Sandmason worm tubes probably the most important sighting today

A fresh south wind, dry for most of the morning, then heavy showers from late morning to early afternoon, then sunny spells.

South shore ((Malcolm) 08:45 - 10:15

Starlings 40 around the saltmarsh 

Starlings rarely get a mention, but large numbers gather on the brambles 
both here and near the lighthouse, at this time of year

Linnet 5 on the saltmarsh plus 3 on Red Nab

Two young Linnet being fed on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 on Red Nab

Wheatear on the red sandstone that forms Red Nab

Rock Pipit 5 - 3 on Red Nab one near No.1 outfall and 1 near the waterfall 

Red Nab Rock Pipit

Mediterranean gull 25 - 10 on Red Nab 15 on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty, including 6 juveniles.

Some of the Meds on Red Nab. Two white ringed birds were seen,
both seen previously this summer

Most of the Meds on the feeding beach were along the waterline, there are
signs of the Sandmasonworm tubes beginning to extend above the mud again.
Juvenile Mediterranean gull left and juvenile Black-Headed gull right

The tubes are also starting to show again just below the sea wall. Hopefully,
by the next set of spring tides, they will be providing good feeding opportunities
for the Meds. Three adult Meds were here today, but I didn't see them feeding.

A nice size comparison shot. From left to right:
Black-Headed, Great Black-Backed and Herring gulls

Cormorant in the harbour 

Plenty going on in the Nature Park

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 6

Large White 11

Small White 5

Green-Veined White 1

Red Admiral 6

Painted Lady 1

Speckled Wood 3

Common Blue 1 very faded

Green-Veined White female

Large White female

Large White male

Janet had a look this afternoon 

Oystercatchers lifted from Red Nab by a dog

Male Common Darter

Painted Lady

Some normality returns

A light west wind in the morning freshened as it moved to SE. The threatened rain managed to hold off till mid afternoon.

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 08:45 - 10:15

Eider 13

Great Crested grebe 8

Two of the grebes were juveniles 

Little Egret 5

Grey Heron 2

Grey Heron 

Cormorants - there are always several around, but today there were two adults each with a juvenile in tow.

Adult and juvenile Cormorants 

Shag at least 1 juvenile fishing on the north side of the skear

Gulls 150 mainly Herring, but increasing numbers of Black-Headed

This adult ringed in 2019 at the Ribble estuary was the only ringed bird seen today.
This was the first one I saw here this spring, it was absent during the breeding
season, but I have seen it a few times since.

This Carrion Crow was constantly being chased by the young gulls. It seemed to be "enjoying" itself, as if it really wanted what it had it would have flown off with it.

It isn't clear what the Crow has, but it looks more man made than edible!

Oystercatcher 600 - originally I had 300 noted then a Peregrine lifted all the closer in waders and it was obvious that I had woefully underestimated 

Curlew 30

Redshank 70

Turnstone 60

Juvenile Turnstone 

Red Nab (Malcolm) 15:00

The imminent heavy rain had held off, and I just had time to check the gulls before it started

This is one of the juvenile Herring gulls ringed at the Power Station this year

Mediterranean gull 13

Two of the Meds were ringed (both also seen in Friday's high count). This
one is a veteran, ringed in the Netherlands in 2010, it has been seen at 
Heysham every year since 2013. It clearly knows the ropes.

The juveniles are moulting to first winter plumage now

Then it started pouring down, but it was good to see a more typical assemblage on Red Nab again.

Medless morning......everywhere!

Heavy rain eased by mid morning, then dry with the odd sunny spell. The SE light wind switched to a westerly mid afternoon 

South shore (Shaun and Malcolm) 

"Light rain" the forecast said......it was torrential! 

After yesterday's record high count of Mediterranean gulls, today we equalled the all time low count - zero! Not a single Med anywhere along the shore or on the outfalls. By the time we finished the sun had come out! After leaving Shaun went to Sunderland Point checking fields from Heysham to there, and then back to Lancaster. Nothing. Couldn't see any Med Gulls in the estuary either.

