Still a few things going on

A dry day with a light NW wind. Long sunny spells.

South shore - Malcolm 09:45 - 11:00

A walk along the sea wall and back, started with an Osprey lifting all the gulls off Red Nab

It tried fishing at several spots as I walked along the sea wall, it dived a few times but unsuccessfully. It was almost high water and they normally fish here at low water. This clip shows it hovering at one point, it was clearly eying something but moved on.

At times it came quite close to the sea wall

A blue ring on its left leg, but not quite legible 

The gulls returned to Red Nab.....

The central one of these Black-Headed gulls also has a blue ring.
Also not quite legible!

Mediterranean gulls 2 

A 3cy Mediterranean gull (left) was first to arrive, then joined by a
2cy Mediterranean gull (centre)

Kittiwake 1 2cy around No.2 outfall

These shots show the extent of its poor plumage, many of the feathers
have long gaps in the filaments along the quill.

Canada goose 17 low and uncharacteristically quietly heading NW.

Canada geese

Rock Pipits 3 one along the sea wall, the lighthouse male was displaying, meanwhile the female just sat on the wall.

Rock Pipit

Apart from the Kittiwake, the only gulls on the outfalls were Black-Headed

Middleton Nature Reserve southern section - Janet

First Ringlet of the year seen but it was camera shy!

Small Heath

Large Skippers 

Common Darter

There were Bee Orchids in several locations 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 18:15 - 20:00

It was a lovely evening and I couldn't resist a walk out, even knowing that the tide was too far out for me to reach most of the birds.

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Great Crested Grebe 3

This one was snorkelling, a feeding method I normally associate with Mergansers. Presumably it is trying to flush out small fish in the shallows.

Little Egret 6

Shag 1 2nd calendar year

Gulls, most were towards the western end of the middle skear and on the outer skear, no way to estimate numbers, but a lot!

This is looking towards the end of the middle skear with the outer skear
beyond. All the orangey blobs are this years mussels, growing quickly!

Oystercatcher c1000 lifted when a Grey Heron passed over. There would have been more

Curlew 14 were the only other waders.

Just out of the recording area 1 spoonbill just inland from Middleton Sands

A decent variety

A dry day with the odd sunny spell. A west to NW wind

Pete managed a 15 minute check from Ocean Edge around high water

Likely 2cy Little gull hey one outfalls but tricky watching from Ocean Edge

2cy kittiwake seen once in a sweep.  

Two Manx Shearwater 

One Gannet offshore 

I had a walk along the sea wall 10:30 - 12:00 - Malcolm

The 2nd calendar year Kittiwake was patrolling the sea wall and checking out both outfalls

It really is in a sorry state!

This is it flying towards No.1 outfall

I just got to No.1 outfall too late!

A Common Tern was just flying off to the SE

What looked to be a 2cy Little gull was at the seaward end of the outfall, but by the time I got my camera set it had either moved on or landed on the sea.

One of several 2nd calendar year Common Gulls

When I returned to the outfall after checking the harbour a Sandwich Tern was feeding.

Sandwich Tern

Rock Pipit 2 along the sea wall

I returned this evening, hoping the Little gull would be showing better, but no Little Gull, no Terns and not even the 2cy Kittiwake.

But there was a nice 3rd calendar year Mediterranean gull

3cy Mediterranean Gull resting on No.2 outfall rail

Peregrine Falcon flying around the Power Stations 

The male Rock Pipit at the lighthouse was displaying

Dolphin pod pays a visit

Showers in the morning but bright this afternoon. A fresh west(ish) wind

Pete checked early on:

Bottlenosed Dolphins were feeding near the harbour mouth, then moved out of view to the south - probably 5 at least.  

Just 5 Gannet and two Common scoter out 0615-0715.  

2cy Mediterranean gull past harbour mouth, then later on Red Nab. Same bird as yesterday, by head pattern

2cy Shag briefly in view inshore at the harbour mouth then left to the north.

2cy kittiwake heysham 2 outfall.  Unseasonal (for here) 
Sandwich tern feeding off harbour mouth

I had a walk along the sea wall - Malcolm 08:30 - 09:30

It managed to stay dry as I walked out, but rain all the way back!

