A good day for insects

Quite a fresh east wind. Hot and sunny all day

First, this shot by Kevin Eaves, of a Whimbrel on Red Nab yesterday.

Whimbrel 

Heysham skear - low water 10:20 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 10 - including this juvenile fending for itself 

Red-breasted Merganser 3 female/immature feeding together.

Eider 22 including 5 males at various stages of breeding plumage. This clip,shows two of the males plus the feeding mergansers.

Little Egret 15

Oystercatcher c500

Curlew c100

Redshank 80

Turnstone 60

Knot 5

Ringed Plover 2 - none seen on inner skear, these came in off and rested on the middle skear

Dunlin 1

Several butterflies were coming in off, 5 Small White, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Red Admiral, so I went to check insect movement on the south side.

Red Nab (MD)

Mediterranean gull - just 2 adult seen.

Adult Mediterranean gull, top left, with Black-Headed gulls

Redshank 150

Dunlin 1

Ringed Plover 13 - they were feeding on the small cobbles, a terrain that they are perfectly camouflaged for. There are nine in this clip.

The tide was just reaching Red Nab when I arrived. The insects will still have been coming in off the sea, but no longer focused along the sea wall, as they are when the tide is out. Even so there had obviously been some significant movement. Along the track from Red Nab to the Nature Park there were:

Migrant Hawker 1

Small White 8

Red Admiral 4

Small Tortoiseshell 1

There wasn't many more in the park itself, just:

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3

Large White 2

Red Admiral 2

Small White 3

Speckled Wood 3

Treble-bar moth in the Nature Park

This Common Whitethroat was eating the blackberries, a Robin singing in the background.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked in the morning, there were plenty of active dragonflies, but mainly Common Darters. Their activity ensuring future generations.

Common Darters

The only other dragonfly was a Migrant Hawker.

I went to check early afternoon to see if anything interesting had moved in.....it had (MD)

Black Darter 4 male and a probable female - the males were defending small territories amongst the shallow pools that you have to cross to get to the peninsula on the main pond. I only got a quick look at the female as she moved through (obviously not impressed!).

This is the area, plus the very edge of the main pond behind me in this shot

They were all quite mature, but some still with hints of yellow markings.

Male Black Darter - uncommon here

Other dragonflies - only the main pond checked:

Common Darter 10+

Brown Hawker 3

Migrant Hawker 4

It was very hot. But the "resident" Heron was presenting its wings to the full glare of the sun. I can't think that this is to cool it down. Its wings appear to have insects amongst the feathers, perhaps it is using ants to help rid it of parasites. 

Grey Heron covered in insects

Janet called back in passing in the evening. She quickly found the Black Darters. These shots are with her mobile phone, they are just to show that you do not need an expensive camera, especially with these very approachable dragonflies.

Black Darters, snapped with a phone

Hopefully they will still be in the same area tomorrow