A lazy sort of day

Much lighter west wind today, high cloud with sunshine increasing during the day

South shore (MD)

Morning on ebbing tide

Linnet 6 on saltmarsh 

Rock Pipits 3

Mediterranean gulls 4 adult plus a 1st calendar year. The very low neap tide still hadn't exposed the beach next to the jetty, but there was one adult waiting on rocks and the 1cy and an adult on sea out from the harbour. Two more adults were making their way there from Red Nab as I walked back.

First calendar year Mediterranean gull out from Harbour 

This adult Mediterranean gull has a very pale mask.

Little Egret 3 on Red Nab

A second quick check in the evening towards high water found the small mullet were back in the channel below the sea wall.

This channel is formed by the freshwater stream that runs through then around Red Nab. This shot shows the filling channel, as it winds around Red Nab.

Little Egret - four feeding along this channel plus another two along the channel forming along the old water pipeline.

Little Egret, looking particularly splendid 

Nature Park

Common Darter 1

Migrant Hawker 2

The only butterflies seen were Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood.

I wasn't planning on posting this, I only asked Kevin and Alison for identification for my own interest. But  the answer was more generally interesting (well, at least I think so MD). It's an Alder Leaf Beetle

Alder Leaf beetle (7mm length) below an Alder near the small anemometer 

According to Wikipedia, as recently as 2004 this species was thought extinct in the UK. Then after a sighting in Manchester it has been spreading around the NW. I knew that I hadn't seen one before when I saw it, but there are literally thousands of UK beetles that I've not seen!

Plenty of wind, but not much water!

Strong SW wind, mainly overcast, with some sunny spells. It stayed dry till late evening, then the heavens opened.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

South shore 

Two visits, mid morning (low water) and late afternoon (towards high water)

Mediterranean gull 7 adult on the beach near wooden jetty in morning, a 1st calendar year on No.2 outflow in the afternoon

Adult Mediterranean gulls - this shot showing moult progress

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull with Black-Headed gulls
This shot was actually from yesterday but same location as today's bird

The young gulls are stripping the barnacles off the platform supports in the harbour, presumably more for their grit than the scant protein content. This one is a Herring gull.

This young Lesser Black-Backed gull as found an apple, don't know what happened, but the apple appeared to have scared it off! Don't think it will be taking on an apple again!

Sorry about the jerky nature of this clip, but it was wild on the sea wall.

Rock Pipits 6

It was more sheltered in the Nature Park and there were still a few insects about

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 1

Peacock 1

Large White 1

several each

Meadow Brown

Gatekeeper 

Common Blue 

Speckled Wood 

Record breaking moth

A fresh west wind overcast but plenty of sunny spells

Wheatear 1 female on Near Naze yesterday - ref Howard 

South shore - today

I was busy today and thought this morning's visit towards low water would be my only opportunity (MD)

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Peregrine Falcon 2. One, presumably a juvenile was practicing its stoops on the gulls

Peregrine practicing its stoop

Mediterranean gulls 8 adult plus 1 x 1st calendar year on the beach next to the wooden jetty, most on the waterline, later 1 x 1cy on No.2 outflow

Little Egret 5 

These three Little Egrets seemed to be catching lots of shrimps in the almost empty channel below the sea wall at No.2

This Migrant Hawker was below the small anemometer 

Mature male Migrant Hawker

Finally this report from Kevin of his excellent sighting along the sea wall last month. This is a brilliant spot, I can barely see the moth in Kevin's picture, let alone spot it on the wall. You will probably have to open Kevin's picture to be able to see it. 

Marbled Green moth  

A belated record from July 26th. Belated because I was waiting for verification as it's only the third record for Lancashire, and the only one North of the Ribble.

It was resting on the South harbour arm and I only spotted it because I was scanning along the wall at a low angle in order to see any insects standing out above the surface. Even knowing exactly where it was it took a while to locate because of the excellent camouflage. The caterpillars feed on lichen and the adults rest on lichen covered walls, rendering them virtually invisible to the prying eyes of hungry birds.

