Tuesday 10 September 2024

Good coverage with some reward, but the wind is now turning

The fresh wind started SW but drifted round to WNW by the afternoon. Mainly dry apart from a heavy morning shower. Some sunny spells.

First some shots taken this weekend by Peter and Rosemary Silvester.
An excellent shot of a Southern Hawker on the dipping pond
Heysham Nature Reserve
Directions to dipping pond - the little pond you come to by going down the entrance road to the Heysham reserve, over the first style you come to on your right, turning right and following the path for a short distance until you come to the small pond

Common Darters


It's not easy getting a clear shot of a Brimstone's upper wings.

Shaun checked early from the north wall.
Gannet 2 - distant, heading out.

I had a morning walk along the south sea wall (Malcolm). The walk out was accompanied by the driving rain of the only heavy shower of the day. But it had eased on the return leg.
Common Tern 1 adult feeding on No.2 outfall.

Common Tern


There were a lot of gulls on the beach by the wooden jetty, and they seemed to be catching sandmason worms. There was only one Mediterranean gull, an unringed bird feeding on the "patch" where the green ringed German bird has been feeding all summer.
Mediterranean gull surrounded by sandmason worm tubes

Bar-Tailed Godwit 2, also on the beach by the wooden jetty.
Bar-Tailed Godwit, also surrounded by sandmason worm tubes

Rock Pipit 3 (1 + 2) on Red Nab

A return visit this evening, but there was already north in the wind. There was nothing of note on the sea and not a single bird followed the SeaTruck in.
Pink-Footed Goose 122 in three skeins south.


Pink-Footed geese

Six Common Darters catching the evening sun in the Nature Park 

Pete checked early afternoon 
Shag 1 juvenile in harbour mouth then into the harbour
Mediterranean gull 5 at least on Red Nab - all the gulls were hunkered down
Later, Cornelius Jones managed 6-7

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
"Only" 8 Tufted Duck today 

Male Common Darter

Female Migrant Hawker
A Brown Hawker was the only other dragonfly species seen.

Speckled Wood

Red Admiral


Footnote - Cornelius Jones saw c200 Pink Footed geese flying south at dusk. I had two skeins of over my house either side of 20:00 (Malcolm)
So at least 350 through this evening, should be more around tomorrow, if nothing else!