Little Gull reappears

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
2 x 2nd W Med Gull in the morning, one of these plus the Czech-ringed adult Med in the afternoon. No sign of any Black Guillemot since the male was back to its old solitary routine chasing Feral Pigeon (and perhaps, by default, Turnstone) on the outer section of the wooden jetty on 14th August.

Outfalls/Red nab
Adult Little Gull in the morning at least. An afternoon high tide count at Red Nab saw a routine 5 Sandwich Tern but a juvenile Kittiwake was new in. Common Sandpiper also seen.

Moths
Square-spot Rustic and Rosy Rustic rather belatedly new for the year in the hut moth trap. Also the first of the autumn brood of Common Marbled Carpet. Riveting stuff.

Elsewhere
Two separate checks of the Lune Estuary early and mid-morning produced a combined total of 3 adult and two 2nd W Med Gulls. The adult Yellow-legged Gull was also off Glasson quay. 3 Spoonbill and 18 Little Egret at Leighton Moss. The only tern in the area away from Heysham was a Sandwich at Teal Bay!

Meds and a lost tree rat

Heysham Obs
Red Nab per-high tide
Unringed adult and juv Med Gulls

North harbour wall just after high tide
Czech-ringed adult and two 2nd W Med Gulls

Mammals
Grey Squirrel along the north harbour wall

Elsewhere
3 Med Gulls at Bank End (nr Cockerham) high tide roost and 3 Green Sandpiper in the Aldcliffe area

Dire seawatching

Heysham Obs
I know it is deceptive, but the line of wind generators really do look like an extension of that other nuisance, Walney Island, with respect to seabirds entering the Bay. About 1.5 hours over the last 4 days or so has, apart from a surprising flock of Common Scoter, not produced a single seabird (inc. tern!). It is difficult enough to get them to "turn round" or be blown round against the preferred direction without this windfarm. Stick to spring seawatching unless there is a period of howling onshore gales which do not go round to the NW!

North wall
No sign Black Guillemots. Ad & one 2nd W Med Gulls.

Reserve
Quite a few Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler scattered around but probably none of these exceeding single figures.

Butterfly census
Highlighted by 4 Gatekeeper and a fresh Painted Lady

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill and up to 18 Little Egret Leighton Moss area. 2 2nd W and one adult Med Gull north Fylde coast.

Black Guillemots still absent

Heysham Observatory
North harbour wall
Two adult (one Czech-ringed with 5 old primaries) and 2 2nd winter Med Gulls. Note the second winters are in the final stages of moult with the outer primaries in stage 3/4, giving the birds a very blunt-ended appearance c/p adults at rest.

Meds. can be awkward at this time of year. If there is any doubt as to the stage of wing moult in resting 'adult-like' birds with 'black wing-tips' i.e. whether the black-tipped outer primaries are old unmoulted feathers = 2nd S moulting to 3rd=ad winter or as described above = 1st summer moulting to 2nd W, the bare parts can be quite helpful. The legs on 2nd W/2nd S birds are dark reddish brown and this can sometimes remain as an obvious feature as late as the 3rd W = otherwise adult plumage, allowing 3rd W to be identified (and the feature checked on ringed known 3rd W). 2nd W birds also have quite 'washed-out' orangy-red bills but these are usually indistinguishable from adults once 2nd summer plumage is attained.

Outfalls/Red Nab/Ocean Edge
Very unproductive with just one Sandwich Tern and a high class of holidaymaker this week snaffling all the Daily Mirror from the caravan park shop. Surely the Ad Little Gull was not a one-day bird?

Elsewhere
Quite a few Med Gull in coastal areas on and south of the Lune Estuary as wet fields disperse birds which are 'usually' on Heysham outfalls (numbers there well down)? 3 Spoonbill and 'a lot' of Little Egret EM Pools.

A few migrants

Heysham Obs
Completely caught out by calm passerine migrant weather and no birders arrived prior to 0900hrs! Quite a few Willow Warbler calling from the bushes (10-15), two Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat together in the brambles opposite the office and 5+ Wheatear on the coastal bits

Outfalls/Red Nab
4 Sandwich Tern and a 2nd W Med Gull

North harbour/heliport
2 2nd W Med Gulls and at least one adult but no sign of any Black Guillemot in a 20min visit just after HT.

Moths
The first (2) Sallow enhancing the autumnal feel

Another picturesque shot of Monday's Scalloped Hook-tip (Reuben Neville)

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill & 16 Little Egret Leighton area. Up to 340 Dunlin at Sunderland just 'contained' a juv Knot with a Black-tailed Godwit nearby i.e. no sign of yesterdays Curlew Sand & Little Stint.

Meds back on patrol. Belated first adult Little Gull

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Czech-ringed adult and two 2nd W (still growing outer primaries) Med Gull on the railings along the north wall just after high tide showing down to about 2 metres!

