Very light winds from all directions till lunch, then settled from the west. A warm sunny afternoon.
South Shore (MD)
A morning check on the rising tide.
Mediterranean gull 9+ - there was just one adult on the beach near the jetty, but at least 8 adult/3rd calendar year on Red Nab with the Black-Headed gulls.
Rock Pipit 7 - Red Nab was quiet today with just one, there were three together along the foreshore.
Both the ringed male and the female were above the lighthouse nest site, but not going down to feed them, looked like they were trying to entice the young to come out of the nest. It was ideal conditions with almost no wind. The third "helper" bird had not got the message though and was still taking food to them. Anyway it confirms that this is the second brood this year for this pair.
This clip is the female, she was distracted by a small passing fly, it wasn't passing for long!
Middleton Nature Reserve mid afternoon (MD)
Mute Swan 2 adult still with 7, now quite large cygnets
Little grebe 3 adult
Warblers singing
Cetti's Warbler - just the "no swimming" pond male
Willow Warbler,
Chiffchaff,
Lesser Whitethroat 2 singing today, not heard them for a while
Common Whitethroat
Reed Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Stock Dove 2 flew east, later a single bird, probably one of the earlier two flew to water treatment works.
There weren't lots of butterflies, but a good variety of species.
Ringlet - by far the most common
Meadow Brown several
Gatekeeper - just one probable
Speckled Wood just 1
Large Skipper several
Small Skipper 4
Red Admiral 1
White - probably green-veined 1
Clouded Yellow 1 female was flitting around to the west of Tim Butler pond. Unfortunately a pack of dogs passed by mid flitter and I lost sight of it. Possibly heading for the grassland to south of Tradebe.
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| Clouded Yellow |
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| This shot with the sun shining through its wings shows the dark upper wing pattern |
Narrow bordered Five-Spot Burnet - everywhere!
Silver Y, 3 - this one was feeding frantically
Again a decent variety
Emperor 6
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| Male Emperor Dragonfly |
Broad Bodied Chaser 6
Four-Spotted Chaser 1
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| Male Four-Spotted Chaser |
Common Darter 2
All the regular Damselflies were active too including this Common Emerald Damselfly
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| Damselflies do not normally rest with their wings spread, but Common Emerald Damselflies are actually part of a subgroup called Spreadwings. Their other name is Common Spreadwing |
I think these are Cardinal Beetles, whatever they are they seemed to be enjoying the sunshine.
