A touch of serendipity

Heavy rain all morning eased in the afternoon. A fresh wind initially from south ended up a westerly 

Middleton Nature Reserve - report from yesterday's visit - Rosemary and Peter Silvester 

Seen at the Southern End:

Male Common Darters 12

Migrant Hawkers 2

Female Common Darter 2 (1 ovipositing)

No Ruddy Darters

Large White 1

Red Admiral 1

Speckled Wood 2

Female Short Winged Conehead 1

Seen at the Main Pond:

Red Veined Darter 1

Male Common Darter 6

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Blue Damselfly 2

Speckled Wood 1

Mute Swan 2

Grey Heron

Heard at the Main Pond:

Robin

Long Tailed Tit

Cettis Warbler

Common Darters

Red-Veined Darter

Common Blue Damselfly 

Speckled Wood

Short-Winged Cone-head

South shore - Malcolm 14:15 - 16:15

There was still some rain in the air as I set out, but I returned in sunshine 

Linnet 30+ feeding on the saltmarsh, 8 on Red Nab

Ringed Plover 1 at the saltmarsh 

Ringed Plover amongst the Samphire 

Wheatear 1 along the foreshore and 1 on the sea wall at Red Nab.

The foreshore bird seemed more concerned about keeping out of the wind, although it was finding some bits to eat.

Wheatear on the sloping sea wall

Rock Pipit 2 at Red Nab, plus 1 along the sea wall and 1 heard near the lighthouse 

The only things feeding at the outfalls and along the sea wall on the way out were Black-Headed gulls

Plenty of Cormorants and one immature Shag on the wooden jetty.

Shag arrowed

This was just before No.2 outfall on the way back.

The Cormorant on the left has just swallowed a fish, but it was struggling 
to get it completely down

It was trying to swallow it for over three minutes. This is just an excerpt.

I had already checked the outfall and there were still only Black-Headed Gulls feeding. But after the watching the Cormorant for a few minutes, a second check saw a juvenile Arctic Tern. I would probably have missed it if not for the delay. Serendipity Indeed, but it was tempered by a touch of misfortune, as the sun chose this moment to break through, making seeing awkward as the sea turned silver.

Juvenile Arctic Tern

It was pretty nimble too!

By the time I got back to the Nature Park the sun was shining and the insects stirring.

Small White 5

Speckled Wood 2

Red Admiral 2

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 8

This gate is 50m past the small anemometer along the back track. There are
four Common Darters soaking up the sun in this shot at one point there were five.