Middleton NR Constant Effort Visit

Heysham


Moths:  Only 11 species in the Hut Trap this morning, but did include an early True Lovers Knot, which is not common here.

Middleton
The fourth CES visit here was predictably quiet, although weather conditions were favourable.
Many of the breeding species here are summer visitors so incubation is probably in progress, reducing the amount of movement and hence fewer captures.

ajd

Birds are Quiet but Moths are Waking Up

Heysham
CES visit No 4 completed this morning. The catch was a little disappointing (11 captures only) but about average for this visit over the years.

Hut Moth Trap
After the first relatively warm, calm and muggy night, the moth catch was nearly respectable - 59 moths of 19 species.  Most notable perhaps were two Shaded Pug which are a local speciality here.

ajd

Springwatch at Heysham

No megas at Heysham in recent days but resident birds have been busy producing the goods - see the photo of the Mute Swan family at Middleton NR (thanks, Janet).

Dragonflies have taken advantage of the breaks inthe rain:

And the Gadwall has enjoyed flying around:

Yes that photo really was taken in the Heysham area despite the fact that there isn't a cloud in the sky!

Jean.

Heysham


Moths
The continuing cold spell is resulting in in poor catches still.
The Hut trap this morning revealed only the following from the preceding two nights:
Heart & Dart 10, White Ermine 1, Mottled Pug 1,  Common Pug 1, Silver ground Carpet 1, White-shouldered House Moth 1, Epiblema cynosbatella 1.
ajd

Heysham
Apologies for the lack of coverage but a number of the regular contributors are away.  If anyone has any records for the Heysham area in the next week could you please forward them to Alan Draper by email or text message (contact details in right-hand panel) and I will post them.  Thank you very much.

Moths
Uninspiring numbers and species lists over the past few days.  This morning, after east wind and rain, only the following:
Rustic Shoulder-knot (1), Turnip (5), Eyed Hawkmoth (1), White Ermine (2), Heart & Dart (4)

ajd

Twitchable Burnet Companion attracts the hordes

Heysham Obs
In the absence of any redirected Hartlepool warblers (this fortunately turned up on my only 'work-free' day, in contrast to the bad miss with the Cream-coloured Courser), the highlight was yesterday's Burnet Companion moth in exactly the same place and being 'nailed' by photographers and moth twitchers.  On the same theme, an overnight sheet/light plus Robinson trap run below/from the classroom produced two new species, an unexpected Small Elephant Hawk-Moth and a range-extension for the spreading White Pinion-spotted.  

Burnet Companion Heysham NR.  Thanks Janet..  Tried also to upload its congenor, Mother Shipton, but problems!

Local Breeding birds

Heysham
The third CES visit carried out this morning suggested plenty of breeding pairs of various species around the Obs Tower area this year.  Also young Long-tailed tits, Robins and Dunnocks captured.

Middleton NR - 06.00 - 07.40hrs.

Mute Swan - 14 (2 pairs, 1 with 10 cygnets)

Shelduck - 2

Mallard - 3 (2m/1f)

Tufted Duck (1m/1f)

Pheasant - 1

Grey Heron - 1

Kestrel - 1

Moorhen - 1

Coot - 6 (inc. 2 juv)

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 20+

Herring Gull - 5+

Woodpigeon - 4+

Swift - 3

Magpie - 6+

Carrion Crow - 4+

Swallow - 5

Chiffchaff - 1

Lesser Whitethroat - 2

Whitethroat - 6+

Grasshopper Warbler - 3

Sedge Warbler - 3+

Reed Warbler - 4+

Wren - 5+

Starling - 1

Blackbird - 8+

Song Thrush - 1

Mistle Thrush - 1

Dunnock - 3

Chaffinch - 10+

Greenfinch - 5+

Goldfinch - 4+

Linnet - 30+

Reed Bunting - 3+

(No Willow Warblers or Blackcap seen or heard)

Moths
Burnet Companion - 1 seen during butterfly transect near reserve entrance road - a very scarce species here.  What may have been a Poplar Kitten in the office trap this morning, also the first Eyed Hawk of the year and another Shaded Pug.  A worn highflyer spp awaits a check (both Ruddy and May occur here) .

Shaded by the pugs

North harbour wall 0445-0645

1 ad. Little Gull flying in.

3 Gannets across toward Walney & 1 out.

2 Mute Swans flew west half way across the bay then landed on the water to drift out on the ebb.

North harbour wall 0805-0835

Razorbill - 2 in close inshore, 5 in a bit further out

Arctic Tern - flock of 31 in, gaining height but not dramatically so at 0822

Black Tern - 2 with the above - would have missed them had they been on their own - really hard to see against the background of the Furness peninsula

Canada Goose - 2 in

Swallow - 23 in

Swift - 3 in together

Dunlin - 14 out (flock)

Amazingly, no heathaze, which was a real pain in the cold weather earlier in the month!

Middleton NR

Greylag - 7 on the model boat pond

Gadwall - pair, but no apparent chicks, in the central marsh

Reed Warbler - 3+ singing

Insects

A decentish moth catch by recent standards included the first three Shaded Pug of the year - a local speciality

24 Four-spotted Chaser seen Middleton during check from concrete central road also male Broad-bodied Chaser, a scarce insct at Middleton.  "A few" <10 Common Blue Damselfly over the water at the model boar pond but no sign of any larger dragonflies on there 

Distant terns and the traditional peak time for wandering Canadas and Greylags!

Heysham Obs
Thanks to Pete for this morning's coverage which indicates that what were presumably (but safely 'spp'd' due to distance) Arctic Terns are still on the move in easterlies.  Unlucky not to have a Black Tern with them.  Canadas and Greylags like wandering around this time of year!

Heysham Harbour North Wall - 05.35 - 08.10hrs.

Canada Geese - 13 flying in

Greylag Geese - 5 flying in

Shelduck - 5 in

Gannet - 2 (1imm. in/1ad. out)

Whimbrel - 3 in

Commic Tern - 146 in but well out (flocks of 7/26/46/10/40/17) between 06.47 & 07.15

Swift - 7 (2 E from across bay / 5 NE)

Sand Martin - 2 NE

Swallow - 20 NE

House Martin - 1 NE

Bits and bobs still on the sea from the last two days

North harbour wall

Yesterday – 06.30 – 07.35

3 Sandwich Terns

3 Swallow NE

2 Shelduck (looked like the pair from my previous visit – the female had distinctive white markings on head – but no sign of any of the ducklings. The pair flew off and I saw them again I think when i moved up to Middleton.

 

Today – 10.45 – 11.05 ish

1 adult Little Gull flew in and landed on oil-jetty skear

19 Commic Terns flew out to gather around stage 1 outfall. I went round to see if any were Common but by the time I got through gate 38 and onto the south wall they had moved on.

[Pom Skua and c17 Arctic and one Black tern entered the bay early morning at Rossall]

Thanks for the info, Pete