More, fed up, Meds

Rain in the morning eventually cleared and resulted in a nice sunny evening with light SW wind.

So far all I have is from my two visits to south shore, hopefully more to come. (MD).

Went down at 14:30 to see if many Mediterranean gulls went to beach near to jetty as it became exposed.

Rock Pipits 2 on Red Nab

Whimbrel 1

Grey seal 1

Just after the beach near jetty became exposed 4 adult and 1 3cy Meds started feeding. None were ringed. The birds would have had a chance to feed here earlier, up to 07:15, otherwise I would have expected more to turn up this afternoon.

Went back at 18:00. There were at least 16 Meds on beach plus a number on the rocks on seaward side of beach. It's hard to see looking out into the sun, but I estimated 13 of these were Meds, there might have been more.

None were feeding, even the birds on the beach were either sat or stood still, many, frustratingly, on one leg. They had obviously eaten enough sand mason worms for one day! No darvic rings visible, I walked down to No.2 outflow. A further 3 adult and a 3cy Meds were on mud here. I didn't check Red Nab but minimum totals:

Mediterranean gull 33 including 2 juvenile, 2 2cy and at least 5 3cy.

I went back to wooden jetty and watched the tide flush the birds from rocks, some landed on beach. 

This white darvic adult was ringed as a nesting in the Netherlands in 2010. It has been recorded in Heysham in 2013, 2018 and 2019

There was also a white darvic ringed 3cy bird, presumably the one read yesterday.

This is one of the juveniles 

Meds start to feast!

Another dreary day with some showers. SW wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve late afternoon (MD)

Wildfowl unchanged

House Martin two feeding groups 5 & 3

Swift 3 feeding, but drifting south.

Stock dove 1

The only dragonfly was a single Common Darter.

Only butterflies: Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper (I did say it was a dreary day!)

Wooden Jetty area  - Afternoon and evening (KE, MD)

The solitary Rock Pipit is still hanging around.

The gulls, including 16 Mediterranean Gull (12 adult plus 4 3rd calendar year) were easily catching sand mason worms today. The picture below clearly shows the worm tubes showing above the mud on the beach between the wooden jetty and No.1 outflow.

Both the above pictures from Kevin.

I (MD) believe that the availability of the worms is linked to their breeding cycle, which I also believe is linked to the phases of the moon. New moon is on Tuesday.

This adult has a worm, hope you can make it out. They are thin, but long and protein packed!

This 3cy with a darvic ring is a Belgian ringed bird - details awaited.

The next few days could be good, about 3.5 hours before high water, probably better in mornings.

Great White Egret

Wind more to SW mainly overcast, but warmer.

Morning high water check from OE (PM)

Great White Egret 1 distant - it isn't long since a GWE really was headline news. The first record at Heysham was only 2017!

Mediterranean gull - visibility not good, just 7 located.

Heysham skeer - low water (MD)

The only waders, apart from Curlew and Oystercatchers were two Turnstone.

Little Egret - at least 13

There are five here catching shrimps in the flooding channels 

Great Crested Grebe 3

This one, in not quite, summer plumage, looked like it was practicing for next year

South wall (MD)

Two quick checks

Morning - ebbing tide

Whimbrel 3

Rock pipits - 2 on Red Nab plus 1 near lighthouse nest site (not been seen here for a week)

Early evening - flooding tide

Mediterranean gull 5 adult plus 3 x 3cy (none with darvic rings)

One of the 3cy Meds 

This handsome racing pigeon was either resting, or sorting its bearing out. Either way, it was fine and quickly flew off north. Hopefully in its home coop by now.

Terns turn up on time

A pretty dreary day, rain on and off till evening. Westerly wind.

The only records so far are from the south wall in the evening.

Kevin watched the tide cover the beach near wooden jetty. There were four Mediterranean gulls taking advantage of the sand mason worms.

This adult Med and a BHG were the last to leave. You can see the sand mason worm tubes protruding out of the mud.

At that time there were no terns on the outflows.

I (MD) arrived at the outflows at 17:15, still no terns.

Checked the Mediterranean gulls on beach and Red Nab.

Adult   4

3cy       3

ad/3cy  1

2cy        2

I got back to No.1 outflow at 17:45, still no terns. The water level was about 0.5m below the outflow edge. At 17:50 Common Terns started feeding, I didn’t see from which direction, but not from north or west.

There were quickly at least 5. They looked to be the same birds as yesterday, based on plumage variation distribution. They obviously have a favoured water height in the outflow. I left at 18:00 there were still at least 3 feeding.

One had time for a rest and preen.

Hopefully more later

Four ages of Meds

After a wet start, the rain pretty much, held off for the rest of the day. Westerly wind and overcast.

South wall (MD)

Mid morning, tide almost out

No terns on outflows

Whimbrel 1

Mediterranean gull:

One adult on beach near No.2 outflow.

Two adult and 3 x 3rd calendar year on Red Nab.

The two adult and 3 x 3cy Meds decided it was feeding time and flew from Red Nab to the sand mason worm bed on beach near wooden jetty.

