End of daily reports until September

We have a really unfortunate situation where the main insect etc. recorders just cannot access the site. Therefore postings for the remainder of August will be intermittent and it is hoped to start daily sightings again in early September. This is not sounding the death knell but facing reality in the short term. Apologies to people who routinely access the site on a daily basis, but have you any contributions to make yourselves?

7th September
A Garden Warbler was ringed - the first of the autumn for a species which does not breed in the Heysham area

8th September
Wormwood Pug new for the year along with Lesser Swallow Prominent, a scarce species at Heysham!


Thanks Reuben

Cool and antless

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls
Shimmering heat haze made the gull id very difficult in conjunction with 'non-standard' moulting plumages but 1 x Ad, 1 x 1st S and 1 x juv Med Gulls were noted


Harbour
One Black Guillemot which promptly flew out to sea


Moths
Small Phoenix, Udea lutealis, Six-striped Rustic and one I cant remember were new for the year


Dragonflies
6 or so Black-tailed Skimmer still on the model boat pond


Elsewhere
Ad Med Gull by the Stone Jetty. Ruddy Darter at Bankwell:

A good insect day

Heysham Obs
Dog walkers were fleeing the site in their droves due to flying ants this afternoon - a density I have not seen for many years.

Wooden jetty
Both Black Guillemot reported

Aerial observations
Very few gulls on the outfalls due to the ants. Ad & 1st S Med gull located anting

Red Nab
2 Whimbrel

Insects (nature reserve)
Butterflies: Plenty of Red Admiral and at least 5 Gatekeeper
Dragonflies: The coverage benefited from a visiting expert who was able to work the reserve in decent conditions (at last) whilst Colin covered Middleton IE. 6 Ruddy Darter, at least 4 Black Darter, 2 Common Hawker, 1+ Migrant Hawker and a few Brown Hawker
Moths: Orange Swift was new for the year and Dog's Tooth an irregular visitor

Insects (Middleton IE)
Butterflies: Grayling seen
Dragonflies: 14 male and 2 female Emperor, 3 Black-tailed Skimmer, pristine-looking 4-spotted Chaser was unexpected, 2 Emerald Damselfly (at the very least!), 2 male Ruddy Darter

Elsewhere (Insects)
Millhouses, Wray moth trap: a 'tick' for me in the form of a male Four-spotted Footman (the fourth VC60 and about the 6th county record if you ignore bits ceded to Merseyside and GM)

male 4-spotted Footman. Thanks Gary

At least three White-letter Hairstreak at Stairend bridge but the one visiting the thistles was extremely worn as might be expected by this time.
8 Common Hawker along the sheltered northern edge of Thrushgill plantation
2 Manchester Treble Bar moth at Loftshaw Moss, west of Lowgill (NB wet and potentially dangerous but the moth does occur on drier ground either side of the Lancs/Yorkshire border near the Great Stone of Fourstones)

Elsewhere (birds)
Four Crossbill, presumably Common at Thrushgill but only heard calling and seen in flight silhoette. NO access due to logging activities. Also family party of Siskin with the young only recently fledged

Usual recent fare at Leighton Moss with no increase on the 13 Little Egret and the three Spoonbill still remaining

Dreary day

Heysham Obs
Request for help: This site has survived 'in spite of' with just one day missed since the inception in mid-December. The problem has been that two of the key people (including the warden) cannot access the site from home computers. They have been given the username and password but end up in a loop with red writing saying they have not got the appropriate password after they have clicked 'sign in'.

Any solutions to/reasons for this please? Thanks. pbmarsh@btopenworld.com

Brief visit to the harbour mouth/NH wall
One Black Guillemot visible on top of the wooden jetty early afternoon in conditions not encouraging a lengthy stay. An adult Med Gull was along the NHW and in the harbour mouth but it could not be seen whether there was a metal ring above the knee = the returning Czech bird. Two other adult Med on the outfalls along with 5 Sandwich Tern in the Red Nab area

Mammals
Grey Seal off the harbour mouth

Thanks Jon for today's info

Elsewhere
13 or so Little Egret and 3 Spoonbill Leighton Moss area

Tedious Med search

Heysham Obs
Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge mudflats
2,000 moulting Black-headed Gulls, just two Meds this lunchtime on the incoming tide as viewed from Red Nab (Ad & 1st S).

Migration
No evidence of any movements today

Moths
Again the very low numbers of common species was the main theme. Top was Straw Underwing with just 8 and Common Rustic comprised just one! Sandy Carpet (I think!) and Rosy Minor new for the year.

Sandy Carpet. Thanks Reuben

Elsewhere
Up to 3 Spoonbill and 13 Little Egret Leighton Moss area. Adult Hobby targeting the embryonic Swallow roost at Melling maize field this pm. Red Kite in the X of Greet area flew over Whitray towards the head of the Dunsop valley. Untagged.

Second record of Buff Footman

Heysham Obs
Wooden jetty/harbour
Reasonably good search of the harbour area failed to reveal any Shag but the 2 Black Guillemot were by the wooden jetty

Outfalls
Checked rather too late i.e high tide. Two juvenile and a 1st summer Med Gull were sat on the sea but no sign of any Little Gull

Passage
30-40 Swift over Middleton IE. Scattering of presumed migrant Willow Warbler and Whitethroat

Moths
A female Buff Footman was eventually identified - the second record -pic tomorrow.

Elsewhere
The three Spoonbill and 12-14 Little Egret still at Leighton Moss

First 'autumnal' Little Gulls

Heysham Obs

Thanks to John Mason for all the bird info.

Outfalls/Red Nab

TWO juvenile Med Gull today along with a 3rd W (as yesterday) and 1st summer. Two 1st S Little Gull were undoubtedly those recorded at JB Point a few days ago - now they are here they should stay! Two Sandwich Tern and at least two Whimbrel.

