Duck numbers growing plus another Clouded Yellow

Quite a fresh east breeze, mainly sunny with some overcast spells.

First some pictures by Kevin Singleton from yesterday:

Painted Lady - Middleton Nature Reserve 

Curlew - south shore

Eider - south shore

Heysham skear - low water 10:20 (MD)

Just the standard fare today

Little Egret 9

Grey Heron 1

Eider 5 including one eclipsed male

Great Crested Grebe 5

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (4 + 1)

Waders - just: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and 3 Ringed Plover

South shore

Clouded Yellow butterfly  one male by the saltmarsh slipway, seen by Pete this morning.

I checked it out early afternoon (MD).

I started on the eastern side of the saltmarsh where the bulk of the Sea Asters are. No sign of the Clouded Yellow but 15 Small White and 2 Small Tortoiseshell coming in/feeding

Small White, topping up on a Sea Aster before continuing inland

There were another 7 small white and 1 Small Tortoiseshell between saltmarsh and Red Nab, some obviously coming in. Then no more along the sea wall till No.1 outflow (where the tide had reached the sea wall). Between there and lighthouse another 8 small White and 2 Small Tortoiseshell - both the Tortoiseshell and a couple of the Whites seen to come in off the sea. Unusually, there were no butterflies along the scrub between lighthouse and waterfall.

Rock Pipit - just the 1 defending the drying "pool" on Red Nab

Linnet 18 on the rocks near the pool on Red Nab

Wheatear 5 - 1 on foreshore plus 4 taking advantage of the insects coming in off the sea near the roundhead.

A particularly rufous Wheatear 

This one seems to have a bee or wasp, either way, it wasn't prepared to swallow it. It didn't help this bee, but it might prevent others from being taken.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

I just called in on my way home to check the "no swimming" pond 

Coot 1 

Little grebe 1 adult 

Little grebe - still in summer plumage, although fading slightly 

Shoveler 1 male

Male Shoveler in eclipse - they always make me smile (MD)

Gadwall 12 including 6 males coming out of eclipse. They were all preening and washing their new feathers. This male was typical (co-staring: Coot, Shoveler and Moorhen (not obvious))

Water Rail - I'm not sure about this. Loud squeals certainly sound like a Water Rail but they appear to be coming from the industrial area to the south. But unless they are castrating pigs in there, I can't think what else it could be.

Swallow 3

Janet took these shots

Migrant Hawker 

Brimstone - looking splendid with the sun shining through its wings