Routine sightings in poor visibility

Heysham Obs
The collection of gulls on Red Nab on the late afternoon tide were really difficult to go through due to heat haze, state of moult, sleeping position and unfavourable sunlight - there could have been more than 2 Meds, for example

Cumulative total from Ocean Edge foreshore/outfalls and Red Nab
Little Gull - 2 x 2nd W, 1 x Ad W
Med Gull - 2 apparent adults - one the regular small bird
Common Tern - juv
Sandwich Tern - one
Arctic Tern - adult - rather surprising record

HNReserve dipping pond
Kingfisher mid-afternoon

Middleton IE
Now two Tufted Duck but no sign of yesterdays Aythya, perhaps a hybrid involoving Pochard

Butterflies/dragonflies
Yet again too windy for the census at Middleton but this did include a single Wall Brown and a late 4-spotted Chaser. 3 male Emperor and an ovipositing Migrant Hawker were also observed. A walk round the reserve by Colin mid afternoon saw: 27 Meadow Brown, 2 Gatekeeper, 5 Common Blue, 2 Small Copper, 4 Peacock, 1 Brimstone, 3 Large White, 1 Small White, 9 Speckled Wood, 3 Red Admiral, just one Migrant Hawker, 2 Brown Hawker, female Common Hawker and c100 Common Darter (but no Ruddy or Black seen)

Moths
A poor catch included Agriphila latistria and a probable Acleris variegana but no migrants

Elsewhere
Med Gull - four from Glasson seawall - 3 Ad-types and a 2nd W. 3CY Yellow-legged Gull but no sign of adult. Tree Pipit south over High Tatham at 0935 - this record assisted by yesterdays departure of the extremely noisy nest-bound juvenile House Martins!

A sprinkling of migrants

Heysham Obs
Wasted time watching flocks of giant poodles and other inbred 'pedigree' mutts being misidentified (on two occasions) as the noticeably absent Audouin's Gull. I suspect someone was taking the micky and taking great delight in watching ornithological stampedes with scopes flailing in all directions. It only takes one loud incomprehensible shout (in this case two)! The grotty Lincolnshire coast throws into sharp perspective the recent improvements at Morecambe - it is now a relatively high class resort with Colin Crompton's bus shelter morgues long gone.

Prior to that a bit of coverage:
Middleton IE
Whitethroat: Whilst scanning the skies for hirundines a passerine was picked up about twice the height of an electricity pylon. It descended in four "leaf-falling" stages and landed on a bramble bush revealing itself as a Whitethroat. After leaping about for 5 seconds, it flew inland. This was preceded by two together moving rapidly inland at low level
Swift: 1+3 south
Swallow: c60 south, including loose flock of 40
Grey Wagtail: 2 south
Kingfisher: 1
Grasshopper Warbler: two recently fledged young were ringed - a surprise
Little Grebe: 4 very small young - late broods are regular here
The only phyllosc was a single Chiffchaff (c/f Willow Warblers reported elsewhere)

Moths
Convolvulus Hawk-moth and Gem in Morecambe in the last 24 hours. Add the Cosmopolitan and this represents three rare migrant moths in a very small area. I wonder if the very severe thunderstorm the evening before the Cosmopolitan was trapped was responsible for "downing" these high-flying migrants in a very localised area? There has been no general influx of scarce migrants anywhere near this latitude to relate these observations to. The first Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year was in the hut trap

Elsewhere
Two Yellow Wagtail at Bank End. Moulting Little Tern reported Morecambe Stone Jetty

Treecreeper highlight

Heysham Obs
Despite the grotty clear sunny north-westerly, the CES had to be done final-date-wise and produced a Treecreeper, the second record for the year.

No coverage of the coastal sites received

Moths
A sizeable catch was perhaps surprising and included 4 Silver Y, 2 Gold Spot, 2 Copper Underwing, 1 Cabbage Moth & one Toadflax Pug of the migrant/dispersive/relatively scarce species for this site

Elsewhere
Late news for yesterday included the general consensus that the 3CY gull on the Lune Estuary IS a Yellow-legged Gull with significant lower neck streaking not ruling this species out at this age class. The adult Yellow-legged Gull was also seen. Several Meds (including juvs) on the north Fylde reflecting the availability of wet fields as opposed to the 'usual' concentration on Heysham outfalls in drier Augusts.

