21 Meds plus Gannets.

A very strong SSE to SSW wind. Overcast all day with some heavy showers 

South shore

Sightings by Shaun:

Gannet 7 milling about in the bay

Mediterranean gull 21 on outflows (14 adult/3cy plus 7 x 2cy)

I went to check the high water roosts (MD). Most of the Meds had already moved on, those that remained were hunkered down against the wind.

This is Red Nab, there are two adult a 3rd calendar year and a 2nd calendar year Med in this clip.

Wader species increased to three with the return of a solitary Redshank joining the Oystercatchers and rapidly increasing Curlew numbers.

Redshank on saltmarsh 

Hopefully more stuff tomorrow.

A fly fishing opportunity

A surprisingly cold south wind all day. Some brief sunny spells, heavy showers starting after lunch.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Kevin Singleton "got a buzz" out of locating the Bee Orchids yesterday (his diabolical pun, not mine (MD)). This excellent shot shows they are still worth seeing, the top flower looking splendid but the lower flower is fading.

Bee Orchid - you can see that it still has one package of pollen to attach to a visiting bee

There are still Drinker moth caterpillars roaming around.

Drinker moth caterpillar by Janet - watch how you tread. 

South shore - high water 09:30 (MD)

I didn't have much time today, so I just went down to the saltmarsh to check the high water gull roost.

Two things surprised me. First how cold the south wind felt, I would have put my gloves on if I'd had them with me!

Second, the gulls weren't roosting, they were feeding!

It took me a few minutes to work out what was going on, but as ever, when I did work it out, it was obvious. It was mainly overcast with some short sunny spells, when the sun shone long enough a piece of shore would dry enough for the strong south wind to dislodge a grain of sand, this in turn dislodges others setting off a chain reaction. The significance was that these events occurred in waves and each wave would collect the myriad of Kelp flies that settle on the mud, plus any other small invertebrates. When the waves reach the waterline, the sand sinks leaving the flies on the water surface. In this clip, I managed to film a sand wave reaching the waterline. The end of the clip is the end of the wave, leaving a few minutes before the next wave, giving plenty of time for more flies to settle on the shore.

Mediterranean gulls - no adults seen, 1 x 3rd calendar year resting on the mud. 5 x 2nd calendar year (2 feeding with the Black-Headed gulls on the waterline plus 3 on the saltmarsh)

These are two of the saltmarsh birds. They also appeared to be picking tit bits off the water surface.

A nice comparison shot of three gull species 
2cy Common Gull (left), adult BHG (right), 2cy Mediterranean gull (bottom)

10 Meds, but still no rings

 WSW wind till mid afternoon, when it became variable ending up south having been north! Still warm, but overcast for most of the day with a couple of light showers.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Ringing report from Alan:

After a longish break and some extensive ride maintenance work in the last few days, a ringing session this morning managed to capture 17 birds. Unfortunately, only two nets could be set.

Wren 2 (both juvs)

Dunnock 1

Robin 1 juv

Song Thrush 1 juv

Reed Warbler 2 + 1 retrap

Lesser Whitethroat 2 (1 juv)

Common Whitethroat 2 + 2 retraps (2 juvs)

Blackcap 1 juv

Willow Warbler 2 (one adult in advanced primary moult plus 1 juv)

Janet had a short walk:

Common Darter

Common Hopper!

South shore (MD)

There were c180 gulls remaining on the high water roost on the mud just south of the saltmarsh. Mainly Black-Headed gulls but included 2 adult and 3 x 2nd calendar year Mediterranean gulls.

