Not many Meds mid morning

Very heavy overnight rain eased by 08:00, just a couple of showers after that. A fresh SW wind and mainly sunny after mid afternoon.

South Shore (MD)

I went along the wall mid morning to check the beach next to wooden jetty before he tide covered it.

Rock Pipits 1 on Red Nab. No sign of the male near lighthouse but the female was standing guard. The helping bird was still carrying food, presumably to take to the nest site, but I didn't actually see where it went.

Mediterranean gulls no more than 10! I didn't see any walking down to the wooden jetty. There was only 1 adult and 1 x 2nd calendar year on the beach. They were briefly joined by a white darvic ringed adult, but too distant/brief to read.

On my return along the wall there were 3 adult and 6 x 2nd calendar year resting on No.2 outflow rocks. 

The low number of Meds could just be a reflection of my limited range, or possibly flushed early and left for the estuary.

This shot is one of Kevin's from a couple of days ago. They really are very smart in summer plumage.

Adult, summer plumage Mediterranean gull
You can make out the tips of the Sandmason worm tubes

Kevin, had a look for the Hummingbird Hawkmoth this afternoon, but there was no sign.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

I just did a 15 minute circuit of the main pond in the evening sunshine (MD)

Mute Swan 2 adult plus 7 cygnet 

Mallard 5 males in eclipse plus a female with 2 largish chicks.

Little grebe 1 adult plus 3 large juvenile 

Female Mallard and young with juvenile Little grebe behind

The three juvenile Little grebe were feeding themselves, under the watchful eye of an adult. These are the three juveniles.

Cormorant 1 feeding

Stock Dove 2

Swift 2

Swallow 3

Singing warblers:

Sedge Warbler

Willow Warbler 

Chiffchaff 

Blackcap 

Common Sandpiper 1 - it kept flitting from one bank to the other

Common Sandpiper zipping past a sawn

It eventually landed on the tip of the peninsula, unfortunately the strong sunshine washed out much of its plumage detail.

Butterflies 

Ringlet - the path from the top of the steps between the long brick building (gun club) and the abandoned building towards the top car park is full of them.

Meadow Brown several 

Large Skipper several

Red Admiral 1

Dragonflies 

Emperor 3

Black Tailed Skimmer several, including ovipositoring females

Common Darter several