When I got to the beach near wooden jetty, the third adult and 2 x 2nd calendar year birds were also on the sand mason worm bed. Unfortunately, this year, the densest area of worms is near the water’s edge - not good for ring reading, although none of today’s birds had darvic rings.

Evening, an hour before high water.

Common Tern - At 18:10 there were 5 adult on No.1 outflow.

At 18:20 they were joined by a sixth adult which came from No.2 outflow direction.

A quick look at No.2 outflow found no more, and by the time I returned to No.1. All the terns were gone. It looks like timing is critical, they disappeared just after the tide was higher than the outflow sides.

Three of the Common Tern.

Mediterranean gull

There was an adult and juvenile feeding together on No.1 outflow

Detail of the juvenile 

So the day’s total:

Juvenile 1

2cy 2

3cy 3

Adult 4 (assuming this evening’s bird was different to this morning’s)

More signs of autum

Gentle westerlies, rain early on then mainly overcast

South shore - mid afternoon - flooding tide (MD)

Whimbrel - at least 1 calling from Red Nab - roosting with 100+ Curlew

Arctic Tern 1 2nd calendar year on seaward side of No.1 outflow.

Common Tern - at least 4 adults, more if they were not alternating between the two outflows.

This picture nicely shows the classic plumage features.

Mediterranean gull - some roosting on beach, some on Red Nab. I normally woefully undercount this species, but even I managed 5 adult (or 3cy) plus 7 x 2nd calendar year.

Some have started their autumn moult.

Middleton Nature Reserve overnight moth trap (PM)

Notable species included:

Grass emerald 

Crescent 

Sunshine brings out the insects

Still a coolish westerly breeze, but feeling very warm in the sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve early to late morning (JR, AD, PM, MD)

Unfortunately the early sunshine, so welcomed by the early morning walkers, wasn’t ideal for ringing. Still, not a bad selection:

A total of 42 birds were captured including a respectable number of warblers. These included:

Cettis Warbler - 4 (3 juv + 1 adult)

Whitethroat - 11 (9 juv + 2adult)

Chiffchaff - 1 adult

Reed Warbler - 2 adult

Blackcap - 1 adult

Willow Warbler - 4 (1 juv + 3 adult)

Sedge Warbler - 4 juv

Lesser Whitethroat - 1 adult

Lunar Hornet Clearwing Moth - at least two

This picture by Alan showing one of the moths, and the object of its desires - Pete’s pheromone lure

The warmer last couple of days has resulted in an increase in dragonfly activity.

Emperor 6

Common Darter 5 (f/teneral)

Black-Tailed Skimmer 2

Broad-bodied Chaser 1

Brown Hawker 2

Southern Hawker - at least one

First record this year

Heysham Nature Reserve early afternoon (KE)

Plenty of insect activity, including this ovipositing Emperor 

Outflows mid afternoon - flooding tide (MD)

Only one Tern seen - adult Common

Grey seal having a nap.

2cy Arctic lingers

Coolish westerlies mainly dry with sunny spells

South wall - tide flooding - early afternoon (MD)

Mediterranean gull - lots of gulls on far side of Red Nab, but could only make out 2 adult Meds.

No.2 outflow 2 hours before high water

Common Tern 1 adult

Arctic Tern - the 2nd calendar year bird, photographed yesterday, was present again today and has now been confirmed as the 2cy Arctic. This bird was first spotted by Pete on Thursday. It seemed to be finding plenty to eat today, so hopefully, might hang around a while (almost certainly a kiss of death, it’s probably 50 miles away as I type!)

The Common tern with the Arctic

Some of the details of the 2cy Arctic 

Middleton Nature Reserve late evening (PM)

Little owl -  junction of ind estate and sewage works road Middleton NR - first record for many years!

A rather odd Willow Warbler emargination to P5, no wingbars!!

And, still they come.....

Brisk westerlies with more sunshine than showers

Middleton Nature Reserve mid morning

The wildfowl is pretty much as last report, other than the female mallard’s chicks are now independent and seem to be everywhere.

It’s getting to the time when the aggressive male mute family on the “no swimming” pond will be wanting to return to the main pond. Perhaps, this year, it might be dissuaded by the presence of the 4 additional birds on the main pond. If not, there will be a lot of feathers flying.

This is the adult Little Grebe on main pond, anther adult plus an immature bird on “no swimming” pond.

Cetti’s warbler singing again on central marsh.

Dragonflies: Emperor 3, Common Darter 2 (female/immature)

South shore mid morning

Common Tern 4 adults on outflows ref Kevin.

Later,  just one 2nd calendar year tern.

Mediterranean gull - just one adult seen on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2, together on Red Nab

Moths

This is the source of today’s title.

Lunar Hornet Clearwing Justine had four, from four widespread sites at Middleton including on the south side of the entrance road and near Moneyclose Lane anemometer 

That’s a total of 8 in three days of a previously unrecorded species!

Another decent moth from Kevin’s overnight trap - a Crescent Striped

A very local coastal species.

And, finally, this is a reminder of how the year is moving on.

A Comma feeding on bramble, has always been regarded as the archetypal sign that Autumn has arrived!

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