Shoveler returns(?)

A light NE breeze. Some hazy sunshine but largely overcast

Pete advises that Clouded Yellows are being seen both south and north of the recording area. Both Janet and myself were out and about today, but didn't see any. Tomorrow's looking promising though.

Janet checked Red Nab to Heysham Nature reserve.

Red Nab:

Two of the Three Wheatear 

This Robin seems to have set up territory on the eastern edge of Red Nab

One of four Rock Pipit - more on this later

Linnet

Treble-bar moth

Nature Park:

Small White

Meadow Brown

Male Common Darter

Heysham Nature Reserve:

Female Migrant Hawker 

Immature Common Darter 

Common Blue, so worn you can almost see through its wings

Kestrel 

North shore (MD)

Mute Swan three out from the green marker post

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Wildfowl as recent except:

Coot numbers doubled - now two

Shoveler 1 eclipse male on "no swimming" pond. Time will tell if it is passing through or back for the winter!

Male Shoveler in eclipse 

Butterflies:

Meadow Brown

Small White

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell 

Common Blue (with see through wings like Janet's)

Dragonflies:

Emperor only 2

Brown Hawker 2

Migrant Hawker 7 (including 2 pairs in cop)

Migrant Hawker male

Common Darter - lots of males, but the only female seen was this old one

Old female Common Darter

Red Nab (MD)

I had a look on the rising tide, earlier than Janet. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - the only bird I could locate among the Black-Headed gulls was the green ringed German bird.

Mediterranean gull with green darvic ring amongst the BHG.
This bird was ringed as a nesting in 2012

The overnight tide was the highest of this set of spring tides, but the light off shore wind meant that it didn't top up the pool at the start of the sea wall. So, barring storms it will now not be topped up with sea water till 10th or 11th September. So almost two more weeks, goodness knows what life will emerge from it, especially if occasional rain prevents it from drying out completely.

Drying pool at the very beginning of the sea wall

The territorial Rock Pipit is certainly expecting, and almost certainly currently experiencing, a bounty. It is defending this pool vigorously, allowing the other three Rock Pipits freedom of the rest of Red Nab. Always worth a check if you are passing.

Not much, but juvenile Buzzard showing well

Mainly NE to ENE fresh breeze. Some hazy sun in the morning, but becoming increasingly overcast.

Heysham skear - low water 07:30 (MD)

I started at 08:15. The few minutes that I was on the promenade saw

Swallow 16 (9,5,2) north, none were seen while on the shore, but on my return to the promenade another 6 flew north - it felt like early summer again!

That was probably the highlight of the trip, the skear was quiet compared to last evening.

Heron 2

Little Egret 9

Great Crested Grebe 2

Eider 7

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and Ringed Plover 2

Ringed Plover

South shore (MD)

It was early evening when I walked along the wall, even so there were still.

Wheatear 7 along foreshore 

Starlings 100+ feeding on saltmarsh brambles

Goldfinch 4 feeding on saltmarsh teasels 

Goldfinch 

Rock Pipit 2

Eider 2 out from harbour mouth

Mediterranean gulls 5 adult on the beach next to wooden jetty

Treble-bar moth near the sea wall

Imperial way (again it is quiet after 17:30)

I just had a quick check on my way home

Swallow 6

House Martin 6

Kestrel 1 male

Kestrel 

Buzzard 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Buzzard 

It wasn't winning any popularity contests, in this clip it has changed its perch and all the local passerines were shouting at it (you can hear the cars passing along the bypass too).

It had a fly around and the hirundines were not impressed

Juvenile Buzzard surrounded by House Martins and Swallows

Early Scaup

Very light variable breeze mainly NE. Sunshine in the morning then becoming hazy by lunch and for the rest of the day

First, a correction. The large egret on the south shore, that I identified as a Great White Egret, turned out to be an unusually large Little Egret. All records have been amended. My apologies if it caused any confusion, at least it shows the value of photography, they can prove, or in this case, disprove identity. It was around again today bullying the other little Egrets and does look to be half as big again as the others. Care required! (Malcolm)

Just my records so far today (MD)

South shore just after low water in the morning 

Rock Pipit 3

Wheatear 9 quickly moving through 5 along the foreshore and 4 near the lighthouse 

Wheatear having a short rest in the inner harbour

Mediterranean gull 5 resting on the rocks on the seaward side of the beach near the wooden jetty. One had a white and another a yellow ring, but much too distant to read, and they left when the tide reached them.

