Thursday, 4 August 2022

Tern hangs around

WNW fresh wind, high clouds with plenty of sunny spells.

Heysham Nature Reserve 
These nice shots from Kevin:
Female Brimstone 

Small Copper - they have been scarce this year

Male Common Darter

South Shore on rising tide just after lunch (MD)
Mediterranean gulls 7 - I was hoping to watch the tide bring them close to the sea wall on the beach near wooden jetty, but as I was arriving they were already flying off, even though the tide was still well out. Six adults flew from the beach and a juvenile was feeding on No.1 outflows. Red Nab not checked.

Common gulls 3 juvenile also feeding on the outflows, making identifying juvenile Meds a bit more difficult.
Juvenile Common gull - upper wing pattern similar to juvenile Mediterranean
gull but underwing markings different to the clean underwing of juvenile Meds.
Mediterranean gull juvenile. A terrible shot, sorry, but it does show the clean underwing.
And, of course, the face is different.

Common Tern 1 adult feeding on No.2 outflow. Much easier to see when the shimmering sea isn't behind them.
Common Tern

Even so, I couldn't keep it in frame for long. This clip is on my way out, when not many gulls were feeding.

By the time I was heading back, there was a lot more competition for food.

Whimbrel 1 on Red Nab
Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

In the Nature Park
Butterflies:
Red Admiral 2
Meadow Brown 6
Common Blue 2
Large White 2
Small White 1

Dragonflies:
Emperor 1
Brown Hawker 1
Common Darter 2

This young Blue Tit seemed to be finding plenty of small insects on the weed of the newt pond. There are also at least eleven water snails zipping around.