Sea
A flock of 21 Common Scoter was very unexpected - flying out

Wooden jetty
Male Black Guillemot chasing Turnstone and Feral Pigeons on top of the jetty! No sign of female in 10 mins observation

Outfalls
Adult Little Gull new in. Two Sandwich Tern but no Meds amongst 350 BH Gulls

Elsewhere
Moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper and adult Little Stint with c350 Dunlin Sunderland before being flushed by fisherman and flying towards Overton out of sight. 3 Spoonbill and up to 18 Little Egret Leighton Moss area

New moth species

Heysham Bird Observatory
Wooden jetty/harbour/heliport area
Both Black Guillemots on the sea below the wooden jetty
Ad Med Gull roosting on the heliport at HT, another Ad on the sea off the north harbour wall

Seawatching
A dark morph adult Arctic Skua was distantly making its way out of the Bay during a quick check on the WeBS count

Red Nab area
2nd S moulting to ad W Med Gull

Moths
Scalloped Hook-tip in the trap this morning. This birch feeder was recorded yesterday at Lord's Lot Bog and, unless recent records contradict, represent the 4th and 5th for VC60 (northern 2/3 of Lancashire). Definitely not accidental transport of yesterday's individual! Small Wainscot new for the year


.
Scalloped Hook-tip. Thanks Reuben

Elsewhere
Three Spoonbill & 14 Little Egret Leighton area. Ad winter Spotted Redshank & Greenshank on the Strathmore groyne off Morecambe at HT, Belgian-ringed Ad Med Gull nearby

National moth night highlights

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Four Med Gulls here: Czech-ringed adult, unringed adult and two 2nd summer moulting to adult winter. No sign of last winter's 1st summer

No sign of the Black Guillemots during this early morning visit

Moth trap
The rather subdued highlights in the toilet trap were Southern Wainscot (smaller than yesterday's individual) and a latish example of that Heysham specialist, Straw Underwing.

Elsewhere
North Lancs. NMN highlights so far
In retrospect we should have really highlighted how good a cloud muggy drizzly period is just prior to the rain proper! Early indications suggest that some may have been put off by the weather. For those who went for it, it was an excellent night, although the rain arrived just too early to sheet and light the Roeburndale oakwoods. The first hour of darkness provided the best moorland moth trapping conditions this year, as is so often the case just prior to heavy rain.

In so far: Blomer's Rivulet (Yealand garden trap), Four Pale Eggar, three Confused, Ling (form of Wormwood) Pug and a Grey Mountain Carpet on sheet and light Leck Fell (2115 to 2215), Barred Chestnut and no less than 5 Striped Twin-spot Carpet in an actinic set on Warton Crag LWT section, Scalloped Hook-tip (4th record for VC60) at Lord's Lot Bog, Red Carpet & Buff Footman (range extension) at Greenbank Farm near Thrushgill, Yellow-barred Brindle at High Tatham, a late Silver Ground Carpet at Leck village

Birds: same again at Leighton Moss with 3 Spoonbill and up to 14 Little Egret. TWO Yellow-legged Gull adults on the Lune Estuary near Glasson.

a few bits

Heysham Obs
The Black Guillemots were reportedly still present mid-afternoon

Moths
Reasonable catch included Toadflax Pug, Southern Wainscot & Chinese Character

Elsewhere
3 Spoonbill & 13 Little Egret Leighton Moss. Osprey carrying a fish Melling, Lune valley this evening. A pre-rain National Moth Night trapping session up Leck Fell included 3 Confused, 4 Pale Eggar and a Grey Mountain Carpet

Predicting falls and airy-fairy weather forecasts

Heysham Obs
Yesterday dawned clearish and coolish with an extremely light north-easterly airflow which turned round to an equally light southerly airflow during the first 2-3 hours of daylight. This change of wind direction in slack conditions has regularly produced small falls at Heysham and yesterday was no exception. This morning was supposed to have dawned cloudy +/- a tiny amount of drizzle and a light south/south-west airflow - reasonable conditions to drop a migrant or two. Nothing of the sort: crystal clear departure weather overnight with a southerly airflow and a bank of cloud on the horizon. Result: a deathly silence in the main trapping area around the office as 'nothing' remained from yesterday and just three birds trapped, none obvious migrants (the one Lesser Whitethroat probably of local origin at this stage of the autumn). This changed slightly as the cloud arrived in late morning and appeared to drop one or two Willow Warbler and Whitethroat.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Little Egret, Greenshank and a flock of 21 summer/moulting Grey Plover along with a more routine adult Med Gull

Harbour area
No time to check today but BOTH Black Guillemot were in the harbour mouth yesterday

Moths
Flounced Rustic was new for the year

Elsewhere
Reliable sources indicate that the Little Egret count in the Leighton area has reached 19 (record Lancs count) although the number easily visible i.e. feeding in viewable areas has been 12-13. Three Spoonbill still in the area. Ad Med Gull Teal Bay