Osprey feeding again

The light east wind only held out till about 08:00, it then drifted south and continued to the west. Hot and sunny again.

First some updates from Rosemary and Peter Silvester:

Female Emperor Heysham Nature Reserve Monday

Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday 

Male Black Darter

Female Common Darter

Male Common Darter

Janet went to check the Middleton Black Darters this morning, but only one remained where there were four yesterday evening.

Black Darter

Male Common Darter

One of the influx of Small Whites

South Shore (MD)

I went along the wall mid morning, it was a little early for insect movement but the early east wind was already largely to the south. Even so a number of insects were seen coming in off (then later some heading out to the south).

These were seen along the wall and in the scrub near the lighthouse 

Small White 11

Red Admiral 3 in off, 2 out

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Large White 1

Darters sp, probably Common, coupled pair came in off 

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 on inner harbour

Wheatear with dredger passing behind

Robin 5 - 3 on foreshore/Red Nab and 2 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Robin on one of the battered buffers - used when the dredgers are in operation near the harbour wall.

Osprey 1 - it was feeding off the end of No.1 outflow 10:30, just before low water. The gulls were harassing it, but clearly there were plenty of targets as it was still managing to dive.

The calm clear water would make it much easier than normal to spot the fish, it is normally Bass that feed here, they have formidable spikes on their dorsal fin (Mullet also have a spiked dorsal fin, but much smaller), so the Osprey will have to be careful how it grabs one. It seemed to have got closer this time.

Near miss

It wasn't obviously ringed, but this shot suggests possibly 

I was showing the bird to some interested visitors when it managed a successful dive, so I missed filming it. But I did get this clip of it flying off to the SE. You can see it is carrying the fish upside down, it does have a large dorsal fin so almost certainly a Bass.

Presumably there will be other Osprey fishing trips to witness here, but you have to drop lucky with the timing. From arrival to leaving with a fish today only took 10 minutes. Although I expect it will take a lot longer in less favourable conditions.

Pink-Footed geese - Pete advises that there are lots on the move, worth watching out for.

Just outside the recording area - Heysham Moss

Peter and Rosemary had a look yesterday 

One of many Black Darters. This one a mature male

This unfortunate Migrant Hawker was doing its best to free itself from
the spider's web but we didn't think it stood much of a chance.

I had a quick look today (MD)

I didn't go into the raised moss, it is quite overgrown this year and the going is tough. But the main reason was that I didn't need to, a 100m walk along the tractor track to the north of the raised moss located 

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 10

Black Darter 10 - including 2 females, which were too flighty to photograph!

Immature male Black Darter

This is the tractor track between the wooded area and the raised moss. There are four or five 
pools that can easily be seen along its 100m length, and it's nice easy walking.