Mistimed 'spring' tide checks of outfalls area

Heysham Obs
Stage 2 outfall/Red Nab/Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Arctic Tern - 2 adults on outfalls
Common Sandpiper - one Red Nab, three Ocean Edge saltmarsh
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird
Med Gull - 2nd S on Red Nab late afternoon - did not have time to plough through the anglers to check the north harbour wall

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - one juvenile seen
Sand Martin - 2 (unusual here in mid summer)

Harbour mouth
Black Guillemot seen (thanks Oldham birder)

Elsewhere
No sign of the returning ad Yellow-legged Gull as yet on the outer Lune Estuary during a pretty thorough search from the Sunderland tidal road (no heat haze). Humming-bird Hawk Moth seen along the canal between Torrisholme and Newton yesterday (4th)

Adult Little & Meds new in but no Red-veined Darters

Heysham Obs
North Harbour Wall 0920-1020 hrs
Wheatear juv at end of mound.
Mediterranean Gull 2nd S harbour entrance
Black Guillemot outside harbour entrance, then sat on wooden jetty
Sandwich Tern 1 'out'
Shelduck 6 'out'
Mute Swan 2 'across' from direction of Walney

Red Nab
Mediterranean Gull adult at roost with BHG's
Little Gull - adult sat on the sea next to Red Nab at high tide [no sign of 1st S birds]
Kittiwake - 1st S harbour wall/stage 2 outfall

Middleton IE
Two singing Grasshopper Warbler and one young bird ringed [also 7 juvenile Sedge Warbler ringed, but again a bit windy]

Insects
NO Red-veined Darter seen during a lengthy search by an experienced observer on the model boat pond in conditions which should have produced them. The only caveat is that it was slightly later in the day than optimum & a fraction windy. It looks, however, as thought the male seen the other day was an isolated occurrence of an insect which has moved on. 8-10 Black-tailed Skimmer were seen. Perhaps relevant has been the daily presence of Pied Wagtail and Jackdaw feeding on teneral dragonflies etc. along the favoured waters edge.

Elsewhere
Hobby L. Moss 2nd July, chasing Sand Martin. No Crossbill seen/heard in Thrushgill plantation but Quail in "Hindburndale" this afternoon, providing the first Lancashire sighting in 55 years for one observer! This mobile bird was not present in the evening. 2-3 Short=eared Owls around Botton Head/Silly Lane this evening

Quick high tide check

Heysham Obs
.......absolutely not through intention - just the only time possible - the worst time of the tide cycle to check= when it is a high spring tide covering Red Nab

Stage 2 outfall high tide
Kittiwake - one first summer on the outfall
Little Gull - 2 1st summer sat on the sea

Elsewhere
Flock of 16 Crossbill Thrushgill plantation late afternoon, plus sub-adult male Hen Harrier passing through and a family party of very young, still being fed, Siskin, obviously of local provenance. Doesnt seem to be any forestry activity at present.

Definitely two 1st S Little Gulls

Heysham Obs
NHW
Swift 3 East
Bar-tailed Godwit 2 'out' one in summer plumage (with 4 Curlew)

Red Nab
Mediterranean Gull two 2nd S none appeared to be ringed but upper leg not easy to see.
Common Tern 3 - 2 adult and one presumed winter plumage - dark cap, white forehead and black bill.
Collared Dove 1
Black-headed Gull - about 400 were on the mudflats/outfalls around Stage 2 outfall or between there & Red Nab at low tide.

Stage 2 Outfall
Sandwich Tern then flew towards Red Nab but seemed to continue past.
Little Gull - 1st S on Red Nab roost early morning, TWO 1st S together at high tide and also late afternoon.
Kittiwake 1st S

Middleton IE
A short ringing session in rather windy conditions included adult and juvenile Grasshopper Warbler, 7 juvenile and three adult Sedge Warbler, including a French-ringed bird

Elsewhere
Crossbill - 4 north over High Tatham this morning. Juvenile Marsh Harrier on the wing at Leighton Moss but no obvious sign of yesterdays adult Little Stint on the Allen/EM Pools (but 2 Spotted Redshank & 3 Greenshank, including c.r. bird)

Dragonflies!

