Monday 20 May 2024

A bit quieter today

A mainly SE wind, moving to NW for a while in the afternoon. Dry with sunny spells in the morning.

Seawatch reort - Pete
Quiet on the sea from north wall with c55 Common Scoter in 6 flocks and two sandwich tern.  A quick check from Ocean edge however saw 21 plus 14 Kittiwake floating in with the first group taking flight and climbing high.
Another c60 small gulls on sea very distant from Ocean edge with a few lifting up and dropping definitely kittiwake (Distant Kittiwake flocks on the sea: past history suggests not to assume they are all Kitts - they have a habit of temporarily reining in eg wandering 2cy Common gulls of which there are plenty in the Heysham area)

South shore (Janet and Malcolm)
Very little along the sea wall, but just for a bit of continuity, this clip of a 2nd calendar year Common Gull feeding on the outflows.

Little Egret 3on Red Nab
The only waders on Red Nab were 60 Oystercatcher 
Lighthouse Rock Pipit still standing guard


Nice shots of a partially blue variant of a female Common Blue butterfly. 
In the Nature Park.

Middleton Nature Reserve 
These shots from Janet are from yesterday.
Worn Peacock butterfly 

Four-spotted Chasers enjoying.......the sunshine 

I checked early evening today (Malcolm). It was cloudy but still quite warm, but no dragonflies seen. Lots of Damselflies.
Warblers heard/seen
Cetti's warblers 7 at least singing, including 2 from the south side of the road.
Also: Sedge, Reed, Willow, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Common Whitethroat.
Just a short clip of a Reed Warbler.

Swallow 3 and House Martin 2 stopped off briefly at the main pond for a drink before continuing north.
Flag Iris are looking splendid 


The Alder Leaf beetles are feasting on the Alder again.
This female is heavily swollen (gravid) with eggs.

Alder Leaf beetles