Goosander "lingers" and Silver Y invasion continues.

A fresh SW wind with some heavy squalls. The rain started about 08:00 with only a few short dry spells for the rest of the day.

Anticipating a washout today, I saved some shots from yesterday. These two are from Kevin Singleton on Heysham Head.

A nice bright Goldfinch - obviously not from today

Rock Pipit

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Goosander 1 juvenile - the reason "lingers" is in inverted commas in today's title is because I'm not sure if it lingered or returned. I arrived at the main pond at 09:30 and had failed to locate the (relatively large) bird in 10 minutes. I just popped across to check the "no swimming" pond and when I returned it was in the middle of the main pond fishing. And fishing with gusto! Same technique, snorkel then a quick dive, there were obviously plenty of fish to catch its eye. I didn't see it catch one this morning, but I only watched for a couple of minutes as it was lashing down. 

I called in again at 16:00, it was still there, no longer fishing, but cruising around the pond preening. Presumably well fed.

South shore (MD)

Mediterranean gulls 5 was the most seen at one time. There was an adult and a first summer on Red Nab and another adult on saltmarsh beach at high water. There were 3 adult and 2 first summer on beach near the wooden jetty and occasionally on the outflow, towards low water.

Adult Mediterranean gull
Another sunlit shot from yesterday, the same scene today, but in pouring rain!

Rock Pipit 1 near the lighthouse - we both sheltered from a heavy squall in the lee of the lighthouse for a while.

Linnet 5 near Lighthouse 6 on saltmarsh 

One of yesterday's saltmarsh Linnets

Finally, this from Kevin Eaves:

Following on from Janet's comment about the number of Silver Ys yesterday, I had 18 in the trap last night!

Goosander surprise, and two red letter insects

A fresh west breeze. Sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP/MD)

Janet checked just before lunch and spotted

Goosander 1 surprisingly early juvenile on the main pond.  Goosander have historically been very uncommon in the recording area, but we had adults off passage in the spring and now a juvenile.

I checked just after lunch the Goosander was still around.

Juvenile Goosander

It was actively feeding, but not wasting any effort. It was searching for a target by snorkelling then diving after it. A House Martin then a Swift zip past, with sound effects, during this clip.

Not the most elegant of dives, but effective. It caught a Tench.

Goosander with a Tench

After that it chilled for a while and provided nice views of its plumage.

On the "no swimming" pond there was a male Gadwall in eclipse, plus a female with six well developed young. Previous sightings of a female with young on this pond there were only five. So, either one had been out of sight on all previous sightings or there are two broods. Time should tell.

Female Gadwall with a brood of six

Red-Veined Darter 1 male on the west bank of the main pond

Male Red-Veined Darter

Also: Four-Spotted Chaser, Black-Tailed Skimmer and Emperors 

Female Large White

Other insect shots from Janet:

Female Meadow Brown

Comma

Also Ringlet and Small Skipper

Silver Y

The Six-spot Burnet clearly like this flower

Common Green Grasshopper 

South shore

Nature Park - Kevin Eaves

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 feeding on the Buddleia

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

Cinnabar moth Caterpillar 

Small Tortoiseshell 

Also seen:

Ringlet (several)

Meadow Brown

Red Admiral

Comma

Speckled Wood

Small White

Small Skipper

Gatekeeper

Six-spot Burnet

I did a quick morning check at High Water (MD)

No gulls on Red Nab, a large group out from the saltmarsh, but mainly Black-Headed gulls, only 2 adult and 2 first summer Mediterranean gulls with them.

Curlew 151 strung out along the waterline.

Lapwing 2

Linnet 10 on saltmarsh 

A walk along the sea wall in the evening rising tide fared little better.

Mediterranean Gulls 10+ there were 2 adult and 2 first summer on beach next to wooden jetty and on No.1 outflow (not a single large gull on this beach today). There were lots of gulls along the stream of fresh water beyond Red Nab at least 2 more adult and 4 first summer. Unfortunately they were flushed by a dog before I could have a close look.

