Third time lucky?

The strong west wind continues. A dry day with some sunny spells.

South shore (MD)

A check on the rising morning tide again saw the outflows busy, but only gulls seen today.

Mediterranean Gull 14 - 1 adult and 6 first summer on the outflows. 3 adult and 1 first summer on Red Nab. 3 adult and 1 first summer on saltmarsh.

Three first summer Mediterranean gulls with a Black-Headed gull

The nearest bird above was quite a striking individual.

Adult Mediterranean gull - also striking!

Curlew 100+

Redshank 2 on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 7 on saltmarsh 

Also on the saltmarsh was a recently dead adult Gannet, no sign of any trauma or decay. 

A second check early afternoon found the outflows still full of gulls and none visited the beach next to the wooden jetty. This is looking along No.1 outflow. Mainly Lesser Black-Backed, Herring and Black Headed gulls, but there were a couple of first summer Mediterranean gulls with them.

Some of the gulls were just hanging on the wind as it is forced upwards by the sloping wall. This is a Lesser Black-Backed, and it appears to be doing this just for the "fun of it"

This particularly bedraggled first summer Kittiwake was resting
on the sea wall, near No.2 outflow.

Rock Pipits 3 - in the morning the only one seen was on Red Nab. But in the afternoon the lighthouse pair were evident. This is what today's title refers to. They obviously failed to fledge their young for a second time this year, but were preparing to give it another go.

Female Rock Pipit gathering nest material above the nesting area.

Meanwhile, the male was "standing guard". Although he was more interested in keeping out of the wind!

Middleton Nature Reserve 

No sign of the Goosander when I checked in passing at 10:30. And no reports received.

Whitebait makes the outflows attractive

A strong west wind roughed up the sea. Mainly overcast with occasional showers.

South Shore

This report from Pete Crooks:

A walk along the South Harbour Wall (7.30 – 9.00 am) in a gusty westerly wind:
13 Mediterranean Gull – 7 adults (including 1 with white right leg darvic), 2 2nd summer, 4 1st summer – roosting on Red Nab, then dispersed by the rising tide
1 Whimbrel – summering? – Red Nab
24 Cormorant – Wooden Pier
1 Common Tern – Heysham Stage One Outfall

A 20-minute sea-watch from the North Harbour Wall (9.10 – 9.30 am) failed to produced anything offshore.

There was a lot of activity on the outflows, Janet's shots show why.

First summer Black-Headed gull picking out a tiny Whitebait

Juvenile Black-Headed gull

I checked a little later than Pete (MD).

The Common Tern was still feeding on No.1 outflow.

Common Tern

Second summer Mediterranean gull

First summer Mediterranean gull (left) and first summer Common gull

Eider 1 female west

Rock Pipit 1 along sea wall

An evening check found the outflows quieter. Which was good news as the Mediterranean gulls (4 adult, 1 1st summer, 7 2nd summer) were feeding on the sandmason worms and I managed to read a white ringed adult. 

Not the bird seen by Pete this morning, this one's darvic ring is on the left leg.
Details awaited

Shortly after this shot, the outflows suddenly became busy again (another shoal of Whitebait strayed too close to the intake) and all the gulls on the beach left

This is the history of the Belgium white ringed bird read on Wednesday 

Just a splash of colour from the Nature Park:

Small Copper

Red Admiral cleaning its tongue 

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

The juvenile Goosander was on the main pond all day. I wasn't planning on using any more of my shots of it, but when I looked this afternoon, despite several cars in the car park, it was just out from the car park. I doubt I'll ever get any closer to a Goosander and couldn't resist taking a picture.

Goosander "lingers" and Silver Y invasion continues.

A fresh SW wind with some heavy squalls. The rain started about 08:00 with only a few short dry spells for the rest of the day.

Anticipating a washout today, I saved some shots from yesterday. These two are from Kevin Singleton on Heysham Head.

A nice bright Goldfinch - obviously not from today

Rock Pipit

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Goosander 1 juvenile - the reason "lingers" is in inverted commas in today's title is because I'm not sure if it lingered or returned. I arrived at the main pond at 09:30 and had failed to locate the (relatively large) bird in 10 minutes. I just popped across to check the "no swimming" pond and when I returned it was in the middle of the main pond fishing. And fishing with gusto! Same technique, snorkel then a quick dive, there were obviously plenty of fish to catch its eye. I didn't see it catch one this morning, but I only watched for a couple of minutes as it was lashing down. 

I called in again at 16:00, it was still there, no longer fishing, but cruising around the pond preening. Presumably well fed.

South shore (MD)

Mediterranean gulls 5 was the most seen at one time. There was an adult and a first summer on Red Nab and another adult on saltmarsh beach at high water. There were 3 adult and 2 first summer on beach near the wooden jetty and occasionally on the outflow, towards low water.