The 2nd calendar year Kittiwake was resting by the lighthouse when I got there

Herring Gull and 2cy Kittiwake looking a bit sorry for itself 

As I walked back along the sea wall in the rain, camera carefully stashed away, the Kittiwake flew along beside me. I could almost have taken a brass rubbing, never mind a photograph. I eventually managed a couple of quick shots as it moved in front of me so I was pointing away from the rain.

2cy Kittiwake

There were two Rock Pipits in the harbour. A male near the waterfall was displaying. The only one near the lighthouse was just stood with no food to offer any chicks.

This tuft on the back is probably the result of sitting on the nest with the
back touching the top of the nest hole. Making this the female. It suggests 
that the first brood didn't successfully fledge, otherwise she would be either 
taking food to the nest or feeding a fledged bird.

Linnet 5 between the lighthouse and waterfall

In the Nature Park

Jay at least one calling

Male Bullfinch on the perimeter fence

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Large Skipper

Large White

Painted Lady

Very faded Common Blue

Heysham skear - Malcolm 13:30 14:30

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female

Red-breasted Merganser

Little Egret 6

Gulls c400, but only c200 actively feeding. Some were resting high up the skear and others on the sea. Two green ringed birds were seen, but both seen before.

We have now received the history for this orange ringed Herring gull seen on Sunday.
ringed as a chick on 29 June 2024 on Copeland Bird Observatory on
Old Lighthouse Island, off Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
It has been sighted once before: 11/08/2025 - Portballintrea, Northern Ireland

Flies rained down

It rained constantly until late afternoon. A south wind switched to SW in the evening.

Middleton Nature Reserve main pond - Malcolm

There isn't a great variety on the pond at the moment. Two adult and a second calendar year Mute Swan. At least three broods each Mallard and Coot.

I took these in the rain yesterday morning anticipating a complete washout today.

Quite a well developed Mallard brood sheltering from the rain!

These two young Little grebes were fending for themselves.

I called in briefly this afternoon to see if the rain had brought anything down. It had, flies! There were c30 Swift, House Martin and Swallow feeding low over the pond. There is an option to play the clip in slow motion (you may as well, there is little else today).

Imperial Rd - Malcolm

Just a 2 minute check from my car saw a Buzzard flying around, but nothing else.

Buzzard, the rain had eased briefly at this point

South sea wall -Malcolm 17:45 - 19:15

At least it cleared up enough for a dry evening walk!

Rock Pipit one seen along the sea wall, both ways and also on Red Nab. Likely the same bird.

I checked the sea for 40 minutes from the lighthouse, but the only things past (in my range of view) were a couple of Curlew, a few Common Gulls and a female Eider

2nd calendar year Common Gull

Female Eider, right past my nose!

The Carrion Crow chicks on one of the harbour platforms are growing 

There was at least one visit by an adult

Cormorant 

Mediterranean gull 1 2cy on Red Nab

Common gull(s) left and Mediterranean gull right on Red Nab.
Both 2nd calendar year birds

Not much time, plus not much to see, equals very little

Heavy rain thoughout the morning, then dry and largely sunny in the afternoon. A NW light wind.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:30 - 16:30

I just walked in with the rising tide.

Little Egret 4

Red-breasted Merganser 3 together. I had to take a short clip as I couldn't get a shot with them all showing.

Gulls 550  - 600 there would have been more earlier. The gulls tend to drift off when the tide covers the area they were feeding on. There were still c400 feeding plus at least 150 resting higher up the skear.

Four green ringed birds were seen, there is one centre frame here.
But this shot is to show that there is now a blanket of seed mussels covering 
the skear, even at this height up the shore

Only one new ringed bird was seen and that was another 2nd calendar year Herring gull ringed at the Power Station. That's four seen so far this summer, none were seen here after early autumn last year.

Herring gull, back to its roots

The resting gulls higher up the shore were mainly sat, so no chance of
checking for rings. Nice view though.

Cormorant 

Oystercatchers are very difficult to estimate at the moment. I think it is mainly down to there being so much readily available food around they are spread all over the skear. I could only account for c500, but as  I was almost off the shore c1500 lifted. I think it was just tide related.

Curlew 7

Curlew

Tomorrow's forecast is grim!