Yellow-Legged gull best of the day.

A strong west wind began to ease by the evening. Some very heavy showers, particularly around lunchtime. Sunny spells in between.

Early am coverage by Pete Marsh and on north wall Mark Prestwood. 

At least 26 Mediterranean gull

1 2cy  little gull on red nab then flushed by tide and headed south (also seen on the outfalls 13:15)

1 2cy  kittiwake

distant common/arctic tern ocean edge to wooden jetty as watched from Ocean Edge grass. 

Juvenile Yellow-legged gull red nab then soaring north above seawall. 

Not a lot on the sea but no coverage after 1100 - ad and 2cy Gannet and two common tern out 

South shore (Malcolm)

I waited till mid afternoon when the beach by the jetty was exposed. As I watched the rain battering against my window, I just hoped it would be dry, and possibly a bit of sunshine. I got my wish....but I wished I hadn't!

It was still very wild and there were loads of gulls, including many Herring and Lesser Black-Backed feeding on the outflows.

Mediterranean gull 12 at least. 6 on the sea out from the harbour others feeding on the outflows and occasionally resting on the beaches beside them.

By this time the sun was blazing down making the beach a silver shimmering sea of lights. It was very difficult to even identify the Meds, let alone read the two birds that were ringed.

This is the yellow ringed German bird, leaving the beach by the wooden jetty
to feed on the outflows. Note the smooth shiny surface of the mud below and
the slew of soft mud dripping from its feet. Unlike the last storm which stripped
away a layer of mud, this storm has deposited one

This is the other ringed bird, definitely new for this year with a green ring
on the left leg. Normally I would be able to read it at this range, but not in 
this light. I suspect that every point of light on the mud is the tip of a Sandmason
worm tube just below the surface. They can easily extend their tubes but unlikely 
to extend as far above the mud as they were. This bird also returned to the outflows.

I don't think either the bathing adult or the second summer bird in this clip were ringed, but it shows just how difficult viewing was. Particularly being buffeted by the still strong wind. The Sandmason worm tubes closer in are still showing, but beyond are fresh deposits of mud.

Peregrine Falcon 2

I returned late evening and managed to relocate and read the green ringed Mediterranean gull. - details tomorrow.

The gulls were drinking and washing in the freshwater run off at Red Nab before heading for their night roost.

Just for a splash of colour, two more moths from Kevin's trap from the two days of summer we managed last month!

Barred Yellow

Elephant Hawk-moth

Just out of the recording area. Mark Jones is at his caravan at Middleton Sands this week. He advises that the Rooks visiting the feeders there are now being accompanied by young birds (2 individual adults each with a youngster today).

Although the record is just south of the area, it is assumed that they are from the new Rookery on the very southern tip of the recording area.

Still little change

Early morning showers followed by light showers during the say. A light SW wind.

South shore 

Janet checked mid morning,

Mediterranean gulls on Red Nab, from left to far right
Two adult a second summer and a first summer

This Lesser Black-Backed gull wasn't finding a shore crab easy pickings

Rock Pipit near the lighthouse. We have seen this effect before.
Last time it was a known female, and suspected it was caused by her
sitting on nest with her back touching the roof in the hole.

Grey Mullet below the sloping sea wall

I checked early afternoon (Malcolm)

Mediterranean gulls 18 - 10 adult, 4 first summer and 4 second summer. 

The gulls on the beach near the wooden jetty were catching a few Sandmason worms, but only in shallow water, not on the beach itself.

The Black-Headed gull has a Sandmason worm

Second summer Mediterranean gull with a Sandmason worm

Heysham Nature Reserve (Mark Jones)

Ringlet the most abundant butterfly here too

Impressive looking Labyrinth Spider

No real change, other than behaviour

It just about managed to stay dry, with occasional sunny spells. The NW wind drifting round to the west by evening.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Grasshopper warbler

Common Whitethroat 

One of many Goldfinch 

Male Pheasant zipping over

Ringlet the most abundant butterfly

Six-spot Burnet

This Common Whitethroat was singing on Heysham Head this morning - Tim Woodward

South shore (Malcolm)

Only time for one outing today, so I checked the beach next to the wooden jetty as the tide was ebbing at lunchtime. There tends to be less opportunities for the gulls to catch the sandmason worms on these neap tides. Presumably the worms are staying safely at the bottom of their tubes. 

None of the gulls were trying to catch them today, but were feeding on both outflows and resting/preening on the mud.

Mediterranean gull 14 minimum - typically 6-10 were resting on the beach by the jetty at any one time, then returning to feed on the outflows.

Two Meds here with Black-Headed, Herring and Lesser Black-Backed gulls

They seemed to be finding plenty to eat, but it must have been small as not readily visible. Perhaps the tiny Sandeels (see yesterday's post)

These are two first summer preening and joined by an adult.

Both the two German ringed birds stopped off for a preen between
feeding, this is the veteran detailed yesterday 

Kittiwake 1 first summer seen feeding on both outflows

Rock Pipit 1 along sea wall

A flock of Long-Tailed Tits were feeding in the Nature Park.
This juvenile stopped for a rest on the perimeter fence.

Butterflies:

Only a Specked Wood was seen on the way out, but it was trying to rain then.

On the return leg the sun had come out 

Ringlet 12

Small White 1

Small Skipper 1

Meadow Brown 1

Meadow Brown

Well read Med

The NW wind continues. Overcast with showers, some heavy.