Later as I walked past No.2 outflow there were 3 adult, 1 x 3rd calendar year and 3 x 2nd calendar year Mediterranean gulls resting on the mud

3 adult, 1 x 3cy and 3 x 2cy Meds with BHG
Resting on the mud to the west of No.2 outflow

When the tide left the beach near the wooden jetty 3 adult and 4 x 2nd calendar year Meds arrived, including the noisy pair. There were still 2 adult and a 3cy near No.2 when I returned, so the absolute minimum number was:

Mediterranean gulls 5 adult, 1 x 3cy, 4 x 2cy

Curlew 97 in several small groups north

Some of this morning's Curlew heading north

Rock Pipit - 2 birds, not the ringed male, feeding the chicks in the lighthouse area nest. Again, someone was stood over the nest site watching the ferry, so two birds were waiting to get to the nest, both with food. The chicks must be growing fast, this one has a sand eel to feed them. A young tern would be pleased with this!

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - one was on the pebble shore next to the saltmarsh. Unfortunately, it wasn't feeding, just resting on the stones. Although very distinctive when they fly, they "disappear" when they land amongst pebbles, as this clip demonstrates:

Hummingbird Hawkmoth looking drab amongst the pebbles

The east wind tried, but could have tried harder!

According to the regional weather report the ESE breeze continued till lunchtime. It wasn't like that locally. After 09:30the breezed swirled around, veering from easterlies to westerlies and back again! Hot and sunny for most of the day, but a very heavy shower by evening.

First an update from yesterday on Middleton Nature Reserve. Pete saw:

Stock Dove 2 flew into the water treatment works

Lunar Hornet Moth attracted to pheromone lure near the gate opposite the water treatment works

South shore (MD)

This light wind was from the ESE when I started at 09:30. As soon as I got to the saltmarsh an Emperor dragonfly came in off the sea - I started a tally chart - needn't have bothered, I didn't see another dragonfly!

All along the sea wall the wind was predominantly SSW, but by 10:10 when I'd arrived at the roundhead there was a short period of east wind.

There was nothing coming in off the sea, but quite a few butterflies feeding.

Meadow Brown 12

Painted Lady 2

Common Blue 1

Small Tortoiseshell 2 - these actually flew out to sea in a period of west breeze, shortly followed by a Red Admiral that had flown along the sea wall.

I was wondering if the Meadow Brown were just the result a successful breeding, but I did eventually see one come in off. The only other insect seen coming in was a moth, probably a Silver Y.

Rock Pipits 4 (foreshore, Red Nab, waterfall and just one bird (not the ringed male) taking food to the chicks in the lighthouse nest hole).

Linnet pair with 4 young plus 2 other pairs at least.

Today's newly fledged Linnets were quite downy
 I suspect this is a second lot to be fledged here (MD)

Curlew c80 - 62 in two groups flying north, but a steady stream of individual birds too

I hung around a bit, as I wanted to watch the beach next to the wooden jetty become exposed, to see if it attracted any Meds. I wasn't disappointed, but a bit surprised!

Mediterranean gulls 2, possibly 3 adult. 1 x 3rd calendar year. 3 x 2nd calendar year.

The first surprise was a feeding technique I've not seen before. The water was so clear, the Meds were diving for Sandmason worms feeding under water.

Adult Mediterranean gull diving for Sandmason worms

The reality wasn't as dramatic as the above picture suggests. Here is the full sequence. You can see the adult looking for available worms while the 3rd calendar year bird watches on. The dive is successful, but the gull has the worm's tube as well as the worm. Not easy to sort out without risking it being pinched, so it ended up Flying off.

The second surprise was the noise the adults were making. There was an adult pair calling, not sure if the above adult was one of them. Normally the only noise they make are soft "keep away" grunts when they are defending their feeding patch. Today's calls were loud and haunting, you can hear them in the next clips.

This is the 3cy bird trying out what it learned by watching the adult. But not quick enough, it just ended up with an empty piece of tube.

The 2cys were also trying to feed this way, but I didn't see them catch anything. Not a lot happening in this clip, but you can hear the adults calling.