Wooden jetty/harbourmouth

Two Black Guillemot on the water at least 0830hrs. Dare I say that dredger activity may have displaced the last remaining Shag [from last autumn] away from the area?

Insects

The reedbed trap was run and produced more Southern Wainscot and a few Small China Mark. The hut trap saw a battered Bordered Beauty and another Nutmeg.

The declining Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet was in the reedbed trap along with the pyralid Small China Mark; the other is the battered Bordered Beauty. Thanks Reuben.

5.5 C to 20 C in 5 hours!

Heysham Obs

Outfalls/Red Nab

Med Gull: 1 x 3rd W (winter plumage head, 2nd w/s outer primaries not yet moulted), 1 x adult summerish, at least 1 x 1st S, 1 x juvenile

Wooden jetty

NNEW on the Black Guillemot

Heysham NR

As also recorded from the nearby accident repair centre on Westgate (dont ask), 60-70 Swift south in one hour over the Nat Res - this suggests they were moving on a broad front at a similar rate in the clear weather. House Martin status is always very difficult to define as they do a lot of circling until you suddenly realise they have gone, but c80 over Heysham NR was a very large count for birds which were simply 'blogging'. Just c20 Swallow with them.

Middleton IE

A ringing session spoilt by sunny windy conditions earlier than expected. Highlighted by adult male and 2nd brood juvenile Grasshopper Warbler

Worn tail on the adult male Grasshopper Warbler. It still has to make do with this all the way back to Africa before it can moult! Thanks Jean

Insects

The moth trap contained the first Least Yellow Underwing and Barred Rivulet of the year along with that eagerly-anticipated harbinger of the summer decline, Agriphila tristella

The butterfly transect on the reserve comprised: 12 Gatekeeper, 30 Small Skipper (massive reduction from the previous census), 4 Red Admiral, 3 Peacock, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 50 Meadow Brown, 15 Green-veined White, 2 Small Copper, 7 Large White, 20 Small White, 1 Brimstone, 24 Speckled Wood

Dragonflies today were only casually recorded but included 5 Brown Hawker and two Common Hawker during the butterfly transect on Heysham nat. reserve & a single male Black-tailed Skimmer on the Middleton model boat pond.

Plants

Giant Hogweed taken from a standing position! It will be removed soon.

Elsewhere

Ringlet near Wray (just south of Smeer Hall) and two White-letter Hairstreak during a brief visit to Stairend. The pager suggests this area is dead as regards bird sightings - no doubt this might prompt someone to come up with Leighton Moss Spoonbills!

A bits and pieces day

Heysham Obs
Nothing comprehensive; anyone anything to add, please?

Outfalls/Red Nab
A check too near to high tide saw 2 x 1st S Med Gull, 3 Whimbrel

Harbour mouth
At least one Black Guillemot late afternoon (per angler)

Insects (on reserve)
One Common Hawker - hard to find this year along with 1+ Brown Hawker & 4 x Gatekeeper (all along Princess Al;exandra way track past the blue utilities grids) - surely at least 12 on the reserve this year so far. This species is a recent arrival which has not 'taken off' like Speckled Wood and Small Skipper. Nothing new in the moth trap.

Elsewhere
Ad Yellow-legged Gull visible from Sunderland tidal road but nothing with 280+ Dunlin other than three Whimbrel. No sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs at Leighton Moss but greatly increased numbers of (migrant?) Sedge Warbler there with 40+ trapped and ringed. Unfortunately Middleton IE has been too windy (until tomorrow). The Little Egret roost at Ashton Hall Lake comprised FIVE this evening, an earlier build up than is usual (thanks Helen).

Meds pile in, Black guillemots stay put

Heysham Obs

Wooden jetty/harbour

Black Guillemot: pair on or below the wooden jetty

Turnstone: 17 on wooden jetty

NO sign of any Shag

North harbour wall

Med Gull: 1st summer patrolling the wall briefly perhaps indicative of last winter's returning bird.

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge foreshore

Med Gull: Between us we managed 2 x Adult (one different from yesterday), 3 x 1st S (one possibly the NHW bird) and one x juvenile

Kittiwake: 1st summer

Common Tern: 1

Sandwich Tern: 1

Whimbrel: 3

Nature reserve

Common Sandpiper Obs Tower pond

Middleton IE

Kingfisher on 'no swimming' pond

Insects

2 x Black-tailed Skimmer, 8 male and one female Emperor & lots of Common Darter, mainly tenerals, on Middleton IE

2-3 Brown Hawker Heysham NR

A surprisingly good variety in the moth trap, despite ridiculously low numbers of common species such as Clay (1) and Common Rustic (4). New for the year were: Olive, Ruby Tiger, Cabbage Moth & the local fleabane-eating pyralid (or the larva do!) Ebulea crocealis. Olive and Cabbage Moth are quite scarce here.

Butterflies included four Gatekeeper on the reserve and a few Small Heath still flying on Middleton IE

Elsewhere

No sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs and two of the Spoonbills appeared to disappear early morning leaving Allen/EM Pool highlights for much of the day as one Spoonbill and 5 Little Egret. JBP saw two 1st S Little Gull, Spotted Redshank. As was shown by the WTP, this does not mean the LY is not in the hidden area on Leighton Moss which will becoming more suitable with falling water levels.

Stairend Bridge, Upper Hindburn revealed a nice pocket of calmish air around the favoured elms and there were 5 White-letter Hairstreak (& at least one Purple Hairstreak) at 1630 and earlier one (of these) was nectaring on Creeping Thistle:

Thanks very much for this excellent shot, Gary