Pick of the day......some yellow flowers!

A dry and mainly overcast day. A light west(ish) breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

At least 8 Swifts over the main pond

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

There were lots of Gatekeeper all over the reserve

Common Darter

Carder Bumblebee in bumblebee heaven!

Red-Tailed Bumblebee 

Red Soldier Beetle

Red Nab - Malcolm

I went out on the shore as the tide was approaching Red Nab. All the gulls were very flighty again and many were leaving to the south all the time. There were still a lot of gulls, but I only saw 10 Mediterranean gulls, including one 3rd calendar year and one 2nd calendar year 

Mediterranean and Black Headed gulls plus Curlew on Red Nab

But everything kept being flushed from Red Nab
Those that didn't continue south settled on the shore, before drifting 
back to Red Nab

Black Headed Gulls and Curlew

Curlew 200+ flew south, some from Red Nab others directly from the north side

Curlew leaving Red Nab

This Curlew has an orange flag and two blue rings.
Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to read the code on the flag

Most of the birds had moved on before the tide reached Red Nab, no point in staying, they weren't going to come back. 

In the Nature Park:

Ringlet 6

Small White 1

Gatekeeper 2

Gatekeeper 

A nice stand of flowers that I didn't recognise. On checking they turned
out to be Smooth Hawksbeard

Shaun checked this evening on the ebb tide:

Mediterranean Gull 5 ads & 2 3cy roosting on Red Nab. Plus 2 ads harbour entrance. 

Shag on the Wooden Pier. 

Peregrine 4 (two juvs hassling adults). 

I called in at Imperial Rd on my way home (Malcolm)

Not a lot going on other than the constant mewing of a patrolling Buzzard

Chiffchaff calling, Sedge Warbler seen

Female Roe Deer in the empty horse paddock, full of yellow flowers.

Most of the yellow flowers were not Dandelions, probably a Hawkweed or Hawkbit. Whatever they are, they are obviously tasty!

One regular Med returns, but still a lack of ringed birds

Mainly overcast with the odd light shower. A fresh west breeze 

Just my stuff so far - Malcolm

A walk along the south sea wall 09:45 - 11:15, just as the tide was starting to come in.

Peregrines 2 juveniles chasing gulls around the Power Stations

Peregrine chasing a gull

Two Peregrines 

Mediterranean gulls c25. I only saw them on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. Today there were catching Sandmason worms, and they were joined by Black-Headed gulls and a couple of Carrion Crows having a go.

There were several Mediterranean gulls closer to the sea wall, including two 2nd calendar year birds.

This 2cy was on the same patch that it has occupied for the last 3 days

This 2cy was about 10m away and being tolerated 

Adult Mediterranean gull, there were also at least 2 3cy

As soon as I saw this adult I knew that when it moved it was going to limp

It was close to the sea wall, just below the side of No.1 outfall. There are Sandmason worms here, but it isn't a desirable feeding ground. But a limping Mediterranean gull last year developed a method of finding enough to eat here. It clearly wasn't nimble enough to compete with the other gulls in the better feeding areas. And sure enough, when today's Med moved it showed that it was almost certainly the same bird as last year.

One of several juvenile Black-Headed gulls around 

Rock Pipit 2 together flew past the roundhead towards the wooden jetty

Linnet several among the brambles and in the scrub near the lighthouse 

Linnet

This Grey Seal was inside the harbour, can't remember seeing 
one actually inside the harbour before.

One of the Jays that regularly visit my feeders. The peanuts in shells were
already gone when it arrived so made do, begrudgingly, with fat balls.

Meds on the increase again

 A dry, but mainly overcast day. A light west breeze.

South shore - Malcolm 10:15 - 11:30

A walk along the sea wall not long after low water

Osprey 1 

It had caught a fish and was eating it on the post at the seaward end of
No.2 outfall. Initially looked over by a Carrion Crow

It fed for 30 minutes then flew off to the NW

Mediterranean gulls 25 - 1 2nd calendar year, 2 3rd calendar year, the rest adult

There were 16 adult and a 2cy on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. I said yesterday that I only ever hear them calling when they first return in full breeding plumage. I was wrong! Today the 2cy was calling as it chased away encroaching birds. When the feeding here is good they do bicker over feeding patches. Some ringed birds are often seen on the exact same patch every year. It is worth noting that the "patch" that this 2cy bird is defending, is where it was in yesterday's shot.

We are not quite at the "patch working" stage yet. I didn't see any
Sandmason worms caught, but the gulls were trying 

Adult Med and 2cy Common Gull

The remaining Meds were resting/preening on the beach between the outfalls.

Some of the resting Meds. It was good to see the Meds acting normally,
in previous years a passing Osprey cleared the beaches. Perhaps they are
becoming more relaxed about them now that they are more regular 

Middleton Nature Reserve southern section - Janet

Just a short exercise walk

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Six-spot Burnet

Red Soldier Beetle

Worms weather the storm

Very strong onshore winds overnight with vicious gusts. A roadside tree was blown down on Heysham Rd, not uprooted, but snapped at the base! The wind continued all day only easing this evening by then it was more NW. Dry with sunny spells

South shore - Malcolm

I had a walk along the sea wall this morning on the rising tide. The only gulls feeding on the outfalls were a few Black-Headed and a couple of Common Gulls

2nd calendar year Common Gull

On the way out there were no small gulls on Red Nab, they were all hunkered down beside the outfall

Mediterranean Gulls at least 7 all adult or 3rd Calendar year

4 Mediterranean gulls amongst the Black-Headed by No.2 outfall

There were plenty of large gulls hunkered down on Red Nab, but others toughed it out on the open shore 

Herring gulls on the windswept mud

On the way back, the tide had covered the rocks by the outfalls and all
the gulls had retreated to Red Nab

It was a storm such as this last year that dumped 15cm of mud onto the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. So I returned this evening as it was about to be exposed to see how it fared. 

Many of the small gulls including Mediterranean were still hunkered
down on Red Nab

But as soon as the feeding beach began to be exposed the Mediterranean gulls arrived

I thought this adult was stood in deep water.....

.....but it was sat in shallow water!

At least 4 adults, a 3rd calendar year and a 2nd calendar year Meds turned up, presumably they were hungry after being hunkered down all day

This is the 2nd calendar year Med. You can see that not only did the storm
not cover the Sandmason worm tubes, but they are even more prominent 
than yesterday 

This adult was calling, although you could barely hear it over the wind. The
only time I hear them calling is when they've first returned in full breeding plumage

It seemed to be with its mate and still bonding

More gulls may have turned up later, but it is very difficult viewing this 
beach in the evening when the sun is shining

There are plenty of Bee Orchids along the western boundary of Middleton Nature Reserve with Ocean Edge - Janet

Bee Orchid