Adult Mediterranean gull
Another sunlit shot from yesterday, the same scene today, but in pouring rain!

Rock Pipit 1 near the lighthouse - we both sheltered from a heavy squall in the lee of the lighthouse for a while.

Linnet 5 near Lighthouse 6 on saltmarsh 

One of yesterday's saltmarsh Linnets

Finally, this from Kevin Eaves:

Following on from Janet's comment about the number of Silver Ys yesterday, I had 18 in the trap last night!

Goosander surprise, and two red letter insects

A fresh west breeze. Sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP/MD)

Janet checked just before lunch and spotted

Goosander 1 surprisingly early juvenile on the main pond.  Goosander have historically been very uncommon in the recording area, but we had adults off passage in the spring and now a juvenile.

I checked just after lunch the Goosander was still around.

Juvenile Goosander

It was actively feeding, but not wasting any effort. It was searching for a target by snorkelling then diving after it. A House Martin then a Swift zip past, with sound effects, during this clip.

Not the most elegant of dives, but effective. It caught a Tench.

Goosander with a Tench

After that it chilled for a while and provided nice views of its plumage.

On the "no swimming" pond there was a male Gadwall in eclipse, plus a female with six well developed young. Previous sightings of a female with young on this pond there were only five. So, either one had been out of sight on all previous sightings or there are two broods. Time should tell.

Female Gadwall with a brood of six

Red-Veined Darter 1 male on the west bank of the main pond

Male Red-Veined Darter

Also: Four-Spotted Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer and Emperors 

Female Large White

Other insect shots from Janet:

Female Meadow Brown

Comma

Also Ringlet and Small Skipper

Silver Y

The Six-spot Burnet clearly like this flower

Common Green Grasshopper 

South shore

Nature Park - Kevin Eaves

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 feeding on the Buddleia

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

Cinnabar moth Caterpillar 

Small Tortoiseshell 

Also seen:

Ringlet (several)

Meadow Brown

Red Admiral

Comma

Speckled Wood

Small White

Small Skipper

Gatekeeper

Six-spot Burnet

I did a quick morning check at High Water (MD)

No gulls on Red Nab, a large group out from the saltmarsh, but mainly Black-Headed gulls, only 2 adult and 2 first summer Mediterranean gulls with them.

Curlew 151 strung out along the waterline.

Lapwing 2

Linnet 10 on saltmarsh 

A walk along the sea wall in the evening rising tide fared little better.

Mediterranean Gulls 10+ there were 2 adult and 2 first summer on beach next to wooden jetty and on No.1 outflow (not a single large gull on this beach today). There were lots of gulls along the stream of fresh water beyond Red Nab at least 2 more adult and 4 first summer. Unfortunately they were flushed by a dog before I could have a close look.

Rock Pipit - just a solitary bird near the lighthouse not feeding.

Janet had commented on how many Silver Y there were on
Middleton today. Then went home to find her garden full of them too!

Mainly Meds again, but one with distinction!

 A light but gusty SW wind. Overcast with showers, some heavy.

South shore (MD)

I walked down the sea wall on the ebbing tide this morning.

Mediterranean gulls 11 at least. There were 3 adults 2 first summer and a second summer on the beach between the two outflows - these included two white darvic ringed adults, one of which was just close enough to read. An adult and 4 first summer feeding on the end of No.1 outflow. And two adults came to the beach near the wooden jetty when it became exposed, possibly ones already seen.

It was mainly Herring gulls that arrived to feed at the wooden jetty beach, plus the metal ringed adult with a bad leg (later joined by an unringed adult).

They were all catching sandmason worms, and quite easily. In this clip, a Lesser Black-Backed first then the Med

First summer Mediterranean gull resting on No.2 outflow railings

One of the adults with a white darvic ring

This is the history of yesterday's green ringed first summer Mediterranean gull. Pete advises that it was ringed as a nestling about half way down the French Atlantic coastline, further south and west than any previous source of nestlings subsequently seen in Lancs 

Eider 3 female out

Curlew 72 flew north in small groups

Rock Pipit just one seen on the roundhead wall, no sign of any taking food to nest

I returned to watch the tide cover the beach next to the wooden jetty, it was full of both gulls and sandmason worm tubes! 

Herring Gulls 30

Lesser Black-Backed gulls 5

Common gull 4

Mediterranean gull 10 - 6 adult, 2 first summer and 2 second summer. None were colour ringed. 

The mud is still deep and soft, but I have never seen so many tubes poking through the mud over such a large area. Presumably the worms have benefited from a couple of years of relatively low predation by the small gulls. It looks like that is about to change now that the large gulls are deeming them a worthwhile meal. This clip is just to show the density of the sandmason worms.

