What a difference to yesterday! Warm, dry and sunny with a light NW to west breeze.
South Shore
Shaun Coyle 06:00 - 09:30
Common Tern 1 adult on No.2 outfall first thing
Little Gull 1 2nd calendar year alternating between feeding on No.1 outfall and resting on the mud with Black-Headed gulls.
Mediterranean gulls 19 - 8 adult, 3 3rd calendar year, 2 2nd calendar year and 6 juveniles (1st calendar year)
Osprey 1 fishing between the outfalls.
Still plenty of butterflies in the scrub near the lighthouse:
Small White 7
Common Blue 75
Meadow Brown 11
Red Admiral 3
Gatekeeper 3
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Shaun was still there when I arrived (Malcolm).
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| The Osprey had just caught a Bass and headed off to the north Unfortunately, it had spooked most of the Meds and just a few remained |
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| Juvenile Wheatear on foreshore |
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| One of two Linnet on foreshore |
Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab
I returned later to watch the tide reach Red Nab, fortunately no disturbance today, but there were only 12 Mediterranean gulls including 4 juvenile.
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| Just the one adult Med here (bottom right), but this shot is really to show the high number of feathers being shed |
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| Not even the Curlew were spooked today, there were 100+ on Red Nab |
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| One of the juvenile Mediterranean gulls |
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| I was hoping to read any ringed birds, but most were either sat down, or partially hidden |
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| One adult Mediterranean gull did reveal itself to be ringed, but it is one that has already seen here this summer. A Dutch bird ringed 2019 |
In the Nature Park:
Meadow Brown 6
Red Admiral 6
Large White 4
Small White 8
Comma 1
Common Blue 6
Gatekeeper 2
Speckled Wood 1
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| Male (left) and female Large White |
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| Two Red Admirals |
Middleton Nature Reserve - main pond (Shaun and Malcolm) 09:45 - 10:20
We did a full circuit of the pond.
Red-Veined Darter 10 probably 12 males. There were up to 12 red darters over the water chasing each other. 10 were confirmed as RVD, the other 2 almost certainly were. There were several male Common Darters over the water too, but they were generally closer to the banking, and any that did go to the middle were easily distinguished from the RVD.
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| Male Red Veined Darter - this was the only one we saw settled on the western bank. |
David Talbot checked mid afternoon, by that time territories must have been won and lost, and presumably some moved on. David didn't see any over the water, but managed four sightings of at least two males along the steep sided eastern bank
Also:
Common Darter 10+
Black-Tailed Skimmer 8
Emperor 3
