Juvenile Meds arrive plus mayhem in the moth traps!

Some overnight rain, then it managed to stay dry till mid morning, then showers till mid afternoon.

South shore

I checked from 07:40 till the rain began at 10:00 (Malcolm)

Mediterranean gull at least 47, including 4 x 3rd calendar year, 8 x 2nd calendar year and the first 3 juveniles this year

Juvenile Mediterranean gull

There were 30+ on the feeding beach between the wooden jetty and No.1 outfall. Some just resting close to the sea wall, but many catching Sandmason worms, close to the waterline.

This Med is drawing a Sandmason worm from its tube

This is another one, they quickly pull the worm from its tube....

.......which stretches the worm to its full, and quite impressive, length!

Two of the Meds were ringed, a yellow ring from a German scheme plus a returning white ringed adult.

From the bottom up: Juvenile Black-Headed gull, juvenile Mediterranean gull.
Three adult Mediterranean gulls, the top one with a white ring. Ringed as a
chick at Antwerp, Belgium in 2018, it was first seen here the same year and
returned 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. In between it has been recorded in the
Netherlands, France, Portugal and Belgium. Since it left Heysham last autumn,
It was recorded in the Netherlands in March and two locations in France in May.

This Curlew out from the foreshore has a small crab

This Curlew was on the beach by the wooden jetty, look how wet
the mud is in places

Peregrine Falcon 2 around the Power Stations

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon 

Wheatear 1 juvenile along the foreshore.

One of a few young Chiffchaff flitting around the Nature Park

I wasn't expecting any butterflies coming in/off today, but it felt strange seeing none at all along the foreshore, there had been so many!

Yesterday, there were c500 Large Yellow Underwings in Kevin and Alison's moth traps. Today there was a minimum of 700, probably closer to 1,000 - it was mayhem!

More RVD and a HBHM

Another hot day, but not quite as hot as yesterday with the fresher east(ish) breeze and occasionally overcast.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Pete scanned from the main pond lower car park bench this morning.

Red-Veined Darter minimum 4 probably 5

Ovipositing pair, then split up with male chasing another male. 

Later at least three males over water probably four 

Picture by Muhummad H

I checked the main pond at 13:30 (Malcolm)

There was a male Red-Veined Darter near where the swans rest on the west bank.

The RVD where the swans rest

Another male was on the peninsula 

Two males were seen over the water, at least one, probably both additional 

Also

Black-Tailed Skimmer 5

Emperor 4

Common Darter 5

Male Common Darter

House Martins 2

Little Grebe 1

Plus the regular Mute, Mallard, Coot and Moorhens.

South shore

I checked this morning 08:15 - 09:45 (Malcolm)

Mediterranean gulls 20 scattered around (17 adults and 3 2nd calendar year). There were no Sandmason worm tubes showing on the beach by the wooden jetty and no gulls were feeding there.

Little Gull 1 2nd calendar year was resting and preening on the beach between the outfalls.

Little gull (bottom) with Black Headed gulls

This clip shows the location, it begins with a resting Mediterranean gull on the right

Osprey 1 out from the harbour mouth and continued north, probably to fish in the low water channels past the skear. Good conditions to catch a large flatfish there today, a less tricky prey than a Bass with heavily spiked fins.

Peregrine 2 around the Power Stations, at least one a juvenile.

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon with a distinctive tail feather

Sparrowhawk, I female zipped past me in the Nature Park 

Rock Pipit 2

Wheatear 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Wheatear on the saltmarsh 

Some of the Herring gull chicks are fledged now
But not those on the harbour platforms

Insects:

Small Whites were coming in/off all the time. 58 counted in 60 minutes along the sea wall, not including those feeding in the scrub near the lighthouse 

The only other insects seen coming in/off were 2 Red Admirals

Pete checked from Ocean Edge late morning 

65 large ladybirds south ocean edge in 15 mins - two examined were 7 spot. 

C150 small white in-off/loitering on shore edge flowers with a few large white 

These from Jean are additional to Pete's

122 Small Whites in one hour (10:30-11:30). Also 2 Small Tortoiseshell.

The Six-spot Burnets in the scrub near the lighthouse are getting quite faded now

Kevin and Alison checked early evening 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 feeding on Buddleia bush near the wooden gate in the Nature Park 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

There were Ladybirds all the way along the sea wall. Alison counted 100 including 3 species in the first 100m, and it is a 1500m long wall! Details to follow.

