Enterprising Crows

A fine sunny day with a west(ish) breeze.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 14:15 - 15:30

Nothing on the sea again.

Little Egrets at least 9, probably more, but they were very mobile on the incoming tide.

Gulls, mainly Herring gulls c300

Some of the gulls and a nice view of Black Combe.
Only one of these had a colour ring and that was one of the regulars

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew only 15 seen

Both Redshank 30 and Turnstone 25 were also down on recent numbers.

Knot 9 (2, 3 and 5). They all appeared to be juveniles.

Juvenile Knot

Dunlin 7 (2, 1 and 4)

Dunlin

Middleton Nature Reserve - Malcolm

Just a quick look at the two largest ponds on my way home.

Main pond

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 18

Tufted Duck 3

Coot 14

Moorhen 1 

Immature Moorhen

Tufted Duck drakes

These Carrion Crows were turning over stones and weed in the margins
looking for invertebrates 

"No swimming" pond

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 7

Coot 2

Moorhen 1 adult

At least one Ruddy Darter still around

A dry and mainly sunny morning and afternoon with a freshening west breeze. Showers began in the evening 

Canada geese flying SE over Kingsway 08:30 - Janet

Heysham Skear - Malcolm 10:15 - 11:15

We have quickly moved back to very low neap tides which don't expose a great expanse of skear. At least it provided an opportunity to count the concentrated gulls. 280 mainly Herring.

Nothing on the sea except gulls.

Little Egret 11

Oystercatcher 1500

Curlew 100

Redshank 120

Knot 1

Turnstone 70

Dunlin 2

Ringed Plover 3

Herring Gull, Oystercatcher and Redshank

Knot and Turnstone 

Turnstone 

Curlew

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Ruddy Darter near the pond on the southern section 

There were a lot of Common Darters around. These were over what remains of the open water on the south side pond

There were a couple of Painted Lady 

Ocean Edge foreshore - Malcolm 13:30 - 14:00

Goldfinch 2

Linnet 2

Wheatear 9

Linnet

Adult male Wheatear

One of the many guises of Harlequin Ladybird by the entrance

Heysham Nature Reserve - Malcolm 14:10 - 14:40

Painted Lady 2

Red Admiral 1

Meadow Brown 3

Small White 15+

Speckled Wood 10+

There were lots of Common Darter here too, including resting on the boardwalk rails, but no sign of a Ruddy Darter here today

Male Common Darter

This one next to what looks like a bird dropping. If it was something in 
disguise, it was a good one!

Talking of disguise, this female is doing a good job of looking like a twig!

50mm morning rain!

Very heavy rain started 06:30 and by the time it eased at lunchtime Kevin's weather station had recorded an impressive 50mm! After the rain there were a few sunny intervals. A SE wind.

South shore - Malcolm 13:00 - 14:30

It was still raining when I set off but it had eased to light rain and brighter weather was clearly on the way.

Two of four Carrion Crows sitting out the last of the rain

Two of seven Pied Wagtail on Ocean Edge grass. The parched grass here
will appreciate the watering

Swift 1 flew north

Wheatears 7 (5 on the foreshore and 2 on Red Nab)

Wheatears

Rock Pipits 3 (1 on foreshore 2 on Red Nab)

Rock Pipit

Common Whitethroat at least 4 flitting around between the foreshore and Red Nab

Common Whitethroat 

It had only just stopped raining and an Osprey was already fishing.

Osprey high over the wooden jetty

But is soon settled onto the post at the end of No.2 outfall and spent
some time preening

Blue ring on its right leg

It had another go at fishing, but eventually returned to the post fishless.

There were just two Black-Headed gulls on the beach by the wooden jetty,
and no sign of any Sandmason worm tubes

Peregrine Falcon 2 together flew behind the Power Stations

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

A couple of shots after the rain

Small White

Silver Y

Not much......if you can call an Osprey "not much"

Some overnight rain and an odd shower during the day. Some sunny spells. A light west breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet took some insect shots with here phone

Common Darters.
Also Migrant Hawker seen

Speckled Wood

Square-spot Rustic

I exercised my daughter's dogs around the NE section of the reserve (Malcolm)

Brown Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter several

Red Admiral 1

Painted Lady 1

Several Whites, the ones checked were Small Whites

Common Blue 3

Meadow Brown several

Speckled Wood several

One Chiffchaff calling and several Goldfinch were the only birds seen or heard

Red Nab - Malcolm 14:15 - 15:00

There were fewer gulls again and I couldn't find any Mediterranean gulls

Whimbrel at least one calling

Curlew c80

Curlew leaving Red Nab. There was an Osprey on the post today

More accurately, the Osprey was resting on top of the white box on the post.

I didn't see it leave but the birds did. Everything on Red Nab lifted, but they soon settled again.

This is the same angle shot, but devoid of Osprey

One of two Little Egret

Wheatear 2 along the foreshore 

Wheatear showing its white rump

Eider numbers returning

Heavy overnight rain followed by some light showers during the day. A fresh SW wind shifted to W.

Heysham skear - Malcolm 11:15 -12:15

A check on the rising tide hampered by several light showers 

Eider 28 - 5 individual males and a raft of 23 that all looked to be males.

Eider

Great Crested Grebe 1

Great Crested Grebe and an Eider

Little Egret 14

Some of the Egrets

They were frantically fishing (or shrimping) as the tide rushed in.

Gulls, mainly Herring gulls c200

Oystercatcher c1500

Curlew 15

Redshank 100+

Turnstone 60+

Ringed Plover 2

Saltmarsh to Red Nab - Malcolm 13:30 - 14:15

Linnet 2 by the saltmarsh 

Wheatear 3 along the foreshore 

Wheatear

Not as many gulls on Red Nab today and both they and the waders were very flighty. I didn't see any raptors, but presumably there had been at least one around.

There are three Mediterranean gulls in the air in this shot

Mediterranean gulls 8 including one 1st calendar year bird

Mediterranean gull (centre) with Black-Headed gulls

1st calendar year Mediterranean gull

Oystercatcher c1500

Oystercatcher (no Osprey on the post today)

Curlew 100+ most flying south directly from the north side

Whimbrel 2 - one flew from Red Nab calling, at least one other calling from somewhere on Red Nab