These are the calling adults. They appear to be a pair, I assume the calling is associated with bonding. But I don't really know (MD)

A nice shot of the 3rd calendar year Mediterranean gull
showing the black markings on the primaries 

Heysham Nature Reserve (KE)

Dark Green Fritillary 2 in South West corner of the plateau

Janet took this shot of a "grass moth" here yesterday. Don't know if it's laying an egg or just a bubble of waste, I suspect the latter (MD)

Ringlet abound and a Fritillary bonus

WNW light winds and plenty of sunshine

Janet had a walk around Heysham Nature Reserve including the dog walk and Nature Park. She saw Ringlet butterflies everywhere, it's not long since they were rarities here. Typical were seven around the small area of long grass between the newt pond and the Power Station perimeter.

Other butterflies included:

Large Skipper

Small Skipper (first records this year)

Small Skipper

Meadow Brown 

Common Blue

Red Admiral 

And, most intriguing, a brief sighting of a large orange butterfly on the high meadow of Heysham Nature Reserve.

Moths included this Straw Dot

Straw Dot moth

I was busy today and didn't get a chance for a walk till late afternoon, still it proved to be an enjoyable walk (MD)

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Mute Swan 2 adult 7 cygnets 

Moorhen 3 adult 1 chick

Mallard 1 female 3 chicks plus 7 males

Little grebe 2 adult 2 juvenile 

Stock Dove 1 flew to south from scrub near Tradebe - first record since early in the year

Warblers singing

Cetti's Warbler 1 ("no swimming" pond)

Willow Warbler only two or three

Chiffchaff several 

Common Whitethroat 4+

Blackcap 3

Dragonflies in order of abundance 

Black-Tailed Skimmer

Broad-Bodied Chaser (only in second place as the small ponds not checked)

Emperor

Four-Spotted Chaser

No darters seen today

There's an east wind forecast for the morning, perhaps it will bring in something more interesting.

Butterflies:

Ringlet

Large Skipper 

Speckled Wood 

Red Admiral 1

Green-veined White 1

Common Blue 1

No small Heath seen, again partly a result of today's shortened route.

Heysham Nature Reserve 

I called in to see if I could locate the butterfly Janet glimpsed this morning. There were several possibilities, all interesting. And so it proved.

Dark Green Fritillary 2 - Feeding on the clover on the high meadow, they were very flighty and presumably the same sex as neither wanted the company of the other.

Dark Green Fritillary 

Other butterflies on this plateau:

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Large Skipper 

Small Skipper

Common Blue

When I first arrived at the meadow, this Roebuck was feeding (the background buzzing if the overhead electricity cables)

Eventually it moved on but as I was leaving and approaching the car park, it was in the Power Station non operational land. It was a mute point as to who was watching whom. Until a family party with well behaved, but noisy kids approached.

We both quietly tiptoed away!

Rock Pipit puzzle perplexes

SW to west light winds, plenty of long sunny spells.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet had a look at dawn. It was misty over the ponds.

Too early for the Swans

But these Mallard were active

Meanwhile, this large male Fox was on the prowl

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 - located early afternoon by Janet at the corner of Moneyclose Lane. Unfortunately at that point Janet didn't have her camera with her - shame, but still a nice record.

Pete managed to complete the gull nest survey this year, the first one practical since 2019. Numbers have increased, largely it seems down to the higher numbers on the new custom's building roof, which replaced the old Fishers roof.

The counts are definite breeding birds - so the figures are numbers of confirmed breeding pairs 

2019 gull nesting survey

2022 gull nesting survey

South shore (MD)

I really just went down to sort out what's happening with the Rock Pipits near lighthouse. And the answer is......I don't really know!

Two Rock Pipits are definitely taking food to chicks in a nest hole near the lighthouse. They won't go to the nest if anyone is close, and there were a few visitors around watching the ferry arrive. So two birds were waiting above the site with food for the chicks.

But neither of these birds is the ringed male. So, either this is a different pair, or the female has a new partner, or a third bird is helping the female, perhaps one of last year's chicks.

