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

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