Sanderling surprise

Heysham Obs
A quick visit to the office was necessary, coinciding with high tide

Outfalls/Red Nab
Sanderling 16-17 in a tight flock on the rocks
Dunlin - one with above
Ringed Plover - 5
Common Gull - 46
Black-headed Gull - 7
Mallard - one male

Moths
Overnight trapping at Middleton confirmed that Silver Hook is resident there.  The office trap was highlighted by the first Mottled Beauty, Eyed Hawk-moth, Figure of Eighty and the "usual" Shaded Pugs.  A Mother Shipton was flying about next to the office

The Emperors patrol

Heysham Obs
Creepy-crawlies to the fore today as the weather allowed decent flight periods by dragonflies, but the May weather must surely have put paid to some of the early emergers in the balmy April weather.  In this respect, 4-spotted Chasers were much scarcer than they should be at this time of year with a morning maximum of just 6 at Middleton.  At least 2, probably 3 Emperors were on the wing there

Middleton NR
Reed Warbler - at least 5 singing males
Lesser Redpoll - the bird record of the day was a male in song flight over the model boat pond area.  This is a good atlas addition for the rich and varied SD45E!
Long-tailed Tit - party of recently fledged young ringed

Outfalls
Kittiwake - 2CY

Mist net poles and mini-yurts

Heysham Obs
Its quite a challenge to your temperament getting up at some horrendous hour in the morning to find your mist net poles have been commissioned to construct a yurt.  This involves cutting them in half..........Fortunately enough poles were located to carry out the Heysham CES.  The "problem" at the Middleton CES was the usual one - wind a bit stronger than forecasted.  However, we 'got away with it' and the catches at both sites were reasonable as the sun was firmly kept in its place by some low cloud

There were no newly-fledged summer visitors, but a few territorial males were caught of  Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat, so hopefully the nests themselves have not been washed or blown away.  The recently fledged tit/Dunnock/Robin season was, however, in full swing!

Outfalls
A quick check revealed one Arctic Tern and the 2CY Kittiwake

Moths
Decentish catch included Figure of 80, Dog's Tooth and 3 Shaded Pug

Some pics from two days ago (thanks Janet)

Slightly windy fare

Heysham Obs
Outfalls
Ad & 2CY Kittiwake
Arctic Tern - 2
Common Tern - 1

Offshore 0845-0915
Gannet - 2
Manx Shearwater - 1

In with Arctic terns, out with Canada Geese!

Heysham Obs
So May draws to a rather quiet close after arriving with a significant Arctic Tern passage.  There are two hours of daylight to complete the last of the first (of two) breeding season TTVs!  Thanks to Pete and Janet for preventing a blank entry and the theme was some wandering Canada Geese, more evidence that the strong winds this last week have left a bit of a trail of weakened Gannets and the increasingly ubiquitous 2CY Kittiwake

North harbour wall 0945-1045
Canada Goose - 10 floated in, followed by 9 flying in
Gannet - 3CY

Outfalls area
Gannet - two birds
Kittiwake - the usual 2CY below

Sorry my computer will not allow me to upload the pics - something to do with Google.

Long on moths, short on birds

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls 0905-0930
Gannet - one across and out
Manx Shearwater - 2 across and out - all very distant
Kittiwake - single 2CY outfalls (usual bird)
Common Gull - 237
Black-headed Gull - 1(!)
Curlew - 34 on Red Nab

Moths
The second site record of Pale Tussock highlighted a reasonable catch which included new for the year:  Epiblema cynosbatella, Dark Arches & Crambus perlella.  3 Shaded Pug at this well-established northern outpost for this species

Whoops - not a good time to check the moth trap!

Heysham Obs
Another morning of strong winds, initially a bit too southerly for a decent seawatch, especially given the poor visibility much of the time.  JBP is better in this wind and was graced with 'one man and his persistence', as opposed to the Heysham scenario where a decent sea was left at the crucial time to check a moth trap!  Later, after the front/trough which the Long-tailed Skua was flying 'in' ahead of had passed, the wind went a bit more westerly and produced a few odds and ends, mostly Manxies

North harbour wall 0730-0900, 1135-1315
Gannet - 8
Manx Shearwater - 30 'in' & 24 'out', all but 3 of these 1200-1230hrs
Arctic Skua - dm out c1150hrs
Fulmar - one out
Whimbrel - late one 'in'

Outfalls/Red Nab
Arctic Tern - one
Med Gull - 2CY
Common Cull - c250
Kittiwake - TWO 2CY & adult

Moths
A decent catch with the following new for the year:  Shaded Pug, Scoparia ambigualis, Treble Bar, Garden Carpet, Swallow Prominent (scarce here), Marbled Minor agg, Mottled Rustic

Elsewhere
Long-tailed Skua - at least one inner bay with presumably the same bird flying up the Keer, then appearing again off JBP (but see Solway count re-presumptions)

Routine grotty weather seawatch

Heysham Obs
Some time during the last week, the eager anticipation of early morning seawatching went out of the window - the Long-tailed Skua possibilities dimmed to a highly unlikely straggler and with the majority of the "exciting rapid northbound seabird migrants" having "gone through", you are left with the more mundane adrenalin-deficient routine of looking at wandering 'Irish sea seabirds'............& too early for Storm Petrel possibilities.   At least one other person gave up after the Arctic Tern passage having better things to do than wait for one skua an hour.

North harbour wall 0740ish to 0900ish
Gannet - 23 out
Manx Shearwater - 2 out
Arctic Skua - dm 'in' at 0755 - distant

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 2CY
Kittiwake - adult and 2CY
Common Gull - 223

Now Blue Tits also shun the nestboxes!

Heysham Obs
North wall/south harbour pre-lunch
Gannet - 5 out, distantly
Kittiwake - 2CY outfalls
Sanderling - 5 'in' with about 10 Dunlin and at least one Ringed Plover

Heysham Nature Reserve
A pair of Blue Tits is nesting in another vertical 'pipe' near the classroom (thanks Janet)

Moths
One of two Silver Ground Carpet found by Janet:

Cesperation

Heysham Obs
A wind window of sorts led to me taking a chance with the rain this morning.  The result was, after thinking I had got away with it, a prolonged period of heavy rain "forming" overhead, rather like relief rain half way up a mountain.  Managed to get three hours in which included a very wet net furl for the best part of an hour, with the second change of clothes needed after another torrential downpour as the nets were being taken down.............However, it wasnt windy!!

Middleton CES
'Highlights' were a ringed singing male Reed Warbler from ?last year and unringed wandering singing male Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler.  There was an increase to four singing male Reed Warbler - typically late arrivals at this site

Outfalls
The 2CY Kittiwake still in residence

Thanks Janet

Moths

Included Ingrailed Clay