Osprey 1 - waiting out the rain hunkered down on the post at the seaward end of No.2 outfall

Osprey, it was still there when we left

Whimbrel 1 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 4

One wet Rock Pipit

It had stopped when we were at the roundhead. This Herring gull was breaking open a mussel.

Herring Gull

And that was it really, providing more questions than answers as to the circumstances leading to yesterday's high Med count.

I went back in the afternoon sunshine (Malcolm)

Plenty of gulls on Red Nab, but mainly Black-Headed. Just a single Mediterranean gull.

Today's solitary Mediterranean gull 

I walked the tide in, out from Ocean Edge, the only birds feeding along the waterline were 80 Oystercatchers.

A flock of 20 medium sized waders, probably Knot, flew south and joined c200 waders south of the recording area. Quite distant and the light behind them, but most looked to be Grey Plovers.

Curlew 150 resting on the beach.

Lapwing 3 on the saltmarsh 

First returning Lapwings

There were quite a lot of butterflies in the Nature Park

Large White 9

Painted Lady 2

Small Tortoiseshell 3

Small White 1

Specked Wood 3

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The older Coot brood are developing their forehead plate now

The younger ones have a way to go

Common Darter

Green-Veined White

Small White

Silver Y

A particularly nice shot of a Painted Lady

Top Meds count and a Swan rescued

Largely overcast with the odd sunny spell. Light rain showers early afternoon. A fresh south wind.

South shore (Malcolm)

I checked this morning 08:00 - 10:00

Mediterranean gulls an amazing 208! Far and away the highest count for the recording area.

At 08:15 there were c50 on Red Nab. Between 08:25 and 08:30 more arrived from the NE. At this point they clearly didn't like the density on Red Nab and decided to move to the shore. Nothing spooked them, they moved off without a sound.

This clip shows just some of the 184+ on the shore. There were so many birds, I had to shorten the whole clip by 15 seconds, and reduce the quality, to allow it to upload to the post. 

All this beach and one Med has to rest on another's "favourite spot"!

They were clearly intending to rest on the mud, so I didn't follow them. I had already read six ringed birds, including one new adult with a yellow ring.

One from German scheme - details awaited

Mediterranean gulls out from a now deserted Red Nab

They were all still resting out from Red Nab when I reached No.1 outfall. There were 2 juvenile Meds feeding at the seaward end of No.1 outfall and at least 22 Meds at the seaward end of the feeding beach by the wooden jetty.

When I returned past Red Nab, the resting gulls were still on the mud, but had moved further out. 

I returned on the rising tide at 12:30. There were still two resting groups on the mud 60 and 47 all sat down!

There were also 50+ on Red Nab. As the tide moved them on some moved to Red Nab before eventually flying back to the NE. Others flew directly to the NE. Presumably they are feeding on slurried fields in that direction. Fortunately before they left I managed to read another four ringed birds (ten for the day), including another new adult with a yellow ring.

This one is a UK scheme bird

Some of the Meds heading off to the NE

Curlew with a fine long bill. Females have the longest bills

Curlew with a Whimbrel sized bill. Males have shorter bills
and juveniles shorter still

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

The injured male Mute Swan was caught today by a Col Sproule a guy who rescues wildlife, with the help of Jo Bailey who has pestered everyone for help. On first inspection it looks like he has a puncture wound to the bone of the nub on the wing and maybe discolated? So he'll take it to his vets and the rescue centre which I think is somewhere near Widnes. 

It took a bit of a rugby tackle......

........but once caught he became really calm.

He gave it a shot of Metacam which kicked in quite fast.

A good job - well done!

A couple of visitors to the Heysham moth trap from Southern Europe.  - Alison

Scarce Bordered Straw - Helicoverpa armigera

Palpita vitrealis