Another excellent (and prolonged!) dragonfly day

Heysham Obs
The regulars responsible for most of the public domain records are busy at the moment. According to anglers etc., quite a few birders and 'insecters' have been around this last fortnight, but not a sign of any records. Please could you leave sightings in the letterbox on the nature reserve car park fence, notably Red-veined Darter updates and especially ovipositing incidents. Also any Black Guillemot sightings. Thanks very much.

Middleton IE
Red-veined Darter: A very brief visit coincided with some high cloud & just 4 males seen briefly plus a pair in tandem (but not seen to oviposit).
Later Pete C. made a visit in 26C at 1900hrs and there were 10 Red-veined Darter including an ovipositing pair on the model boat pond. By far the latest hour these have ever been seen active - they must have known the weather forecast!
Black-tailed Skimmer : at least 12 on the model boat pond
Broad-bodied Chaser: Male in the central marsh
4-spotted Chaser: 60+
Emperor: 10
No Common Darter seen!

Heysham NR
Gatekeeper - at least one
Red Admiral - 2
Silver Y - influx with 50 + seen

Moth trap
A few interesting records including C. phragmitella, Diamond-back (2)

Good dragonfly day after an impressive moth night!

Heysham Obs
Moths
Interesting captures in the trap included: Eyed Hawk-moth, Double Lobed, Small China Mark, True Lover's Knot (quite a few in traps away from the moors at present), Latticed heath, 9 Common Emerald, 5 Double Dart, a single Diamond-back Moth.........and just the one Large Yellow Underwing!

Dragonflies
A series of binocular sweeps revealed a minimum of 9 male Red-veined Darter over the water on the model boat pond plus a single sighting of an ovipositing female. Two of the male RVD were immature, one obviously so at close range. In addition, 2 male darter spp, presumed to be this species seen in the far corner but rather briefly.

14 Black-tailed Skimmer, mainly model boat pond

One male Broad-bodied Chaser on the fence pond was chased by an Emperor. c40 4-spotted Chaser & c8 Emperor on the fence/central marsh/new scrape areas

Heysham NR
The first Brown Hawker and Gatekeeper of the year

Birds Middleton IE
4 singing male Reed and 2 singing male Grasshopper Warbler [Middleton and two moth trap-emptying sites have produced a 'full-house' of northern singing warblers this am with 10 species]

Elsewhere
Nothing of interest yet in the area. [2 male Lesser Emperor at a central Lancashire site with no access as advised by the risk assessment]

work work work

Heysham Obs
There virtually all day staring at a computer screen with everyone else similarly busy.

Ocean Edge
Single 2CY Med Gull in late afternoon check

Moths
7 Double Dart was notable otherwise just a good catch of perhaps the usual suspects, apart from the second ever example, following the other day, of both the widespread Fan-foot species on the same night. Heart and Dart are in rather low numbers so far.

Elsewhere
7 Little Gull Leighton Moss

More RVD weather

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - at least two males
Black-tailed Skimmer - at least 8

Heysham Moss
Male Grasshopper Warbler trapped and ringed & breeding confirmed

Elsewhere
Listen for Crossbills flying over - 5 SW near Shap this morning and an irruption is underway.

Middleton full of birds & dragonflies

Heysham Obs
No known coastal coverage today

Middleton IE ringing
A good morning produced, for a team of five ringers, 92 captures (this after a slightly delayed start!). Captures included 34 Long tailed Tits, 12 Sedge Warblers, 2 Reed Warblers, 8 Grasshopper Warblers (a total of 13 ringed in two visits this week, the locations suggesting four broods), 11 Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroats & 8 Willow Warblers. (AJD)

Middleton IE dragonflies
Red-veined Darter - on the model boat pond, absolute minimum of 4 males and a pair in tandem with the female ovipositing. No definite evidence that the paired male was not one of the four previously observed singletons. This is the first observed ovipositing since 2006, although I remain to be convinced that any of these are of local origin, as opposed to a migratory influx along with the Painted Ladies. Today sightings do, however, point the pendulum a little more towards some local emergence.

Elsewhere
Ringed Little Egret at the Allen Pools - definitely a wild bird - details soon, but apparently British-ringed.

Rugrats

.............were the order of the day during a very quick check of the foreshore off Ocean Edge at lunchtime. They showed a lot of fieldcraft by displacing the gulls off Red Nab itself, with all its holes and rocks to hide in/behind on to the sands off Ocean Edge itself

Ocean Edge foreshore
Med Gull - 2 x 2CY

Moths
A good catch including 4 x Double Dart and the first time ever for Small Fanfoot and Fanfoot on the same night (both scarce here)

Elsewhere
Wood Sandpipers at Aldcliffe and the Allen/EM Pools (beware of young Redshank at this time of year, but these two are genuine!).

At least two successful Grasshopper Warbler broods

Heysham Obs
Harbour/SHW
Med Gull - 2CY black head with white forehead & crown feeding on tideline below North side of wooden jetty.
Black-headed Gull - 520 inc 4 juv. on and to the side of S1 outfall
Swallow - entering derelict building in harbour complex
3 Herring gull young - on stanchion by intake


Painted lady 1


Hut Moth Trap
A reasonable catch including Double Dart, Clay, Coxcomb Prominent & Shaded Pug.


Middleton
The first ringing visit of the year here curtailed by blustery wind. Singles of Reed bunting, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat & Blackbird, plus 5 Grasshopper Warblers captured. (AJD)

Minimal coverage so far

Heysham Obs
Birds
Swift - 7 south in 30 minutes at lunchtime
Med Gull - 2CY with black head off Ocean Edge

Moths
Common Emerald new for the year, also Coxcomb Prominent caught

Butterflies
2 Red Admiral north at lunchtime (but no Painted Lady)

Red-veined Darters still present

Middleton IE
Two male RVD on the model boat pond during quick lunchtime visit (thanks to Pete Chappell)

race round

** Its going to be a 'hot week' in the moth trap (for the first time for three years?!). Suggest early morning rota for checking or we will lose half the catch. I can do Thursday but definitely not Wed or Fri (Pete). Please tip-toe past the door if you are entering the hut but cant check the trap!!

Heysham Obs
First ever visit without going into the office, I suspect, as a mobile phone call changed the direction of the day!

Red Nab
2 x 2CY Meds, one with almost black head

Middleton model boat pond (nowhere near enough time)
Red-veined Darter - 2 on eastern side, one western side, 2 x darter spp (One prob RVD, the other prob Common D), 1+ Common D along south shore

Elsewhere
2 x Hobby north over Bolton-le-Sands mid-am.