Quite an interesting day

A warm largely sunny day. Calm early on then a SW breeze

South shore (Malcolm) 08:00 - 10:00

Osprey 1 initially resting on the post at the seaward end of No.2 outfall

You can just make out the Osprey on top of the post. The gulls normally rest
in a tight group close to No.2 outfall. The Osprey had clearly scattered them.

Fortunately, I had my wellies on today, so I walked out to be close enough to check the Osprey for rings.

It was ringed. Seen at Leighton Moss in 2023. A full history awaited.

It then began fishing.

It caught a Bass after only a few minutes then flew off with it northwards.

Mediterranean gulls 11. 8 adult, 2 2nd calendar year, 1 3rd calendar year 

The bird on the right is a 2nd calendar year, with a particularly well
developed hood. We saw the adult on the left here last year, it is the
one with the lower half of its right leg missing. It "stands" on the
stump and its left knee.

This 3rd calendar year Med is feeding amongst the sandmason worm tubes, although it wasn't feeding on the worms this time.

No sign of any Kittiwakes today.

Common Tern 1 feeding on No.1 outfall

Common Tern

Rock Pipits 3 - one on Red Nab plus an adult feeding a juvenile near the lighthouse 

Despite the early hour there were already a few butterflies 

Small White 6 seen coming in off

Common Blue 2 near the lighthouse 

Common Blue

Quite a collection of insects here. From the top, clockwise:
Six-spot Burnet, Beetle sp, Cinnabar moth caterpillar and "a bee".
(The beetle is one of the soft winged flower beetles (Melyridae). It could
be one of two species but is far more likely likely to be the Common
 Malachite Beetle - Malachius bipustulatus - Alison)

This yacht was fortunate that it was calm at high water last night. It clearly had
broken free from its moorings somewhere, possibly during the last storm. It has
probably been adrift for days and gently came to rest on the rocks by No.2 outfall.
No obvious damage. I contacted the coastguard and three were just arriving to
secure the vessel as I was leaving. Hopefully it safely re floated at high water today.

Plenty of butterflies in the Nature Park.

Ringlet 13

Meadow Brown 2

Red Admiral 1

Large White 5

Small White 2

Large Skipper 1

Imperial Rd (Malcolm)

Stonechat 1 male and at least 1 juvenile 

Male (left) and juvenile Stonechat 

The juvenile is more recognisably a Stonechat now

Sedge warblers 2 singing

Reed Bunting 2

Buzzard at least 2 calling

Sparrowhawk 1 over

Green-Veined White 8

Green-Veined White

Meadow Brown 2

Meadow Brown

Middleton Nature Reserve

Pete scanned from the main pond lower car park

At least one male red veined darter over riffled water. Took a bit of time for it to appear - landed below gun club I think, then it or another very briefly which could have been red common 

Janet checked the west bank and located, what was probably a different male.

male red veined darter

Other shots from Janet:

Brown Hawker

Male Emperor over the "no swimming" pond

Male Emperor at the main pond

Female Emperor ovipositoring

Black-Tailed Skimmers

Common Darter

 

Female Mallard with her almost full grown young. Keeping out of
the male Mute Swan's way on the "no swimming" pond

Silver Y

Small Skipper

Green-Veined White

Large White