Marbled Green moth

Oh dear.....not a GWE after all!

Generally a south fresh wind, a bit of SSE in the morning then SW after lunch. Overcast all day and it always looked like it was going to pour down, but we got away with light showers.

Heysham skear - low water 11:00 (MD)

It didn't feel promising and didn't surprise!

Great Crested Grebe 3

Apart from the grebes the only other diving bird on the sea were the Cormorants, but there were more than normal, at least 25.

Little Egret 5

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus one each

Ringed Plover

Knot  - no sign of any summer plumage 

South shore rising tide early afternoon (MD)

Mediterranean gulls - at least 6 adult with the gull roost on Red Nab, almost certainly more

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

The tide was starting to fill the channel along No.2 outflow. Three Cormorants were fishing in the shallow margins of the channel. They were after the small Grey Mullet that come in early to feed on the algae that forms on the mud on warm days. There were lots of Mullet, but didn't see the cormorants catch any, they are probably too nimble in such shallow water.

This is what the Mullet are after, even on a relatively cool and sunless day, there was a substantial coating of algae along the channel edge below the sea wall.

Algae along the channel edge below the sea wall

I decided to time the rest of my walk so that the Mullet would be arriving here on my return. I was planning to take a clip of them feeding. When I got back (2.5 hours before high water) the channels were just filling and the Mullet had started feeding here. The cormorants had gone, probably gave up, but two Egrets were feeding. 

One Little Egret plus what this post (or rather me, Malcolm) originally identified as a Great White Egret, but study of later images has confirmed that it is actually just a very large Little Egret - apologies for any confusion.

This shot does show how much larger it appears to be

Little and large Little Egrets

The Mullet were difficult to see, as the incoming water was clouded and the surface rippled by the wind. This is the same area as the photograph above, you will have to take my word that they are Grey Mullet, but there is no doubt the shallow channel is full of them.

Looks like the Black Darter didn't fly away

A fresh NE breeze till evening, then shifted to NW. Cloudy with sunny spells 

South shore (MD)

A check in the morning at low water

Wheatear 3 (1 + 2 along foreshore)

Male Wheatear, still looking striking 

Linnet 3 following the 2 Wheatear along foreshore and kidding themselves that they were "seeing them off".

Rock Pipit 2 (a brief evening check found 7 squabbling along Red Nab)

Mediterranean gulls 13 resting on the waterline on beach next to wooden jetty. All adult or 3rd calendar year 

The only insect I saw come in off the sea was a Small Tortoiseshell 

Nature Park 

Not so many large butterflies on the Buddleia but still a reasonable variety around

Meadow Brown 

Gatekeeper

Red Admiral 

Common Blue

Small White 

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell 

Migrant Hawker 5 all flying around below the small anemometer 

(An evening check found none)

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I just paid a short visit mainly to check for the Purple Hairstreak (no sign) and to complete a thorough check of the area where the Black Darter was yesterday. And I found at least one today.

This is the area where the Black Darter(s) were seen yesterday and today
To the left of the trees on the left is the low meadow and to the right of the picture 
is the Tim Butler pond

A female Black Darter was located on two occasions in this area, both times I managed not to disturb it, but they were probably the same insect and likely the same as yesterday as all were of a similar aged colouration. I have not pre sized these shots so you'll need to open them to see the detail clearly.

First sighting 

Second sighting 

She wasn't flying away here, she just had a flutter around and landed
back in the same spot. Fortunately I had already set the focus.

Incidentally, there were a couple of areas of flattened grass in the same area, where Roe Deer have spent the night. One particularly large one was below the largest tree on the left, in the picture above.

Area below the largest tree, flattened by resting Roe Deer (plural)

Other Dragonflies, just Emperor and Common Darter

Butterflies as the Nature Park but also, Brimstone 1, Large White 1, Painted Lady 1.

