Quite a fresh, mainly NE breeze. Another sunny day.
South shore (MD)
I checked the shore south of the saltmarsh on the rising tide again.
No Sanderlings seen today, in fact the only waders were 3 Curlew and c50 Oystercatcher
Mediterranean Gull 2 - same adult and 1st summer as seen yesterday
 |
| Ist summer Mediterranean gull watching the adult fly off when flushed by the tide. |
 |
| Then the 1st summer flew off too |
We are moving to spring tides again now, and the tides will completely cover the shore. But much of the shore hadn't been covered for a week, there has been no rain and the sun hot, so the mud was as dry as it ever gets. As the tide starts to cover the dry shore the water fizzes as the tide rising below the mud forces air through the myriad of invertebrate tunnels. This clip is actually from yesterday, you can hear the fizzing above the wind, even more dramatic in reality when the whole tide line was buzzing - sorry I lose focus for a while in this clip, but it is the sound of the shore that I wanted to convey.
Heysham skear (MD)
I went down early again but no Sanderlings here either. More Oystercatcher than of late though c300, 1 Curlew and 1 Whimbrel.
 |
| Whimbrel and Oystercatcher |
Red-breasted Merganser pair
Eider 1 female
 |
| Eider and Oystercatcher |
Middleton Nature Reserve
Janet took these shots in the morning
 |
| Silent warbler - Willow or Chiffchaff |
 |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
 |
| Straw Dot moth |
Mark Jones also had a look early afternoon
 |
| Four-Spotted Chaser |
 |
| Male Broad-bodied Chaser |
Female Broad-bodied Chaser ovipositoring
 |
| Male Azure Blue Damselflies holding the females as she lays her eggs below the surface. |
I just did a circuit of the main pond mid afternoon (MD)
 |
| Male Emperor, one of several patrolling the margins |
 |
| One of the Mallard families ventured out from the SE reed bed. |
 |
But quickly and aggressively driven back by the male Mute Swan
Don't know what he has against the young birds, he tolerates the four individual adults. |
