Of fruit, flies, ants and flowers

Another dry day with some sunshine. The light west wind continues.

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

A quick look round in the morning found nothing new. Still the male Tufted duck on the "no swimming" pond.

The warm still conditions meant there were plenty of flies around, and there were plenty of Swallows feeding on them. At least 21 in two main groups. One group attacked by an optimistic Sparrowhawk. 

The Hawthorns are already laden with berries.
Hopefully they will hold any winter Thrushes later in the year.

Red Nab (MD)

I went early evening to check the gulls on Red Nab, but knew as I was driving there that it would be hopeless. By this time it was overcast and "heavy", all the gulls were overhead anting. Sure enough on reaching Red Nab, there wasn't a single gull on the rocks. There were a few that had come down onto the beach to have a drink from the freshwater run offs, including this Black-Headed Gull

Black-Headed gull ringed as a nestling last year at Martin Mere (09/06/22)
This is the first subsequent sighting 

Similarly, yesterday's Oystercatcher was the first sighting since it was ringed 08/06/2020 at Nordlysvegen, Bryne, Rogaland, Norway as a breeding adult male incubating a nest with 3 eggs.

Passing Oystercatchers

Mediterranean gull - just one 2nd calendar year.
Sandwich Tern 1 adult having a preen on the beach.

Rock Pipit 1

Saltmarsh not checked.

Chaffinch having a drink on the Nature Park newt pond

Finally the flowers. The late summer rain has boosted the blooms on Middleton Nature Reserve meadows, providing a good show.

These are mainly Knapweed, Fleabane and Willowherb.