South shore.

This report and images by Martin Loftus are from Martin's walk along the sea wall yesterday afternoon.

200+ LBB / Herring Gulls

100+ BH Gulls 

5 common gulls 

1 first summer kittiwake

c20 Mediterranean gulls

This adult Med has picked up a tiny Sandeel from the surface of the outflow

Shaun Cole checked this morning on the ebbing tide:

Mediterranean Gulls 17 (Ad 7, 2nd summer 6, 1st summer 4). 

Kittiwake 1 1st summer

Rock Pipit displaying near the lighthouse 

I checked the beach between No.1 outflow and the wooden jetty as it became exposed. For reasons only known to them, the gulls swooped in as soon as the mud was showing. Unlike yesterday when it took a while for any to turn up. These are some of the early arrivals 

So many gulls trying to feed in a small area, things were bound to become fractious!

Unfortunately, a shower was just beginning and the darkening skies told that it was set in for a while, so I left. By that time 13 Mediterranean gulls had arrived to feed.

A quick evening check around Red Nab towards high water (Malcolm). We are back to neap tides now and the tide isn't high enough to cover all the mud so the gulls tend to spread out more.

Black-Headed and Mediterranean gulls resting in the lee of a small outcrop.
One of the Meds behind it had a green ring, but not good enough views to read

At least there was no Peregrine disturbance tonight, although the gulls were still jumpy. A Carrion Crow managed to spook these off Red Nab. At least when they first land you get to see their legs.

That was the yellow ringed German bird

There were at least 20 Mediterranean gull on and around Red Nab. 13 adult, 5 first summer and 2 second summer 

This Blackbird in the Nature Park has a fecal sac.

Janet had a walk along the sea wall in the evening sunshine 

Cinnabar moth near the Harbour - first of the year

Lighthouse Rock Pipit

The Peregrines haven't moved on they were just mucking about further along the wall.

Peregrine Falcons

Juvenile with adult Black-Headed gulls

Juvenile Black-Headed gull with first summer Mediterranean gull

This is the green ringed Med gull that arrived on Saturday, we now have the sightings
history and know that she is a female. Just a month ago she was back in Germany at
the site where she was ringed 12 years ago. Even the following list is not complete,
some multiple same site records have been edited out. This Med has certainly been
read many times. And she's still looking good. Hopefully many more records to come.

A lengthy life history - so much easier to read roof nesters during the breeding season than gravel and wetland nesters obscured by vegetation 

Peregrines affecting Med behaviour

It managed to remain dry but feeling cool in the NW wind.

South shore

Report by Pete Crooks:

Mediterranean Gull – 9 roosting on Red Nab at 8.30 am – 7 adults (including Yellow AZTZ from Germany), 1 2nd summer & 1 1st summer. As the tide began to drop the Med Gulls became spread across the exposed areas of mud between HS2 outfall and the wooden pier, with some also off the harbour mouth: at least 18 – 11 adults (including Green AKUT also from Germany), 3 2nd summer and 4 1st summer) by 10.20 am when I had to leave. Malcolm stayed on so probably saw more.

Kittiwake – long-staying 1st summer on the rocks by HS2 outfall

Oystercatcher – 575 roosting on Red Nab

Peregrine – 2 over Red Nab, flushing all the Oystercatcher just after I had finished counting them!

Mute Swan – 1 immature on the foreshore between Red Nab and HS2 outfall before flying off north

Rock Pipit – 1 displaying near the harbour lighthouse

Ringlet – 1 in Heysham Nature Park

Brown Rat – 1 feeding on bird seed scattered by the parking area at the entrance to the Nature Park

There wasn't really much else to see (Malcolm)

The green ringed bird never arrived at the feeding beach

The green ringed adult Med with a Black-Headed gull

.....and the yellow one left it late.

The yellow ringed adult coming in to feed, plus a second summer Med

Some of the first summer Meds have almost complete hoods

There almost certainly were more Meds around but as Pete said they were well scattered and difficult to keep track of.

The cooler conditions today meant the
Six-spot Burnets were more subdued 

I went to check Red Nab as the tide was reaching it.

Mediterranean gulls 15 at least, but it was still difficult counting as the Peregrines flushed them at least twice. The gulls actually lifted four times, but they were edgy and two of the occasions looked to be false alarms.

This is the adult with the lower half of its right leg missing.
It wasn't on the feeding beach this morning, but clearly finding
 plenty to eat somewhere it was quite happy just resting 

A nice comparison shot of a Med with two Black-Headed gulls

These are the gulls returning to Red Nab after the third lifting.

Seven Meds in this shot. Four adult, two first summer and one second summer

Unfortunately, they were all then flushed again and it was one time too many. 

The gulls relocated further south, too distant to check properly 
But I don't think any more were colour ringed

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The Mute family on the main pond have lost a cygnet, now only two

Two Pheasants seen, a female plus this male

A Sparrowhawk wasn't happy with a Buzzard drifting over.

Bell Aire Park (Alison Hayward)

Early morning Sparrowhawk

Tortoise Beetle larvae, interesting method of camouflage/ predator deterrent. 
They cover themselves with their own faeces. 

Also from Alison:

Possibly most interesting was what I am pretty certain was a Ring Necked Parakeet flying over the end of Smithy Lane this morning at about 10:20 am no pictures unfortunately but both calls and silhouette seemed right.