Just a quick high tide check today

Overcast, light morning showers with heavier ones in the afternoon with the odd sunny spell. A freshening south wind.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Rosemary and Peter managed another visit yesterday.

It was certainly much quieter in terms of dragonflies and damselflies with only brief glimpses of sun and a cool breeze at times.  Sightings were as follows:

Southern End:

Speckled Wood 7

Noon Fly 1

Common Darter 1 pr ovipositing

Male Common Darter 6

Female Common Darter 2 (one eating food)

Hawker sp 2

Chiffchaff calling

Coal Tit calling

Main Pond:

Speckled Wood 3

Common Darter 1 pr mating

Male Common Darter 3

Common Blue Damselfly 1

Mute Swan 2

Mallard 4

Coot 2

Long Tailed Tit 1 small flock

This female Common Darter looks to be eating a blackberry, but it would
have to be a tiny blackberry. Plus dragonflies are insectivorous. This must be 
all that remains of some sort of insect 

This one acting as bridgekeeper on the wooden bridge on the south side

Common Darters on the Southern pond

Common Darters on the main pond

Common Blue Damselfly on the main pond

Noon Fly

Speckled Wood 

South shore - Malcolm 10:15 - 11:00

Linnet c200 on saltmarsh 

Wheatear 1 on foreshore 

Robin 2 on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 between foreshore and Red Nab

Rock Pipit 

Knot flock of c100 flew south
Mediterranean gull 12 on Red Nab - 5 adults, 6 2nd calendar year and 1 1st calendar year 

An adult between two 2cy Mediterranean gulls.
The bird on the right has a red ring, not easy to see on dark legs

Ringed as a chick in Hungary last year. It was seen in Spain in February 
and turned up here in June, although it hasn't been seen since July. Pete
advises that there were c50 Meds in the Lune estuary out from Sunderland 
Point today. Perhaps that is where it has been roosting.

Two more 2cy Mediterranean Gulls

This 2cy Mediterranean Gull has some gutweed. Not sure what it was
planning to do with it

1cy Mediterranean Gull centre

Heliport wall - Malcolm

Just a brief stop off on the way home to see if any of the Knot were using this high water root. They weren't. 

Plenty of Oystercatchers roosting 

This one had grabbed the tail of another and physically swung it round.
It was lucky not to lose a feather

Some of the roosting Lapwings

Two of at least four Meadow Pipits