Sunday 3 August 2008

High spring tide and holidaytime...plus some decent late afternoon insects

Heysham Obs
More jetskis than birds by late morning, but earlier sightings as follows (thanks Mark, John and Colin x 2):

Stage 2 outfall
Med Gull - juvenile giving good comparison with juv Common Gull
Little Gull - two 1st S ->2nd W , one 2nd S->Ad W

Red Nab pre-tide
Whimbrel - one
Med Gull - 2 ads, one the Czech bird

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2nd S->3rd W to bread

Insects
Butterflies
Highlighted by at least one Wall Brown in the NE of the nature reserve, a rare insect here these days. Grayling on the track to the container by the office. Also single Gatekeeper Middleton IE & 3+ on HN reserve. An unspecified number of Red Admiral & Peacock - probably just one-two of each?
Moths
Bordered Beauty, Nutmeg, Dark Sword Grass in the moth trap.
Dragonflies
Still no Ruddy Darter sightings this year. 4 male and one female Migrant Hawker on the reserve along with 2 male Common Hawker for comparison. 3 Brown Hawker on the reserve. A few Emperor on Middleton IE.

Elsewhere
Wood Sandpiper Allen Pool but mobile and disappeared early afternoon. Sanderling & 1,200ish Dunlin on Lune at Sunderland. Ad Yellow-legged Gull & somewhat contentious 3CY large gull together at high tide off Glasson