The regular adult Med returns?

Heysham Obs
......the above the knee Czech ring was not seen this morning (or on the probably the same late afternoon outfalls adult) but the behaviour along the north wall strongly suggested the 'usual' wintering bird.

Red Nab/Stage 2 outfall
Whimbrel 1
2nd S Med Gull seaward end of Stage 2 outfall (minimal black on primary tips, therefore not NHW bird) and again late afternoon
Ad Med Gull by the outfalls in the afternoon - again the upper right leg could not be seen c/f Czech metal ring
Little Gull - 1st S late afternoon

North harbour wall
Mediterranean Gull adult + 2nd S, 2nd S again present late afternoon
Gannet 4 blogging, 5 'out'
Sandwich Tern 8 'out/across' + 4 blogging

Middleton IE
Late Lapwing chick model boat pond
Snipe - first autumnal bird on the model boat pond
Common Sandpiper - one model boat pond
Kingfisher - first autumnal bird (juv) on the 'no swimming' pond
Grasshopper Warbler - singing male, despite windy weather

Moths
New for the year in the trap were Short-cloaked Moth and (surprisingly) Muslin Footman & something which looked like Celypha straminea ('must do better' with micros)

Elsewhere
The profile of the Warton Crag quarry Chough continues to rise again after being 'lost' during the spring passage 'excitement' (and amongst the hordes of breeding Jackdaw) - on the pager again for 1110hrs at the quarry. Hobby on the pager for late mid-late afternoon in Lower Hide area.

Usual stuff

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/stage 2 outfall at low tide
Little Gull - 1st S
Med Gull - 2nd S

Moths (overnight trap)
Antler made its first appearance. Just one very worn Silver Y (c/f 3 yesterday). Green Pug and Cabbage Moth also new for the year - scarce here. A couple of Eucosma campoliliana represented the local ragwort appreciation society along with a late Cinnabar

Late record and compliment
Thanks to Oldham Birder for Black Guillemot info [published under the date in question] and 'Jen' for a nice comment about the site, notably Mark Break's introductory Med Gull photo.

Elsewhere
1st S Hobby again at Griesdale hide Leighton Moss 1310 at least. Chough again Warton Crag quarry and showing well (and easy to find in the absence of Jackdaws) from about 1700-1720hrs feeding in the grassy stuff along the top of the quarry face. Osprey Leighton Moss late afternoon.

A (very) few Silver Ys appear

Heysham Obs
Depressions approaching from the south-west always have possibilities for migrant insects and there was a little flurry of Silver Y in the trap (3 - one more than Portland!) with a further individual deep in the Hindburn valley. This species, and migrant insects in general, have been conspicuous by their absence so far this summer (although there was a late winter 'Saharan dust influx' to the south of Britain)

The only other sightings of note so far were a 2nd S Med Gull on the seaward end of Heysham 2 outfall this morning along with 2 very distant Manx Shearwater heading 'across and out' . 1st S Little Gull Red Nab roost on late afternoon tide.

Elsewhere
Hobby perched Lower Hide area Leighton Moss afternoon

More Grasshopper Warblers

Heysham Obs
Coastal areas late afternoon
Rock bottom with the only semblance of a justifiable mention being an unpopular Grey Heron 'in-off' at Red Nab. NO gulls/terns/waders/Black Guillemot worthy of mention!

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - Two juveniles ringed in western marsh (& retrap adult female) & juvenile ringed in central marsh
Sedge Warbler - 6 new juveniles ringed
Whitethroat - just one juv ringed - where are they?
Grey Wagtail - one, possibly two, south [c/f one over Stone jetty]
Sand Martin - 1

Insects
Black-tailed Skimmer is definitely breeding in the central marsh at Middleton with 3 males and an ovipositing female. Also 4 at the usual model boat pond site but no darters in deteriorating weather. Hawker spp, probably Common on the Nature Park pond. Another Garden Tiger in the moth trap along with the increasingly local Double Dart (3) and the first Straw Underwing (2) & Common Rustic (1) of the year. White Satin and Grass Rivulet were also notable - they are not annual.

Elsewhere
Red Kite over High Bentham c1450hrs. Hobby sat in dead tree lower end of Leighton Moss this morning

Black Guillemot still there

Heysham Obs
Stage 2 outfall
Just a 2nd S Med Gull at low tide

North wall incoming tide
Black Guillemot for 15 minutes, then flew offshore at 1400hrs
Med Gull - TWO 2nd summer, probably including the above bird
Gannet - 1st S sat on the sea by the Near Naze

Moths
Cloaked Minor rather early, Yellow Shell first of the year in the trap

Elsewhere
Drake Common Scoter Haweswater & Spoonbill Leighton Moss

Welcome Garden Tiger

Heysham Obs
Woolly bears are apparently not a feature of quality garden time for children any more and the moth has seriously declined at Heysham as elsewhere. One in the trap this morning was a welcome sight.

