Inconclusive dragonfly vigil

Heysham Obs
No coastal birding today for a change!

A thorough breeding bird CBC-style census carried out on the Nature reserveand Landscape Strip highlighted by the first breeding Reed Bunting for a year or two on the reserve, at least one singing male Reed Warbler and two singing male Lesser Whitethroat in full voice again after a 'break'.

Insects
Butterflies
A disappointing by-product of the bird survey was once again the complete lack of Wall Brown which seems to have suddenly 'crashed' around here. A Red Admiral was in rapid transit north over the model boat pond

Dragonflies
A lunchtime vigil on the model boat pond on Middleton IE saw very unhelpful cloud managing to find the sun! Nevertheless a reasonable burst of sunshine saw 4-5 male Black-tailed Skimmer and an immature male RED DARTER spp which appeared to be Red-veined. Two Emperor were on the dog-walk pond and a 4-spotted Chaser had managed to find the '6 million dollar pond' in the Nature park.

Moths
Spectacle was new for the year in the trap as was a Mother Shipton seen by the model boat pond

Elsewhere
One adult and squeaking juvenile Long-eared Owl up Leck Fell - last plantation on left. Stay on road, please. Wood Warbler still singing at Tower Lodge.