I didn't see the male today, but he was around on Sunday. I can't imagine him tolerating another male on his territory, he's been chasing off all and sundry since his return to territory. So my guess is that another female is helping the original female (MD)

The current nest is in a different hole, not too far from the earlier one, and easier to locate with fading vegetation in the mouth.

Current nest site, just below the metal bollard 

After the visitors left the lighthouse area, I was positioned further down the wall I saw them take food to the nest several times. Some of those visits may have been by the ringed male, but I didn't see him for certain. That's what it will need to confirm that this is the original pair's second brood.

The food they were taking to the nest was again quite small portions. But this bird is collecting Sea Slaters like someone taking food from a supermarket shelf! (Perhaps a consequence of this morning's mist wetting the wall, then the hot sun quickly baking it dry?) It eats the first one, but seems to decide it can squeeze the second one through a chick's gape, although it didn't take it directly to the nest.

Another two Rock Pipits on Red Nab

Mediterranean gull - just one 2nd calendar year seen, but the tide was a way out

Ringlet butterfly 3 along the Nature Park

First Darter

A bit of SSE early on but quickly shifted to west by mid morning. The sun shone for most of the day, making it quite warm.

Middleton Nature Reserve - late morning

Both Janet and myself (MD) checked different areas this morning. First a nice set of pictures from Janet, as ever with Janet's pictures they should be opened to see the detail.

Ringlet were suddenly abundant 

Female Broad-bodied Chaser ovipositoring - the male was buzzing around above her

Narrow-bordered Five-Spot Burnet Moth

Juvenile Little Grebes, acting juvenile!

Meanwhile the adult was fishing 

Lesser Whitethroat 

The following lists are a combination of what we both saw and heard

There weren't many singing warblers, just:

Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Balckcap and a solitary Common Whitethroat 

Butterflies, quite a variety, but with the exception of the Ringlet not high numbers. In order of abundance:

Ringlet

Common Blue 

Small Heath 

Meadow Brown 

Whites (either Small or Green Veined or both)

Large Skipper

Speckled Wood 

Red Admiral

Painted Lady

Small Tortoiseshell 

Moths

Silver Y

Cinnabar 

Narrow-bordered Five-Spot

Dragonflies:

Emperor

Broad-bodied Chaser

Four-Spotted Chaser

Black-Tailed Skimmer

Male Black-Tailed Skimmer with a male Common Blue Damselfly

Darter, there were a couple flitting about, but didn't manage a totally conclusive view, but pretty sure they were Common (MD)

Looks to be a Common Darter

Large Red Damselfly
Unusual for a damselfly, resting with its wings spread

Swift 3 and House Martin 2 feeding over the main pond 

Mute 2 adult with 7 cygnets 

Moorhen 2 adult 1 chick

Mallard 7 male now in eclipse 2 female with 1 and 5 young

Little grebe 3 adult 2 juvenile 

The Bee Orchids have had a good year and can be found all around the reserve, but they are already getting past their best.

On her way off the reserve, Janet ventured too close to a nesting Lesser Black-Backed gull, and was duly dive bombed!

Med numbers continue to grow (or at least more being seen)

WNW wind all day. Again coolish when the sun wasn't shining 

South shore

Pete and Jean checked towards high water in the afternoon:

Mediterranean gulls - At least 6 2cy and a 3cy on heysham outfalls/Red nab pre tide but then flushed and flew south, some over to the Lune Estuary 

I managed a quick look in the morning, but the tide was well out and the gulls were scattered all over the beaches, I didn't find any Meds. (MD)

There are at least 4 juvenile Black-Headed gulls now.

Adult plus juvenile BHG

Rock Pipits - 3 around the lighthouse nest site. The male was sat on guard.

