Meds on the increase again

 A dry, but mainly overcast day. A light west breeze.

South shore - Malcolm 10:15 - 11:30

A walk along the sea wall not long after low water

Osprey 1 

It had caught a fish and was eating it on the post at the seaward end of
No.2 outfall. Initially looked over by a Carrion Crow

It fed for 30 minutes then flew off to the NW

Mediterranean gulls 25 - 1 2nd calendar year, 2 3rd calendar year, the rest adult

There were 16 adult and a 2cy on the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. I said yesterday that I only ever hear them calling when they first return in full breeding plumage. I was wrong! Today the 2cy was calling as it chased away encroaching birds. When the feeding here is good they do bicker over feeding patches. Some ringed birds are often seen on the exact same patch every year. It is worth noting that the "patch" that this 2cy bird is defending, is where it was in yesterday's shot.

We are not quite at the "patch working" stage yet. I didn't see any
Sandmason worms caught, but the gulls were trying 

Adult Med and 2cy Common Gull

The remaining Meds were resting/preening on the beach between the outfalls.

Some of the resting Meds. It was good to see the Meds acting normally,
in previous years a passing Osprey cleared the beaches. Perhaps they are
becoming more relaxed about them now that they are more regular 

Middleton Nature Reserve southern section - Janet

Just a short exercise walk

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Six-spot Burnet

Red Soldier Beetle

Worms weather the storm

Very strong onshore winds overnight with vicious gusts. A roadside tree was blown down on Heysham Rd, not uprooted, but snapped at the base! The wind continued all day only easing this evening by then it was more NW. Dry with sunny spells

South shore - Malcolm

I had a walk along the sea wall this morning on the rising tide. The only gulls feeding on the outfalls were a few Black-Headed and a couple of Common Gulls

2nd calendar year Common Gull

On the way out there were no small gulls on Red Nab, they were all hunkered down beside the outfall

Mediterranean Gulls at least 7 all adult or 3rd Calendar year

4 Mediterranean gulls amongst the Black-Headed by No.2 outfall

There were plenty of large gulls hunkered down on Red Nab, but others toughed it out on the open shore 

Herring gulls on the windswept mud

On the way back, the tide had covered the rocks by the outfalls and all
the gulls had retreated to Red Nab

It was a storm such as this last year that dumped 15cm of mud onto the feeding beach by the wooden jetty. So I returned this evening as it was about to be exposed to see how it fared. 

Many of the small gulls including Mediterranean were still hunkered
down on Red Nab

But as soon as the feeding beach began to be exposed the Mediterranean gulls arrived

I thought this adult was stood in deep water.....

.....but it was sat in shallow water!

At least 4 adults, a 3rd calendar year and a 2nd calendar year Meds turned up, presumably they were hungry after being hunkered down all day

This is the 2nd calendar year Med. You can see that not only did the storm
not cover the Sandmason worm tubes, but they are even more prominent 
than yesterday 

This adult was calling, although you could barely hear it over the wind. The
only time I hear them calling is when they've first returned in full breeding plumage

It seemed to be with its mate and still bonding

More gulls may have turned up later, but it is very difficult viewing this 
beach in the evening when the sun is shining

There are plenty of Bee Orchids along the western boundary of Middleton Nature Reserve with Ocean Edge - Janet

Bee Orchid

Pretty much the same stuff

Mainly overcast with the odd light shower. A light west breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Silver Y, hovering to feed

Six-spot Burnet

South shore

Shaun managed a quick check of Red Nab and the outfalls this morning 

Mediterranean Gull 11 - 8 adults and 3 x 3cy. 

Janet checked later

One of two Little Egret

No Mediterranean gulls seen

Pied Wagtail with either a mate or young to feed

I checked from 15:45 - 17:15 - Malcolm

In the Nature Park 

Ringlet 6

Meadow Brown 1

Painted Lady 1

Peregrine Falcon 3 - an adult flew across the Nature Park. 2 juveniles were buzzing the gulls around the Power Stations 

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon

I went to watch the feeding beach by the wooden jetty become exposed. I know that there are hardly any Sandmason worm tubes high up the shore, but perhaps any arriving Mediterranean Gulls wouldn't. One adult did turn up as soon it the mud was exposed, but didn't stay long!

You can see that there are some embryonic Sandmason tubes just showing, but clearly no feeding opportunities yet.

It flew over to the beach between the outfalls.......

.......and joined 3 other adult Mediterranean gulls

As I was heading back a 3rd calendar year Mediterranean gull tried feeding
along the waterline of the beach by the wooden jetty, there are a few more
Sandmason worm tubes further out

Shag 1 2nd calendar year on the wooden jetty

Shag, second from the left, with Cormorants 

This shot is from 5 days ago. A Herring gull with 2 chicks on one of the
Harbour platforms 

This is one of the, slightly larger, chicks today. Its sibling was hiding 
behind a bollard, waiting for an adult to return 

Cormorant in the harbour have a spruce up

Gulls on Red Nab. Left to right: Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed
and Herring gulls

Curlew c150 in several groups north

Between the lighthouse and the waterfall:

Rock Pipit 1

Pied Wagtail 1

Linnet 7

Goldfinch 2

Most of the Linnet were on the perimeter fence, but this one obliged briefly 

Goldfinch having a drink

Kestrel 1 feeding over the saltmarsh 

More variety today

A few light showers before more consistent rain by evening. A light SW breeze

South shore

I went to watch the tide reach Red Nab - Malcolm 10:00 - 11:15

Mediterranean gulls 14. 10 adult, 1 3rd calendar year and 3 2nd calendar year. They were very flighty again and were lifted off Red Nab twice after everything was spooked by the young peregrines.

They were gathering nicely on Red Nab

Then everything either left to the south or settled on the mud

2nd calendar year Mediterranean gull

A lot of gulls, including Meds returned to Red Nab.
When Pete checked closer to high water there were still 11 Meds

Osprey 1 heading south

I think it has a small fish, presumably a Mullet 

Osprey 

Curlew 194 flew south, many from Red Nab but some directly from the north side

Common Sandpiper 2 flew towards Red Nab out from the sea wall

Common Sandpipers and a Common gull

Plenty of butterflies in the Nature Park, but of the home grown variety, as opposed to migrants.

Small Skipper 1

Large White 3

Ringlet 7

Meadow Brown 2

Comma 1

Gatekeeper 1 - first record this year

Comma

Gatekeeper 

Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet

Red-veined Darter 1 male resting by the bench at the main pond bottom car park

Male Red Veined Darter

Four-spotted Chaser

Well camouflaged Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Small Skipper

Red Soldier Beetle (also known as bonking beetles for some reason)

Alder Leaf Beetle larvae 

There was a dead Water Rail chick by the pond on the southern section 

Heysham skear - Malcolm 15:15 - 16:45

Unfortunately the steady rain started just I was in my favourite area for checking the gulls for rings. There were c400 again, but I only managed to see one of yesterday's again before having to cede to the rain.

This close up allows you to see the form of the colour ring. It is just a curved
strip of very thin plastic sheet. N:47K. We now have its history. Ringed as a chick
on Walney Island 2024, it was also on the skear last year. N:49K which was close
by yesterday, also ringed at Walney 2024, but yesterday was its first sighting.

Sandwich Tern 1 flew north

Great Crested Grebe 1

Curlew c25

Oystercatcher c1000