High early morning counts.

Very light variable breeze till mid morning, when it freshened from SSE. Another sunny day.

Pete managed a 30 minute check from Ocean Edge.

51 Sandwich Tern including one with a yellow darvic ring. Unfortunately far beyond reading range.

43 Mediterranean gulls 

750 Black-Headed gull

The above on Ocean Edge beach 

Tree Pipit south, possibly two together.

11 Swallow and one Sand Martin south 

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Jean:

Did a bit of ringing this morning and caught 30 new birds, almost all juvs:
Greenfinch 10
Goldfinch 4
Willow Warbler 3
Whitethroat 2
Blackcap 3
Robin 2
Dunnock 1
Blue Tit 2
Blackbird 1
Great Tit 2

And 4 retraps:
Great Tit 1
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 2

100 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Med Gulls and 16 Starlings were catching flying ants.

These are the ants emerging from the ground and some flying off. They all went after a few minutes.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

The juvenile Goosander was back on the main pond
It was just preening, presumably it had already eaten.

Immature Cormorant 

Everything was anting today, not least the Swallows and Swifts.

Swallows and Swift

Swift

All the birds seem to like a drink when feeding on ants (who wouldn't!)
The swallows were swooping down to drink from the pond surface.

Common Darters

Teneral Damselfly

Female Common Blue

South shore 

A walk mid morning when the wind had quite a bit of east in it. Saw a few insects coming in off, including a couple of Dragonflies. One probable Broad-bodied Chaser and one probable Brown Hawker. Small White butterflies were also coming in but at a very slow rate. I only saw 4 along the wall. Kevin checked after lunch and I had another look later, but no further dragonflies seen.

Wheatear 3 including what appears to be the regular two juvenile near the slipway.

Two juvenile Wheatear moulting to first winter plumage 

Rock Pipit 3

Rock Pipit and one of the 100+ Sunflowers that are still managing to bloom.
Some succumbed to the dose of salt water from the last spring tide

Between the foreshore and the lighthouse there were at leat 18 Pied Wagtail and 500 Starlings all feasting on flying ants. Mainly taking those that had landed on the sea wall but also taking them in the air. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea as I walked along the wall. The feeding birds reluctantly lifted as I got close, rested on the Power Station perimeter fence before returning to the wall when I had past. These are a few of the starlings towards the end of the wall.

Sandwich Tern 1 adult out past the wooden jetty.

All the gulls were away anting. There were none on the beach near the jetty or on either of the outflows.

Willow Warbler 1 in brambles near the waterfall.