A bit of summer sun, but not for long

A bright sunny start with a very light north wind. It started clouding over mid afternoon and the rain began at teatime.

South shore (Malcolm)

Osprey 1 arrived at 10:15. It did a bit of halfhearted fishing then settled on the post at the end of No.2 outflow to wait for the tide to ebb further. It was still resting on the post when I left the wall at 11:00.

Looks to be the same bird as recent visits, with blue ring on right leg

This is what "halfhearted" fishing looks like.

Eider 3 female type north

Eider

Mediterranean gulls 15 minimum. There was a first summer in the harbour, 2 adults flew into the inner harbour out of sight. 2 adult turned up to see if there were any sandmason worms on the beach near the wooden jetty, there weren't. 12 adult (possibly some were second summer) and a first summer were resting on the beach between the outflows, but possibly including the harbour birds, if they had moved.

This is the first summer Med in the harbour, with a juvenile Black-Headed gull behind.

This is one of the adult Meds looking for sandmason worms in the shallows.

Some of the Meds resting between the outflows

Grey Seal 2 at least. It wasn't immediately obvious that they were around, but this clip of fish scattering, some quite large, and gulls scavenging was a sure sign of a seal feeding below.

The seals are not so easy to see when they are actively feeding, they are under the surface for most of the time, although they do surface to eat what they catch. This is a compilation of the few glimpses I did manage.

Linnet 7 between the lighthouse and waterfall. 

Male Linnet

In the Nature Park:

Ringlet 1

Meadow Brown 3

Small White 1

Large White 2

Small Skipper 1

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked in the morning

Swallow

Black-Tailed Skimmer

Red Soldier Beetles

I checked in the afternoon (Malcolm). By that time it was very warm (21°C).

Wildfowl pretty much as of late, but no Gadwall or Tufted duck seen.

Immature, but independent, Little Grebe

I accidentally disturbed a female Pheasant with at least six, barely fledged, youngsters.

Two of the young Pheasants, they were doing a lot of flapping for little movement!

The only warblers heard singing were one each, Chiffchaff and Reed Warbler

Butterflies:

Large White 1

Meadow Brown 3

Gatekeeper 6

Ringlet 2

Moths:

Silver Y 1

Shaded Broad-bar 3

Dragonflies:

Emperor 4

Four -Spotted Chaser 2

Black-Tailed Skimmer 6

Common Darter 4

Brown Hawker 1

Pair of Common Darters

Female Brown Hawker ovipositoring 

Common Blue and Bluetailed Damselflies several