the main pond

Meanwhile mum and the chicks seem to be enjoying themselves

Pair on "no swimming" pond with three young.

The male continues to harrass the mallard with her growing chicks

Coot - a pair with one quite mature chick on main pond. That is three breeding pairs this year, unless the pair from the Tim Butler have brought a chick to main pond
Little grebe 1
Stock Dove 2
The low meadow between the main and Tim Butler ponds is worth a visit, lots of meadow flowers and attendant insects (especially when it's warmer).

Including several Ragged- Robin plants

A fine testament to the reserve management work. (Q. How do you manage a meadow? A. You mow it every year)

Red Nab and surrounding shore approaching high water.
Curlew 126
Black-headed Gull 66
Common Gull 68
Little Egret 3
Rock Pipit 1 adult

Tide not high enough to flood the area were the fingerling bass were feeding yesterday.

Janet checked the high cliffs below Heysham Head. No sign of the Rock Pipits today, but two recently fledged Wren were being fed

Troglodytes troglodytes - the only Latin bird name I know, and quite apt here (MD)

A bit of barrel bottom scraping

Very little is happening at the moment, and few people watching it not happen.

The Lapwing numbers on the saltmarsh have swollen to three. Presumably failed breeders.

Having said that little is happening, this is potentially very exciting, but only if you are into marine biology (MD).
In 2013 the south wall and its extension out to sea was designated a Bass nursery. The warm outflow waters support Bass all through the year. All fishing in this area is prohibited. There has always been bass visiting the bay in summer, but it was not known where they bred or where the young developed.
About 5 years ago I caught (and returned) a 7cm bass in my shrimp push net. I'd never seen a young one before.
Today when the tide was flooding on the south shore the water was boiling with small fish between 7 - 10cm. Normally gathering like this are Grey Mullet. But mullet are basically herbivores and would either be grazing the algae off the mud or the protein laden spume off the surface. There was neither of these food sources today. These fish were hunting, presumably invertibrates flushed from the sea grass by the rising tide. They were in less that 2cm of water at some times, they were the right shape and colour for bass, but I couldn't see the distinctive dorsal fins (mullet tend to swim with the top of their dorsal fin out of the water, when in shallows). They must have been young bass, hundreds of them! I've never seen this before, it can't be a regular event, or the egrets would be waiting for them. That said I'll check again tomorrow

.

This is the typical area they were feeding.

This is a close up of the same image showing the water "boiling" - bass are a very slow growing species, fish this size would be 4/5 year old.

Just an aside. The Sea Holly seems to have taken a battering with this year's storms. There are normally plants at the top of the shingle around the saltmarsh, Red Nab and Half Moon Bay. But the only specimen that I am aware of at the moment, is this one further inshore near Red Nab.

Mute and people leaving Middleton

Light variable breeze and overcast for most of the day.

A visit to Middleton Nature Reserve, just after lunch found the car park empty. There were a few vehicles around on my completion of a circuit, but certainly the lowest number of visitors since travel to exercise was allowed.
Mute Swan 2 pairs with 3 and 5 chicks. 1 single bird on Tim Butler.
The visiting swans on the main pond, at one point totalled 22, but today they were down to 8. One theory about them, certainly fits the time line - Normally high numbers of swan on the Lune estuary supplement their diet with grain spilled when the grain cargo boats are unloaded at Glasson Dock. The cargo boats stopped when lockdown started, but have probably now resumed (MD),
Coot 4 - the pair on the "no swimming" pond have three chicks

Thanks Janet

Mallard 2

This female has done remarkably well with her chicks. She has been chased from pond to pond by the  resident  mute males. Yet she still has 10 of the original 12 chicks, and they are now quite well developed (she does look proud of herself).

No Gadwall!

House martin 1 - feeding over main pond
Stock Dove 1
Raven 1 - in dispute with the carrion crows in trees near waterworks.
All the warblers including Cetti's heard with the exception of Grasshopper warbler.

This Gannet was resting on Red Nab on Sunday - report and picture from Chris Thornton - thanks.

A freshly dead Gannet was found on the saltmarsh on Monday. It looks like this was its final resting place. The dead bird had no injuries so presumably succumbed to natural causes (MD)

Another ringing session

Light winds, overcast in the morning, but the sun came out later in the afternoon.