"Highlighted" by Common Tern.............

Heysham Obs
..............a sad reflection of the current post-spring passage status of Common & Arctic Tern in this area

Ocean Edge/outfalls/Red Nab early morning
Med Gull - ad seaward end Stage 2 outfall
Little Gull - two at rest at long range on mudflats

Same site lunchtime
Sandwich Tern - one adult
Common Tern - one juv
Med Gull - small adult on Red Nab

Late afternoon NHW brief check
Shag still on wooden jetty

Moths
Eight Silver Y, but no startling migrants today! Tawny-speckled Pug new for the year

Another photo of yesterdays Cosmopolitan from Alan Draper. This is quite a well-marked individual. If this was a Bordered Straw or Painted Lady, it suggests that it is not a pale primary migrant of southern European/North African origin but dont know whether this principle applies to Cosmopolitan

Elsewhere
The LDBWS site is back up running & included a Short-eared Owl yesterday at Aldcliffe & 31 Little Egret and still 50+ Swift at Leighton Moss Lower Hide area last night. No news on any sightings at this evening's Leighton egret roost of the reported Great White Egret (Carnforth marsh) earlier this afternoon

Cosmopolitan surprise

Cosmopolitan, Heysham hut trap overnight 19/8/08-20/8/08 (top two Reuben Neville, bottom John Girdley)

Heysham Obs
A bit mediocre in many respects (e.g. breeding bird productivity), this year is certainly producing some 'one-offs' (previously White-throated Sparrow and a very early summer plumaged Sabine's Gull). This morning's offering, was, as far as I know, the first NW England Cosmopolitan moth

Red Nab/outfalls
Sandwich Tern - one
Little Gull - ad & 2nd W

Wooden jetty

juvenile Shag at high tide

Heliport

Ad Med Gull

(very) juvenile Common Tern

Moths
COSMOPOLITAN, Hedge Rustic, Silver Y and the first Agriphila latistria of the year.

Butterfly census HNR

A bit windy but: 12 Red Admiral, 3 Peacock, 6 Brimstone, 24 Meadow Brown, 12 Common Blue, 15 Speckled Wood, 5 Small White, 8 Green-veined White, 1 Large White, 1 Comma, 8 Gatekeeper. Thanks Doreen.

Elsewhere

Seemingly the Big Z, but cannot access LDBWS site

Unpredictable morning

Heysham Obs
A visit to OE foreshore and the north harbour wall in a theoretically promising WSWF3 on the latter stages of the incoming tide did not produce what was expected!

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Stage 2 outfalls late stages of incoming tide & very brief pm visit to Red Nab
Sandwich Tern - 1 Red Nab
Little Gull - ad W outfall....... & the 2 x 2nd W were present during a very brief late afternoon visit
Whimbrel - one
Yellow Wagtail - juv on Ocean Edge football field with c35 Pied
Common Sandpiper - one Red Nab
Sanderling - moulting ad with other small waders on mudflats by Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Ringed Plover - 83 with Sanderling
Dunlin - 37 as above
No Meds at all - unprecedented at this stage of the tide at this time of year [incl. NHW]
Absolutely nothing offshore in 30 minutes of watching the mouth of the Bay (including behind incoming IOM ferry)

North harbour wall
Arctic Tern - juvenile blogging inshore
NO Meds (see above)!
No obvious sign of any Shag on wooden jetty
Absolutely nothing offshore in further 20 minutes

Moths
Single Dark Sword Grass & Silver Y plus the first Gold Spot of the year

Elsewhere
Ad Yellow-legged Gull reasonably close & very distant views of a 3CY gull which may on structure and mantle colour have been YLG, but which sported a "necklace" of winter plumage, which at long range appeared latticed like a Black Brant! (large - dwarfed the nearby AD LBB!)........ as seen from the Sunderland tidal road looking towards Glasson. The light however was dodgy - a lot of 'orange sky' silhouette. The personal zero Med day continued, despite loads of BHG on the Lune Estuary, but JC had one at Aldcliffe in the evening..

Afternoon small wader influx

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Little Egret in the channel - reaching 'taken for granted' status at long last here, or at least this particular bird is, having been inexplicably scarce until this year. Later on Red Nab right over the tide period and still there 2 hours after high tide - some kind of record as regards "availability"!

