Friday mega

Heysham obs

Friday news
At least one possibly two male banded demoiselle Middleton model boat pond early pm along the southern shore but obviously moving through

At least five prob six red veined darter males and one female. 15-20 black tailed skimmer

Heysham
CES ringing visit carried out with single juveniles of six common local breeding species trapped.

Dragonflies
Brown Hawker - first of the year on the reserve flying in ringing ride below the Obs tower site.

Mammals
Roe Deer - one by reserve entrance 07.00
Red Fox - one adult on the acid bank at 08.00

Middelton
CES ringing visit carried out here too.  Surprisingly few juvenile birds caught on this normally productive site. Hopefully more will be caught on further visits in this late breeding year.
Singles of Robin, Willow Warbler and Blackcap plus two Sedge Warblers were the only juveniles trapped.

Saturday news
No reports from out and about as most of time spent sorting moths out after best night of the year so far . New for the year in the office trap included garden tiger, barred yellow, straw underwing and first second brood early thorn. Numbers included five each of black neck and heart and club but double dart still in rather low numbers with just two

This is Thursday!

Heysham Obs
A surprisingly good day for dragonflies at Middleton NR and perhaps the last "easy" day for Red-veined Darter location as the Common Darters are piling out, albeit without a trace of red yet

Middleton NR model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - 5 separate males, earlier two pairs in cop (per Steve Graham)
Emperor - 2
Black-tailed Skimmer - 15-20
Common Darter - c10 teneral
Four-spotted Chaser - 2

Thanks for these pics Janet - the Red-veined flight shot pretty difficult!

No known seagull coverage today in the sunny north-westerlies (rear-end views in a heat haze!)

Moth trap held the first Buff Arches of the year

More ovipositing and another tidal vigil

Heysham Obs
Despite presence for the best part of five hours,  'only' Med Gulls could be found amongst the hordes

Outfalls on and off 1400-1900
Med Gull - 21 (no juvs) including a German ringed adult AxxY
Black-headed Gull - 1570

Model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - brief visit early pm - female ovipositing by spit and two males seen briefly over the water in rather marginal conditions

Moths
Double Dart x 4 and the first Dotted Clay of the summer

Mammals
Hedgehog - 2 very small young animals encountered  next to the path above the hut at 14.10hr. Ironically these were found by LWT staff who on their way to deploy hedgehog monitoring equipment on the reserve.  The animals were moved a short distance to the edge of adjacent bushes, Hopefully they will be able to feed and develop before the colder autumn weather arrives.

More red vein sightings during early afternoon window

Heysham Obs
A second-hand report of as many as five male RVD flying in very marginal weather early afternoon as seen by two dragonfly enthusiast on holiday up here.  Thanks for this.  One seen briefly at about 1530hrs - very late for this species still to be flying over the water

Painted Lady Nature park area (thanks Justine)

Six -spot Burnet out on Middleton (all reports so far have been the typically slightly earlier Narrow-bordered five-spot).  Thanks Janet

Red Nab lengthy pm vigil (Pete. Sean and Jean)
Med Gull:  juv, at least three 2CY, 5 x 3CY, 8 x adult
Black-headed Gull - 1,100
Curlew - 425
Oystercatcher - 370
Little Egret - one

low key day

Heysham Obs
A thorough search of the outfalls on the incoming tide just confirmed how much turnover there is during spring tides when birds are displaced to the Lune Estuary - there were hardly any Meds!

Outfalls
Med Gull - 3 x Ad, 2 x 2CY, 1 x 3CY

Unsuitable weather for dragonflies

Moth trap held nothing remarkable, despite a promising overnight south-westerly with 2 x Blackneck, 2 x Double Dart, 3 x Heart and Club the best

Ovipositing red-veined darter

Heysham Obs
Subsequent to writing the post below, I have received a very strong complaint from a reasonable and tolerant individual over the behaviour of a single male with four dogs this morning.  He had a small one on a lead with a lurcher type, St Bernard type and another large dog all charging about through the shallow water either side of the spit.  This person with the dogs is apparently "difficult to engage with" - a not uncommon event with individuals with dogs behaving like this.  The dogs were also swimming after the swans and cygnets.  Any further info on this gentleman will be treated confidentially.  Thanks.