Wildfowl as yesterday plus 1 Coot

Goldfinch 57 adult and juveniles, flew from this tree, in the old horse paddock. They didn't seem to be feeding, just preening. Not a great clip (need more practice with my new camera!), and I've had to mute it as a jack hammer was in the background.

Another Clouded Yellow

WNW light wind, overcast in the morning, but plenty of sunshine by the afternoon.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Clouded Yellow 1 male around the office area before moving towards the None operational land - ref Pete.

South shore

Mediterranean gull 18 - 17 on Red Nab (ref Pete) plus one on beach near wooden jetty.

Adult Mediterranean gull on shore next to wooden jetty

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Linnet 9 

Rock Pipits 2

Nature Park butterflies (quite good considering it was still overcast)

Gate Keeper

Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood

Common Blue

Red Admiral 3

Painted Lady 2

Peacock 1

Large White 1

Small White 2

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Mute Swan pair + 7 cygnets 

Moorhen 3

Mallard 2 female, 1 with 2 large young, 6 male in eclipse 

Gadwall 1 female (on Tim Butler - possibly more, as many areas of this pond are out of sight)

Heron 1

Water Rail 1 squealing

Little grebe 1 summer plumage bird on Tim Butler (Mallard in background)

Swallow just one having a quick drink from main pond

Butterflies nothing that wasn't seen earlier in the Nature Park

Dragonflies 

Emperor 5 (2 female)

Black-Tailed Skimmer 1 male, and 1 old female

Very mature female Black-Tailed Skimmer

Common Darter - common 

Black Darter 1 aged female. Despite the well established colony not far away at Heysham Moss Nature Reserve, they are barely annual at Middleton. It appeared to be in passage, as when it took off from here it lifted vertically till out of sight.

Mature female Black Darter

First Grey Wagtails of the autumn join the colour ringing scheme

Heavy overnight rain, but only the occasional light shower during the day. Variable light wind, mainly from west, overcast, but still very warm.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

I thought I could be dodging showers this morning but none arrived apart from a few spots that hardly amounted to rain. The Grey Wagtail autumn season has started with the first two caught and colour ringed on the earliest date so far. I was alerted to set for the species by Jean's report of two passing over yesterday morning.

There were a few passage warblers around too but not in great numbers - no Tree Pipits in the very overcast conditions and no Hirundines whatsoever. A Sparrowhawk was patrolling around the mist net area which prompted a rather early end to the session as most of the birds had sensibly melted away.

Grey Wagtail 2 (see Grey Wagtail ringing scheme details on sidebar)

Cetti's Warbler 1 retrap

Sedge Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 2

Common Whitethroat 4

Blackcap 1

Chiffchaff 3

Willow Warbler 2 + 1 retrap

Great Tit 1

Bullfinch 1 + 1 retrap

Heysham skear - low water (MD)

Eider 14

Great Crested Grebe 9

Shag 1 (presumably the regular 2nd calendar year) feeding near green marker post

Sandwich Tern 2 together in through the low water channel

Little Egret 14

Heron 2 - this one has a small flatfish 

Grey Heron with a small flatfish

It didn't last long

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Ringed Plover 12, Dunlin 2

The tide was out quite a distance and the reef which formed over winter was largely exposed. Any submerged feature like this will always attract feeding creatures - great and small.

The long thin finger mid picture is the reef which formed last winter

South shore early evening dropping tide (MD)

Swallow 5 together came in over Red Nab

Rock Pipits 7 - the swarms of Kelp flies were not present today, but clearly there were still lots on the sloping wall, both the Pied Wagtails and the Pipits were helping themselves. This is one of the Pipits with a missing foot and currently moulting, even so it seemed to be easily finding plenty to eat, but it backed away as another group of 3 Pipits past by. It was clearly more wary of them than it was of me (which pleases me greatly!)

Common Sandpiper 3 - there was one on Red Nab and two together came from the north side and rested on No.1 outflow - just a couple of half hearted bobs today.

