Much lighter west wind today, high cloud with sunshine increasing during the day
South shore (MD)
Morning on ebbing tide
Linnet 6 on saltmarsh
Rock Pipits 3
Mediterranean gulls 4 adult plus a 1st calendar year. The very low neap tide still hadn't exposed the beach next to the jetty, but there was one adult waiting on rocks and the 1cy and an adult on sea out from the harbour. Two more adults were making their way there from Red Nab as I walked back.
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| First calendar year Mediterranean gull out from Harbour |
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| This adult Mediterranean gull has a very pale mask. |
Little Egret 3 on Red Nab
A second quick check in the evening towards high water found the small mullet were back in the channel below the sea wall.
This channel is formed by the freshwater stream that runs through then around Red Nab. This shot shows the filling channel, as it winds around Red Nab.
Little Egret - four feeding along this channel plus another two along the channel forming along the old water pipeline.
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| Little Egret, looking particularly splendid |
Nature Park
Common Darter 1
Migrant Hawker 2
The only butterflies seen were Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood.
I wasn't planning on posting this, I only asked Kevin and Alison for identification for my own interest. But the answer was more generally interesting (well, at least I think so MD). It's an Alder Leaf Beetle
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| Alder Leaf beetle (7mm length) below an Alder near the small anemometer |
According to Wikipedia, as recently as 2004 this species was thought extinct in the UK. Then after a sighting in Manchester it has been spreading around the NW. I knew that I hadn't seen one before when I saw it, but there are literally thousands of UK beetles that I've not seen!
