A very heavy thundery shower around 07:00. Kevin Eaves' weather station recorded 88 lightning strikes within a 20km radius! After that a sunny morning with increasing cloud cover again in the afternoon. A SE wind.
Middleton Nature Reserve - Janet
A visitor with binoculars saw at least one male Red-Veined Darter flying over the main pond.
 |
| There seems to be plenty of food for the growing Coot chicks |
 |
| Painted Lady |
 |
| Common Blue |
 |
| Silver-ground Carpet (phone shot, this evening) |
 |
| This Roe Deer was at exactly the same spot on the south side as yesterday |
South Shore - Malcolm 12:45 - 14:45
I started at the saltmarsh and immediately a female Darter flew past me. It didn't land but I managed some in flight shots. None of the shots were great, but they all showed the diagnostic blue of the lower eye of a Red-Veined Darter
 |
| Female Red-Veined Darter |
I thought I was going to see lots of dragonflies after this good start, but a glimpse of something small and dark past the Roundhead was the only other sighting. It was likely to have been a damselfly or possibly a demoiselle
Meadow Pipit also on the saltmarsh (possibly breeding?)
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
It was eying the myriad of flies around.
Rock Pipit 5 - 1 on Red Nab and at least 4 in the harbour
 |
| Rock Pipit between the lighthouse and waterfall |
 |
| Rock Pipit on the light to the right of the lighthouse |
 |
| Still at least 2 chicks in the Carrion Crow nest under one of the harbour platforms |
 |
| This green ringed Herring gull was on top of a platform. Almost certainly one ringed at the Power Station last year |
 |
| This green ringed Herring gull was on No.2 outfall. It was definitely ringed as a chick on the Power Station 24th June last year. It was at Southport Marine Lake as early as the 8th August last year, then at Seaforth docks from February to April this year |
There were plenty of Butterflies coming in/off again, but the fresh wind blowing up the sloping wall lifted many over the perimeter fence, rather than them flying along the sea wall, so the count wasn't as high as it could have been. These are just the totals from the same walk as the last two days.
Painted Lady 32 (including a surge of 10 in quick succession at 13:45
Red Admiral 2
Common Blue 3
Small White 4
Large White 1
Silver Y 1
Burnet Companion 1
Cinnabar 1
Light Brown Apple Moth 1
 |
| These striking crane flies are Nephrotoma sp (likely submaculosa) |
 |
| There were two spikes of Bee Orchid near the gate behind Red Nab |
 |
| The double flower spike is circled, the single flower just to the left |
Kevin Eaves spotted these beetles along the sea wall
 |
| Harpalus affinis |
 |
| Poecilus versicolor |
 |
| Cardinal |
 |
| Cinnamon Bug |
Bell Aire Park - Alison Hayward
It was nice to see large numbers of Figwort Weevils (Cionus scrophulariae) on a small patch of Figwort plants in the lane near Bell Aire Park. Interesting that a significant number flew in during the few minutes I was watching joining the 10s already there.
 |
| Figwort Weevil |
