More interesting than expected

A dry day with varying degrees of cloud cover. A fresh NW wind.

South shore - Malcolm 10:15 - 11:30

A walk along the sea wall on the rising tide.

Mediterranean gulls at least 15 - there were at least 8 on Red Nab, 3 between the outfalls and 4 on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty just before the tide covered it.

Mediterranean gull with a Black-Headed gull behind

Little Egret 3

Eider 1 looked to be a male out from the outfalls

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit

Linnet 6 came to drink from the freshwater runoff on Red Nab

Linnet taking a drink

Whimbrel 3

Whimbrel 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 17:00 - 18:30

Eider at least 6. 2 definite males 

Male Eider

I wasn't sure as to these four bobbing around, possibly 2 males and 2 females

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe

c200 large gulls, mainly Herring gulls. Less than recent but they included a ringed one not seen since June and a bird ringed by a different scheme

This one is seen most visits. But this shot again demonstrates just how
thin the plastic is that the rings are formed from

This one, ringed at Bowland last year hasn't been seen since June

This yellow ringed bird is from a wider ranging scheme. Although the
range does include Walney and Bowland - details awaited

Mediterranean gull 1 - the bird with the very pale mask was high up the shore again.

These location shots show that it is easily visible from the promenade.
Thats the Grosvenor Apartments on the right 

Osprey 1 - for once I spotted it before the birds did. Or perhaps the birds did see it but it was too distant to bother them. As I pan out in this clip it shows how high it was over the sea. Their eyesight must be amazing!

A few minutes later everything lifted! A quick check showed that it was considerably closer.

It then flew high over the skear, and I lost it in the sun.

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew 25

Redshank 30

Turnstone 40

Ruddy Darter still the star of the boardwalk

A hazy start, the sun not really breaking through till after lunch. A west breeze freshened as it swung to NW.

South Shore - Malcolm 11:15: 13:30

In view of what we didn't see yesterday, I parked at Potts Corner and walked out to the waterline out from the saltmarsh. Then walked back in with the quickly advancing tide. Loads of Oystercatcher headed south as Red Nab was covered. A few Curlew headed south too but most would have already moved on.

There was nothing along the waterline except a handful of gulls and Oystercatcher. It felt odd being out here with so few birds around, it won't be long before there are thousands of waders here. At this point the tide was coming in at a slow walking pace, but a little later on a flatter stretch of beach, I had to walk as fast as I could. This isn't a problem as long as you know that there is a safe route back to the shore with no gullies to cross.

The only waders in the recording area were 

Ringed plover 6 and Dunlin 2 feeding mid way up the shore.

Ringed Plover and Dunlin 

By this time the tide was high up the shore. These Dunlins were just
south of the recording area.......

.......but they were seen to fly north into the recording area with more
Ringed Plovers

Back at Potts Corner it was interesting to watch c30 swallows feeding on the insects lifted as the tide moved up the saltmarsh gullies - these are definitely just outside the recording area.

This from Janet

Painted Lady in my the garden. Not much again at MNR just Brown Hawker

Heysham Nature Reserve - Malcolm 16:00 - 16:45

Just a quick circuit, hoping to see a Purple Hairstreak around the oak trees at the NW corner of the plateau. But not today.

Ruddy Darter 1 male on the boardwalk rail

Location shot, Ruddy Darter arrowed

Common Darters several around the reserve 

Common Darters

There weren't a lot of butterflies around, partly due to the lack of flowers. Just Knapweed and fleabane were seen in bloom.

Red Admiral 2

Painted Lady 1

Meadow Brown 5

Small White 15+

Speckled Wood 10+

Common Blue 5

Small White

Meadow Brown 

Common Blue

Speckled Wood

The Rudd in the dipping pond were showing nicely 

Loads of Sandwich Terns......not seen!

The sunshine today was often hazy, even so the temperature peaked at 28.5°C. A very light NW breeze

Just south of the recording area - Pete Crooks

174 Sandwich Terns flew north past Plover Scar at high water

Pete notified us, but unfortunately there was no one about in the recording area at that time and wherever they ended up they were missed. Might be an encore tomorrow?

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:15 - 17:15

It was predominantly hazy, but still very warm!