Pete has asked that all recorders check that they are aware of the complicated SD boundaries and intersections in the recording area. Some guidelines and a map have been added to the sidebar on the right - thanks.

Mediterranean gull 2 near Red Nab this morning.
Rock pipit - the only one seen today was to the east of the saltmarsh.
Lapwing 2 on Ocean Edge football pitch. unseasonal birds here - possibly taking advantage of the lockdowned caravan park.

Middleton Nature Reserve - 05:20 - 09:20 AD and JM
A smallish mixed bag with a high proportion of retraps. Some juvenile birds around now with young Dunnock, Robin (2), Chiffchaff (3) and Blackcap ringed.

Swift - 30 appeared from an easterly direction at 09.30 and whizzed around over the reserve for ten minutes before moving towards the golf course and finally dispersing.

A moth trap that was set overnight cobtained a good catch, including a Straw Underwing, very early in the season for this species.


While we are talking moths. These Mullein moth caterpillars were feeding on a mullein plant in a garden in Heysham Village.

This species is very localised - Thanks Ray(S) via Janet.

Another mammal to end today's post, this one, at c5cm, a bit smaller than yesterday's Roebuck.
This young Field Vole came out from under the brambles near the waterfall.

I hope its survival instincts improve quickly! (MD)

Local stuff provides the entertainment, plus news of a wanderer

Light breeze mainly from north and east. Generally overcast.

The "wanderer" is a colour ringed Little Egret seen on Red Nab by Shaun in November. Not from the usual source, but a recent colony
  

 LITTLE EGRET REGISTER

   Colour rings - Left leg LAON(A).  Right leg RANW(U).  Ring number  GV75204  

Age   Date Time          Location                        Observer                Duration,  distance

1   22/05/18 14:00   Rossmere Park, Hartlepool    Eric Wood

3   22/06/18 00:00   Rossmere Park, Hartlepool    Unknown       31 days, 0 kilometres,

3   05/07/18 00:00    Rossmere Park, Hartlepool   Unknown        44 days, 0 kilometres,

3   19/07/18 00:00    Dorman's Pool, Teeside        Unknown        58 days, 6 kilometres,

4   03/11/19 00:00    Red Nab, Heysham             Shaun Coyle   530 days, 130 kilometres, 

4   22/01/20 00:00   Old Moor RSPB Reserve    Jeff Wragg       610 days, 126 kilometres,

4   21/03/20 00:00   Old Moor RSPB Reserve    Gerald Lax      669 days, 126 kilometres,

4   22/03/20 00:00   Old Moor RSPB Reserve    Gerald Lax      670 days, 126 kilometres,

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid morning

The warblers seemed to be singing with renewed vigour, with the exceptions of Sedge warbler, just a few half hearted bursts. Grasshopper warbler - not heard.

Common Whitethroat 

Lesser Whitethroat

These recently fledged Long-tailed tits were waiting to be fed

The food arrives 

I know the birders will be aware of this, but for those who are not - the bird bringing food may not be the young ones parent. Long-tailed tits regularly help to feed other birds young, if they have no young of their own. But they are likely to be closely related. (MD)

Kevin was experimenting with his new pocket camera and got some nice pictures, including these damselfly.

Common Bluetail - probably female C type (MD)

Pair of Common Blue

Remember when I said whereever you are on the reserve, you are likely to be being watched by a Roe deer.......

I think this fine buck was checking that I wasn't a rival. I backed away and he lost interest.

Mainly miscellany

The overnight winds turned towards the NW and eased quickly. I've not heard of anything of interest on the sea as yet (MD) - possibly more later

Lighthouse area - two short visits
Morning
Rock Pipits - 1 standing over nest site, plus 2 flying around with trailing bird constantly calling. Suggested adult with juvenile in tow, but I  didn't get a decent look.
Dunnock - resident birds have at least one newly fledged young.
Afternoon
Just the one sentinel Rock Pipit
A couple of moths sheltering from the wind. A Cinnabar plus this Yellow Shell

The worn wings are typical of insects seen in this area, which have normally arrived in off the sea.

A grey seal was slowly drifting with the ebbing tide, some way out. It appeared to be asleep.

But, it did manage a yawn - it really was that exciting!