I checked 17:15 - 18:30 as Kevin and Alison were heading back (Malcolm)

There was just a trickle in/off, 3 Small Whites, 2 Red Admiral and a Peacock.

The Ladybirds (I only saw 7 spot) were everywhere and still coming in.

Large Yellow Underwing on the sea wall
There were 500+ of these in Alison's and Kevin's traps this morning!
A Peach Blossom moth also flew along the sea wall.

There were several Mediterranean Gulls in the beach by the wooden jetty, including a 3rd calendar year that I didn't see this morning. More interestingly, the Sandmason worm tubes were just showing, there was no sign of them this morning. The mud was very soft though.

Two Meds close to the sea wall and the Sandmason worm tubes just showing

This Oystercatcher has a Sandmason worm

Rock Pipit watching the Ladybirds fly in

In the Nature Park 

Small Skipper

Peacock

Little gull and lots of insects, mainly butterflies

A hot sunny day, a light east wind occasionally varying to NW.

South shore - insects

I walked along the sea wall 09:00 - 10:30 Malcolm

The breeze had a touch of west in it as I walked out, but still there were Small Whites coming in. 17 in total, another 18 around the scrub and strip to the waterfall. By this time the breeze was back to the east and  another 24 on the way back. So 59 in 90 minutes.

Later Pete scanned along the length of the wall and saw 17 in/off in a minute.

Jean saw 40 whites in 20 minutes come in/off past her 11:50 - 12:10 (2 per minute in one location, that's a lot of butterflies along the length of the wall)

I checked again 15:15 - 16:15 (Malcolm), once again the wind teased by being slightly in the west as I walked out, still 10 Small White came in/off, it was firmly in the east again by the time I reached the roundhead, there were 50+ Small Whites in the scrub and strip to waterfall and another 28 on the walk back.

In summary, Small Whites were coming in/off all day at between 1 and 2 per minute along the full length of the sea wall. Many hundreds, if not thousands must have passed through in the course of the day.

Small Whites were by far the most numerous, but other butterflies seen along the sea wall were:

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Red Admiral 3

Peacock 1

Large White 5

There were 50+ Common Blue and 7 Meadow Brown around the scrub and the strip to the waterfall.

One of the Large Whites near the waterfall

In the Nature Park

Ringlet 2

Comma 2

Large White 5

Small White 6

Meadow Brown 5

Gatekeeper 2

Common Blue 20+

Red Admiral 3

Speckled Wood 3

Brimstone 1 female

Female Brimstone 

Common Darter
A Hawker sp also glimpsed 

Other stuff 

Pete scanned from Ocean Edge on the rising tide

2cy little gull

ad sandwich tern

c25 Mediterranean Gull (1250 bhg to go through!)

On my morning walk (Malcolm)

Osprey 1 rested on the post at the seaward end of No.2 outfall for the duration of the walk.

Osprey with a blue ring, but it was too hot to be wearing wellies so I
couldn't walk out to check the code

Not a shot that you can take very often - 2 Small Whites coming in/off
(top left) while the Osprey perches on the post at the end of No.2 outfall

Wheatear 1 juvenile along the foreshore 

Juvenile Wheatear in a different area today

In the afternoon.

The cormorants clearly have different feeding strategies, most here target largish Bass which can take some swallowing, but this one regularly feeds close to the sea wall after smaller prey.

This looks like a Rockling. It caught two as I was walking past.

Fiddly to eat, but not difficult to swallow 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Pate) 11:00

Male red veined darter over water as viewed from car park at main pond 

A hint of things to come?

A hot sunny day, no air movement at all early on, then a light west breeze

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

What a difference the weather makes! On Wednesday when it was overcast and a bit damp I caught 19 birds in one hour, today in the glorious sunshine I only caught 11 in 3 hours. The net was too visible. 

On both days 80% of the birds were this year’s young. The species lists were similar:
Goldfinch (5 - 2)
Greenfinch (3 - 3)
Blue Tit (3 -1)
Great Tit (6 - 1)
Dunnock (1 - 2)
Wren (0 - 1)
The only other difference was the one warbler caught: on Wednesday it was a Chiffchaff and today it was a Blackcap.
All these birds will be locally bred.
Apart from a few gulls overhead, the only other bird of note was a young Peregrine on one of the pylons calling for food. 
Common Blue butterflies were amongst the Bird’s-foot trefoil behind the office building, two Gatekeepers and a Small White flew along the mist net ride.

