2cy Arctic Tern!

Light breezes with fewer showers than expected.

Red Nab early afternoon - flooding tide (PM)

Common Tern - 4 adult settled

Arctic Tern - 1 adult, plus 1 2nd calendar year (2cy very rare in Europe)

Mediterranean gull 

Adult 5

3cy x1

2cy x 1

It was likely that some had already flown off.

Outflows early evening - ebbing tide (MD)

I went down early to watch the beach between the outflows become exposed - hoping for yesterday’s darvic ringed adult Mediterranean to return. The only Meds that turned up today were these 2cy and 3cy birds.

Plenty of juvenile Black-Headed gulls around, some well on their way into moult to first winter plumage.

Whimbrel - at least 3, probably 5 or more.

Grey seal 1

Lunar Hornets like double decker buses

Gentle easterlies for most of the day. Mainly overcast with some showers.

Todays title refers to the wait, not the size - you wait since the dawn of time for one to be recorded in the Heysham area......then three turn up together!

Lunar Hornet Clearwing Moth - a total of three attracted to Pete’s daytime pheromone lure near the entrance to the ringing area on Middleton Nature Reserve. First one 08:24.

This one landed on Kevin’s windscreen.

South Shore

Mid morning - tide out (MD)

A few Meadow Browns coming in off against the east breeze were the only sign of insect movement. Not surprising given the recent weather.

Rock Pipit 1 near nest site by lighthouse

Mediterranean gull - 4/5 adult plus 1 x 3rd calendar year resting on rocks on seaward side of the beach next to wooden jetty

Linnet having a bath in freshwater culvert at Red Nab

Willow Warbler in brambles near lighthouse 

Noon - tide flooding (SC)

Mediterranean gull - 5 adult (probably birds near jetty earlier). As tide came in they all departed east over caravan park towards golf course.

Evening - tide ebbing (MD)

At least two adult Mediterranean gull on the mud between outflows. Including the white darvic ringed bird. Unfortunately out of reading range.

Whimbrel 1 (first autumn record)

Lunar Hornet Clearwing Is the star

Started with a southerly wind and showers. Almost breathless by evening.

Middleton Nature Reserve early am (PM)

Lunar Hornet Clearwing Moth.  First record for Heysham area. Attracted to pheromone lure.

Harbour and outflows late am (MD)

The solitary Rock Pipit is still “guarding” the nest site, but I also saw it feeding, but don’t know if it returned to nest with food.

The waders are starting to trickle back.

Redshank - 7 together plus 1 juvenile with

Turnstone 6 summer plumage plus 2 juvenile

The juvenile Redshank with some of the Turnstone (juv on right)

Common Tern - at least three adult on outflows

Sandwich Tern 1

Sandwich Tern over No.1 outflow, with Blackpool tower in background 

Heysham skeer late evening

Just checked to see if any other waders were around, apart from the Oystercatchers and Curlew, there were just 18 Redshank (12, 3, 3)

Eider 5

Great Crested Grebe 3 summer plumage.

Wind eases

The wind eased off during the day and shifted to the west. Rain early on then mainly dry.

Two checks of south shore

late morning

Common tern 5 adult on and around Outflows

Rock Pipits - 2 together on Ocean Edge foreshore. 1 near lighthouse

Late afternoon 

Common Tern - just one remaining

Mediterranean gull 2 adult on beach near wooden jetty.

The Sea Holly near Red Nab is in flower

Subtle but striking at the same time.

Middleton Nature Reserve early evening

The sun had come out and the temperature had risen to 17C. So just a 100m walk along western side of main pond, a peek at the “no swimming” pond and back, mainly to see to how the insects were doing.

The only dragonfly seen was one male Black-Tailed Skimmer. Plenty of damselflies.

Butterflies: Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Small Skipper.

Warblers: singing males - Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Sedge Warbler

Little grebe 1 adult on main pond. Plus this adult and young bird feeding together on the “no swimming” Pond

Rest of wildfowl as per last report

Good coverage and excellent records

The SW winds blew hard, and, mercifully the rains largely held off till later in the afternoon.
Several observers contributed to today’s records: SC, PC, MJ, NG, KE, JR, PM, MD . Thanks to all.

Today’s morning seabirds from Heyshsm/Stone Jetty: 

Bonxie - 1 plus 2 out (0725 & 0800)

Kittiwake flock of 69 in

Fulmar 1 out

Manx  Shearwater2 out

Gannet c15 out

Common Tern at least 6 (one 2cy)

Arctic Tern - 1 adult

Mediterranean gull 11 on Red Nab: 3 ad, 6 3cy, 2 2cy. One 3cy plus one 2cy On the saltmarsh, but could have come from Red Nab

One of the adult Mediterranean gulls had a white darvic ring. Matt came tantalising close to reading it. Almost impossible with the driving wind and Red Nab rocks.

One of the adult Common Tern had a damaged upper mandible - thanks Kevin

North Harbour Wall early afternoon.

Fulmar 1, 

Kittiwake  2 adult

Gannet 5 out 

Outflows, early evening

Common Tern 2 adult plus 1 2nd calendar year

The 2cy Common Tern with no moult contrast creating the wedge.

Terns hang around

The winds eased slightly today, getting wild again tomorrow. Rain pretty much on and off all day.

Only two reports so far, hopefully more later

Mediterranean gull 1 adult plus 2  x 2nd calendar year flew south, early in the tide from Red  Nab. No others seen

Common Tern At least 4 on and between the two outflows about an hour before high water.

The winds may have eased, but the sea is still "well developed" and the waves will quickly build as the wind increases tomorrow.