Little Egret 3

Eider 1 male moulting into breeding plumage 

It came over to the skear to feed a while

This clip shows the Eider feeding, probably on small mussels, but also gives a sense of the general sights and sounds here.

c350 Large gulls mainly Herring gulls. Three previously seen ringed birds were located, although one adult had not been seen since early June.

Ringed at Bowland in 2020. This shot shows just how thin these colour
rings are. The thicker section on the left is where the ends of the ring overlap.

Mediterranean gull 1

This is the same Med as seen here before. It has a very indistinct face mask

Cormorant resting on a rock. The sea was flat calm. The ripples you can
see in the background are just the result of the speed of this ebbing spring tide

Oystercatcher c1500 plus there were many more out from Heysham Head

Partially leucistic Oystercatcher. One with the same markings as this
was here all last winter

Curlew 80+

This Welsh scheme Curlew was ringed in 2016. Its only sightings have
been here, including one earlier this summer

This one has just a metal ring

Redshank c50

Turnstone 30+ both juvenile and adults in this clip

One of the advantages of walking on the skear is that you can see any weather changes approaching. This normally means getting off before a shower arrives. But today clear skies were approaching. I left as quickly as I could, it was hot enough without sunshine!

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Whatever produced this scat had clearly been eating a lot of fruit and seeds!

Kevin took this splendid time lapse video of yesterday's solar eclipse 

Just as well there was an eclipse to watch!

A hot (29.5°C) sunny day with a light variable breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Several reports of a Barn Owl patrolling in the early mornings 

The only dragonfly seen on the main pond today was a Brown Hawker

South shore - Malcolm

I checked the shore out from the saltmarsh this morning 10:00 - 11:00

Linnet 12 on saltmarsh 

Whimbrel 1 out from the saltmarsh 

Whimbrel (left) with a Curlew

Curlew 14

Oystercatcher 60

No other waders seen

Plenty of gulls on the mud......

.......but only 2 Mediterranean gulls seen

Little Egret 2 on saltmarsh 

Swallow 5 (2, 1 and 2) south

They were zipping past quite quickly, but I just managed to get this one in frame

A walk along the sea wall this afternoon in the hope that the breeze might have swung round to the east. But it steadfastly stayed from the west

Wheatear 1 briefly in the scrub by the lighthouse 

Rock Pipit 2 - one on Red Nab and one by No.1 outfall

Rock Pipit by the outfall

Mediterranean gulls just four seen on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty

Whimbrel 2

Whimbrel over the shimmering mud

There was no sign of any insect movement, but there were a few butterflies around the scrub and brambles  between the lighthouse and waterfall 

Small White 5

Meadow Brown 2

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Silver Y 2

Small Tortoiseshell 

Silver Y

When there isn't much around you take what you can!
Two white pigeons and three young rabbits 

I managed a shot of the solar eclipse from my garden this evening.

Fortunately a wisp of cloud provided enough screening.

Swift 1 flying around and looking confused!

Juvenile waders arriving

A hot sunny day with light variable breezes

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 08:30 - 09:15

Linnet 38 along the foreshore and the edge of the saltmarsh on the way out. None seen on the way back. 

Linnet

Rock Pipit 4 - 1 on foreshore and 3 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit

Whimbrel 2 flew out from the saltmarsh 

Curlew c80 on Red Nab

Some of the Curlew

Mediterranean gulls 10 on Red Nab

Mediterranean gulls 

Little Egret 3 on Red Nab

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:00 - 15:30

Eider 2 female or immature 

Mediterranean gull 1 came from the north and settled on the sea west of the skear

c300 Large gulls mainly Herring gulls. Two regular ringed birds seen.

The mantle of the middle gull here looked good for a Yellow-Legged gull.
And its legs were yellow

Unfortunately, its legs were yellow, but its feet were pink!
Clearly some hybridisation. Probably Herring and Lesser Black-Backed

Common gulls are uncommon here

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew c60

Redshank 55 including a flock of 30

Juvenile Redshank

It has what looks like a tiny crab in this shot 

Turnstone 35

Juvenile Turnstone 

Dunlin 15 in one flock flew from the south and landed further north. None in summer plumage, suggesting juveniles 

This Small White had just emerged from its chrysalis on the promenade wall

Just out of the recording area, Janet was at Snatchems 

Plenty of geese. Canadas here but also Greylag