These Lesser Black-Backed gull's chicks are well camouflaged on the ferry terminal roof. There are two, centre left.

Thanks Kevin

Heysham Nature Reserve - KE

This is a nice sheltered reserve, with plenty of flowering plants attracting many and varied insects.

The Bee Orchids are now showing well on the central plateau

Immature Red-legged Shieldbug

Female Common Blue

Toad in the hole

Janet took this on Middleton Nature Reserve - this Common Toad has puffed itself up to look intimidating - it works!

Cute fluffy ball day

Strong westerly winds increasing towards gale force during day. Some showers, some hail and some sunshine.

Hopefully more records to come.

Middleton Nature Reserve - late morning
Mute Swan - the nesting pair on the main pond are now displaying their 5 chicks. There are still 18 other mute on the pond too. The pair on the "no swimming" pond have lost one of their chicks, just 3 remaining. There was a pair nesting on the Fence pond, but they have not been seen since the growing reeds obscured the nest site. Their status remains unknown.

The main pond mute with her chicks.

Warblers all breeding singing males heard with the exception of Grasshopper
Stock dove 2
Swift 1 north

Painted Lady 1 - first record of the year.

It hasn't settled on some unseasonal ice, just broken glass in a less than pristine corner of the Reserve.

Orchids - an amateur's assessment (MD)
There are now at least three species in bloom -
Bee Orchid - see Kevin's picture on 31st May post
Spotted Orchid

Spotted Orchid normally have spotted leaves

Marsh Orchid

There are some nice stands around - Marsh orchids leaves are generally not spotted.

There are at least two species of Marsh Orchid on the reserve, plus almost certainly hybrids.

This looks like a Southern Marsh Orchid

This looks more like a Northern Marsh Orchid.

The natural colour variation within the species overlap the other species, even without hybridisation. The only way, if you are not an expert, is a good reference book, a magnifying glass and more patience than I posess. Still there must be worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

Lighthouse area - early evening
Rock Pipit 1

This picture by Kevin is actually from Tuesday

And, at least two, possibly three more new fluffy balls

This is the Herring gull that was suffering in the heat on Sunday (see post 31st May). She's having a rest now, but kept half an eye on me!

Thursday - belated

Sorry about the short intermission, hopefully back to "normal" now.

Stiff west breeze with intermittent showers.

Thanks to the observers below for providing these records.

This flock of second calendar year Knot seen by Tim and Janine (F) on Wednesday 13:30. It is a decent size for this late in the year.

Heysham skeer - Thursday evening

A check of the low water channels found no waders other than Oystercatchers and a couple of Curlew. No diving birds seen on the water, just a pair of Eider having a rest on a mid skeer pool.

Have you lost, or can you identify, this bird?

This escaped cagebird finch was seen and photographed by John (D) in his garden. Not within my ability to identify (MD)

This moth from Kevin's trap SD46A

Silky Wainscot - a local coastal species

The hot sunny spring has ended, traditional cool wet summer weather starts tomorrow.

The last of the hot sunny days for some while.

Thanks to Dan for his records today.
45 Curlew and 22 Knot off Ocean Edge early morning.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
The big, and very pleasing, news is that Alan and John, following agreed controls and careful social distancing, managed the first rining session of Spring/summer 2020! 
Catch of 32 birds was reasonable, mostly adult breeding birds.  Apart from a small gang of juvenile Long-tailed Tits no other juveniles were trapped.  Of interest was an unringed male Cetti's Warbler caught in the western marsh area.  Plenty of singing Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroats.

Janet reported that the main pond mute pair have started to hatch cygnets, but remaining on the nest.

Rest of stuff and pictures per Dan
An accurate count resulted in:
Common Whitethroat15 pairs
Lesser Whitethroat 2 pairs
Bullfinch 3 pairs, plus fledged young
Dunnock 11 pairs

Black-tailed skimmer mature male

Common blue damselflies mating (I can't remember the technical term normally used (MD))

Common Whitethroat

Bullfinch (did you know that people with one type of colour blindness find it impossible to distinguish the difference between a male and female - if you are one, this is the male (MD))

Wherever you go on the reserve, the chances are a fox (and likely a Roe deer) will be watching you. But it isn't always easy to see them.