South shore

I checked 08:15 - 09:45 (Malcolm)

Insect migration here is best when it is warm, the tide out and an east breeze. This morning we had two of the three, there was no breeze at all. But there were already Small White coming in/off at 08:15, a total of 12 seen plus 1 Red Admiral. It looked promising for later, but when Kevin checked the west breeze had started and there was no sign of insect movement. The forecast for the weekend is more sun and an east breeze, so hopefully there will be plenty of insects coning in.

Mediterranean gull 2 - an adult and a 3rd calendar year between the outfalls

Juvenile Lesser Black-Backed gulls are plentiful now.
Not seen a fledged Herring gull yet

Common Sandpiper 2 together near the wooden jetty 

Common Sandpiper 

It lost visual contact with its companion, you can just hear its contact calls and a reassuring reply.

Rock Pipit 1 along the sea wall

Wheatear 2 juveniles together near the slipway

Two juvenile Wheatears

Look how flat the sea is

The beauty of a flat sea, is that you can see every ripple that shouldn't be there, providing a brief glimpse of a passing Grey Seal

Middleton Nature Reserve (Malcolm) 14:30 - 16:00

Swallow at least 16

Swift at least 17 (probably 24)

They were feeding over the main pond before moving off to the SE. My camera skills aren't up to Janet's so I just pointed my camera in the right direction and took a clip to give a sense of the activity.

Wildfowl as of late.

Little Grebe 1 trilling

Warblers heard

Cetti's 2

Chiffchaff 2

Common Whitethroat 1

Blackcap 1

Red-Veined Darter 1 male - my first visit to the area on the west bank of the main pond, where the swans rest saw nothing, when I checked again on my way back it was patrolling out over the water.

Red-Veined Darter

He did settle briefly - hopefully he will get some company over the weekend 

Black-Tailed Skimmer 3 males

Male Black-Tailed Skimmer

Emperor 2 males

Brown Hawker 3

Common Darter 2

Butterflies, those without numbers were plentiful 

Speckled Wood

Meadow Brown

Large White 2

Small White 2 at least

Green-Veined White 4 at east

Red Admiral 2

Comma 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Gatekeeper

Common Blue

By 20:00 there was a lot of anting (catching flying ants) going on. Mainly Black-Headed gulls. This is looking from my back door (Malcolm)

They were also anting over Kevin's, but his included 4 Mediterranean gulls

Dunlin return in numbers

A warm sunny day with a light west wind.

South shore (Malcolm) 09:30 - 10:30

I checked Red Nab and the shore out from the saltmarsh as the tide was rising. 250 Black-Headed gulls, but no Mediterranean gulls seen today.

Curlew 150

Little Egret 6

Wheatear 1 - the long staying juvenile was near the slipway again.

Juvenile Wheatear 

It is clearly finding plenty to eat.

Yesterday, I said that I would share my theory of why the saltmarsh is currently growing. Here we go......

This is the shot from 2017 again

This was as close as I could get to the same location today

This is the point further south where they laid the processed water pipe from the water 

treatment plant by Middleton Nature reserve, the infill mud created a depression as it 

compacted leaving a shallow secondary creek to the south of the main creek. Presumably 

just enough protection, by disrupting waves, to allow the marsh plants to consolidate, as 

the whole area between the two creeks is now saltmarsh. The slight gradient of the 

secondary creek is enough for it to help drain the outgoing tide which in turn keeps the 

shape of the creek. Of course, one good storm could destroy all this.

This is the more telling reason for the expansion in other areas. These are
the holes made by Harbour Ragworms. As little as fifteen years ago I couldn't 
find a single hole, which struck me as odd as this is the ideal terrain for Harbour 
Ragworms and they are plentiful along the Lune Estuary at least as far as
Sunderland Point. (the name "Harbour" ragworm refers to medieval harbours which
were just saltmarshes with a creek to float in on the tide). The ragworm's network
of holes, perhaps counter intuitively, does consolidate the mud, mainly by the mixing
of the various textures from lower in the mud. And, although a storm may destroy some
of the new saltmarsh it wouldn't destroy all the worms so the damage can be repaired,
expect continuing growth of the saltmarsh - Malcolm

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 15:00 - 16:00

Eider 2 female with at least 8 young were drifting with the outgoing tide.

Great Crested Grebe 1

Little Egret 3

Gulls 350 by the time I left, but no ringed birds seen

Oystercatcher 500

Curlew 50

Redshank 36

Juvenile Redshank, trying not to be there

Dunlin 80 in one flock. They arrived from the west and left to the south.

Dunlin

Sand Martin 2 came in off the sea then flew northeast.