Peregrine Falcon 1 juvenile 

Imperial Way

Just a brief check at 17:00

Stock Dove 1 

Mistle Thrush 1

Swallow 80+

House Martin 6+

The hirundines were milling around the south of the road where the gates to the recycling centre are.

Just a few of the House Martin and Swallow

Heysham skear low water 19:30

Little Egret 4

Grey Heron 2

Grey Heron, ruffling its feathers on Conger rock

Eider 12 including one adult male, but mainly juvenile 

Great Crested grebe 9

Shag 1 - this is a bit different, it had been feeding, now it is drying its wings whilst still swimming 

Scaup 3 

Scaup

They were feeding and joined by an Eider

Then time for a wash and brush up

An interesting walk along the wall

A gentle NW wind. Sunshine pretty much all day 

Just stuff from my morning stroll along the south sea wall, so far (MD)

Linnet 10 along foreshore and Red Nab

Goldfinch 4 near lighthouse 

Common Whitethroat 1 Red Nab

Robin 2 Red Nab and foreshore plus 1 near lighthouse 

Wheatear 1 Red Nab

Grey Wagtail 1 Red Nab

Rock Pipit 5

Inshore Red Nab was busy, it probably warranted more time watching, but I was just passing en route to the wooden jetty. There were 3 + 1 Rock pipits squabbling, the territorial bird was also seeing off the Grey Wagtail. Even so it found time for a bit of feeding. This looks like another Rat- Tailed maggot (see post 12 August), looks even less appetising when it's dragged out of the remaining slime! This pool has a couple more days before it is refilled by the increasing height tides.

Meanwhile the Robin was seeing off this Whitethroat 

The Wheatear watched on for a while then continued its journey 

My haste was so as not to miss the beach near the wooden jetty being covered by the incoming tide. I timed it just right, unfortunately the Meds flew off as the tide reached them, not driven towards the wall as they are when the honeycomb worms are being caught on the open mud.

Mediterranean gulls 

Adult (possibly some 3rd calendar year) 15

2nd calendar year 1

1st calendar year 1 (feeding on No.2 outflow)

This is the 2nd calendar year bird (not obvious in this shot) chasing an adult off its patch

Adult Med leaving the beach long before it was covered

There were two white darvic ringed birds amongst them. Fortunately one was relatively close in and could be seen to be the Dutch ringed bird. The other, further out and with mud on its ring left before it could be read.

Adult Med ringed as nestling in Holland 2010

Mallard 1 female flew out along the shipping lane

Grey Heron 1 on Red Nab

Grey Heron

Little Egret 4  - 2 on Red Nab 1 near No.1 outflow plus 1 flew south past lighthouse 

Little Egret 

Stop press.....

Update from Pete

3 Wheatear heliport along with 3 rock pipit.  680 redshank,102 turnstone 

Possibly more to come

Purple Sandpiper

A light wind from the east in the morning, switching to west in the afternoon. Mainly overcast  till lunchtime then increasing sunshine.

Purple Sandpiper 1 on old Heliport wall (Pete)

South shore 

Report from Pete:

Mediterranean gull 9 on Red Nab

Shag 1 on wooden jetty

I checked the foreshore and beach out from saltmarsh (MD)

Robin 3 on Red Nab and foreshore, disgruntled "clicks" in the Nature Part suggesting more around.

Robin - as handsome a bird as any we see!

Grey Wagtail 1 on Red Nab

Rock Pipit 2 (including one by the rocky outcrop south of the saltmarsh)

Wheatear 1

Linnet 17 around saltmarsh 

Little Egret 4

Lapwing 4

There was the same cluster of Oystercatcher on the beach out from the saltmarsh, but we're moving back to spring tides and it comes in quickly. The other waders were just reaching the southern end of the recording area.

