Swallows heading south!

 A warm dry day, but mainly overcast. A SW wind.

Heysham head 9-11 - David
at least 2000 oystercatchers south towards heliport 

flock of 40 redshank 

whimbrel 1 south 

rock pipit 

South shore - Malcolm

I walked out to the waterline on the rising tide this morning. A bit early for waders here yet, and there were only:

Oystercatcher 41

Curlew 42 on the shore, later another 80+ flew south.

Whimbrel 1 heard only

There was just one gull sat in the middle of the beach

There wasn't another bird of any description within 500m of this gull...

....not only was it a Mediterranean gull, but it had a green ring, and one not seen
here before. Unfortunately there must have been some mud on the ring and it 
remained unread!

Little Egret 3 around the saltmarsh 

Little Egrets 

I went along the sea wall on the ebb tide in the afternoon.

Swift 4 and Swallows 22 were between the Nature Park and Red Nab, feeding for a while then heading south. Another 5 Swallows south when I walked back

Swift

Swallows over Red Nab

Juvenile Swallow

Pied Wagtail 4 juvenile on Red Nab plus an adult near the waterfall 

Rock Pipit 1 each, Red Nab and Lighthouse 

I went down to check the feeding beach in the hope, but not expectation, that the green ringed Mediterranean gull would be there. It wasn't. Just 6 adults on the beach and a 7th seen flying towards it.

Mediterranean gulls

Shag 1 2nd calendar year on the wooden jetty with Cormorants 

Shag (centre)

Whimbrel 1

Whimbrel 

Butterflies in the Nature Park 

Large White 1

Red Admiral 2

Common Blue 2

Meadow Brown several 

Common Blue

Red Admiral 

Pretty much the same

A dry day with sunny spells. A fresh SW wind

Red Nab - Malcolm 09:15 - 10:00

There were a few more gulls than yesterday but again very flighty with 2 juvenile and an adult Peregrine Falcon flying around.

Two of the Peregrines 

The gulls were regularly lifting

Three of the four Mediterranean gulls seen

The shore is covered with these tiny snails. Not as dense yet as they will
be in a couple of weeks

This zoomed in shot shows the snails and the tracks they make as they graze algae
These are what the returning waders like to feed on here.

But today the Black-Headed gulls were feeding on them. Not the best quality clip, as both the gulls and the cameraman were being buffeted by the fresh wind.

Little Egret 2

Curlew 80+

Linnet 3

Rock Pipit 1

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:00 - 16:00

No Eider or Mergansers, but two Great Crested grebes this afternoon 

Little Egret just 1

Gulls 350 mainly Herring gulls, just one regular ringed bird seen

Oystercatcher c1200

Curlew c60

Redshank 34

Turnstone 12

Summer plumage Redshank

The Turnstone on the left has found a small morsel 

Looks like a tiny crab

This Lion's mane jellyfish was quite high up the shore - one not to touch!

Returning waders haven't gone unnoticed

A mainly overcast day with a few light showers. A west wind.

South shore Malcolm 09:30 - 10:30

I went to watch the tide reach Red Nab

Whimbrel 1 flew across the saltmarsh calling

Little Egret 5

Little Egret out from the foreshore 

There were hardly any gulls on Red Nab, and they were on
the easternmost edge

I could only find two Mediterranean gulls, this juvenile (top)....

.....and this adult (centre)

I didn't see any Peregrines but the gulls were very flighty, they even lifted when a Kestrel flew over.

There are lots of young large gulls

A pair of Great Black-backed gulls

Curlew 50+

Rock Pipit 1

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:00 - 16:00

c400 large gulls mainly Herring. Three ringed birds were seen, but only one new one for this summer.

N:20K - details awaited 

Black-Headed gulls c30

Eider 1 female flew in

Red-breasted Merganser 2 together 

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe 

There were a lot more waders than of late, but these too were flighty. There was at least one, probably two Peregrines buzzing them. They even managed to lift the Oystercatchers who normally stand their ground.

Oystercatcher and Curlew after being spooked by a Peregrine 

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew c50

Whimbrel 1

Whimbrel 

Redshank 16

At first glance this wader with an unusual wing marking looked interesting....

.....but just a Redshank with a leucistic feather. Same on both wings

Turnstone 81 - flocks of 57 and 18 plus a small feeding group

Summer Plumage Turnstone

This is part of the larger flock of Turnstone 

Nothing new, other than a Peregrine is back

Overnight rain, followed by the odd short shower during the day. The sun occasionally breaking through. A fresh NW wind.

South shore - Malcolm 15:15 - 16:30

A walk along the sea wall towards low water

Mediterranean gull 13 - 1 beside No.2 outfall, 12 on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty.

Adult Mediterranean gull by No.2 outfall

Adult Mediterranean gulls on the feeding beach, plenty of Sandmason
worm tubes showing

There were no gulls feeding on the outfalls

Just one Little Egret seen

Juvenile Peregrine falcon just one. There hasn't been any seen since the marauding pair of youngsters and an adult moved on a couple of weeks ago.

Juvenile Peregrine struggling to keep balance in the stiff wind

Then a bit of stoop practicing

Rock Pipit one along the sea wall, plus one on Red Nab. The Red Nab bird seemed to be finding food easily enough.

Still a few Butterflies in the Nature Park

Large White

Painted Lady

Red Admiral 

Meadow Brown, in a brown meadow 

A drop of rain was the highlight of the day!

It threatened rain all day, but the only shower was just after lunch. A fresh west wind.

Only my stuff so far (Malcolm), and I only managed one outing today.

South shore 09:00 - 10:15

I started at the saltmarsh at high water, hoping that there would be a large group of gulls on the mud. But there were just a handful of Black-Headed and Common gulls.

Black-Headed and Common gulls at the edge of the saltmarsh 

Red Nab wasn't much better!

Plenty of gulls on Red Nab, but I could only find two Mediterranean gulls

Mediterranean gulls (centre both shots)

One of four Little Egrets

Oystercatcher 1000+

Curlew 150+ were arriving all the time from the north side

Curlew

Just as I was leaving Red Nab one of the Power Station steam relief valves 
blew. All the birds lifted, probably after their own relief valves blew!

Rock Pipits 2 on Red Nab

The Sea Lavender on Red Nab is looking nice

Mediterranean gull flying back to Red Nab

Three Pied Wagtails sheltering from the wind on the foreshore