'Back of a lorry' or a great leap westwards?

Heysham Obs
The colonisation of north Lancashire by Ringlet has been accompanied by all sorts of 'intrigue', notably the source of the Gaitbarrows individuals.  Conversely, there have definitely been 'proper ones' marching along the Aire/Wenning gap to places like Thrushgill for the last five years or so

So where does yesterdays sighting of Ringlet by the Middleton model boat pond fit into this?  In this respect, Small Skipper was originally seen next to the Heysham lorry park way (80's/early 90's?? - data not to hand) before any 'corridors' linking the record to other spreading populations.   Hopefully there will be others..............

Ocean Edge/outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 2 adults, one 2CY and the 3CY which appears to have about 5 old black-tipped primaries left to moult
Whimbrel - one

Brian Carlyle

Received the sad news today that Brian died last Saturday.  Brian has helped on several occasions on the reserve, notably conservation work and butterfly transects along the landscape strip.  He also acted as the lichen recorder for North Lancs Naturalists and he will be greatly missed

From rarity to routine in twelve months

Heysham Obs
The moth trap was pretty busy with a further TWO Blackneck the highlight.  Others included Small Dusty Wave, Small Clouded Brindle and perhaps the first time that Spectacle and Dark Spectacle have occurred here on the same night.  Antler and Rustic opened their account.  Migrants comprised two Silver Y and a Diamond-back Moth

Birds will be posted tomorrow (quick check of the outfalls before heading south)

Autumnal sandwiches

Heysham Obs
High tide check Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Sandwich tern - two roosting on OE saltmarsh
Med Gull - ad roosting OE saltmarsh
Whimbrel - one Red Nab
Common Sandpiper - one Red Nab
Sand Martin - one south

HN Reserve power walk
Reed Warbler - singing male by pagoda
Silver Y - one

Are you sure its only the 4th July..........

Heysham Obs
A perusal of the weather coming up, work committments and not the least being in an 'early rise' sleep pattern led to another session at Middleton NR this morning.  I was hoping for a few new birds amongst retraps from the previous two days.  The result was almost unbelievable for this early in the 'autumn' with the singing male Grasshopper Warbler nearest to the CES nets being the only capture which had also been caught/ringed during the previous two days

The statistics revealed that 52 new birds were ringed and other captures comprised the above retrap Grasshopper Warbler, a juvenile Blue Tit ringed in mid-June and a moulting adult Willow Warbler ringed last year.  The other feature was that, despite the ringing base being between the two sets of nets, only three same-day retraps were found.  Therefore birds were on the move, with Whitethroat being the most notable.  Therefore any ringer who is worried about 'overworking' a site because it is too early for major passage had perhaps better read this!

Species composition (retraps in brackets):  Linnet 1, Goldfinch 1, Swallow 1, Great Tit 1, Blue Tit 3 (1), Grasshopper Warbler 5 (1), Reed Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 8, Dunnock 1, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Willow Warbler 10 (1), Wren 1, Common Whitethroat 13, Chiffchaff 4, Blackcap 1, Reed Bunting 2

Moths
Another White Satin and 4 Double Dart the best of the moth trap catch which unfortunately couldn't be checked early on, & some escaped in the sunny weather

Middleton CES

Heysham Obs
Early start this morning to make sure the nets were up before the sun inhibited any warbler movements.  A bit of a mixed bag with Grasshopper Warblers prominent, Sedge Warblers a little under par, no sign of any young (or indeed female) Reed Warbler, no young Reed Bunting and a handful of moulting adult and juvenile Willow Warblers

The following were caught (retraps in brackets) in the 3 hour slot with the four CES 18 metre nets:  Grasshopper Warbler 5 (1), Sedge Warbler 9 (3), Reed Warbler 4 (3), Common Whitethroat 5 (1), Willow Warbler 7 (1), Reed Bunting 2, Long-tailed Tit 1, Goldfinch 2, Blackcap 1.  In addition, a single supplementary 18m net set later in the proceedings for about 1.5 hours produced: Grasshopper Warbler 2, Goldfinch 1, Sedge Warbler 3, Dunnock 1, Willow warbler 1, Common Whitethroat (1).  Thanks for the help John.

Moths
White Satin and yet another Blackneck were the best of a reasonable catch 

Mostly baby bird-ringing

Heysham Obs
Non-CES sites next to the office and the western marsh at Middleton were covered this morning with a reasonable selection of birds caught and ringed, given the fact it was sunny and not quite calm

Miscellaneous sightings
Swift - c15 south over the HN reserve
Siskin - one heard at HNR, seemed to be heading south

Ringing
Low-key multitasking at HNR office with 5 Common Whitethroat, a juvenile Blackcap, a moulting Willow Warbler, a Dunnock and a Swallow ringed and an adult Willow warbler & Blackbird retrapped.  More effort at Middleton western marsh saw a male Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Willow Warbler (2 adult), 9 juvenile Sedge Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, one Dunnock, one Blackbird, one Lesser Whitethroat.  Retraps comprised 2 Whitethroat, 7 Sedge Warbler and a Willow Warbler

Moths
Scalloped Oak new for the year 

Hosting the BTO Business Challenge awards ceremony

Heysham Obs
Several walks round the reserve in between and especially after the more formal events in the marquee by a really nice group of people involved in conservation work and other environmental initiatives at various sites throughout the country.  Thank you all for your company on a day when the weather was very kind.  We even had a short visit from the local MP, without his former sidekick David Hasselhoff

Coal Tit - singing male was a surprise
Small Skipper - c10
Comma - 2
Red Admiral - 2

Moth trap
The "star" on a poor night was Udea prunalis

Moths steal the show

Heysham Obs
Moths
Barred Red was a very scarce highlight in the office trap this morning - most of the conifer feeders have been recorded at some time or another but they are predictably scarce. Also another Blackneck (the 5th in total and 4th this year)

Ocean Edge incoming tide
Med Gull - 3CY on Red Nab

Middleton NR

Black-tailed Skimmers showed well today.  Thanks Janet

No sign of any red darters of any species, but conditions a little cool and windy

Elsewhere
109 Red-necked Footman in daytime search along Thrushgill main forestry track, mostly resting half-way up rush or Tufted Hair grass stems .  NO access here but worth checking alongside other mature conifers?

The Gatekeeper saves the day

Heysham Obs
A Gatekeeper was the first of the year

Tuesday June 28th early Curlew influx

Heysham Obs
Sorry for the late posting - sorting pics out and distracted by something else cropping up!

Ocean Edge/Red Nab high tide
A high tide roost saw the largest number of Curlew I can remember seeing on Red Nab in June.  Apparently this coincides with larger than usual number on the recent June WeBS count from several sites, both local and national.  The implication seems to be early-returning adults, either failed breeders or an early start to the season in the April weather.  In this resepct, there seemed to be two moult categories; non-breeders in advanced wing moult and presumed adults which had just started.

Curlew - 206 Red Nab
Whimbrel - 1 (first of 'autumn')
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
Med Gull - adult
Common Gull - just 82
Black-headed Gull - 230

Moths
Broad-barred White highlighted a reduced catch

Middleton NR
No obvious sign of Red-veined Darter; just a few teneral Common Darter, Black-tailed Skimmer, 4-spotted Chaser and Emperor.

 Thanks for these, Janet