Dunlin c250

Knot c30

Grey Plover 10

Curlew 70

No godwits seen

I was just about to leave the beach when a small flock of waders appeared from nowhere and landed briefly by the Oystercatcher.

Bar-Tailed Godwit 36

Dunlin 32

Knot 11

Grey Plover 3

Bar-Tailed Godwits and Knot dropping out of the sky

The Knot and Dunlin quickly moved off south, but the bigger waders waited till flushed by the tide

Some of the Bar-Tailed Godwit and Grey Plover - looking like a bad school photo!

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean:

This morning we caught 26 birds:

Grey Wagtail 2 of 3 that went through

Willow Warbler 8

Chiffchaff 1 (a retrap from the 19th and in heavy moult)

Blackcap 3

Whitethroat 3

Lesser Whitethroat 3 (2 were retraps)

Robin 2

Goldfinch 3

Great Tit 1

4 Swallows north and a high Sparrowhawk south

I had a stroll around in the afternoon (MD)

Mute Swan pair with 7 well grown cygnets 

Coot 1

Moorhen 6 including 1 well grown young 

Mallard 1 female with 2 well grown young, plus 12, possibly including some mature young

Little grebe a pair on the Tim Butler pond have at least one young - looks like it is being encouraged to feed for itself 

Common Sandpiper 1 on main pond 

Grey Heron 1

Cormorant 1 immature - it was sunning itself and didn't immediately noticed that I was right behind it!

Buzzard 1 drifting high to south (mewing constantly)

Swallow 13 (2, 7, 1, 1, 2) SW

House Martin 2 SW

There is still no sign of the Otters feeding on the Signal Crayfish 

Dragonflies 

Emperor c10

Common Darter c10

Brown Hawker 1

Migrant Hawker 2

Butterflies 

Gatekeeper 

Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood 

Red Admiral 7 - all looking fresh and all in the same area near the golf course.

This juvenile Sparrowhawk had tried and failed to catch the birds on my feeders at home. It gave me a dirty look!

Juvenile Sparrowhawk 

Just out of recording area - Heysham Moss Nature Reserve 

Janet took this shot of a ringed Grasshopper Warbler - a male was reeling here in the spring

Knot back

A light WNW wind. Mainly overcast till lunchtime, then mainly sunny.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from John

Very slow morning ringing, with just sixteen birds caught in three nets over a four hour period from 6.30am. These comprised :

Reed Bunting             x2

Willow Warbler         x2

Chiffchaff                  x2

Lesser Whitethroat   x2

Blackcap                    x2

Reed Warbler            x1 retrap

Bluetit                        x1

Grey Wagtail              x1

Sedge Warbler           x1

South shore

I checked form Red Nab to the shore out from the saltmarsh this morning on the rising tide (MD)

Sandwich Tern just one on a Red Nab rock

Sandwich Tern

Rock Pipits 5 - three on Red Nab and two together near the rocky outcrop to the south of the saltmarsh.

No Wheatear today

Linnet 18 (6 + 12 around saltmarsh)

Lapwing 6

There were just 800 Oystercatcher resting on the mud out from the saltmarsh then a nice mixed flock of waders arrived from the south, led by Grey Plovers.

Grey Plover 40

Knot 70

Dunlin 130

Bar-Tailed Godwit 10

Not only a nice mixture of species, also a variety of plumages (the background noise was something going on in the Power Station). I pan a bit quickly to get them all in the 30 seconds allowed, but you can opt to watch in slow motion.

This shot is just to show the location, that's, what's left of, the wooden jetty in the background 

When the tide eventually flushed them, they all flew off together. I haven't pre sized this shot, so you will need to open it to see any detail. Each bird is identifiable.

Knot, Dunlin, Grey Plover and Bar-Tailed Godwit 

Nature Park 

Migrant Hawker 4

Common Darter 4

Painted Lady 1

Common Blue 1

Plus several of each

Meadow Brown

Gatekeeper 

Speckled Wood 

Janet took these shots of moths on Middleton Nature Reserve this morning

A quite faded Shaded Broad-bar

Straw Dot

You wait for ages for a Toadflax Pug.............