Rock Pipit - just a solitary bird near the lighthouse not feeding.

Janet had commented on how many Silver Y there were on
Middleton today. Then went home to find her garden full of them too!

Mainly Meds again, but one with distinction!

 A light but gusty SW wind. Overcast with showers, some heavy.

South shore (MD)

I walked down the sea wall on the ebbing tide this morning.

Mediterranean gulls 11 at least. There were 3 adults 2 first summer and a second summer on the beach between the two outflows - these included two white darvic ringed adults, one of which was just close enough to read. An adult and 4 first summer feeding on the end of No.1 outflow. And two adults came to the beach near the wooden jetty when it became exposed, possibly ones already seen.

It was mainly Herring gulls that arrived to feed at the wooden jetty beach, plus the metal ringed adult with a bad leg (later joined by an unringed adult).

They were all catching sandmason worms, and quite easily. In this clip, a Lesser Black-Backed first then the Med

First summer Mediterranean gull resting on No.2 outflow railings

One of the adults with a white darvic ring

This is the history of yesterday's green ringed first summer Mediterranean gull. Pete advises that it was ringed as a nestling about half way down the French Atlantic coastline, further south and west than any previous source of nestlings subsequently seen in Lancs 

Eider 3 female out

Curlew 72 flew north in small groups

Rock Pipit just one seen on the roundhead wall, no sign of any taking food to nest

I returned to watch the tide cover the beach next to the wooden jetty, it was full of both gulls and sandmason worm tubes! 

Herring Gulls 30

Lesser Black-Backed gulls 5

Common gull 4

Mediterranean gull 10 - 6 adult, 2 first summer and 2 second summer. None were colour ringed. 

The mud is still deep and soft, but I have never seen so many tubes poking through the mud over such a large area. Presumably the worms have benefited from a couple of years of relatively low predation by the small gulls. It looks like that is about to change now that the large gulls are deeming them a worthwhile meal. This clip is just to show the density of the sandmason worms.

Although, the mud will still be softer than normal, the sheer density of the sandmason worm tubes within it will make it effectively firmer. It could be going to be good for the Meds later in the summer, as long as the large gulls don't take too many.

On the way back, once again there were gulls scattered all over the shore, there was at least one additional white ringed Mediterranean gull, so there are at least two ringed birds yet to be read. Hopefully they will hang around.

Nice to see (and hear) a Redshank zipping through

Watch this egret, I think it's just a Little Egret with muddy feet (MD).

Just a bit of fun, it obviously landed in a drain channel. But there is a serious message too, the beach ahead looks flat, but is crisscrossed with natural and constantly shifting drains, you need to be on the right side of them when the tide is coming in, and you can't trust your eyes to be sure that you are safe.

Janet took these nice shots of a Ringlet with a rain drop on its antennae.

A wringing Ringlet!

One out of three.........must try harder!

A fresh SW wind. It rained for most of the day, but with a fortunate break early evening.

South shore high water 18:50 (MD)

The plan was to get out on the shore and look back at the gulls on Red Nab. Unfortunately, it seems the gulls had the same idea and they were scattered all over the shore and several feeding on No.2 outflow. There had obviously been an influx of adult Meds, but it was very difficult keeping track of them as they, and the other gulls were highly mobile. The following are absolute minimum numbers.

Mediterranean Gulls 24 - adult 8, first summer 14, second summer 2

There hasn't been any feeding on No.2 outflow but this evening there were 3 adult, 2 x 1st summer and 2 x 2nd summer. This is a slightly different angle of the outflow as I followed an adult as it was feeding.

Two of the adults had white darvic rings, unfortunately I couldn't quite read them!

This is typical of how the birds were scattered around the shore.
Three adult and three first summer here, the middle bird is one of the white darvic ringed adults.

Later a few gulls, mainly Meds, settled on Red Nab
Adult, second summer and a green darvic ringed first summer
Fortunately, I did manage to read this one - details awaited

The main group of gulls was again out from the saltmarsh at high water with some still feeding on the outflow.

