Bank holiday tourists

South shore - 15:00 - 17:00
Wheatear - minimum 16
Rock Pipits 4 - 2 near lighthouse, 2 on Red Nab
Whinchat - 2 Red Nab

one of the Whinchat with a Wheatear

This bird was only seen briefly on PS razor wire near wooden jetty. Side in view was in shade, but is either a female or a juvenile Redstart (MD)

Skylark 1. This bird was resting on westen end of Ocean Edge foreshore

Mediterranean gulls 2 near wooden jetty.

Middleton Nature Reserve - mid morning
Cooler than last couple of days this morning, before sun broke through.
Mute - 1 pair with 5 young on main pond. 2 adult together on Tim Butler.
Coot - 1 on "no swimming" pond, plus 1 new arrival on main pond
Moorhen 6
Gadwall 10
Tufted 1 male
Little grebe 5 (2 x sp)

Bit cool for dragonflies, but still:
Emperor 1
Common darter 6
Migrant Hawker 3

Hopefully more later.

Sunday - insect action day

Middleton Nature Reserve - lunchtime
Tufted duck 1 male - on "no swimming" pond. First record this "autumn" but the liklihood is that it has been around a while and overlooked.

The hot sunny weather meant there was a lot of insect activity.
Butterflies:
Gatekeeper c10
Meadow Brown 2 (today's walk excluded most of the meadowlands)
Painted Lady c30 (half of them worn, half fresh)
Red Admiral 1
Peacock 1
Small White 3
Small Heath 3
Small Tortoiseshell 6
Common Blue c20
Wall Brown - a bright orange and black butterfly flew low straight and fast, till out of sight. It appeared to be a Wall, but couldn't be relocated and confirmed.
No Speckled Wood seen, despite checking likely habitats (too hot?)
Brimstone 1

Dragonflies:
Common Darter c30
Emperor 5
Brown Hawker 6
Migrant Hawker 2 + 3 other unidentified small hawkers
Broad-bodied Chaser - there was a freshly dead male on water surface of the new scrapes, plus this aging male on the seasonal pools to west of Tim Butler pond.

Saturday - insects in day

The warm weather and east breeze again brought insects in over sea wall between the wooden jetty and lighthouse, at low water. Although nothing exotic today.
Between 12:15 and 13:00, the following buterflies were seen coming in over the wall:
Painted Lady 14
Small Tortoiseshell 10
Small White 2
Red Admiral 1
No dragonflies seen today, but there were lots of smaller insects. Many of these stop for a rest as soon as they reach the top of the sea wall. This returning Wheatear was happily picking them off.

Until it was chased off, by what is presumed to be one of the breeding Rock Pipit.

Two more Rock Pipit watch on from the lighthouse.

Mediterranean gulls - 20 (including 3 juveniles) on beach beside wooden jetty 12:30

Swallow 9 south

Middleton Nature Reserve - evening
Water Rail 2 calling

Friday - anting day

Middleton Nature Reserve - early evening
Little grebe 5 (2 x sp, 2 x wp/j, plus at least one chick). All on "no swimming" pond.
Migrant Hawker 2

Gulls and swallows feeding on flying ants

Some of the swallows taking a rest from anting.