Burnet day

A warm day but largely overcast and humid. A light variable breeze.

South shore

A check along the sea wall 10:00 - 11:00 - Malcolm

Mediterranean gull 1 adult between the outfalls

Adult Mediterranean gull

Plenty of small gulls on the outfalls

Curlew a total of 85 flew from the north side in groups from 1 to 28

One of the larger groups of Curlew

Redshank 1 in summer plumage by No.1 outfall

Redshank

Rock Pipit 2 along the sea wall plus 1 displaying by the lighthouse 

This one along the sea wall had plenty to say

Meadow Pipit 2 at the saltmarsh 

This one had just landed after a display flight

The other was foraging above the strand line

Grey Seal where it was yesterday, between the outfalls

Grey Seal having a snooze

Kevin checked the wall later

Giant Dark Horsefly

One of several Cinnabar moth caterpillars towards the end of the sea wall

First Six-spot Burnet this year near the gate behind Red Nab

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet - first of the year. I was quite excited to see my first one and then they flew up from everywhere, on the south side of the reserve

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet

Ringlet 2 and better behaved today!

Ringlet

Bullfinch and Greenfinch

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:45 - 17:30

Little Egret 8

Red-breasted Merganser 1 female, she started to do a bit of snorkelling, then switched to preening

Great Crested grebe 2

Gulls c400 but many stayed on the flat sea to feed on the seed mussels, note the one at the back swimming left with a small crab.

I did see one green ringed Herring gull, but one already seen this summer,
 indeed it was the one seen most regularly last summer, so I doubt this is its last
sighting. Ringed at Bowland in 2024

A Common Tern was also taking advantage of the flat sea to fish along the northern edge of the skear

After several failed attempts it caught a decent sized Whitebait and flew with it towards the south.

Oystercatcher 1000+

Curlew 9

Knot 1

Knot and Oystercatcher 

Just a touch of insect movement

A warm day but not a lot of sunshine. A  SE breeze

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Canada geese 13 over silently to the north

Common Whitethroats

Common Darter

Common Blue Damselfly

Large Skipper

Burnet Companion (upper wing pattern)

Burnet Companion (under wing pattern)

Drinker moth caterpillar 

South shore - Malcolm

I walked along the sea wall and back towards high water in the morning then towards low water in the afternoon.

Common gulls c20 2nd calendar year birds on No.2 outfall this morning 

Some of this morning's Common Gulls

Mediterranean gull 1 2cy on No.2 outfall this morning, then on the mud between the outfalls this afternoon 

The Med opted to share the opposite rail with the Black-Headed gulls

2cy Mediterranean gull

Immature Herring and Great Black-backed gull this afternoon 

Curlew 9 flew from the north side this morning, 38 flew to the north side this afternoon 

Turnstone 1 in summer plumage at the seaward end of No.1 outfall this afternoon 

Rock Pipits at least 5 around 

Linnet 8, including 4 likely young birds together between the lighthouse and waterfall 

Male Linnet on one of the bollards 

Grey Seal one between the outfalls on both visits.

Grey Seal

An east wind like today's in summer normally attracts migrating insects in off the sea, but it hasn't really been migration weather recently. However a Peacock Butterfly flew in along the sea wall as I was leaving this morning. It was that that prompted me to return when the tide was out this afternoon.

I didn't see any insects as I walked out this afternoon, but between the lighthouse and waterfall there were:

Painted Lady 6

Red Admiral 3

Plus 5 probably resident Cinnabar moths.

I should have gone out later, as when I walked back along the sea wall there were

Painted Lady 3

Red Admiral 5 

And the frequency was increasing 

Cinnabar moth

Red Admiral

Painted Lady and a Beetle sp sharing a bramble

Painted Lady

Painted Lady resting on the sea wall

As I approached the end of the wall heading back, a light shower began. This Painted Lady was undecided between continuing along the sea wall or stopping for a rest

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