Outfalls/Red Nab
Little Gull - 2 x 2nd W, 1 x 2nd S->Ad W
Med Gull - ad
Sandwich Tern - 3
Common Sandpiper - 1 Red Nab
Ringed Plover -the dizzy heights of 82 reached on the mudflats just to the south of Red Nab as the tide was starting to drop
Dunlin - 41 with the Ringed Plover
Whimbrel - one with the above waders
No sign of any Wheatear on the foreshore

North harbour wall
Ad Med Gull (probably Czech bird)
No sign of Shag

Elsewhere
A Black-tern-less thrash (c/f quite a scattering to the south of here) round the 'pits' produced a consolation prize in the form of a juv Common Tern on Pine Lake. Since the spring passage, Common/Arctic Tern occurrences have been rock bottom in this area with far too much disturbance for any nesting attempts on the Lune

Comprehensive early morning outfalls/Red Nab coverage

Good coverage by Mark & Malcolm before I have even left the house (comprehensive washing up)!

Red Nab/Stage 2 outfall
Med Gull - 3 adults (including small bird) and two juveniles which were definitely not ringed below the knee [one possible metal ring above knee left leg]
Little Gull - at least one 2nd W
Sandwich Tern - 4

Wooden Jetty
Juvenile Shag
Turnstone - 221 (+/-10 or so) at high tide but couldn't see Shag

North harbour wall
Czech-ringed adult Med on railings along with newly moulted 3rd W=Ad W. Not necessarily two of the birds on the 'other side' earlier on
Golden Plover - adult 'out'; scarce on passage here
Gannet - one distant bird [nothing pushed in by rather too slow-moving showers]

Middleton IE
No obvious migrants in the WeBS count: Tufted Duck (1), 16 Coot, 5 Moorhen, 7 Mallard and 7 Little Grebe

Insects
2 Wall Brown early morning on Middleton IE i.e. probably many more. 4 Gatekeeper, 3 male Common Blue, 13 Meadow Brown, one late Small Skipper, 2 Small White, 6 Speckled Wood on the Hey Nature Reserve in marginal afternoon conditions. Also 3 Migrant Hawker & 30 Common Darter NR pm.



Elsewhere
Three second brood Devon Carpet trapped at Lord's Lot wood - the site where they were discovered this spring. Sorry about photo (now deleted) - this was a Small Phoenix - a result of an 'in the dark' mix up with pots.

Juvenile Shag returns

Heysham Obs
Combined effort from low to post-high tide including a major contribution from Wigan RSPB group. Thanks for this.

Ocean Edge to the harbour mouth
Shag - presumably the same juvenile as the other day reappeared on the wooden jetty late morning
Med Gull - at least one adult and one juvenile
Little Gull - 2 1st S->2nd W, one 2nd W->ad W
Little Egret - 1 in OE/Red Nab channels
Kittiwake - 2 1st S on outfalls post-ferry
Wheatear - 1 OE, one harbour area
Gannet - one far offshore
Whimbrel - one Red Nab

Moth trap
One Silver Y

Elsewhere
Juv Yellow Wagtail Aldcliffe the only new sighting of note. Ad Med Broadway area.

Gull grilling

Heysham Obs
During August, it is usually one or two juvenile Common Gull as the pitfall for the unwary amongst a small number of juvenile Med Gulls. This year it is currently the other way round with at least 6 juv Common Gull today and 2 juvenile Meds.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/Stage 2 outfall 0820-0920
Common Gull - minimum of 6 juvenile, some looking quite 'contrasty'
Med. Gull - 2 juveniles but not possible to see whether ringed. 2 unringed adults (one small)
Little Gull - 2 1st S->2nd W
Gannet - just the one from 4 well-spaced offshore 'sweeps'

Coastal recording area WeBS highlights
Med. Gull - one of the juvs was on Red Nab and had a "whitish" ring which did not appear to be lettered, & probably therefore a metal, on the right leg during very brief view before it settled down. Ad Heliport
Sandwich Tern - 4 Red Nab
Turnstone - 182 on wooden jetty

Middleton IE
A ringing session again saw very few Whitethroat (2 ringed) but a reasonable catch included 6 House Martin and 5 Willow Warbler

Elsewhere
2 Little Egret Hest Bank