Middleton Nature Reserve early morning (PM. JR)
Bit too clear this am- tomorrow looks better especially if early morning shower materialises.
Low double figures new birds ringed - mainly willow warbler plus a juvenile Male Sparrowhawk and two out of the three tree pipit.
Green Sandpiper best of casual sightings/hearings - prob flushed from model boat pond 06:10ish
South shore (MD)
Started 10:30 - low water. The breeze at that time was from NE
There were a few gulls on the beach next to wooden jetty, including 1 adult Mediterranean gull
There were plenty of butterflies coming in off the sea, but the north in the breeze brought them ashore mainly along the south facing south wall and Ocean Edge foreshore. Almost all small white, the highest rate counted was 4 per minute along the foreshore at 11:00.
By 12:00 - tide still out - the breeze was ENE, resulting in more butterflies along the north side of the Power Station. There were 22 Small White between the lighthouse and the waterfall.
Another quick check on ebbing tide at 18:00 - tide out as far as No.1 outflow, found only a handful of butterflies remaining.
Other butterflies seen today, presumably after coming in off:
Red Admiral 4
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Common Blue 3
 |
| I'm not sure if this female Common Blue is faded or just half way between the brown and blue variant (MD) |
Rock Pipit 1 Red Nab
Ringed Plover 8 out from salt marsh
Willow Warbler 2 in brambles near lighthouse
There are large numbers of recently fledged Herring and Lesser Black-Backed gulls around. This group photographed yesterday by Kevin.
 |
| Juvenile Herring gull |
