Another Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Another hot sunny day with a light variable breeze.

South shore - Malcolm

09:45 - 11:00

I went out to watch the tide reaching Red Nab. Starting at the saltmarsh.

I saw the Meadow Pipit on the same bush as yesterday, then it flew to Ocean Edge grass. Less than a minute later it returned with not one, but two bush-crickets 

Its nest must be close to the bush, but it wouldn't go down to it while I was watching

Juvenile Pied Wagtail 

Summer Plumage Redshank

Mediterranean gull 46 minimum, including 3 juvenile 

I managed to find three white ringed birds, one new for this year. Also the Red Ringed 2nd calendar year Hungarian bird.

Red HJ8A

But there was another red ring and I only managed a glimpse of the top of it.

This is a typical ring sighting! This is an older red ringed bird and it
appears to end in 0. One to watch out for

There was also a white ringed Black-Headed gull

It is definitely one from a Dutch ringing scheme. The code looks to be E4V6.
But it was difficult reading in the bright sunlight and you can see the effects 
of the heat haze in the background. We await feedback from the scheme manager.

Once again there was no sign of the Peregrines, but a raptor did lift them all once. An Osprey flew over with a fish. And everything lifted, but quickly settled again.

The fish looks to be a small Bass. The Osprey flew east and would have
passed directly over Middleton Nature Reserve. Blue ring on its left leg.

I returned this afternoon to check the feeding beach by the wooden jetty, but all the gulls, including Mediterranean were anting. 

Gulls including a Med (top right) over the Nature Park 

Swift 3 over the Nature Park

The number of Cormorants on the wooden jetty is increasing again

Some sort of "pigeon" between the Cormorants. 

The 2cy Shag relegated to the lower level

Rock Pipit with grubs above the lighthouse nest area

The breeze was from the west, and very refreshing it was too. But no good for insect movement here and nothing was coming in off.

There was quite a lot going on in the Nature Park

Red Admiral 35

Painted Lady 4

Peacock 1

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

Red Admiral

Painted Lady

Peacock

The heady smell of the Buddleia was almost overpowering, but this Hummingbird Hawkmoth looked to be feeding on tiny flowers but Maurice Ponshas correctly identified this behaviour as; "this is a female landing on a non flowering Lady,s Bedstraw for a split second to lay an egg. A sight rarely recorded."

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

Redeyed invasion!

Another hot sunny day, with a light breeze that couldn't decide which direction to blow!

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

There has been a significant increase in the number of Small Red-eyed damselflies! These were over the main pond at the NW corner.

Not every one of these is a Redeye, but most are!

These were in the SW corner

Small Red-eyed Damselflies 

This male Emperor has just finished eating a Ladybird 

Male Banded Demoiselle near the seat in the car park

A Common Sandpiper flew across the pond

On the south side

Ruddy Darter, at least 2 males in different areas of the pond.

Male Ruddy Darters

Common Darter

Brown Hawker

Bluetail Damselflies

Common Blue

Tatty Green-Veined White

Six-spot Burnet

Hoverfly sp

South shore - Malcolm

09:15 -10:30

I thought this Meadow Pipit by the saltmarsh had caught a grasshopper.
But its antennae are very long, suggesting bush-cricket? Either way I
wouldn't fancy being the youngster that gets this pushed down its throat!

I went out on the shore to watch the tide covering Red Nab. 

There were plenty of gulls awaiting 

At one point all the Curlew left, but the gulls didn't move, it must have just
been time for the Curlew to move on. The arrow points to an Osprey resting 
on the post at the end of No.2 outfall

This is a slightly clearer shot of the Osprey. It was there the whole outing 

Mediterranean gulls 36, including a juvenile 

Juvenile Mediterranean gull

For a change there was no disturbance by the Peregrines. I just had to wait 
till they had to move a little as the tide pushed them higher, to check all their
legs for rings. Fortunately there were three ringed: white, yellow and green

The yellow ringed bird is a returning regular. Ringed as a chick in Germany 
in 2019, it has been seen at Heysham every summer since except 2021. Most
years here was its only sighting but it was seen in Poland just 18 days ago.

The green ringed bird is also a returning bird. Ringed as a chick in France in 2022, it was seen at Heysham last year and then back in France between January - May this year. 

The White ringed bird is new for Heysham, and not the one seen yesterday at the feeding beach. Ringed as a breeding bird in Holland in 2025, it was also seen at Merseyside last year.

One of two Little Egret

All the gulls were still there as I was forced off by the incoming tide.
It was nice to watch them undisturbed for a change.

I returned at 14:30 to walk along the sea wall to watch the feeding beach become exposed. But only two Meds turned up and there were no sandmason worm tubes showing close to the sea wall.

Mediterranean gull on an empty beach

2nd calendar year Shag on the wooden jetty

Rock Pipit having a daintier snack than a bush-cricket

At this time the breeze had shifted to the west and nothing was coming in off the sea. But just as I was getting back to Red Nab it moved to the east again and in the last few hundred metres 3 Red Admirals, a Painted Lady and a Small White came in.

There were lots of Red Admirals in the Nature Park, plus 2 Painted Lady, 2 Peacock, a Brimstone and a Large White.

Also Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Small White

Brimstone