Med day

Calm overnight and into the morning, a light breeze then shifted from an easterly to NW by evening. Warm and dry with sunny spells

Middleton Nature Reserve early morning 

Swift 1 

Mediterranean gulls 9 over heading to the shore - Pete

Ringing included the first migrant Goldcrest of autumn

South shore

I went to check the gulls on Red Nab towards high water (Malcolm)

Whimbrel 1 at the saltmarsh 

Whimbrel 

Osprey 1 tried fishing between the outfalls, I didn't see it dive before it drifted south.

Distant Osprey

Mediterranean gull at least 40 including 3 juveniles. There was quite a high proportion of immature birds.

15 Meds chose to rest on the mud out from Red Nab

The one on the right has a metal ring above the knee on its right leg,
but it seemed determined not to show its coloured ring

Eventually it did, revealing itself to be a new bird for the area.
Details awaited

This one is part of the same scheme. We have seen it before, but this is
the first sighting this year. Ringed in France 2022, recent history awaited

Three other ringed birds read, but all seen previously this year

One of the juveniles

Little Egret 4

Little Egret

One of two Small Copper by the saltmarsh 

Shaun checked this afternoon:

Mediterranean gulls 67 - highest count this year! Initially there wasn't many, but as the tide ebbed more arrived. None attempted to feed on the beach by the wooden jetty, although 8 were resting on the sea out from the harbour. These were additional to the final count on Red Nab of 56 adult type plus 3 juvenile

Rock Pipit 5 between Red Nab and the lighthouse 

Shag 3 juvenile resting on the wooden jetty

I just had time for a very quick look this afternoon (Malcolm). And managed to spot this white ringed Lesser Black-Backed gull on No.2 outflow. 

Part of a Spanish ringing scheme - details awaited

Just out of the recording area, Heysham Moss Nature Reserve (Janet)

A quick look this morning saw only butterflies, but the dragonflies were showing in a second check this afternoon.

Black Darter

Common Darter

Speckled Wood

Green-Veined White

Comma and a Red Admiral