Although, the mud will still be softer than normal, the sheer density of the sandmason worm tubes within it will make it effectively firmer. It could be going to be good for the Meds later in the summer, as long as the large gulls don't take too many.

On the way back, once again there were gulls scattered all over the shore, there was at least one additional white ringed Mediterranean gull, so there are at least two ringed birds yet to be read. Hopefully they will hang around.

Nice to see (and hear) a Redshank zipping through

Watch this egret, I think it's just a Little Egret with muddy feet (MD).

Just a bit of fun, it obviously landed in a drain channel. But there is a serious message too, the beach ahead looks flat, but is crisscrossed with natural and constantly shifting drains, you need to be on the right side of them when the tide is coming in, and you can't trust your eyes to be sure that you are safe.

Janet took these nice shots of a Ringlet with a rain drop on its antennae.

A wringing Ringlet!

One out of three.........must try harder!

A fresh SW wind. It rained for most of the day, but with a fortunate break early evening.

South shore high water 18:50 (MD)

The plan was to get out on the shore and look back at the gulls on Red Nab. Unfortunately, it seems the gulls had the same idea and they were scattered all over the shore and several feeding on No.2 outflow. There had obviously been an influx of adult Meds, but it was very difficult keeping track of them as they, and the other gulls were highly mobile. The following are absolute minimum numbers.

Mediterranean Gulls 24 - adult 8, first summer 14, second summer 2

There hasn't been any feeding on No.2 outflow but this evening there were 3 adult, 2 x 1st summer and 2 x 2nd summer. This is a slightly different angle of the outflow as I followed an adult as it was feeding.

Two of the adults had white darvic rings, unfortunately I couldn't quite read them!

This is typical of how the birds were scattered around the shore.
Three adult and three first summer here, the middle bird is one of the white darvic ringed adults.

Later a few gulls, mainly Meds, settled on Red Nab
Adult, second summer and a green darvic ringed first summer
Fortunately, I did manage to read this one - details awaited

The main group of gulls was again out from the saltmarsh at high water with some still feeding on the outflow.

Curlew 100+

Cormorant passing over

I was anticipating rain today, so saved some shots over from yesterday, these from Janet:

Six-spot Burnet

and for comparison a Narrow-bordered five-spot Burnet 
albeit a smudged one.

And a couple of mine from the main pond at Middleton 

Summer plumage Little grebe

Four-spotted Chaser

More Meds, but still no rings.

A fresh west breeze. Dry with sunny spells.

South shore (MD)

I went along the sea wall on the ebbing tide, planning to walk out onto the shore for a closer look at the gulls feeding at the seaward end on No.1 outflow. But this morning there were hardly any gulls feeding. So I didn't bother.

There was the metal ringed adult and a first summer Mediterranean gull resting by the outflow - more on Meds later.

Mediterranean gulls resting in the lee of the stiff breeze

The Rock Pipits are still taking food to the nest hole near the lighthouse. The grasshoppers are getting bigger!

The young must be getting quite large now

There were more gulls feeding on No.1 outflow on my return, at least 3 first summer Mediterranean gulls on the seaward end. But I'd already decided not to walk out to check. Apart from the lack of gulls the beach mud is thicker and stickier than usual and latticed with drains. 

The beach between the outflows - not an easy walk!

This was a bit puzzling in the Nature Park on the way back. This very fresh looking Chiffchaff was preening in a bush, meanwhile a Common Whitethroat was calling whilst holding a spider. I couldn't see any young Whitethroat nearby.

I returned to Red Nab towards high water at 17:50. It's only 7.2m and barely reached Red Nab. Still the majority of the Black-Headed gulls moved to the saltmarsh area,  which made spotting the Meds easier.

Mediterranean gull 24 at least. 4 adult, 2 second summer and 18 first summer - unfortunately none with darvic rings.

Many are in this clip. Try watching in slow motion, it is an option.

This is the new second summer Mediterranean gull

There were 300 gulls on the shore out from the saltmarsh mainly Black-Headed. 

Some of the gulls on the shore out from the saltmarsh 

Another 50 gulls on the saltmarsh included 3 adult/second summer Mediterranean gulls, it wasn't clear if these had moved from Red Nab or were additional.

Curlew 100+

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a look in the morning.

Male Large Skipper

Female Small Skipper

Blackneck moth

Female Broad-bodied Chaser

Janet also confirmed the Ringlet are now abundant along the eastern boundary of the recording area.

I did a couple of circuits of the main pond early evening, but failed to locate any Red-Veined Darters. There were Black-Tailed Skimmers, Four-Spotted Chasers and a few Common Darters. (MD)