Not even all the regulars!

A light early morning SE breeze swung to NW mid morning and freshened slightly. Sunshine all day.

South shore (MD)

A mid morning stroll along the sea wall was very pleasant, but even less than of recent to see!

Rock Pipits 2 minimum. A male was parachuting near the saltmarsh slipway, then continued along the foreshore, perhaps it is the Red Nab bird. The lighthouse breeding status seems to have changed. Only one bird, presumably the male, seen above the nest site and he seemed very agitated. 

There was no sign of any birds with food, so one of three possible scenarios:

1. The female is still feeding chicks in the nest, but was away much longer than typical.

2. They had tried to lure the young from the nest and lost the chicks (it is a very challenging first flight!).

3. They had managed to successfully lure at least one chick from the nest and it/they was away feeding with the female. But in previous years early feeding was near the nesting area.

Further visits will hopefully sort it out.

The Carrion Crow nest on the wooden jetty also seemed deserted.

It always seemed a risky strategy nesting where so many gulls
 (including Great Black-Backs) roost.

Linnet 10

Kittiwake 2 at least. There were two on their pipe in the harbour and possibly one of those also patrolling the outflows.

One of at least two 1st summer Kittiwakes

Curlew 21 flew south past the roundhead 

Little Egret 2 on Red Nab

Grey Heron 1 on Red Nab

Grey Heron

577 Herring gull ex heysham skear, roosting by battery car park - ref Pete

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet managed some decent shots with her mobile phone today:

Burnet Companion moth

Small Heath butterfly

This moth was inside my house last week (MD). I thought it had come in on my clothes, as I had just finished trimming my hedge. Kevin identified it as  Bee Moth.

Bee Moth

Kevin also explained that they have an interesting lifecycle. The females lay their eggs in bee or wasp nests, the larvae are known to feed on the host eggs, larvae, and pupae left unprotected by the bumble bees and wasps. Bee moth larvae will also feed on pollen, honey, and any waste that they find in the nest.

I then remembered that we had a bumblebee nest in one of the house vents last summer, sure enough, over the next few days another 6 were found in the house.....

Two more! They are variable and the males (left) more boldly coloured 

.......until I located and sealed a disused wire track that led from the vent into the house. I expect the interior lighting made this track a beacon for them after dark.

All the moths were moved outside, good for the moths, but not so good for any bumblebees or wasps nesting nearby. 

Yesterday was more exciting!

It was almost breathless early on, what little breeze the was came from the east. Later in the morning the breeze shifted to the west and freshened slightly. Warm and sunny.

Heysham Skear - low water 07:05 (MD)

I walked the rising tide in, it was a very pleasant morning but very little happening. 

The sea was flat and blue and the sky was clear and blue, one of those days when you can't tell where the sea stops and the sky begins.

Oystercatcher and Great Crested Grebe in the foreground.
In the distance the SeaTruck is half way above the horizon
(or just emerging from the sea, depending on your view of the earths geometry!)

Great Crested Grebe 6 - this par was displaying nicely

I was going to take a clip of them displaying but was distracted when the Herring Gull caught a crab.

Red-breasted Merganser 4 (2 pairs) - these also seemed in a romantic mood.

Little Egret 3

Grey Heron 1

Heron and Great Crested Grebes

Oystercatcher c300

Curlew 66 (I only counted 20 feeding, but 66 left the skear to the south when flushed by the tide)

Whimbrel 1 heard only

Turnstone 19

Ringed Plover 20 - these were feeding higher up the skear than I usually see them, and when flushed by the tide flew high to the east.

Ringed Plover heading east

Kittiwake 2 x 2nd calendar year on pipe in harbour reported.

Janet had a cameraless stroll around:

Small Heath on Middleton Nature Reserve (first record this year)

Brimstone on Moneyclose Lane

We've had more exciting days!

Some overnight rain, but a dry sunny day. A freshening west - NW wind.

Saltmarsh to Red Nab (MD)

Just a quick check on the rising tide, unfortunately I couldn't stay to watch Red Nab be covered.

Wheatear 2 - these late birds tend to be "northern" birds. They are larger (some fly as far as Iceland and Greenland to breed), and they always seem more confiding. This one seemed as interested in me as I was in her, or perhaps, she could hear my noisy camera!

Rock Pipit 1 displaying male on Red Nab

Little Egret 2

Shelduck 1

Curlew 63 (10 on Red Nab, 53 feeding on mud in front of the rising tide)

Bar-Tailed Godwit 3

Turnstone 3

Swallow 1 north

This Seakale has been growing amongst the foreshore rubble for at least three years,
but this year it has bloomed particularly well.

Green Veined White on the saltmarsh 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Just two shots of Broad-bodied Chasers before her camera broke down again! It's not been a good year for cameras.

Heysham Skear - low water 18:50 (MD)

Not a lot!

