You learn something new......occasionally

A dry day after a mid morning shower. The sun came out this afternoon. A light variable breeze.

South shore (Malcolm) 09:00 - 10:30

I managed a dry walk out but got a soaking coming back.

Skylark 1 juvenile on the foreshore 

Juvenile Skylark 

Wheatear 1 juvenile near the slipway

Linnet 2 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 on Red Nab

Whimbrel 3 - 1 near No.2 outfall plus two out together 

Whimbrel and juvenile Black-Headed Gull

Curlew, also by No.2 outfall

Common Tern 2 adult at the seaward end of No.1 outfall

Mediterranean gull 6 - 4 adult and 2  x 2nd calendar year. Initially there was just one adult on the feeding beach, but after checking the harbour the number had grown to six, unfortunately the rain started so it was time to head home

I returned this afternoon to watch the tide cover Red Nab. There was just the same combination of six Mediterranean gulls, but everything was very flighty. I didn't see any raptors, sometimes just the clumsy juvenile large gulls flying around can trigger them to lift.

Three adults and a second calendar year Mediterranean gull

And then they were gone!

Most ended up out from the saltmarsh 

Middleton Nature Reserve (Pete)

One male red veined darter over the water as the sun started to materialise - took 15 mins to appear 

Heysham Nature Reserve (Malcolm) 16:30 - 17:30

Chiffchaff singing and calling

Blackcap singing

Kestrel over

Jay 1

Swift 2 south

 

Common Darter 2 males

Male Common Darter

Brown Hawker I

Large White 1

Green-Veined White 3

Meadow Browns all over the meadow!

Gatekeeper 30+

Common Blue 30+

Red Admiral 1

Peacock 1 

Speckled Wood 3

Small Skipper 1

Small Skipper

Meadow Brown

Peacock

This is another juvenile that hasn't got the instinct to be fearful of humans. It didn't even move much when I passed it!

Well, I've learned something new today (Malcolm). I had no idea that some moths have an aquatic or partially aquatic life cycle. There were five of these tiny moths (likely Small China Mark) laying their eggs in the water. This clip is from the wooden walkway that goes out into the water.