Tuesday, 17 July 2018

Early returning little gull

Ad summer little gull Heysham two outfall

Med gull - 10 adult, one 2cy, one Juv

71 Eider and four g c grebe low tide channels this am

Monday

No joy this evening at Middleton - single singing Grasshopper Warbler and a Brown Hawker still flying at 2203

Med gull - 5ad, one 2cy as seen from ocean edge early stages incoming tide

Greenfinch female ringed as a Juv in 2012 was caught by the office in rain interrupted session otherwise notable for a willow warbler and a blackcap!

Sunday, 15 July 2018

Two juv Meds

 Not much else today - the Webs failed to reveal the Shag and it may have moved on

Med gull - 7 ad, one 2cy and two juvs pre tide, one Juv left for Webs count as 10m tide cleared most things out of the area

Small copper butterfly in SD35Z new for tetrad and a painted lady was seen on Middleton

Saturday, 14 July 2018

The mythical Wall Brown reappears


Thanks Malcolm - all four Rock Pipit somewhere here

Whimbrel - 1 inshore
Curlew - 304 Red Nab
Med Gull - 11 x ad, 2 x 2CY Red Nab

Reed Warbler juv ringed next to office

Humming Bird Hawk-moth and Wall brown photographed on buddleia at southern end of landscape strip - where it meets the egress route

Interesting day - Friday posting

A heron emerged from the reedbed area just before dusk and gave a prolonged view of flight silhoeuttte before heading south east.   Once it had sorted itself out in level flight any worries about the initial ‘take-off’ views were dissipated and it was clearly a bittern for the observer with optics, not a possible night heron.   Always have optics at hand even though you are set up to deal with a swallow catch as rapidly as possible before dusk!

Dead harbour porpoise in harbour

Only c35 swallow this evening -21 ringed

Sand Martin - one juvenile ringed

The two rock pipit young were still being fed by one parent with the other fairly close by but ignoring them.   Still giving food begging calls!




Thursday, 12 July 2018

Juv med and early swallow roost

Juv med red nab just before high tide plus two adults but most of gulls had moved off
23 adult Meds were feeding between No.1 outflow and wooden jetty on rising tide 20:00

At least 200 Swallow roosting Middleton Nr

Having serious trouble with very slow and ‘freezing’ computer late evening at home.   Please could you post your own pics thanks

Wednesday

Reports of northern brown and brown Argus in the recording area to be confirmed

Max of 6 med gulls

Rock pipits feeding at least  two young, no sign of the other pair


Tuesday, 10 July 2018

Rock Pipit confirmed breeding

Its a bit complicated, but we have definite evidence now with two recently fledged young being fed on 6th July and earlier pics showing insects being taken to the nest by both parents.  Thanks very much to John Dent for alerting us to this as it would perhaps otherwise have remained on Flickr

More detail later

Coastal coverage
Curlew - 400 exactly Red Nab and 15 nearby on mud at HT
Whimbrel - 4
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
Ringed Plover - 3
Redshank - 31
Med Gull - max of 14 this evening

Common Sandpiper - 2 by wooden jetty

Monday, 9 July 2018

Med gulls again

Another no show for rock pipit - not looking good.

15 meds this evening on outfalls

Two ringlet Heysham Nr

Sunday, 8 July 2018

Reasonable CES

Middleton CES produced a few warblers including a Reed Warbler from elsewhere to continue an impressive year for birds ringed elsewhere

Unfortunately not the case with Meds with numbers suppressed as heysham one outfall is not in full flow for about a month.   Max of 5 ads seen today and no reports of Shag or Rock Pipits

Singing Male grasshopper warbler middleton central marsh - first for a bit and the usual Cetti’s singing in the central marsh

Pic update for last few days tomorrow