Some insect movement

A warm, but mainly overcast day. A freshening east wind.

First, these are Janet's shots of the adult with juvenile Rock Pipits from Heysham Head yesterday.

Rock Pipits

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

Mullien caterpillars on a Mullien plant on the scrubland to the
left of the security hut on Middleton.

Mullien plant on the banking to the west of Tim Butler pond

Also hosting Mullien caterpillars

Imperial Rd

Mark Jones checked first

I stood where the wooden gate was and immediately saw a male stonechat (to my left) on a post with food, it went into brambles.

What a great little spot it is, a buzzard soon appeared and flew in to harass the crows and unsettle everything else.

I checked later (Malcolm). Unlike Mark I failed to see a Stonechat, but clearly he still has something around to feed.

Buzzard hovering in the east wind

Male Chaffinch 

A Chaffinch calling was one of the first (of few) calls that I learned to recognise as a child. It reminded me of someone pushing a wheelbarrow with a squeaky wheel. A sound more common then than now....

Other finches: Goldfinch with 3 newly fledged, Linnet male, Greenfinch several.

Common Whitethroat 

Sedge Warbler

Other warblers: Cetti's 2 singing, Chiffchaff 2 singing

Reed Bunting 3

Roe Deer

South shore (Malcolm)

Warm weather and an east wind is normally good for insects migrating in off the sea. It tends to be better when the tide is out, but a thunderstorm was threatening, so I went early 13:45 - 15:15.

Canada geese to SE

Red Admirals were coming in off the sea at a rate of one a minute. Most were passing down the north side, still in total I saw 28. 

Most continued straight through, but some stopped for a rest on the wall

This was the only one that settled with its wings open, it was sheltered 
from the wind near the waterfall

Painted Lady 4

Small White 1

Darter sp seen coming in off but too distant to be able to identify.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar near the lighthouse scrub

Six-Spot Burnet 50+ in and around the scrub near the lighthouse 

Six-spot Burnet ensuring the next generation 

There were literally thousands of small orange flies. They were all along the sea wall and covering the scrub near the lighthouse.

Turned out to be Turnip Sawflies

The insect eating birds were making the most of things

Not sure what this Rock Pipit has, possibly a Dragonfly?

A barely fledged Pied Wagtail enjoying its early days.
Although it doesn't look very happy!

This Pied Wagtail was on Red Nab

This Hawk moth was resting on the floor of the sea wall.
I was afraid that an approaching party with dogs may accidentally trample it.
So I reached to move it to the top of the wall, as I did.......

........it showed itself to be an Eyed Hawk moth.
I placed it safely on top of the wall.

As it turned out the threatened thunderstorm didn't materialise. I wonder how I would have fared if I had gone out later in the tide? Not to worry, it was a very pleasant walk.