Drip feeding

Little to report.
Heysham skeer - low water mid afternoon
Great-crested grebe - still 5
Eider 29
The only waders were Oystercatchers

South shore - early evening
Black-headed gull numbers are growing quickly c30 today (many 2cy)
Curlew roost on Red Nab getting underway. 23 flew in today. There were 415 by 10/07 last year, so some way to go!

Tuesday

Pete and Jean are away till later next week, so records will be depleted.
Only thing of "note" today was a 1cy Black-headed gull - quite early for here.

Hopefully we'll be getting Mediterranean gulls soon.

No sign of Guillemot in hharbour, for fourth visit. Looks like it's moved on. (MD)

Sunday

Middleton Nature Reserve.

Only two pair of Mute remain both now with 5 young

Stock dove 1

Moths

Included Burnet companion

Dragonflies:

Only Broad-bodied chaser and Black-tailed skimmer seen.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Thanks for these pictures Janet

Large skipper

Small Heath (very scarce here last year)

Burnet Companion

Saturday

Only records that I am aware of (MD)
Rock pipits 1 adult near lighthouse and another near slipway Ocean Edge salt marsh

Friday

Heysham skeer - low water
Great-crested grebe 7
Whimbrel - 2 late(ish) birds together.

Pete (M) did have more.
Mediterranean gull 1 2cy south shore
Sandwich tern adult
Hobby, 2cy Heysham Nature Reserve

Thursday 6th June

Middleton Nature Reserve early afternoon
Went while sun was shining to check the dragonflies:
Black-tailed skimmer m & f on main pond
Four-spotted chaser at least 10, most on no swimming pond
Broad-bodied chaser 4 (1f) on new small ponds (west sise of western marsh)

Mute
The female from the main pond is now on the "no swimming" pond with 5 of the original 7 young.
The pair from the "no swimming" pond now occupy the main pond, but have acquired an additional chick, and now also have 5. The ousted male is still beside the main pond.

Gadwall 3

Cetti's warbler
None singing today, hopefully all busy. There have been four territories confirmed this year.


Harbour area - evening
Rock pipit - one adult still hanging around, but no evidence that any of the young survived.

No sign of long staying Guillemot, but it has gone awol before.

Wednesday 5th June

Low water channels early am
No sign of Great-crested grebe or Red-breasted merganser today.
Eider c40
Canada goose two lots flew north 4 + 8

Tuesday 4th June

Slim pickings and limited observers this week (MD)

Low water channels early am
Bar-tailed godwit 10 (not sp)
Dunlin 2
Red-breasted merganser 5
Great-crested grebe 6
Eider c50

North shore lunchtime
Rock pipit appears to be guarding territory

Middleton Nature Reserve
The dominant male mute which had nested on the "no swimming" pond has brought his family to main pond, and is attempting to oust the pair that nested there.

The Canada Goose mysteries

Over recent years the number of unusual summer records of Canada goose have been increasing. Today was no exception.
11:50 (30 minutes after high water) - These 14 flew low from the east, first seen between Pott's corner and Ocean Edge salt marsh. They settled on sea c600m out from Red Nab (MD).

This graph may explain the mystery.

Thanks to Pete Crooks for the following observations of low tide skeer:
Great-crested grebe 10
Red-breasted merganser 1
Bar-tailed godwit 30
Canada goose 10 north

Windy warm south-westerly

First of all a decent ringing recovery after Craig was alerted about a local colour ringed Grey Wagtail.  Fortunately that means on territory at this time of year and a few mealworms borrowed from an angler produced these excellent pics:

 
These are nesting at Crawshawbooth, Rossendale (SD8125) and this is the first time this adult male has used this territory which might be rather surprising, given its age.  One assumes it has been nesting at least nearby during the interim

Z835266   1stCYM  Middleton NR     0800      20/9/15
Breeding male: Crawshawbooth, Rossendale, Lancs SD810255 documented 29/5/19  51.7km SE

It might seem surprising that a bird first recorded on 1CY vis mig on a seeming NW to SE heading over Morecambe Bay should originate or subsequently breed to the east or south-east of Heysham/Middleton.  However, the only already-ringed bird was a Roeburndale pullus and subsequent breeding season territories have been in Upper Hindburndale, Marbury Country Park, Cheshire and now this  

Todays action on the sea didn't seem up to much to begin with given a lighter wind and more southerly direction than hoped for but it livened up as the wind went fractionally round to the SW and increased 
0730 on and off to 1030
Manx Shearwater - c31
Gannet - c15
Razorbill/Guillemot - 11
Arctic Skua - one dark morph in c1015
1240-1255
Manx Shearwater - 1
Gannet - 1
Razorbill - two flocks of four out in quick succession

Guillemot - long staying 2CY in harbour

Rock Pipit - end of the road as regards the nest-site and no sign of any surviving young with adult(s) not behaving territorially

Moths
Shaded Pug the best of a small catch