Red-veined day

Couple of pics from Dave Talbot - thanks Dave

At least 5 males and one female on model boat pond

Also Ad summer Little Grebe model boat pond

Brief gull check and a Shark

Tomorrow looks good for Red-veined Darter as does most of the next week.  Please report all sightings (e.g. email PMrsh123@aol.com) and especially any definite females/ovipositing.  I'm assuming no Common out yet, certainly not mature red males, but need to be very careful, especially with female/tenerals

Very distant gull facing away was half to two-thirds the size of the nearby BHGs but it flew as I was switching to 40 x lens on scope and didn't see it again & had to go.  Suspect the definite small 2CY BHG of a few weeks ago?

The 2CY Med still around along with 67 2CY Common Gull

The moth trap has at least come up with a few scarcities and the whole set up might be sorted out next week:

Shark

Unexpected day

Started with a clear run through all the traffic lights on the Bay Coneway for the first time, then the sea looked a bit rough and a sweep produced a Gannet, so gave it a bit of unscheduled time before checking the Sunderland Point moth trap

Sea 0845ish to 0920ish
Gannet - 11
Fulmar - 1
Manx Shearwater - flock of 6
Med Gull - yesterdays 2CY seaward end Heysham one

Middleton NR
Lunchtime and early pm saw the temperature high enough, wall to wall sunshine and a few bits of shelter out of the wind for Malcolm and dragonfly recording but later in the afternoon the wind increased and the site became a no show as the forecast had suggested for the whole day

Red-veined Darter - two males and two female types or tenerals
also low single figures of Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser (one eaten by an Emperor!), Broad-bodied Chaser and an interesting darter seen very briefly in the central marsh

They survived in numbers

No need to worry about the prolonged 'grounding' of red veined darters.    A single sweep from the seat saw nine males over the model boat pond with smaller counts including at least one almost certain additional insect over the next five minutes.   No time to check the western shore

On red nab there was a new 2cy med gull - a large individual with an unremarkable head pattern cf being lost amongst bhg and moulted greater coverts giving the folded wing a very 'plain' look for so early in the "autumn"

Heysham skeers held two common scoter in the channel, a small flock of Canada geese past and a build up of little egret.   Detail later

A few seabirds

The outfalls are in a bit of a rut at the moment - plenty of gulls but no obvious change in personnel.

Offshore was a bit disappointing in the absence of squalls.   Early on saw 7 gannet and 4 Manx shearwater with o my one of the gannet 'close'.   Brief checks during high tide period saw an empty sea but 5 Manx shearwater headed towards heysham later in the afternoon (seen from
Cockersands)

Nowt

The Webs and pre-Webs outfalls check and rest of the coastal area plus the moth trap saw absolutely nothing of note

Might be worth a tomorrow morning seawatch though plus LOW tide check of outfalls

Saturday

Three Canada Geese in

Gannet dead and alive

One dead on Middleton tideline per Mike

One alive flying out

Nowt on outfalls from half tide onwards (about half of what you get at low tide)

Later Pete Woodruff had what was presumably the same leucistic BHG as the other day

Large Yellow Underwing in moth trap!

Thursday

2CY Med outfalls - nowt else

Red-veined Darter male located and photographed by Linda Renshaw roosting away from the waters edge by model boat pond

Bits and bobs

Heysham Outfalls/Red Nab
Arctic Tern - adult resting on Red Nab, Common or Arctic on outfalls briefly
Common Scoter - two between the power stations outfalls, then flew into the bay at 10.20
Med Gull - 2CY Red Nab, adult seaward end Heysham one briefly
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird (beware!)

Offshore
A visiting birder had
Gannet - one out distantly
Fulmar - two out close

No obvious sign of Red veined Darter Middleton in highly marginal conditions that in fact didn't produce anything resembling a dragonfly!

The Hut moth trap in its present configuration is not performing well.  The current records will not be usable for comparison with other years.  It didn't perform last night because the electrics were off but that allowed anything from the two previous unchecked nights to clear off!  In this respect, given the small numbers, no incentive to check it if it involves going out of your way