Friday 9 June 2023

Clouded Yellow tops a varied bill

A light ESE wind. Sunshine all day

First some shots from yesterday, taken by Kevin Singleton on Heysham Head:
Adult Rock Pipit


Immature Rock Pipits

Female Linnet with nesting material

Common Whitethroat 
South Wall today
I had a walk along the sea wall at low water (MD)
Lots of Black-Headed Gulls again, 78 on beach between the outflows 
Rock Pipit - just 1 displaying near No.1 outflow. None near the nest site near the lighthouse 
Linnet 3
Grey Seal 1

Butterflies 
Meadow Brown 1, Common Blue 5 in scrub near lighthouse. Small Tortoiseshell 1, Small White in off along the sea wall. Also a pale yellow butterfly or moth in off (possibly a Clouded Yellow - one definitely seen later inland).
This is the Meadow Brown feeding on Bird's Foot Trefoil. It shows how dramatic a flash of its false eye can appear.

Kevin Eaves had a walk mid afternoon, by that time Red Admirals (3) were coming in. He also saw a single Six-spot Burnet and the regular selection of Ladybirds.

I checked from Red Nab to saltmarsh at high water (MD)
Curlew 32 on Red Nab
Curlew resting on Red Nab

Lapwing 1 on saltmarsh 
Mediterranean gull 3 - the same first summer bird as yesterday was on Red Nab again. This is the original adult flying beyond Red Nab.
Adult Mediterranean gull with single metal ring

And a new adult on the saltmarsh 
Adult Mediterranean gull 

In the Nature Park
Emperor dragonfly 1
A very fresh looking Mother Shipton moth

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)
I just had a quick look at the two main ponds at lunchtime.
Mute Swan pair plus 9 growing cygnets
Mallard 3 male 1 female, the chicks almost certainly being kept out of sight.
Moorhen 2
Coot 4 adult, 2 large immature plus 5 new chicks. These are the new arrivals.
Little Grebe 2 adults seen.
Summer plumage Little Grebe

A juvenile Black-Headed Gull - first this year. Was having a bath
Dragonflies:
Emperor 1
Four-Spotted Chaser 4
Black-Tailed Skimmer 8
Broad-bodied Chaser 2
Common Darter 2 female/immature 
The spotted Orchids are starting to show well

Clouded Yellow butterfly 1 male, flew through my garden, within the recording area early afternoon (MD). Unfortunately, by the time I'd got back with a camera it was just heading off to the north!

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD)
I just checked the central meadow (hoping to locate another Clouded Yellow).
Meadow Brown 1
Common Blue 7
Narrow-bordered five-spot burnet 3
Burnet Companion 6
Four-Spotted Chaser 1
Emperor 1

I must have passed too close to where this young fawn Roe Deer was resting (Mum's leave them in a "safe" resting place while they eat elsewhere and then return to suckle them). It hid behind a tree, but had enough sense/instinct not to go any further and froze. I walked away at an angle and ended up with this clear view of the still frozen fawn.
Fawn Roe Deer, just losing its flank spots, it was no bigger than a Greyhound

We just looked at each other for a minute then it returned to whence it came.

Janet is still seeing high numbers of Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet along the eastern boundary of the recording area.