Another little gull?

Heysham obs
A good look round red nab and off ocean edge just after high tide was quite productive

Outfalls/red nab/oe foreshore
Little gull - summer adult
Med gull - four ads
Turnstone - 9
Whimbrel - 5
Little egret - 2

No moths of real interest

Last day of Red-veined Darter?

Heysham Obs
The first date for Red-veined Darter was a male photographed on 27th June (thanks Stan), not 'three weeks before' the previously assumed first.  A visit to Middleton at lunchtime saw cloud forming just before it reached the sun and it took a good half-hour to receive proper sunlight at which time the wind had increased.  So conditions not perfect

Middleton NR model boat pond lunchtime
Red-veined Darter - single male seen well and photographed by visitors.  Another male was seen over the water and was briefly "in cop" with (or holding) an ovipositing female which looked like Red-veined. 
Common Darter - 10+
Brown Hawker - 1
Emperor - 3
Black-tailed Skimmer - 7-9

Outfalls
Two adult Meds discerned through the heat haze

Butterflies
Single Comma, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell on the office buddleia which has resurrected itself after a year off being cut to ground level to to anticipated works

Moth trap
Bordered Beauty and Six-striped Rustic new for the year and White-line Dart, White Satin, Slender Pug and Garden Carpet of note - the latter is scarce here

Possibilities and a new moth for Heysham NR trap

Heysham Obs

Middleton model boat pond
A quick visit just before the cloud and northerly wind kicked in saw a large dragonfly seen briefly chased by an Emperor.  Then it was again seen very briefly before being chased by another Emperor and heading high to the south over the model boat pond car park.  If the weather is suitable tomorrow worth checking the pond to the south of the road as a blue band at the top of the abdomen was seen and size 3/4-4/5 Emperor - also clear-winged (not Brown Hawker).  Nothing else, so nothing claimed.

Three male Red-veined Darter were feeding over the water, one rather geriatric one nearly ending up inside a House Martin - also at least 7 red male Common Darter around the edge of the pond

Red Nab
Med Gull - 5 x ad, 1 x 2CY

Moths
The first Triple-spotted Clay (with Double square Spot on left) for Heysham NR was a bit of a surprise and two White Satin were notable

Red-veined darters reappear

Heysham Obs
At least 2 male red-veined darters seen on a part-check at Middleton (thanks Jonny) along with ba Painted Lady

Butterfly census at Heysham NR saw 102 Small Skipper and 148 Gatekeeper

Juvenile sedge warbler out of habitat on Heysham NR

CES moths

Heysham Obs
The CES's at Heysham and Middleton were terrible this morning as per predictions after this awful breeding season and seeming premature departure of many summer migrants, notably Sedge Warbler (shades of 2012).  Therefore a couple of moth traps were set at Middleton to provide some entertainment between empty mist net rounds and there was a reasonable catch in the Heysham hut trap.

Heysham NR
Treecreeper - juvenile ringed

Middleton NR
No obvious sign of Cetti's Warbler

No known seagull coverage today

Moths
Obscure Wainscot (late and worn) and Silky Wainscot, both at Middleton, the highlights

Funny day

Heysham Obs
All fairly routine until the evening

Outfalls/Red Nab
Redshank - c51
Curlew - c420
Oystercatcher - 1050
Med Gull - 8, including a winter adult in heavy moult (2 x 2CY, 1 x 3CY, 5 x adult)
Whimbrel - 5
Little Gull - adult seen by visiting birder on the mudflats at low tide but no sign earlier (brief visit) or later during extensive tidal watch

Middleton NR
Cettis Warbler - contact calling in evening
Grey Wagtail - sewage works

Moths
First Flounced Rustic of the 'autumn'

Superb little gulls arrive

Heysham Obs

Outfalls/Red Nab
Adult summer Little Gulls take some beating and one flew in-off with a 2CY in tow at about 1215hrs as they tide was rising and commenced feeding on Heysham 2 outfall.   Also 3 x adult and 2 x 2CY Med Gulls around but gulls seemed to be flying across to the Lune estuary very early in the tide cycle for what is not going to be a major tide.  Odd.

Moths
Included Chinese Character and the first T or N advenella for the year

Decent moth catch

Heysham Obs

Red Nab
The webs count was abandoned due to disturbance today - unusual on here these days - as usual a mutt and a ball in a sling were involved
Med Gull - 2 x ad, 1 x 3CY
Whimbrel - 1 heard fleeing

Moths
Barred Red, Elephant Hawk-moth, White Satin were all notable here in a rather large catch which should have been checked a bit earlier judging by the below par numbers on the walls in relation to the egg-packing fare

NNEW on dragonflies at Middleton other than to say we have a report of a photographer obtaining pics of a Red-veined Darter some three weeks before the first known sighting.  i.e. sometime in mid-June which is quite feasible

A better than seemed likely day

Heysham Obs
Better than seemed mid-morning with Malcolm having a decent walk around Middleton NR earlier on not rough enough for seabirds (no showers), too much sun and heat haze and too much wind for anything else

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 7 adult, 2 3CY, 1 2CY
Whimbrel - 1
Curlew - 361
Black-headed Gull - 820
Common Gull - 6 (2 adult)
Little Gull - adult reported but no sign as the tide started coming in

Middleton NR (Malcolm)
First dragon fly was a red veined darter, sunning on path next to top carpark. Only
saw the one, but also 9 common darter,  1 emperor and 1 black tailed skimmer.
Lots of big stuff hawking on west (Lee) side of "no swimming" pond, but out of
my recognition range. Only damsel were common and blue tail.
Butterflies dominated by gatekeeper (26), mainly on east side. Also 18 meadow brown, 4 small
skipper, 1 painted lady, 3 small white.
2 mute with 2 cygnets on boat pond, 6 (presumably displaced 2CY) on fence pond. Could only locate 1 adult on Tim Butler, but second bird and cygnet could have been out of sight.
Also, 1 little grebe, 1 little egret, 2 gadwall, 2 mallard with 4 chicks, 3 moorhen.
Moths
Garden Tiger, Double Dart the best of a meagre catch

Depressed seagulls

Heysham Obs
If you are on the spit looking for Red-veined darters, why not take a small plastic bag and pull up  a few small sea buckthorn seedlings and help us with this perennial problem - not the big ones they are prickly! Thanks

Numbers of seagulls on Red Nab were perhaps surprisingly low today - will be interesting to see what tomorrows south-westerly brings in. Belated first Whimbrel of the autumn.

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 7 adult (one with Red darvic),2 3CY, just the one 2CY and one juv
Whimbrel - 2
Only 5 Common Gulls - they have disappeared along with most of the 2CY Meds

Middleton NR
Despite the wind, one male Red-veined Darter made a brief foray over the water at 1245hrs

Moths
Just 10 moths in the trap courtesy of an easterly into the window

Hoverfly
This new insect book by Brock is great!   Spent ages yesterday on the internet and in various books trying to identify a hoverfly - straight to it in this new book.   Seen yesterday on the north harbour wall (SD36V) and the previous day on the Heysham NR butterfly census (SD45E) = Chrysotoxum bicinctum