Even more Terns

A fresh SSE to SW wind. Some heavy showers, particularly in the morning. A couple of sunny spells in the afternoon.

Red Nab to saltmarsh shore (PM, MD)

Sandwich Tern 125 at least - initially there were 80+ on Red Nab but they quickly moved, with the gulls, to the beach out from the saltmarsh. When Pete arrived a little later their numbers had grown to 125. It wasn't possible to complete a thorough check though, as by this time the SSE wind was driving the rain directly into Pete's scope.

I'd walked out to the edge of the recording area to allow me to walk back with my back to the wind and rain to check the waders. When I returned to the saltmarsh the gull and tern roost was gone, but 66 of the Sandwich Tern flew back in two groups complete with.....

Common Tern 2

Presumably these 66 were from the birds counted by Pete, there were also small groups of Sandwich Terns all along the water line. Not sure what they were doing, but they seemed to be looking for easy snacks.

This is the first group of the 66 terns coming in to land on the beach

When the rain stopped, they flew closer to the waterline and all had a good preen. Both Common Tern are in this clip.

Some even went into the sea for a bath.

Common Tern with Sandwich Terns

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

Mediterranean gulls 8 - 7 on Red Nab and only 1 seen on the beach

Curlew 150

Oystercatcher c200

Bar-Tailed Godwit 5

Dunlin c500

Redshank 20 (saltmarsh)

Lapwing 4 (saltmarsh)

Turnstone 14 (Red Nab)

Loads of birds, and all before breakfast!

A dry and mainly sunny day after an early morning shower. A fresh SW wind

First a ringing report for yesterday by John:

Three nets set at Middleton yesterday morning. Very calm initially but a bit brighter than ideal. 26 birds caught, with 18 of these being young birds.

Willow Warbler    6

Blackcap   6

Garden Warbler   4

Sedge Warbler   3

Chiffchaff   2

Lesser Whitethroat   2

Blue Tit   2

Cetti's Warbler 1

The only retrap was a Willow Warbler ring number JVJ052, which was ringed here in July 2018, and recorded each year since, apart from 2020 . It would have been here or close, even though we didn't encounter it. As Willow Warblers spend their winters in sub-saharan Africa, the estimated minimum distance it would have travelled in migration over this period is 50,000 miles.

Red Nab to saltmarsh shore (MD)

I had very little time today so just had an early morning (6:30 -8:30) walk on the shore out from the saltmarsh towards high water. We are back to neap tides now and much of the shore beyond the saltmarsh remains uncovered at high water.

There were loads of gulls roosting on the shore. I didn't try to count them, but easily as many as Pete counted yesterday, including:

Mediterranean Gulls 30+ - three had darvic rings including one new one - details awaited.

Roosting with the gulls were Sandwich Terns - at least 122

There were 100 on this middle section.........

..........plus another 20 on the beach just in front of me, and another 2 flying at this point. A further 10 on Red Nab, may have been additional.

Two Sandwich Tern in flight and a sense of today's conditions 

Juvenile Sandwich Tern

Adult Sandwich Tern on Red Nab

8 of the 13 Cormorants seen heading SE

Shelduck 15 including 7 juvenile 

Shelduck and Dunlin

There was a good selection and high numbers of waders. The following refers to one group well within the recording area, there were more further south towards the recording area boundary.

Curlew 100+

Oystercatcher c200

Bar-Tailed Godwit c50

Grey Plover c200

Knot 60

Dunlin c250

Ringed Plover 6

Redshank 10 on saltmarsh 

Lapwing 2 on saltmarsh 

These are Grey Plover, Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot, with Dunlin and more Grey Plover coming in.

Bar-Tailed Godwit and Knot

Dunlin

Grey Plover and a Knot

Grey Plover and a Bar-Tailed Godwit

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.