More Visitors than Moths

Heysham
The final nestbox brood of young birds ringed today.  A fair season with successful broods of 4 Blue Tit and 9 Great Tit.
Wren - family party of parents and young - south end of  Landscape Strip.
Common Whitethroat - family party by east end of Nature Park.

Moth Trap
4 individuals only this morning were indicative of the cool clear night with easterly wind which deters moths from entering the hut trap.

Outfalls routines

Heysham Obs
Low tide on the outfalls was not a complete blank

Med Gull - 2CY on the tideline
Arctic Tern - one seaward end of Heysham One
Kittiwake - 2CY on the mudflats
Black-headed Gull - c40
Common Gull - c120
Canada Goose - flock of 14 approached from the south and headed NE over the reserve

Moths
Lychnis was new for the year and, perhaps surprisingly, not annual here

Check the pager before you head in the opposite direction to Heysham!!!

Heysham Obs
Oblivious to the breaking news to the north-east of my house, a 2CY Kittiwake was observed on the outfalls

21 Dunlin, 33 Curlew on Red Nab (no Sanderling today with the Dunlin)

Pair of Ringed Plover with 1+ chick just inside the power station fence at Red Nab (nested on the non-op land about 300m inland from the seawall)

The visit to the north-east was memorable for the twenty seven (or eight?) year exorcism of the Calf of Man (I was supposed to have been on there visiting John Calladine when the 'had to be there on the day' bird turned up) and especially for the hospitality of the people on Hartlepool Headland.  OK, they are probably used to birders wandering around the various nooks and crannies, but the response to the doctor's garden impasse in late afternoon, where initially only the nimble managed to scale the wall or climb on to the back of transit vans, in the form of "ladders for all-comers" was brilliant and should surely be captured in tomorrows papers.  I used to visit this site regularly when petrol was cheaper and have always enjoyed this perhaps unique 'urban' birding and the good humour of the locals.   The only problem was the "Mr Whirl" van which hovered temptingly for much of the afternoon.  Eventually succumbed mid-afternoon - the first genuine junk food for 18 months!

Pete

Rarity search unearths a Water Rail

Heysham Obs
Nothing eastern had drifted within earshot this morning, although HNR is not an easy place to find mute skulkers.  However, a careful search of HNR was definitely rewarded atlas-wise

Heysham Nature reserve circuit - all in SD46A section
Water Rail - judging by the noise, a breeding pair in the reedbed - perhaps with small young
Reed Warbler - two singing males, one perhaps just that but the other  was then seen carrying food
Reed Bunting - singing male and female with food (an upgrade to confirmed for 46A)
Mallard - female with 2+ young

Outfalls
Beware a runt 2CY Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull - influx of 2CY with at least 37
Common Gull - 153, mostly 2CY
Kittiwake - the usual 2CY

Moths
Grass Rivelet flushed from the northern boundary of HNR amongst Yellow Rattle 

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