Wednesday, 19 June 2024

June weather finally arrives

A warm sunny day with a light variable breeze.

Red Nab - high water 10:15 (Malcolm)
The only gulls were a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed.
Curlew 95
Grey Seal 1 distant 

Middleton Nature Reserve 
These shots by Janet.

Coot running over the water surface 

It isn't clear what this one has in its bill. It isn't fishing line, but it doesn't look natural 

The Tufted Duck pair were seen on both main ponds

Ringlet

I checked at lunchtime (Malcolm). It was nice and quiet. This short clip of the western bank of the main pond shows the Heron, a Cormorant and the Mute family resting, while the Mallard milled around.

On the "no swimming" pond, there were two adult Little grebe feeding two and one chick respectively. This is the group of three, the two chicks are of different sizes, the larger one was also seen diving for food. It isn't clear if the larger one is favoured or just better at getting food from the adult.

The third chick was also diving for itself

Warblers heard singing:
Cetti's warbler 5 at least
Grasshopper warbler 2 - on on each marsh, heard from the central road
Reed warbler just 1 on main pond
Several each: Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lesser and Common Whitethroat.

Very few dragon flies away from the main pond but 5 species seen
Emperor
Broad-bodied chaser
Four-spotted chaser
Black-Tailed skimmer
Common Darter

Even fewer butterflies, just 3 seen, 1 each
Ringlet
Common Blue
Red Admiral 
Worn Red Admiral 


Latticed Heath moth

Heysham Nature Reserve (Janet)
Roebuck in a Mexican standoff 

This small shoal of Rudd were in the dipping pond