Eider 6 (1 female)

Great Crested Grebe 4

Little Egret 4

Curlew 3

Moulting Curlew

Whimbrel 1

Whimbrel 

Turnstone 25

Oystercatcher c250

We tend to take the Oystercatcher for granted, but they are a handsome bird

Another flycatcher and Little Gull........(eventually)

A light predominantly SW wind, plenty of sun but only hazy at times.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report by Alan:

Ringing this morning at Middleton (or lack of). After a southerly breeze overnight and cloudy sky the wind veered a little west of south by around 06.00 and was almost westerly by 09.00.

I set three nets on the west side from 05.00. By 08.45, after six net rounds I had caught nothing but a single retrapped Robin. It was surprising that not even a few local birds were caught here. John set three on the east side and the result was little better, although a single one of the potential target species was trapped - Spotted Flycatcher.

Total captures resulting from around 18 net/hours:

Lesser Whitethroat 2 retraps

Reed Warbler 1 + 1 retrap

Reed Bunting 1 retrap

Spotted Flycatcher 1

Willow Warbler 1 retrap

Common Whitethroat 1

Robin 1 retrap

Later, Mark Jones heard 2 Reed Warbles singing at the main pond.

Heysham Skear (MD)

Two short visits today, on the rising morning tide and early in the ebbing tide. Both would be ideal for seeing any Sanderling present, but none seen today.

Kittiwake 105. 07:15 - Probably drifted in with the rising tide as they appeared out of nowhere, they milled around before heading inland.

Some of the mainly adult Kittiwake 

However on examining my shots, a smaller gull was with them and with oddly dark looking wings. Probably affected by the low early morning light, it's identity wasn't obvious. After much discussion and analysis it was Chris Batty who finally managed to confirm that it was a 2nd Summer Little Gull. - thanks Chris.

Not an obvious 2nd summer Little Gull with Kittiwakes 

For the eagled eyed amongst you the Little Gull is centre top at the beginning of this clip (watch in slow motion)

Little Egret 4 - this one was catching small flatfish on the rising tide.

Eider not counted but still c20 males

Great Crested Grebe 2

A bit more wader variety in the afternoon

Oysters c250

Whimbrel 1

Curlew 20

Curlew flying in from the east

Turnstone 31, most now largely in summer plumage, these are a few of them.

Just out of the recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet had a walk around.

Swift

Male Reed Bunting 

Common Heath moth

Off passage Sanderlings

A light NW wind to begin with, fresher and more to the west after lunch. Mainly sunny.

Red Nab

I didn't have much time today so just a very brief, but enjoyable, check an hour before high water (MD)

Whimbrel 1

Bar-Tailed Godwit 95

They were making a right racket, out doing the Oystercatcher! Fortunately I had my quiet camera with me. These are less than half of them.

They left in three groups, east at first then north over the caravan site. This is the largest group leaving.

Pictures from Janet:

Holly Blue on Middleton Nature Reserve. Just a mobile phone shot
but it clearly shows the different underwing pattern to a Common Blue

Chiffchaff on Heysham Nature Reserve 

One of two Rock Pipits near the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit nearer the waterfall 

One female plus six male Eider flying past the roundhead 

One of two Kittiwake on their pipe in the harbour

Heysham skear - low water 17:30 (MD)

Eider 25+

Great Crested Grebe 4

Curlew 2

Whimbrel 5

Sanderling 12 (flocks of 9 and 3) - unfortunately I was late in getting out and the outer skear was already exposed. The Sanderling were flying out to it, too distant for a shot. I'll try again tomorrow!

This picture tells two stories:

First you can see that the last tide has deposited some fresh mud, partly covering some and completely coving other seed mussels. The seed mussels will rise above the mud again, a process called layering. This can eventually lead to mussel beds sat over a metre or more of mud. Which leaves them vulnerable to storms.

The second more immediate story can be seen by the tracks leading to the Whelk Shell, it appears to have rolled down the slope, suggesting that this is a hermit crab, not a whelk in the shell. The second set of tracks are a gulls, that obviously fancied its chances, but not for long as there are only a few tracks. 

I didn't need to pick it up to see if it was a Hermit Crab, but I did anyway!

Quite a small hermit crab for a shell this size. It's good for two more shedding in this shell. At the moment, its small size allows it to move deep inside the shell for safety. But it also makes it cumbersome to move, probably why it became exposed. In two more sheddings they are at their largest stage, they can then block the opening with their large armoured claw.

Even though the gull obviously didn't stay for long it seems to have pecked off a piece of shell, it probably did this elsewhere then carried the crab here before giving up.

Grey Seal 1

Quite a variety of sightings

 A fresh NW wind, sunny spells, particularly in the morning. 

Report from Pete:

Three 1st summer Kittiwake still on pipe SW corner harbour, 

One 1st summer Mediterranean Gull on outfalls 

Quiet on sea with singles of 

Gannet

Manx Shearwater 

Sandwich Tern

Two Razorbill/Guillemot 

Also one swallow in and immature Mute swan on sea off Red nab 

I checked the south shore around High water (MD)

Swift 2 north over Moneyclose Lane

Linnet 1 male "standing guard" at saltmarsh 2 more males between Lighthouse and waterfall plus 4 feeding at Red Nab

At 8.7m the tide covers most of the Red Nab Rocks

Little Egret 2

Curlew 3

Curlew

Bar-Tailed Godwit 9

Bar-Tailed Godwit with Oystercatchers

It must have been quiet along the wall this morning, as many of the large gulls were roosting out of the NW wind on the sloping wall.

