Thursday, 11 August 2022

Four colour ringed Oystercatcher

Very hot again with light variable breeze and wall to wall sunshine.

South shore
Report from Red Nab by Pete Crooks:
A check through the gulls and waders on this morning’s incoming tide:
28 Mediterranean Gull – 15 adults, 1 2nd summer, 2 1st summer, 10 juveniles – all gradually departed SE between 9.15 and 9.50 am.
Oystercatcher – happy to remain on the diminishing areas of sandstone at Red Nab much longer than the gulls. A careful check through the large flock (2000+ ? but not counted) revealed at least 4 colour-ringed birds, including one probably from Devon/Cornwall (details awaited), one of as yet uncertain origin and two with faded colour-rings or unreadable codes; plus at least 7 metal-ringed birds.
Also: 1 Wigeon and 1 Whimbrel

I checked foreshore and saltmarsh (MD)
Rock Pipit 2 on foreshore 
Wheatear 1 on saltmarsh 
Wheatear 

Grey Plover 10 - they were on the tideline out from the foreshore, but we are back to spring tides now and it was coming in quickly. They got fed up of constantly moving with the tide and quickly flew off.


Heysham skear - just a quick evening check found nothing different to yesterday except that the scoter was not present.


Just out of Recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 
Janet checked it out today and took these excellent shots:

Common Darters ovipositoring 
This shots shows the dark peat bog water

Black Darters "in cop"
Great shot this, I didn't see any females earlier in the week (MD)

Common Green Grasshoppers everywhere!


Roebuck, looking tired now as we approach the end of mating season

Sulby Tate Kennels Middleton (also Janet)

this morning a line about 30+ Swallows sat along a wire, they have been nesting in their stables