Good ringing with some interesting movement

East to NE light wind, but again occasionally swirling around to NNW towards the harbour entrance. Hot sunshine.

First, Pete Crooks has received the history for one of the colour ringed Oystercatcher he read on Thursday:

A prompt reply from the Devon & Cornwall Wader Ringing Group about one of the c-r Oystercatchers

Ringed at Dawlish Warren, Exe Exstuary, Devon on 4/2/18 and also seen there on 18/2/18 and 3/12/20, but not seen again until Thursday.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean and Pete:

A busy ringing morning with 35 birds of 14 species caught and only one retrap:

Whitethroat 10

Willow Warbler 7

Chiffchaff 5

Reed Warbler 2

Blackcap 1

Garden Warbler 1

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Grasshopper Warbler 1 (retrap)

Tree Pipit 2

Treecreeper 1 dispersing juvenile 

Robin 1

Goldfinch 2

Wren 2

GreatTit 1

Vis: Tree Pipit 7, Yellow Wagtail 1, Grey Wagtail 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

No hirundines at all!

Pheasant with chicks, a marauding Sparrowhawk made off with one of the chicks.

Roe Deer 3 together

South shore (MD)

A morning walk along the sea wall to see if any ringed Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the beach next to the wooden jetty. Three adults were resting there but quickly moved on as the tide started rising. None were ringed.

There were hoards of small black flies all along the sea wall and definitely coming in from the wall. Then the penny dropped! They are Kelp Flies, they have benefited from the same circumstances that allowed the Rat-tailed maggots to develop. Warm weather and low spring tides last cycle allowing them to complete their life cycle, probably twice. They lay their eggs in the wrack on the high water line along the sea wall and the maggots feed on the decaying weed. Whatever instinct drives them, they got the timing right. The spring tides have peaked and any eggs laid along the upper weed line will be safe for at least 2 weeks, barring storms.

An afternoon check found no Kelp flies, so this morning's swarms must have been their breeding flight.

The only other insects moving were a few Small Tortoiseshell coming in off the sea

Rock Pipits 2 on Red Nab

Other than that it was just a case of enjoying watching the hundreds of Curlew and thousands of Oystercatcher flying past.

Curlew 

Oystercatcher, one leucistic bird with a white head
I seem to recall this, or a similar bird, being around a couple of years ago

In the afternoon there was a Common Sandpiper on Red Nab

Common Sandpiper behind a Black-headed gull
It was particularly difficult to spot as it wasn't bobbing - probably too hot!

Common Sandpiper

Foiled again!

The forecast was for east light winds all day, and indeed for much of the region that was the case, but by afternoon along the south shore it was NNW! The hot constant sunshine continues.

Report from Pete:

Drake common scoter 1

2cy Shag 1

Eider 61 in three lots

off north side heysham head just as tide turned this am.

11 low tide Mediterranean gull on Red nab appeared to include a black darvic ringed adult

South shore - (MD)

In the morning the ESE wind was fine for insect migration, and the tide was largely out. But at 10:00 it was a bit early in the day for much to reach here. There were however black flies everywhere, particularly near the roundhead. 

Pied Wagtails seldom get a mention, and they should, it's just that they are omnipresent and, like the Oystercatcher, overlooked. There were at least 15 today, mainly youngsters, and they were taking advantage of the small fly abundance.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail surrounded by small black flies

Rock Pipit 1 on Foreshore 

Wheatear 1 on saltmarsh - it quickly caught a large beetle then moved off south.

Wheatear 

Willow Warbler 1 near the waterfall 

Every year we seem to get one gull, that isn't keen to be on the water.

Juvenile Herring Gull keeping its feet dry

By this time it was 10:30 and the first butterflies were starting to come in off the sea. 

Small White 2

Small Tortoiseshell 2 

Came in off at the roundhead. 

But by now the tide was against the wall for much of its length and there was a steady trickle coming in off along the wall as I walked back. Unfortunately, when the tide is in the influx is spread all along the wall and shore, rather than being focused at the roundhead when the tide is out, so I would have missed lots more.