Red Nab/outfalls
2nd summer Med Gull and Whimbrel was the disappointing fare at the 'optimum' time of c2 hours before high tide

Middleton IE
Adult and juvenile Grasshopper Warbler ringed

Moths
A good catch included the abovementioned Garden Tiger and other late summer delights making their 2008 debut such as Smoky Wainscot, Straw Dot, Uncertain, Scalloped Oak, Small Fan-foted Wave, Common Footman, Dotted Clay and Shaded Broad Bar. An Eyed Hawk-moth was late.

Elsewhere
2 Spoonbill Leighton Moss

First Whimbrel of the 'autumn'

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Stage 2 outfall
Med Gull - one 2nd summer
Little Gull - 2 1st summer
Whimbrel - 1 (first of autumn)
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird

North harbour wall
Med Gull - 2nd S -usual wintering bird, different from above
No obvious sign Black Guillemot

Middleton IE
A short window for dragonflies between the downpours saw double-figures of Common Darter, the first Brown Hawker of the year and low single figures of Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer. A few Small Skipper were on the wing.

Elsewhere
Ad Hobby again at Aldcliffe this lunchtime. Chough again in Warton Crag quarry at 1140hrs. Spoonbill Leighton Moss Public Mere area [& 2 otter island mere]

Mistimed 'spring' tide checks of outfalls area

Heysham Obs
Stage 2 outfall/Red Nab/Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Arctic Tern - 2 adults on outfalls
Common Sandpiper - one Red Nab, three Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird
Med Gull - 2nd S on Red Nab late afternoon - did not have time to plough through the anglers to check the north harbour wall

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - one juvenile seen
Sand Martin - 2 (unusual here in mid summer)

Harbour mouth
Black Guillemot seen (thanks Oldham birder)

Elsewhere
No sign of the returning ad Yellow-legged Gull as yet on the outer Lune Estuary during a pretty thorough search from the Sunderland tidal road (no heat haze). Humming-bird Hawk Moth seen along the canal between Torrisholme and Newton yesterday (4th)

Adult Little & Meds new in but no Red-veined Darters

Heysham Obs
North Harbour Wall 0920-1020 hrs
Wheatear juv at end of mound.
Mediterranean Gull 2nd S harbour entrance
Black Guillemot outside harbour entrance, then sat on wooden jetty
Sandwich Tern 1 'out'
Shelduck 6 'out'
Mute Swan 2 'across' from direction of Walney

Red Nab
Mediterranean Gull adult at roost with BHG's
Little Gull - adult sat on the sea next to Red Nab at high tide [no sign of 1st S birds]
Kittiwake - 1st S harbour wall/stage 2 outfall

Middleton IE
Two singing Grasshopper Warbler and one young bird ringed [also 7 juvenile Sedge Warbler ringed, but again a bit windy]

Insects
NO Red-veined Darter seen during a lengthy search by an experienced observer on the model boat pond in conditions which should have produced them. The only caveat is that it was slightly later in the day than optimum & a fraction windy. It looks, however, as thought the male seen the other day was an isolated occurrence of an insect which has moved on. 8-10 Black-tailed Skimmer were seen. Perhaps relevant has been the daily presence of Pied Wagtail and Jackdaw feeding on teneral dragonflies etc. along the favoured waters edge.

Elsewhere
Hobby L. Moss 2nd July, chasing Sand Martin. No Crossbill seen/heard in Thrushgill plantation but Quail in "Hindburndale" this afternoon, providing the first Lancashire sighting in 55 years for one observer! This mobile bird was not present in the evening. 2-3 Short=eared Owls around Botton Head/Silly Lane this evening

Quick high tide check

Heysham Obs
.......absolutely not through intention - just the only time possible - the worst time of the tide cycle to check= when it is a high spring tide covering Red Nab

Stage 2 outfall high tide
Kittiwake - one first summer on the outfall
Little Gull - 2 1st summer sat on the sea

Elsewhere
Flock of 16 Crossbill Thrushgill plantation late afternoon, plus sub-adult male Hen Harrier passing through and a family party of very young, still being fed, Siskin, obviously of local provenance. Doesnt seem to be any forestry activity at present.