A good year for Fulmar!

Very strong SW winds all day, heavy driving rain in the morning, more showery by evening.

The rain was horizontal at high water 10:30. This was compounded with driving sea spray. You'd have to be a fool to venture along the south wall....... Anyway, this is what I saw (MD)
Common Tern - just one feeding on No.2 outflow. Later (11:15) two, together, battled past the lighthouse.

It was just possible to use a camera sheltering from the wind and rain behind the lighthouse. This was one of the two just out from the roundhead wall.

A second visit just after low water (17:30) the rain had eased off, and of course no driving sea spray.
Common Tern - 4 feeding on No.2 outflow

Fulmar 2 out past round head 18:40 and 18:45.

After that the rain started again, so I called it a day. In 2019 there were a total of 4 Fulmar records. I've just had a quick check and so far in 2020 there have been 26, including nine seen by Shaun on 29th June.

Watching mussels grow!

Light westerly breezes. Some rain for most of the day, but a little sunshine by evening.

Not much to report. So far all I have is the merger fare from my check of the skeer at low water 16:40. (MD).
Todays title reflects the highlights, it is somewhere between "watching paint dry" and "watching grass grow"!
Little Egret 12
Great Crested Grebe 3 in summer plumage.
The only waders were Oystercatchers and Curlew.
This Herring gull was diving for crabs

Not as elegant as a tern, but not bad!

Now the mussel growing bit.....
On 16th June I posted the picture below of the seed mussels on the skeer. At this stage they are still anchored to the skeer stones. I said at the time that within a month they could be sat on a metre of unconsolidated mud.

This is the same area today. Only two weeks on and they are already almost a metre high in some places. The only thing they are anchored to now are each other. But it isn't enough, the fast ebbing spring tides undermine the edges of the mud, leaving them vulnerable to storms.

These days, the winter storms clear the remaining mussels, but they will be very lucky to last that long this year. The significance of this, of course, are that these mussels are a prime food source for some diving birds, particularly Eider.  I'll probably provide an update in a month or so - meanwhile you'll just have to contain your excitement!

From storm to flat calm

There was hardly any breeze this morning, and the sea, that just two days ago was a brown and white tempest, was a blue mirror! Later a gentle west breeze picked up and it was quite warm in the afternoon when the sun came out.

Red Nab on late Incoming tide - brief check (PM)
Mediterranean gull - one adult  Darvic ringed with what appeared to be yellow letters on dark blue background - four characters.
Six altogether (4 2cy, one 3cy and the above Ad).

Lighthouse area around 10:00 (MD)
Just a quick check.
Nothing on outflows

Rock Pipits
A bird waiting above nest hole with food in its bill. I assumed it would take the food to the hole when I backed off, but then it was joined by a second bird begging.

It was given one portion of food

The recipient didn't look like a juvenile (to me - I  could be wrong)

It kept begging and was fed two more times

The donator, now on left, went off with an empty bill. The recipient, retained the last portion of food in its bill and flew off towards the nest hole.

My interpretation, for what it's worth, was that this was the male feeding the female, who is either
laying or sitting on a second brood of eggs or small chicks.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
Preliminary ringing report - Juvenile  Cetti’s was caught in western marsh and a reasonable selection of young and adult Warblers

Moth traps (PM)
Western marsh -  Agonopterix conterminella identity confirmed by John Girdley. Really nice catch including four species of Wainscot and 17 Double Dart with a further 6 Double Dart in central marsh trap.

 Silky Wainscot western and central marsh traps 

 Agonopterix conterminella

morning (JP) afternoon (MD)
Mute Swan - pair with 5 cygnets plus 2 adult and 2 2cy on main pond. Pair with 3 cygnets on "no swimming" pond. 1 adult on Tim Butler pond.
Coot 5 adult 2 young
Moorhen 6
Mallard 7 plus 1 with at least 9 well developed young
Tufted duck 1 male in eclipse
Little grebe 1 in summer plumage.


Dragonflies:
Black-Tailed Skimmer c5
Brown Hawker 1
Emperor several

Emerald damselfly

Butterflies:
Plenty of Gatekeeper and Small Skippers. Plus
Comma 2
Ringlet 5

Thanks Janet

Still a few bits of interest about

The wind quickly eased to almost nothing, mainly overcast with just a few light showers.

Harbour and outfalls:  0500-0730. (SC)
Little Gull  1 adult
Mediterranean Gull 1 adult
Kittiwake 6 adult + 1 2nd cy.
Sandwich Tern 4
Common Tern 2.
Gannet 2.
Fulmar 1.

South wall and Harbour (MD)
late morning:
Kittiwake - Still 3 adult and 1 2nd calendar year

 

2cy bird

Rock pipits
1 adult with 2 juveniles on Red Nab - these are not the lighthouse nesting birds.
1 adult each Ocean Edge foreshore and lighthouse area.

One of the juvenile Rock pipits

Early evening
Kittiwake still 1 adult
Mediterranean gull - some roosting with BHGs on Red Nab others in small groups on the mud.
Minimum numbers. Adult 6, 3cy 4, 2cy 2. Earlier, Kevin saw two adult feeding on beach next to wooden jetty - this is good news as this area has previously been their favoured feeding area.

3cy + 2cy on left another 2cy right

Rock pipits - adult with 2 juveniles still on Red Nab. The lone bird near lighthouse was seen taking food to the nest. Presumably feeding the female.

Rock pipit taking food to nest hole in the wall.

Kevin located this Yellow-tail moth caterpillar on his daily circuit

 Not particularly uncommon, but probably a first for this square SD35Z