Perhaps the same female Red-veined Darter glimpsed a couple of days ago was in cop with a male today and then seen ovipositing.  The problem is that ideal shallow water and associated sensitive habitat in-between the spit and the western shore is invaded by large bathing dogs churning the whole place up on a daily basis (comment re-trying to reason with these people deleted).  Please do keep having a go at them politely if you are nearby.  Thanks.  There is no obvious problem allowing dogs to bathe by the swan feeding area near the car park & bench

Middleton model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - action from about midday - all in feeding over the water routine as they first appeared and there was a minimum of 7 males and one ovipositing female (usually in tandem)
Common Darter - at least one teneral - watch out for these at the water edge in the next few days complicating i.d.
Four-spotted Chaser - 6
Black-tailed Skimmer - 8+
Emperor - 3

Heysham NR
First second brood Comma of the year

Outfalls/Red Nab
Med Gull - 11 2CY, 5 3CY, 5 adult, one juvenile.  About half of these examined for rings and one adult possessed R13E - we've had this before and I think it is Polish - will check tomorrow (Tuesday)
BEWARE a runt 2CY Black headed gull!

No moths of interest in a very late trap check.  Thanks to Arthur Pennington for locating the female Red-veined Darter in cop and John McCague for stuff from Heysham NR and Mark Prestwood for the late info on additional Meds & the darvic-ringed bird

First juv Med and continuing Red-veins in warm weather

Heysham Obs
The Red-veined Darters performed admirably other than the one I wanted to examine closely which was chased off by Black-tailed Skimmer - a teneral or female looking like this species but not 100% nailed

Middleton model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - 6 males on western shoreline - one spit, one inlet next to spit, one along reedbed, one between reedbed and swan-loafing area fighting at one stage with one just to east of swan loafing area and then one in the SW corner by small reedbed.  Yesterday there was also one near the bench where the swans were being fed along the southern shore but didn't get chance to check today, so possibly 7 males.  A female/teneral was along the reedbed for a very short time and looked like this species. A teneral darter multi observed late afternoon remains un identified but probably Common unless someone produces a pic to the contrary.
Black-tailed Skimmer - 12 (3 females), possibly more
Emperor - 2 males
Four-spotted Chaser - 2
Broad-bodied chaser - two in the rubble mounds by pond

Outfalls/Red Nab incoming tide
Med Gull - amazing turnover c/p yesterdays birds.  One (unringed) juvenile, just one adult, 6 3CY and 4 2CY. All but the juv sitting down so couldn't check for rings, then the sun came out, everything heat-hazed and time to check the darters

The return of the red-veins

Heysham Obs
These were a regular fixture at Middleton model boat pond for most of the 'noughties' but have been hard to find in recent years until today.  Janet texted me about the swan family having moved to the model boat pond and I suggested (as a long shot) to check for any red- darters - the response was very rapid!

Outfalls/Red Nab (thanks to Pete)
Med Gull:  5 x Ad, 3 x 2CY, 3 x 3CY

Butterfly census
Still rather low numbers with a few Small Skipper seen, a decent influx of Silver Y moths and a single second brood Small Tortoiseshell

Moths
First Rustic and Single Dotted Wave of the year

A mothy morning

Heysham Obs
Bit of late news - this was nicely photographed by Steve Rock this afternoon on the spit on Middleton and therefore now represents the first record this year - no others noted, despite the observer searching for dragonflies, so the main influx appears to have been on 2/7

The Obs resembled a moth identification centre this morning with four people checking unidentified tiddlers from the Sunderland Point 125MV, pot-ticking upland fare from the Leck Fell actinics and going through the not inconsiderable contents of the toilet trap.  Thankfully the likes of Grey Mountain Carpet did not escape!

The toilet trap produced one of the highlights in the form of Apotomis semifasciana (with a putative Eudonia murana from Leck the best of the lot) along with a few year ticks such as pristine Common Emerald

11 out of the 15 VC60 records, and all the recent ones, have been from Heysham or Middleton NR or immediate surrounds

Not a lot of birding done today which was down to ineptitude - how many times have we advised birders not to turn up on high spring tides?  The outfalls visit was delayed and only a single 2CY Med Gull troubled the notebook at high tide.

Despite the dull weather, 2 x Painted Lady were along Ocean Edge foreshore (along with 3 x perhaps migrant Large White) and a Red Admiral was briefly on the 'orange ball' buddleia by the office

Swift exit?

Heysham Nature Reserve

A bit of vis already (07:00-08:30):
Siskin - 11 - not sure of direction as difficult to see but 4 of them appeared to go NE
Swift - 19 south

Red Nab
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 12
Herring Gull - 4
Common Gull - 7
Black-headed Gull - 206 (only 4 juvs seen)
Mediterranean Gull - 8 (4 x ad, 2 x 3CY, 2 x 2CY)
Oystercatcher - 335
Curlew - 106

Outfalls
Mediterranean Gull - 2 (1 x ad, 1 x 2CY)
Black-headed Gull - 655 (only 4 juvs seen) These birds were in addition to the ones on Red Nab.
Comon Gull - 10

South Harbour Wall
Ringed Plover - 1