Dragonflies emerging

A very light mainly NW breeze. Plenty of sunshine and very wam peaking at 23°C mid afternoon.

Heysham skear - low water 08:00 (Malcolm)

Shelduck 1 north

Eider 85 - these are a few of them still squabbling over partners.

Red-breasted Merganser 11 - these are five of them.

Great Crested Grebe 6

Little Egret 3

A pair of Lesser Black-Backed gulls resting on a honeycomb worm reef.

Not many waders around today, partly because the outer skear was also exposed and some would have been there. But there definitely was a reduction.

Oystercatcher 400 (although many more were seen flying from the outer skear as it was covered)

Knot 450

Curlew 1 (no Whimbrel today, it sounded strange as their calls have been a constant soundtrack on the skear during recent visits)

Dunlin just 1

I went as far as the middle skear goes this morning, all the pools out there are full of Hydroid colonies (see yesterday's post). I cant recall seeing this many before. They are quite delicate, perhaps it is just down to the recent calm conditions. This clip gives a better idea of their form, remember they are not a plant but made up of tiny individual animals.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked in the morning before it really warmed up. Still there was insect activity 

Female Green-veined White

Male Common Blue Damselfly 

Four-Spotted Chaser - first of the year - seen by Janet but passed to quickly for a shot.

I checked in the very warm mid afternoon (Malcolm). I managed to locate two very fresh looking Four-Spotted Chasers.

Four-spotted Chaser

This is the other one

There were lots of teneral damselflies around but a few more mature ones as well.

Large Red 1

Common Blue 2 males 

Azure Blue 1 female

Female Azure Blue

Male Common Blue

Butterflies:

Orange Tip 6 male 2 female

Green-veined White 2

Brimstone male and female

Speckled Wood 1

Common Blue 1 male

Warblers, were less vocal than of late, but still plenty to be heard. These numbers reflect singing birds.

Cetti's warbler 5 

Chiffchaff 2

Willow warbler 3

Blackcap 1 

Reed warbler 3

Sedge warbler 2

Reed Bunting 2

Wildfowl:

The only Mute seen were the nesting pair. But Tim Butler pond not checked.

Coot 4

Moorhen 3

Little grebe at least 1, but very elusive on the main pond.

Gadwall 3 males

Mallard 7 (1 female). These two male seem to be guarding this female, but for no obvious reason. There were no chicks around (Reed Bunting and a Reed warbler (plus a Blackbird) singing in the background).