Crossbill surprise & Willow Warblers trickle through

Heysham Obs
"Dog-walk" pond (half way along Heysham BE land 'landscape strip' running to OE from the reserve)
Ad male Common Crossbill drinking water mid-pm (thanks Paul)

Heysham NR
The CES ringing revealed a trickle of Willow Warblers but very little else around - the dearth of Whitethroats around the office was noticeable. We usually have trouble with this species in the moth trap at this time of year but not at all in 2008 - surely very poor productivity from what appeared to be an 'average' breeding population.

Middleton IE
Ringing saw a few Willow and Sedge Warblers with a couple of Whitethroat. Two singing male Grasshopper Warbler and c5 Meadow Pipit and under 20 Swift (anyone else had trouble using the 'less than' symbol, citing incomplete HTML?)

Outfalls area
Sandwich Tern - c6
Med Gull - Czech-ringed Ad & 2nd Summer
Little Gull - Ad & 1st S
Common Sandpiper - 2 by wooden jetty

Half-moon Bay
roosting Sandwich tern

Insects
Heysham Nature reserve: one 4-spotted Chaser, 1 Emperor, 1 Brown Hawker, 8 Common Darter the only dragonflies. Full butterfly survey comprised: 65 Meadow Brown, 19 Common Blue, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Small Copper, 10 Speckled Wood, 35 Small White, 15 Green-veined White, 1 Large White, 2 Peacock, 3 Holly Blue, 13 Gatekeeper, 1 Comma, 2 Small Heath. Painted Lady in nearby garden.
Middleton IE: 4 x 4-spotted Chaser, 14 Emperor, 4 Black-tailed Skimmer, one Brown Hawker, one Common Hawker and c30 Common Darter. Butterflies included one Red Admiral, one late Large Skipper, 12 Small Skipper
Moth trap: Fan-foot new for the year as was Small Phoenix!

Elsewhere
Two Spotted Flycatcher searching around the moth trap as I type this (High Tatham). Spoonbill & 3 Little Egret Leighton, 3 Little Egret Aldcliffe