There was no sign of the Mediterranean gull at high water, but still a few Common Gulls feeding.

1st summer (2nd calendar year) Common Gull

Rock Pipits 5(ish) - one male was parachuting half way along the foreshore, but there was no sign of any females to be impressed. One was feeding on Red Nab before flying into the Power Station grounds. Two above the lighthouse nest, at least one taking food to the chicks. Three were flying around and bickering behind the waterfall.

This is one of the lighthouse birds. I thought it had a large sea slater to begin with, but it is quite a large and dead shrimp. The only possible source for this would be from the cooling water intake near the waterfall, possibly what the squabbling was about (not in their territory). This seems a large food item for a young bird to swallow, but shrimps, like crabs, regularly shed their hard exoskeleton leaving them soft and vulnerable for a few days. The dull colour of this shrimp does suggest that it is a soft one.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a quick look while dog exercising 

One of the two Shelduck on main pond

Mallard 2 females with chicks also on main pond. This one is likely the first brood seen, as her current 8 ducklings are now quite large.

big enough to see if a tennis ball is edible!

Coot with chick on main pond (not yesterday's birds)

Common Blue

Yellow Flag Iris

Heysham Skear - low water 16:40 (MD)

No encore from yesterday's Osprey

Little Egret 3

Eider 23 -  just 2 female

One female decided to fly off and was immediately followed by 13 males!

Great Crested Grebe 4

Curlew 1

In many areas, the seed mussels are now too compacted for the gulls to prise them loose.

A bed of seed mussels

The gulls are restricted to prising off the mussels at the edges of the beds - this clip is actually from yesterday.

Where the mussels are forming over honeycomb worm beds, the worms are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their tube between the tightly packed mussels.

You can see the pale tips of a few honeycomb worm tubes squeezed between the seed mussels.
But soon there will be no room for them. The worms will not die, but they will not be able 
to continue living here and have to find another patch of skear.

Osprey and first Dragonflies

Quite a fresh NW wind, particularly in the afternoon. Sunshine for most of the day.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Both Janet and myself (MD) had a late morning walk around. These first shots are Janet's 

The Orchids are just starting to emerge
Not sure exactly what this one is, but likely a Marsh Orchid (MD)

Drinker moth caterpillar 

Common Bluetail Damselfly

Orange Tip 

I managed to cover most of the north section of the reserve. As with Kevin a couple of days ago I managed to hear eight warblers singing, and failed to hear a Grasshopper warbler!

In order of abundance:

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff 

Cetti's Warbler 5

Lesser Whitethroat 5

Common Whitethroat 4

Blackcap 4

Sedge Warbler 2

Reed Warbler 1

I didn't cover the central marshes, where I expect there would have been more Reed and Sedge there.

Mute pair with 9 young cygnets. Originally on the "no swimming" pond, later at the feeding area of the main pond

Mallard 2 male on the main pond. Janet saw two females with chicks on the main pond, plus there was one with several very small chicks on Tim Butler pond

Coot 2 adult - this one is feeding a chick (I've left the sound on, despite the annoying camera clicks, as there is a short burst from a Cetti's Warbler towards the end).

Grey Heron 1

Pheasant at least three males calling.

Male Pheasant

Butterflies:

Large White 1

Small White 2

Green-veined White 2

Common Blue 2

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Brimstone 3

Speckled Wood 6+

Orange Tip 2 each male and female

Male Small White

Male Large White

Male Common Blue

Damselflies:

Azure Blue 4

Common Bluetail 4

Large Red 5

Large Red Damselfly

Dragonflies:

Broad-bodied Chaser 3 - 2 males plus an female/immature

Female/immature Broad-bodied Chaser

Male Broad-bodied Chaser

Heysham skear - low water 15:45 (MD)

Little Egret 5

Eider 6

Great Crested Grebe 2

Oystercatchers plus Whimbrel 1 and Curlew 1.

There may have been more of the above, but I was distracted! On the way out all the gulls were in the air, so either a raptor or skua must have flushed them. But although they had obviously been spooked they were not screaming and were starting to settle.

So whatever spooked them had moved on. I scanned the skies and horizons but couldn't see anything. Then 15 minutes later both the gulls and Oystercatcher lifted again, and then quickly settled. Scanning the horizon eventually located a distant dark speck which proved to be an....

Osprey 1 - eating a flatfish on a sandbar. Unfortunately, by this time the tide was coming in quickly and I couldn't get much closer. The gulls sort of tolerate it when it isn't flying, although these were starting to edge closer to it.

Although the gulls were still very wary, this one scarpered after only half a wing flap from the Osprey.

It took this lone, and you have to say plucky, Carrion Crow to finally move the Osprey on.

The Osprey flew off north, but I couldn't see if it landed again to continue feeding.