Saturday, 17 August 2024

Flashy moth

 A dry day with a light westerly breeze. Plenty of sunny spells.

These shots are from Peter and Rosemary Silvester, taken at Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday.
A nice shot of a male Black-Tailed Skimmer and a male Common Darter

Little Egret, checking out the swans

Mute swan coming in to land

One of two Brimstones at Heysham Nature Reserve 

Heysham Nature Reserve today
Report by Alan:

I set a couple of nets at Heysham this morning but with little success, there was a moderate westerly breeze ruffling the nets. A Sparrowhawk was patrolling behind the office building which probably kept the passerines away. It was eventually caught, together with two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Goldfinches were feeding on natural food near the office building.  

Sparrowhawk  1

Great Spotted Woodpecker  1 + 1 retrap

Dunnock  1 + 1 retrap

Chaffinch  1

Goldfinch  1 + 1 retrap

Greenfinch  4

Wren  1

Red Underwing moth was found on the outside of the building early on,
 perhaps attracted by the security lights. 

South shore (Malcolm)

Not much time today, I just had a walk on the shore out from Ocean Edge to check out the waders. As per Shaun's report yesterday there were a lot feeding on a sand bar at the edge of the recording area, unfortunately they all flew south when moved on by the rising tide. Minimum numbers

Bar-Tailed Godwit 4

Grey Plover 45

Knot 60

Dunlin 350

Just a fraction of the waders feeding on a sand (mud) bar

Bar-Tailed Godwit flying south

Curlew flying south

The wet mud marks the extent of last nights high water, the mud on the 
left hasn't been covered for a week. That is changing very quickly, today's 
tides will have completely covered the shore, and by tomorrow we are
back to 9m+ spring tides


Female/immature Kestrel on the saltmarsh