First juvenile Med arrives

A hot sunny day with a fresh ENE breeze

North shore - David Kaye

1 common sandpiper 
5 turnstone 
flock of 80 curlew towards Skear 
1 great crested grebe

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

The young Coots and Moorhen are doing very well this year

Coot

Moorhen in the bottom car park

Plenty of Black-Tailed Skimmers too

South shore

Kevin did a thorough Ladybird count along the sea wall

7-spot Ladybird an impressive 52

14-spot Ladybird 1

14-spot Ladybird 

I walked along the sea wall a little later (Malcolm) 14:20 - 16:00

Insects coming in off in 20 minutes walking out

Small White 9

Red Admiral 8

Peacock 1

Painted Lady 3

Gatekeeper 1

The only one that stopped for a rest was this Peacock, and it chose 
to rest in the shadow of the overhang

At the roundhead I saw three dragonflies come in off and continue east. A male Emperor, one that looked to be a Broad-bodied Chaser and a female Darter, possibly a Red-Veined.

Again not many were settling on the scrub and  brambles

Meadow Brown 2

Small Copper 1

Red Admiral 15

Painted Lady 4

Peacock 1

Small White 4

Small Copper

Walking back a Hummingbird Hawkmoth flew past me. The trouble with walking back is that you only ever see the back end of anything coming in.

This is all you see when a Hummingbird Hawkmoth zips past you!

Mediterranean gulls c20 on the beach next to the wooden jetty, including the first juvenile this year

Juvenile Mediterranean gull

It was difficult viewing with the strong light behind the gulls. This is the
juvenile and a white ringed adult. Unfortunately not read conclusively......yet.

In the Nature Park on the way back, the or another Hummingbird Hawkmoth was feeding on one of the Buddleia, unfortunately moving on before I managed a shot.

Red Admiral 21

Painted Lady 2

Peacock 1

Brimstone 1 male

Large White 2

Small White 15

Also: Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Ringlet (just 1)

Just outside the recording area Heysham Moss Nature Reserve - Janet

There weren't a lot of dragonflies, but this Southern Hawker was showing nicely 

Gatekeeper 

Small White

Red Admiral 

A tatty Painted Lady

Longhorn cattle in the field next to the reserve. The wildlife trust uses them to
help maintain the terrain. A win win situation the cattle have ideal surroundings 
and they help to preserve it.

Ruddy Darter still around

Another hot sunny day, but a fresher ENE breeze offered some relief.

Middleton Nature Reserve - southern section - Janet

Male Ruddy Darter in the same spot as yesterday 

This is the area by the south side pond where the Ruddy Darter was seen

Male Common Darter

South shore - Malcolm 14:30 - 16:00

Nature Park

Red Admiral 21

Peacock 1

Painted Lady 2

Large White 2

Brimstone 1 male

Small White 8

Plus, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper and Common Blue

Painted Lady and Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Brimstone

Hawker sp flew across the Park, likely a Southern Hawker

Butterflies seen coming in off the sea in a 20 minutes walk along the sea wall

Red Admiral 9

Painted Lady 1

Small White 13

Small White and its shadow racing along the sea wall

They were still coming off the sea at the roundhead, but whether it was the wind being fresher or there being more north in it but very few were hanging around. There was nothing on the scrub near the lighthouse and not a lot along the brambles to the waterfall.

Red Admiral 7

Peacock 1

Painted Lady 2

Meadow Brown 4

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Quite a faded Painted Lady

Small Whites and Red Admirals were coming in off at a similar rate as I walked back.

Male Linnet

Mediterranean gulls 22 were resting on the mud between the outfalls and next to the wooden jetty

Mediterranean gulls between the outfalls

Mediterranean gull

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon patrolling the sea wall

Another good dragonfly

Another dry day there was some light cloud cover in the afternoon and the freshening SE breeze made it feel cooler, but it still peaked at 28.6°C

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

These shots from the main pond

Red-veined Darter at least two males

Common Darter

Common Darter

Black-Tailed Skimmer

Small Red-eyed Damselflies 

Common Blue Damselflies 

Meadow Brown

These shots are from the southern section of the reserve where a new pond has just been created, it hasn't much water in it at the moment.

Ruddy Darter 1 male. One was seen here last August and that was the first record since 2007!

Male Ruddy Darter 

South shore - Malcolm

I walked along the sea wall twice today 10:45 - 12:00 and 15:30 - 17:00

Red Nab was virtually deserted this morning with all the gulls and waders
on the mud. More on this later

As I walked out this morning there was a steady procession of butterflies coming in off the sea, despite the breeze briefly shifting to the west when I was half way along.

Small White 14

Red Admiral 3

In the scrub near the lighthouse 

Meadow Brown 15

Small White 8

Peacock 1

In the brambles between the lighthouse and waterfall 

Meadow Brown 7

Small White 13

Small Tortoiseshell 4

Painted Lady 3

Peacock 2 

Red Admiral 1

This is the line of brambles and Willow Herb between the lighthouse and waterfall 

This afternoon the mix of butterflies had changed. Walking out:

Red Admiral 7

Peacock 2

Painted Lady 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Small White 2

In the scrub near the lighthouse 

Peacock 9

Painted Lady 2

Small White 5

Meadow Brown 8

I didn't go down to the waterfall this time, but there were more Peacocks and Red Admirals seen

Peacock 

Mediterranean gull 27 scattered around this afternoon, but most on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty.

These were on the feeding beach

This is the Med with the lower half of its right leg missing.
Resting with Black-Headed gulls between the outfalls

Rock Pipit 1

Peregrine Falcon 2

I'm not certain what is happening here, but it is clear why the gulls are so often flushed from Red Nab. I think the larger bird on the ground must have made a kill and was refusing to share it. This is as I set off this afternoon.

This is the Peregrine on the ground

When I got back to Red Nab this afternoon the gulls had returned and were having a cooling bath in the freshwater runoff. There is at least one Mediterranean gull amongst these.

In the Nature Park it was predominantly Small Whites in the morning, only a few Small White this afternoon but more Peacock and Red Admirals. Other butterflies seen: Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Common Blue, Small Skipper and Speckled Wood

Small Skipper

Large White

Peacock