Heysham Obs

Red Nab/Heysham 2 outfall
Checks during the morning and late afternoon produced the following on at least one occasion
2nd summer Mediterranean Gull
1st summer Little Gull [just possibly 2 late afternoon]
2 x 1st summer Kittiwake
Ad Sandwich Tern
2 Ad Arctic Tern
Ad Common Tern
adult and 2 x 1st summer Common Gull
300+ Black-headed Gull of various ages

Middleton IE
Singing Grasshopper Warbler

Insects
Middleton IE
Male Red-veined Darter patrolling the open water for about one minute (Model boat pond)
Black-tailed Skimmer - 6 on model boat pond (2 ovipositing), two males in central marsh
Emperor - 2 males and female model boat pond, 2 central marsh, 1+ fence pond
female Hawker spp. seen very poorly by another observer
4-spotted Chaser - quite a few but not counted

Moth trap
Double-lobed new for the year

Elsewhere
Conder Green: 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Reed Warbler singing.
Aldcliffe: Green Sandpiper [new in] & 3 LRP
Allen/EM Pools: Ad Little Stint [new in] afternoon & evening, Spotted Redshank & colour-ringed Green shank still present

Stonechats cannot be found

Heysham Obs

Middleton IE
Grasshopper Warbler - 2 reeling
Stonechat - no obvious sign
There have been NO suitable conditions at all for any Red-veined Darter to fly in so far this summer!

Elsewhere
2 Spoonbill Leighton area

Juvenile Stonechats surprise

North Harbour Wall
Gannet - 15
Black Guillemot - flew towards Heysham Head - unusual
Med Gull - 2nd S
Eider F out
Shelduck 6 'in' - one flock

Outfalls and Red Nab
2 adult Arctic Tern
1st S Little Gull at 1230
Sandwich Tern at 1600.
About 600 Black-headed Gulls split between the Outfalls and Red Nab plus 100 mixed Herring and Lesser Black-backed.

Middleton Industrial Estate
Two very young Stonechat but no obvious sign of adults, presumably dispersed from nearby 'waste ground habitat. This is the first time for a few years there has been any suggestion of breeding in this area. 2 Little Grebe feeding 4 chicks. 30 House Martin (including some newly fledged). Grasshopper Warbler reeling plus one young one (& a lot of actual grasshoppers!).

Mammals
Grey Seal 1

Elsewhere
Conder Pool: Avocet.
Leighton Moss: no sign of Cattle Egret or young Gannet; 2 Spotted Redshank; 3 Greenshank, including colour-ringed bird; 5 Common Sandpiper; 1 Little Ringed Plover. Two Spoonbill Leighton.

Routine, but did it fly over here?! See 'Elsewhere'

Heysham Obs
NHW sea watch 0805 - 1055 hrs
Gannet - on arrival 8 blogging in outer Bay then nothing until 0940 hrs 1 out + 2ad in and 2ad out were possibly the same, c20 mins apart; 1030hrs imm in (3 1/2 hrs after high tide): Total 3 in & 3 out.
Fulmar 1 out 1000hrs
Sandwich Tern 1 in 0945 & 1 out 1015 were possibly same
Mediterranean Gull 2nd S feeding on sea with BHG's
Common Tern blogging
Shelduck 6 out - one flock

Grey Seal and possibly same earlier in the harbour.

No sign of Black Guillemot

Stage 2 outfall; morning
Med. Gull - 2nd summer - possibly the above, possibly the extra bird seen Thurs pm.
Common Tern - 1 ad
Kittiwake - 2 1st S
Black-headed Gull - 1 juv

Elsewhere
Everyone's top of the list for a new species for the area finally made it today = Cattle Egret on the Allen, then Lilian's, then Public hides from about 5pm. Perched in trees at the Moss sites. Also 3/4CY Gannet frequenting the pools! Ad Hobby Aldcliffe.

Another grey miserable day

Heysham Obs
Sea watch 0830-0930 hrs NHW
Gannet 9 out (5ad +4imm)
Fulmar 1 out

Outfalls Stage 2
Arctic Tern 1
Little Gull 1st S

Outfalls/Red Nab late pm
Med Gull - one 2nd S
Black-headed Gull - leucistic bird
Kittiwake - 1 1st S
Common Tern - 2
Sandwich Tern - 2

No sign of Black Guillemot am, not looked for pm.

Moths
Barred Straw new for the year

Mammals
Grey Seal off NHW am

Elsewhere
Two Spotted Redshank Leighton Moss area along with 2 adult Greenshank (one ringed in Aberdeenshire).

Two second summer Meds

Heysham Obs
Red Nab roost late afternoon
2 x 2nd summer Med Gulls virtually together, one presumably the north harbour wall bird
1 x 1st S Kittiwake
1 x Sandwich Tern on outfalls (unusual)

Earlier in the day, seawatching was dreadful with just:
2 x Arctic tern
2 x Common Tern
...............passing by or remaining briefly on the outfalls

Elsewhere
Nothing individually of note - see LDBWS site for Swift postings