High early morning counts.

Very light variable breeze till mid morning, when it freshened from SSE. Another sunny day.

Pete managed a 30 minute check from Ocean Edge.

51 Sandwich Tern including one with a yellow darvic ring. Unfortunately far beyond reading range.

43 Mediterranean gulls 

750 Black-Headed gull

The above on Ocean Edge beach 

Tree Pipit south, possibly two together.

11 Swallow and one Sand Martin south 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Jean:

Did a bit of ringing this morning and caught 30 new birds, almost all juvs:
Greenfinch 10
Goldfinch 4
Willow Warbler 3
Whitethroat 2
Blackcap 3
Robin 2
Dunnock 1
Blue Tit 2
Blackbird 1
Great Tit 2

And 4 retraps:
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 2

100 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Med Gulls and 16 Starlings were catching flying ants.

These are the ants emerging from the ground and some flying off. They all went after a few minutes.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

The juvenile Goosander was back on the main pond
It was just preening, presumably it had already eaten.

Immature Cormorant 

Everything was anting today, not least the Swallows and Swifts.

Swallows and Swift

Swift

All the birds seem to like a drink when feeding on ants (who wouldn't!)
The swallows were swooping down to drink from the pond surface.

Common Darters

Teneral Damselfly

Female Common Blue

South shore 

A walk mid morning when the wind had quite a bit of east in it. Saw a few insects coming in off, including a couple of Dragonflies. One probable Broad-bodied Chaser and one probable Brown Hawker. Small White butterflies were also coming in but at a very slow rate. I only saw 4 along the wall. Kevin checked after lunch and I had another look later, but no further dragonflies seen.

Wheatear 3 including what appears to be the regular two juvenile near the slipway.

Two juvenile Wheatear moulting to first winter plumage 

Rock Pipit 3

Rock Pipit and one of the 100+ Sunflowers that are still managing to bloom.
Some succumbed to the dose of salt water from the last spring tide

Between the foreshore and the lighthouse there were at leat 18 Pied Wagtail and 500 Starlings all feasting on flying ants. Mainly taking those that had landed on the sea wall but also taking them in the air. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea as I walked along the wall. The feeding birds reluctantly lifted as I got close, rested on the Power Station perimeter fence before returning to the wall when I had past. These are a few of the starlings towards the end of the wall.

Sandwich Tern 1 adult out past the wooden jetty.

All the gulls were away anting. There were none on the beach near the jetty or on either of the outflows.

Willow Warbler 1 in brambles near the waterfall.

Of fruit, flies, ants and flowers

Another dry day with some sunshine. The light west wind continues.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

A quick look round in the morning found nothing new. Still the male Tufted duck on the "no swimming" pond.

The warm still conditions meant there were plenty of flies around, and there were plenty of Swallows feeding on them. At least 21 in two main groups. One group attacked by an optimistic Sparrowhawk. 

The Hawthorns are already laden with berries.
Hopefully they will hold any winter Thrushes later in the year.

Red Nab (MD)

I went early evening to check the gulls on Red Nab, but knew as I was driving there that it would be hopeless. By this time it was overcast and "heavy", all the gulls were overhead anting. Sure enough on reaching Red Nab, there wasn't a single gull on the rocks. There were a few that had come down onto the beach to have a drink from the freshwater run offs, including this Black-Headed Gull

Black-Headed gull ringed as a nestling last year at Martin Mere (09/06/22)
This is the first subsequent sighting 

Similarly, yesterday's Oystercatcher was the first sighting since it was ringed 08/06/2020 at Nordlysvegen, Bryne, Rogaland, Norway as a breeding adult male incubating a nest with 3 eggs.

Passing Oystercatchers

Mediterranean gull - just one 2nd calendar year.
Sandwich Tern 1 adult having a preen on the beach.

Rock Pipit 1

Saltmarsh not checked.

Chaffinch having a drink on the Nature Park newt pond

Finally the flowers. The late summer rain has boosted the blooms on Middleton Nature Reserve meadows, providing a good show.

These are mainly Knapweed, Fleabane and Willowherb. 

Blue skies and a bluer sea

Another dry and mainly sunny day with a light west wind.

South shore (MD)

A early morning check on the ebbing tide.

Mediterranean Gulls 6 - 3 adult plus 3 juvenile on the beach next to the wooden jetty, not long after it became exposed.

Adult Med waiting for the tide to expose the beach near the wooden jetty.
The blue sky and calm conditions made the sea particularly blue this morning

This is one of the juveniles

The SeaTruck was just leaving the harbour. The main factor for the Sandmason worms to favour this beach is that it is well protected on three sides and it is therefore stable. But I also feel that the regular gentle washes from the ships wakes help them to flourish by providing a source of nutrients. This clip shows the effect of the wake when the tide is out, but the same inrush of water and sediments occurs when the tide already covers the beach.

This green darvic ringed Oystercatcher was on the beach near Red Nab.
Part of a Norwegian ringing scheme - details awaited

Linnet 15 between lighthouse and waterfall plus 4 on saltmarsh 

There are 8 Linnet in this shot by the lighthouse 

Also on the saltmarsh 

Greenfinch 2

Pied Wagtail 3

Wheatear 3 -  2 clearly juvenile 

Wheatear with Pied Wagtail 

Juvenile Wheatear

Grey Seal 1 on seaward side of No.1 outflow.