Gatekeeper 4

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Red Admiral 1

Still it looked promising for early evening when the tide was again out. But it wasn't to be, the wind was North to NNW when I checked again 16:00, I just saw a lingering Small White and a Small Tortoiseshell. 

But there were no black flies either, they must have moved inland. I don't know if they originally came in off the sea, or just off the, guano laden, wooden jetty.

Nature Park 

A good variety, but not high numbers of insects

Dragonflies 

Emperor 1

Migrant Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 

Butterflies in order of abundance 

Gatekeeper 

Meadow Brown 

Speckled Wood 3

Small White 3

Peacock 3

Small Tortoiseshell 2

Common Blue 2

Brimstone 1 female

Painted Lady 1

A rat tail's tale

The forecast was for some east winds today, but if there was any it was from west by mid morning and NW by mid afternoon. Very hot in the constant sun again.

South shore (MD)

A check along the wall mid morning, just in time for the wind to shift to west at 10:30. There were plenty of butterflies around the foreshore and Red Nab, but the only sign of any movement at the roundhead was a single Large White.

That said, this Grasshopper was half way along the sea wall. It may have just hopped out of the Power Station grounds though.

Common Field Grasshopper 

It was a lazy sort of day, summed up by this Grey Seal

There was a notable influx of large gulls, they were in rafts on the sea, plenty on and around the wooden jetty and lots in the harbour.

Large gulls on and around wooden jetty 

Large gulls in harbour 

There were only two on the platforms, but one was ringed, unfortunately it sat down before I could read it.

2nd calendar year Herring Gull

It knew I was watching it, but it steadfastly refused to care. The trick is to make them wary enough to stand up, but not enough to spook them into flight. After moving around a little and several coughs to no effect, I broke a mussel shell underfoot. Jackpot!

One of North West Gull Project's birds - see side bar for link to the scheme
Ringed in Bowland 08/07/21 seen previously in the harbour 31/01/22

Lots of insects in the Nature Park

Emperor 1

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3

Painted Lady 2

Peacock 3

Brimstone 1 male

Large White 1

Small Tortoiseshell 2

Meadow Brown several

Common Blue 3

Painted Lady and Common Blue

Photographs of Brimstone rarely look as splendid as they do in nature, mainly as they always settle with their wings closed and only the inner wings are bright yellow. So I tried to get an in flight shot. This is my best effort, still nowhere near as splendid as it actually was!

Male Brimstone 

This is interesting (I find anything that makes you think interesting MD)

This is the pool just below the the sea wall at the very start of the wall at Red Nab. The tide only fills this pool when it is over  9.5m high water (less height required when windy as the waves lap over). The last set of spring tides didn't get over 9m, so there will have been no sea water in this pool since it was filled on 17th July (24 days). After it is filled the sea water slowly seeps away and is diluted with rain water and, unlike much of England, we have had plenty of rain since then. So the pool will have only been slightly brackish.

Last night's tide at 9.52m in calm conditions will have only partly filled it with sea water again. This Rock Pipit was taking advantage - I like the way it peeps in pleasure/triumph before it captures its meal.

It's caught a Rat-Tailed Maggot, these are the larvae of some Hoverfly species.

Rock Pipit with Rat-Tailed Maggot

Rat-Tailed Maggots live underwater and use their long siphon to breathe from a safe depth. They are noted for tolerating poor quality water, presumably including slightly brackish, but it obviously couldn't tolerate the input of seawater last night and crawled out to "safety". This won't happen every tide cycle. This instance is the result of a low spring tide last cycle, allowing enough time for the maggots to grow, and a high tide last night just high enough, in the calm conditions, to only partly fill the pool. Bad news for the Rat-Tailed Maggots, but the Rock Pipit was clearly delighted!

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Just a couple of extra shots from Janet's visit yesterday 

Three pairs of Common Darters ovipositoring 

Sparrowhawk