Curlew 100+

Cormorant passing over

I was anticipating rain today, so saved some shots over from yesterday, these from Janet:

Six-spot Burnet

and for comparison a Narrow-bordered five-spot Burnet 
albeit a smudged one.

And a couple of mine from the main pond at Middleton 

Summer plumage Little grebe

Four-spotted Chaser

More Meds, but still no rings.

A fresh west breeze. Dry with sunny spells.

South shore (MD)

I went along the sea wall on the ebbing tide, planning to walk out onto the shore for a closer look at the gulls feeding at the seaward end on No.1 outflow. But this morning there were hardly any gulls feeding. So I didn't bother.

There was the metal ringed adult and a first summer Mediterranean gull resting by the outflow - more on Meds later.

Mediterranean gulls resting in the lee of the stiff breeze

The Rock Pipits are still taking food to the nest hole near the lighthouse. The grasshoppers are getting bigger!

The young must be getting quite large now

There were more gulls feeding on No.1 outflow on my return, at least 3 first summer Mediterranean gulls on the seaward end. But I'd already decided not to walk out to check. Apart from the lack of gulls the beach mud is thicker and stickier than usual and latticed with drains. 

The beach between the outflows - not an easy walk!

This was a bit puzzling in the Nature Park on the way back. This very fresh looking Chiffchaff was preening in a bush, meanwhile a Common Whitethroat was calling whilst holding a spider. I couldn't see any young Whitethroat nearby.

I returned to Red Nab towards high water at 17:50. It's only 7.2m and barely reached Red Nab. Still the majority of the Black-Headed gulls moved to the saltmarsh area,  which made spotting the Meds easier.

Mediterranean gull 24 at least. 4 adult, 2 second summer and 18 first summer - unfortunately none with darvic rings.

Many are in this clip. Try watching in slow motion, it is an option.

This is the new second summer Mediterranean gull

There were 300 gulls on the shore out from the saltmarsh mainly Black-Headed. 

Some of the gulls on the shore out from the saltmarsh 

Another 50 gulls on the saltmarsh included 3 adult/second summer Mediterranean gulls, it wasn't clear if these had moved from Red Nab or were additional.

Curlew 100+

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a look in the morning.

Male Large Skipper

Female Small Skipper

Blackneck moth

Female Broad-bodied Chaser

Janet also confirmed the Ringlet are now abundant along the eastern boundary of the recording area.

I did a couple of circuits of the main pond early evening, but failed to locate any Red-Veined Darters. There were Black-Tailed Skimmers, Four-Spotted Chasers and a few Common Darters. (MD)

Meds feeding on No.1 outflow

A light breeze starting in the east but gradually moved clockwise to the north then back to the west again. Sunshine in the morning but heavy showers began after lunch continuing all evening.

South Shore (MD)

I went down to check the beach next to the wooden jetty. The few gulls were mainly Herring.

The beach next to the wooden jetty as it became exposed.
The Herring gulls were clearly expecting to find something to eat

Mediterranean Gulls 11 at least. Both the metal ringed adult and a first summer visited the beach briefly.

You can see the tips of the sandmason worm tubes just above the surface 

The metal ringed bird definitely, and the first summer probably, had been feeding on the seaward end of No.1 outflow. There were 2-3 adult, 1-2 second summer and at least 7 first summer Meds feeding there.

From top to bottom:
First summer, second summer and adult Meds
On the seaward end of No.1 outflow

This is the metal ringed adult heading back to Red Nab

Sandwich Tern one south along the shipping channel

Redshank 1 

Summer plumage Redshank

Shelduck 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 near lighthouse, 1 with food in its bill, but made no attempt to take it anywhere.

Linnet 5 near waterfall 6 on west side of saltmarsh 

Janet spotted these Cinnabar moth caterpillars on Moneyclose Lane

Just out of the recording area - shoreline just south of the recording area.

These also from Janet

Meadow Pipit

Lapwing