Just out of the recording area, Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (MD)

Not a lot of birds:

Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Jay 1

Swallow 6 feeding

Buzzard 1

Buzzard

There has been some excellent landscape work completed. 

This new dyke now follows the line of the path from the north entrance.
Not only has it provided a new water course, the spoil has raised the path
to a higher level. The previous path became a quagmire in winter 

Along the new dyke there were, 2 male Emperor, 3 male Common Darter and  male Black-Tailed Skimmer patrolling. Also 1 Brown Hawker ovipositoring.

Male Emperor 

The raised bog area was less productive today. When I last checked we were in the hot dry spell and the peat pools were all but dried up. Today they were all but overflowing! Just Common Darters and Emperors seen. No sign of Black Darters.

Bog Hoverfly

It's a lovely and generally quiet reserve and well worth a visit.

Tick.....tick......tick...........

A light west wind, dry and largely sunny after an early morning shower.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a stroll around and took these excellent insect shots.

Male Emperor

Female Emperor 

Male Common Darter

Brimstone butterfly

I checked the two main ponds early evening (MD). The only new wildfowl was this handsome Tufted Duck.

Male Tufted Duck

South shore (MD)

I exercised my daughter's dog along the sea wall, early afternoon.

Mediterranean Gulls 13 at least. There were 5 on the beach next to No.2 outflow plus 8 on the beach next to the wooden jetty, including the newly returned German ringed bird.

The German ringed Mediterranean gull on the same small patch of beach that he has claimed
as his own for the past severn years (sex identified at the breeding site in Germany)

Rock Pipits 4 - 1 on Red Nab 3 on foreshore 

Wheatear 4 on saltmarsh including 2 moulting juvenile 

These shots are from Janet. This crumpled butterfly was just behind Heysham Road. Clearly it has just emerged and yet to fully expand its wings. 

Looks like a Green-Veined White (MD)

Things just ticking over

A light, mainly NW wind. Dry with plenty of sunny spells.

Heysham skear - low water 10:15 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 9

Eider 5

Little Egret 14

Grey Heron 1

All the waders can be postscript "at least"

Oystercatcher 100

Curlew 150

Whimbrel 1

Redshank 80

Turnstone 40

Knot 3

Dunlin 1

Ringed Plover 12

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

A morning walk

Common Whitethroat 

Male Common Darter

One Ringlet Butterfly seen, they are much scarcer now after such high numbers early in the summer.

Common Field Grasshopper 

Cinnabar moth caterpillar 

Harvestman - looking much more at home here than in my garage.
It has lost two legs, the legs easily detach as a defence mechanism when under attack.

Red Nab to saltmarsh towards high water (MD)

Mediterranean gulls 8 including 3 juvenile on Red Nab

Sandwich Tern 1 at least blogging out from Red Nab

Distant Sandwich Tern and a Black-Headed gull

Dunlin 19 on Red Nab

Dunlin

Whimbrel 1 

Linnet 6

Wheatear 1

Starling 100+ 

The above all on saltmarsh 

I took this clip yesterday and forgot to post it. The Redshank has managed to extract a good sized lugworm, the mud must have been soft, they normally just manage a piece of tail. It would have been better off with a piece of, easily swallowed, tail. As it couldn't eat the lugworm quickly enough and had to drop it to end the pursuit of a Black-Headed gull. In the end it is another Black-Headed gull who wins the prize - watch in slow motion.

Great weather for Great Newts

It rained pretty much all day, but not always as heavily as expected. A light variable breeze early on freshened slightly from the north.

Heysham skear - low water 09:30(MD)

It was raining steadily, but I do like to check out the ever morphing geography of the skear on these spring tides. Birds pretty much as Thursday, but no Eider, Knot or Dunlin today.

This archipelago of rocks are always a good indicator of the south side status. They are called the Severn Sisters.........

Cormorants resting on four of the severn sisters 

.........some years when they are left fully exposed, I have counted 15. After that it is a moot point as to if others are more rocks or just large stones. Other years they are totally covered by mud, mussels or honeycomb worm reefs. This year there are actually seven showing, the others covered by mussel and honeycomb worm beds.

The Seven Sisters rocks looking back to Heysham Head

The Cormorant numbers are increasing as both adult and juvenile return from the breeding grounds. These shots are actually from the harbour yesterday (I kept them back in case today was a complete wash out!)

All the above are juvenile Cormorants 

Juvenile Cormorant left with adult

Middleton Nature Reserve ((JP)

Juvenile Goldfinch 

The wet conditions suited this Great Crested Newt

Red Nab to saltmarsh (MD)

A quick check as the tide was reaching Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 10 at least on Red Nab

This Herring gull was also on Red Nab
Another of the NW England gull project - details awaited 

Rock Pipit 1 on foreshore 

Wet look Rock Pipit

Linnet 6 on saltmarsh 

Wheatear 1 on saltmarsh