Grey Phalarope makes it a top treble!

It was definitely post storm today with much lighter winds varying from WNW to WSW. Sunshine for much of the day

Pete is still housebound with car problems, yesterday he suggested Leach's Petrel and Grey Phalarope were likely. We managed the Leach's with a Sabine's bonus, today......

Grey Phalarope 1 located by Kevin Eaves in the Harbour towards low water in the afternoon.

Grey Phalarope - picture by Kevin

I didn't see it when I checked the harbour this morning (MD) but it was still around the NW side of the harbour early evening when Shaun checked. It was prone to short flights. Pete advises that if it manages to remain overnight the weather should hold it around a while.

Other stuff on the south shore on my morning check

Linnet/Goldfinch 66 in mixed feeding flock around saltmarsh slipway

Rock Pipit 3

Skylark 1 on slipway side of foreshore. They are very confiding here - this clip begins with it cowering as a dog passed by, but as soon as the dog had passed it continued its normal business even though I was only 3m away.

Jackdaw 5 east

Mediterranean gull 3 adult 1 on Red Nab, 1 patrolling the sea wall and at least 1 out from the harbour mouth.

The rising tide and still quite fresh wind had focused the detritus from the storm along a line against the current. There were about 30 gulls feeding along this line, these are a few.

This is the Med

Shag 1 immature - this was the only bird of note seen in the harbour this morning 

 Shag displaying its proto crest

Kingfisher 1 seen again by Janet at the dog walk pond

Heysham skear - low water 18:00

I had a walk around an hour before low water

Eider just 2, 1 each male and female

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 9. This is a slightly different take off view.

Little Egret 13

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone plus

Ringed Plover 17

Knot 7

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD)

I popped in this morning to see how the Fly Agaric was doing - not a sign of it! Assuming no one has picked it, something must have eaten it, stem and all.

These wasps had taken to one of the many guide notices around the reserve. There are c9,000 species of wasp in the UK, not just the one or two species that people normally think of. Most of them not even yellow and black, but these were, I'm pretty sure these are Potter Wasps (they build individual mud pots that are sealed with one egg and a paralysed prey inside). But with 8,999 others to choose from, I could be wrong! If I am, hopefully someone will correct me.

I don't think the second wasp sees the first as a potential mate.

Potter Wasp - I think (MD)