Seawatch report - Pete
Sea incoming tide Heysham:
just one Sandwich Tern
2 Common tern close inshore out
9 plus 2 Arctic Tern in
3 Sanderling out
1 Guillemot in
26 Common Scoter
1 grey seal.
Also 2cy Mediterranean gull with c75 2cy Common and 30 2cy Black-Headed gulls around inshore
5 small white in off
Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)
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| The aggressive male Mute Swan was attacking the Mallard with her chicks. There were only 8 remaining chicks when Janet arrived and just 3 by the time she left. |
Meanwhile a Coot was hiding its chicks in the reeds.
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| It was quite a fractious morning. Another Grey Heron urned up and was seen off by the resident bird |
Swallow 4 over the main pond.
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| Swallow |
Several Common Blue's around - first record this year
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| Male Common Blue |
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| Female Common Blue |
South shore (Malcolm)
I was planning on going along the sea wall this morning, while the tide was out and there was still some east in the breeze. Unfortunately, the wall was closed for maintenance work. There clearly had been some insect movement, as well as Pete's 5 Small White there were at least 12 Small White along the foreshore and saltmarsh.
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| Small White |
Other butterflies seen:
Large White 3
Green-Veined White 1
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| Green-Veined White |
Orange Tip 4 males
Brimstone 1 male
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Peacock 1
Small Copper - first of the year
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| A surprisingly worn Small Copper for a quite early record. Perhaps it had flown some distance |
Whimbrel 1 on saltmarsh
Linnet 6
GoldFinch 4 flew in from Red Nab, possibly been collecting grit
Wheatear 3 on foreshore
Pied Wagtail 2 on Ocean Edge grass
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| Pied Wagtail collecting food |
I returned at 17:00 and the maintenance work was complete. It looks like it was just a one off and the wall will be open for the foreseeable future. By this time the light breeze was from the NW which isn't the favoured direction for insect migration here. Just one butterfly seen.
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| Small Tortoiseshell on the sea wall |
Whimbrel 1
Common Sandpiper 1 on the north side of the harbour
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| Common Sandpiper |
Eider 1 female
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| Eider on the flat calm sea out from the harbour. The light NW breeze was enough to turn the turbines, but didn't ruffle the water as it was blowing in the same direction as the ebbing tide was moving. |
There were no Linnet or Rock Pipits seen between the lighthouse and waterfall
Grey Seal 1 out from the harbour mouth
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| Grey Seal with a flatfish (looks to be a Plaice) |
Warblers singing in the Nature Park:
Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap 2
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Common Whitethroat 3
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| Common Whitethroat |