A light south wind in the morning, gradually made its way to the west by evening. Heavy overnight rain, but dry during the day with occasional sightings of the sun.

South shore - ebbing tide early afternoon (MD)

Wheatear 4

Rock Pipit 2

Mediterranean gull 4 adult plus 1 x 1st calendar year on beach near wooden jetty.

First calendar year Mediterranean gull, with distinctive tail feathers

Nature Park

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter several 

Comma 1

Small White 1

Gatekeeper 1

Common Blue 2

Speckled Wood several 

Meadow Brown several 

This Willow Warbler was having a good bath in the newt pond

Report from Kevin - Local moth

I've been waiting for ages for my annual Toadflax Pug to appear and then three arrived at once! Very similar to the more widespread Foxglove Pug, this tiny local moth is a bit of a Heysham specialty.

Toadflax Pug

Sandwiches on the beach

The early light SE wind gradually moved to SW. overcast all day with just a few glimpses of sunshine.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Alan:

Nets set by 06.30 but fewer birds around this morning than perhaps expected. I needed to take down at 10.30.

Two single Grey Wagtails were attracted down by the mp3 but were not trapped. The only other bird flying over was a single Swallow at 09.30.

Ringing:

Reed Warbler 2

Lesser Whitethroat 1

Common Whitethroat 7

Garden Warbler 2

Blackcap 2

Willow Warbler 1

Great Tit 2

Goldfinch 1

South Shore (MD)

I walked along the mud out from the saltmarsh as the neap tide was towards high water. Almost uniquely I was alone, apart from the wildlife, but the birds seemed very flighty. I think the juvenile large gulls flying around erratically were confusing the waders.

Little Egret 7

Red-Breasted Merganser 4 together flying south

Wheatear 2

Linnet 7

Lapwing 14

Ringed Plover 1

Grey Plover 150 minimum

Dunlin 250 minimum

Mainly Grey Plover flying past

Dunlin and Grey Plover 

Bar-Tailed Godwit 8 including 3 in summer plumage 

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit and Dunlin

Sandwich Tern 4 minimum. There was one family (2 adult and 2 juveniles), but again they were quite flighty and several sightings of individual birds could have been birds from these four. There is no doubting they were a family, any parent could relate to this:

I managed to get a shot with them all in (just)

I just had a short walk along the sea wall in the afternoon, to see if any other ringed Mediterranean gulls were on the beach next to the wooden jetty. But today there were only 2 adults and neither ringed (even though tide, timing and weather seemed the same as yesterday).

However we have received the updated history of yesterday's bird ringed as a nestling in Holland 24/06/10

Since it was seen here last autumn it was seen

27/12/21 reserva natural Estuário do Douro, Canidelo; Vila Nova de Gaia; Porto; ; Portugal 41,08N 8,4W

5 to 23/01/22 Playa San Lorenzo; Gijón; Asturias; Asturias; SPAIN 43,32N 5,39W

This Little Egret (originally incorrectly identified by myself (Malcolm) as  GWE) is feeding just below the sea wall. It catches a crab and then immediately releases it, crabs nip! But it gets a consolation goby.

But, this clip starts with another crab in its bill. It actually leaves the water so as not to risk losing this one. It then returns and catches another Common Goby - easy, albeit small pickings.

Both the crabs were of similar size. The only difference must be that the second crab's exoskeleton was not fully hardened (they are soft when the old one is shed and it goes through increasing stages of hardening before the pincers become totally effective again).

This is the discarded crab, its posture shows that it is confident of its defences

This is the second (not hard enough) crab going down

You don't need to walk miles and carry high quality optics to enjoy the local wildlife, Janet provided this report and pictures from her phone (although Janet does walk many miles with here camera as well).

There is a small Budliea near the co-op and first house on Longlands crescent with 

5 Painted Lady 

1 Small Tortoiseshell 

1 Red Admiral

Very fresh looking Painted Ladies