The male is one of four birds in the area with a bad foot.
He prefers to sit like this when there is no "threat" to ward off

But you can see when he does stand, that he is the ringed male

This juvenile was waiting above the nest site

The female turned up with a bill full of small items of food. She landed near the nest site, but when she saw me, flew back to the wall by the scrub. In this clip you can see her peeping while managing to keep hold of her food. Perhaps she was planning to feed the fledged juvenile, but possibly has a second brood in the nest, food items this size are typical for very young chicks (based on previous observations at this site).

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stay and watch today, you have to move a way towards the waterfall before the female will go to the nest. Hopefully someone will sort it out this week.

Just for a splash of colour, a Red Admiral from the Nature Park. Although not as striking as some, it is quite washed out.

Red Admiral 

First adult Med "returns".

A cold but fortunately quite light WNW wind all day. Warmer in the sunny spells.

Just my stuff so far (MD)

Heysham skear - low water 09:40

Canada Goose 8 north

Eider 6 female (1, 2 & 3)

Red-breasted Merganser 9 (1, 4, 2 & 2) - the tide was just starting to come in and these four were snorkelling along the skear edge. When they feed like this it is normally for crabs, but this male caught a small flatfish without having to dive. I say small flatfish, but it took some swallowing.

This is a still from the above clip, it is a decent sized meal, probably a Dab.

Male Red-breasted Merganser with a flatfish

The only waders apart from the Oystercatchers were 4 Curlew.

This shot is the east side of the outer skear. It's silting over, this area was mussel beds when it was last exposed

The outer skear and parts of the middle skear are silting over, smothering the  mussels - not good!

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - this bird was feeding in the same location along the north side of the skear as a regular bird did last year, the "returns" in today's title presumes it is the same bird. Meds look splendid in summer plumage, but this one has clearly begun its "autumn" moult (sorry!). It can only be described as "having a bad hair day".

You can even make out its loose feathers in flight.

A walk along the south wall this evening also located

Mediterranean gull 3 x 2nd calendar year and 1 x 3rd calendar year 

2cy Mediterranean gull in flight

Resting 2cy Mediterranean gull - this one with much of its head dark

Resting 3cy Mediterranean gull

In this clip the 3cy Med nicely displays its plumage.

Interesting Stonechat record

The wind started SSE early on but soon swung round to south then SW to West. Some sunshine in the morning but overcast with light showers after lunch.

Heysham Head (Josh Hedley)

A few bits from Heysham Head this morning.
Linnet- 5
Whitethroat- just one singing

Swift- 3
Stonechat- 1 female (first report of one from the Head since the early spring passage (MD))

Josh managed this distant record shot

Curlew- 3 over

Small Tortoiseshell- 5+
Painted Lady- 1

I had a look in the afternoon to see if I could relocate the Stonechat, but didn't (MD)

Rock Pipits 2 near the Head, didn't check below the high cliffs

Shag 1 2nd calendar year landed briefly out from the Head.

I managed this distant record shot - it was that sort of day!

South shore (MD)

I just checked from Red Nab to the faux castle to the south of the saltmarsh on the rising tide just after lunch.

The last of the sun was shining and it was hot as I walked through the Nature Park. The first grasshopper I've heard this year was chirping. Also the first Ringlet butterfly was flying around, but it steadfastly refused to land to allow a picture!

No sign of any Mediterranean gulls on Red Nab, but there were still lots of gulls feeding on the outflows.

Eider 2 female

Shelduck 2 (flew off to east)

Curlew 35 flew from Red Nab towards the estuary 

There were six small waders feeding on a rapidly shrinking distant sandbar. Normally I wouldn't have bothered, but any small waders are welcome this time of year, so I took this clip.

Turned out they were 3 Dunlin and 3 Ringed Plover. They flew off south and, perhaps ominously, a little later this Peregrine flew back from the south with a small long legged bird.

Peregrine Falcon with a small bird

Linnet 4 near saltmarsh 

Rock Pipit 1 - just one on Red Nab, no sign of the saltmarsh/rocky outcrop birds