Light west breeze sunny and very hot (30C car temperature at 14:00)
South shore
A check 4 hours after high water
Mediterranean gull 2 adult on waterline next to the wooden jetty
The Black-Headed gulls were feeding on No.1 outflow again, presumably it's back on line.
Rock Pipits 2 - one young bird on Ocean Edge foreshore a second along the sea wall looked to be a youngster, but didn't see plumage clearly enough to be certain (MD)
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| Young Rock Pipit on Ocean Edge |
Grey Seal 1 at sea end on No.1 outflow.
Middleton Nature Reserve
I was planning on keeping out of the sun till evening, but at midday it was cooler out than indoors, if you could find shade. Even so, there was only me out, fortunately no mad dogs! (MD)
Mute Swan the Tim Butler pair had both cygnets on show today, plus a single female on the "no swimming" pond. The pair with 9 cygnets still on the main pond.
Mallard 17 juvenile
Gadwall 1 female plus 3 young - they were having to work hard to reach as deep as mum, but on a day like today it looked very refreshing.
Little grebe 2 adult on the "no swimming" pond. This clip shows the number of damselflies around today. The grebe make a half hearted effort to catch one.
There were plenty of warblers calling and feeding, but only the Chiffchaffs were singing.
Swift 4
Swallow 10
Butterflies were plentiful and I didn't attempt to count, but in some areas Ringlet are the predominant species, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper are the most common in other areas. Also around today: Small and Large Skipper, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Small White and Comma.
Dragonflies: Emperor, Brown Hawker, Black-Tailed Skimmer, Broad-Bodied Chaser and Common Darter.
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| Black-Tailed Skimmer |
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| Broad-Bodied Chaser |
Grasshoppers are everywhere and have been for some while, but for some reason this one decided to rest on the concrete road. Not an obvious resting place in today's temperatures.
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| Common Field Grasshopper |
Ringing and Moth report from Pete
Ringing - Eight species of warbler caught including two unringed juvenile Grasshopper
Overnight light trap on Middleton - Best moth was Agonopterix conterminella but unfortunately picture was rubbish also very worn Grass Emerald and Eucosma tripoliana wandering from the saltmarsh as they often seem to do. Also:
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| Southern Wainscot |
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| Agapeta zoegana |
6 Lunar Hornet Moth at Heysham NR today4 at SD407 600 and 2 on Landscape strip at the gate SD 407599 and 1 halfway down back fence at SD407594 ref Linda Renshaw
