Very early gull bonanza

Heysham Obs
After a few days of creepy-crawly recording, the neglected outfalls/Red Nab area had presumably been transforming from the usual "breeding season" 200-300 small gulls to a veritable end of June/early July level. There has got to be a rare gull with this lot soon!

Outfalls/Red Nab early dropping tide
Med Gull - three 1st summers (but others could have been missed), including what was presumably the long-staying black-headed bird. None ringed
Black-headed Gull - 1,300 - unprecedented so early
Common Gull - 171 - par for the late spring course
Whimbrel - one

a shimmering white blob way in the distance on the edge of Middleton saltmarsh could have been a swan, white goose, Little Egret, the recent Spoonbill or plastic box with a neck(ish). No time to check from Potts Corner.

Middleton IE model boat pond
Sun too intermittent and temperature too low for RVD , but a single Black-tailed Skimmer and transient Clouded Yellow late morning. Unfortunately:
The only Jackdaws in this recording area have now increased to 12 and seem to be systematically scouring thbe ground along the western shore of the model boat pond. Presumably teneral dragonflies, or even torpid adults are amongst and perhaps the sole targets?

Single Red-veined Darter early afternoon

South-eastern boundary of recording area
Spotted Flycatcher - by the old ICI huge "nissan hut-shaped" building
Stock Dove - presumably nesting in the above building

Puss moth surprise and first Black-tailed Skimmer of the year

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE
Two Red-veined Darter males and a Black-tailed Skimmer

Moths
A reasonable catch including Brown Silver line, Shoulder striped Wainscot, 5 small Square spot and a Puss Moth (not annual at this site).

Elsewhere
Red Kite with wing tag from Stirling on left wing, but no obvious equivalent year code tag on the other wing, over Alcock's Farm, Roeburndale east this lunchtime

Odd dragonfly scenario

Heysham Obs

Middleton model boat pond 1045-1115hrs
STILL no Black-tailed Skimmer but a load=c8 of mature COMMON Darter amongst which, and getting some stick, were two male Red-veined Darter

The long-staying Red-eared terrapin showing well (full of Bk tailed Skimmer nymphs??)

Excitement in the moth trap as Marbled Minor aggregate made its first appearance

The return of the Red-veined Darters

Heysham Obs
A bit too windy yesterday on the model boat pond and we needed to be alerted by findings yesterday at Fleetwood Marsh nature reserve to check in this morning's calmer conditions

Middleton IE model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - The first was located at 1030hrs and by 1130 there were definitely 3 males and probably four in view, scattered all over the model boat pond. 3 were seen in the afternoon with instructive comparison with Common, including a perched individual showing pale centred pterostigma (dark in Common, visible through 'scope at 50 metres!)
Common Darter - Up to 5 in the afternoon, including two very red males. Be careful before you jump to conclusions re-Red-veined. I think these are the earliest ever mature Common Darter for here and are surely migrants (which need checking for Vagrant???)

One of the easiest ways to start the process of separating Common from Red-veined (hundreds of hours put in observing the latter over water) is that Red-veined
1) dont gain height whilst hovering and usually stay close to the water surface in flight
2) change direction very suddenly and acutely, again without gaining height
3) usually spend longer over the water than Common

The red venations are often only clearly visible when the insect is hovering and facing the observer with the sun behind the observer = fortunately most of the day in the model boat pond lower car park

The vexing question is the origin of these insects. The smart money was on no further sightings of locally-born individuals after last year's single observation...but there was hardly any suitable flying weather last year! Therefore we need to wait and both Fleetwood and Middleton IE have breeding history and if there are none reported anywhere else in the north............ The Painted Lady influx obviously does suggest suitable arrival conditions from southern Europe and the following was 'lifted' from the BDS site:

"There has been a significant influx of Red-veined Darter into southern England during the last week of May, with records currently from at least seven sites (no doubt they have been accompanying the Painted Lady butterflies!). Observers are encouraged to be on the lookout for the species".

Surprisingly, no sign of any Black-tailed Skimmer yet

Remainder of Middleton IE ponds
A quick search in the afternoon again revealed no Emperor or Black-tailed Skimmer
Clouded Yellow - one sauntering around 'off passage' between the model boat and no swimming ponds
4-spotted Chaser - c80

North wall
Black Guillemot reported in the harbourmouth

Heysham NR
First Emperor dragonfly of the year by the gate

Elsewhere
As there were Red-veined Darters on the Fleetwood marsh nature reserve pond yesterday (including an ovipositing female), worth checking any shallow pools with bare edges e.g. Freeman's Pool (but beware early mature Common).

Watch your cabbages!

Heysham Obs
North wall area
Whimbrel - one in
Black Guillemot - on water by jetty

Gull nest count Fishers west side

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 29

Herring Gull - 17

Great Black-backed Gull - one (still sitting)

Nature reserve CES ringing

Jay - a retrap from 2006 caught on the CES - obviously still an elusive breeding bird in this area

Middleton IE

4-spotted Chaser - 93 seen, a majority in the central marsh pond in what were quite windy conditions. The model boat pond was very windswept (see tomorrows posting)

Mammals
Grey Seal - one offshore - the only item of interest amongst a lot of speedboats taking anglers to the mouth of the bay

Butterflies
Large White - 37 on the north wall mound & c8 moving north
Painted Lady - c10 north at the north wall - much fewer than Large White - & only about 10/hour heading north over the rest of the recording area until at least mid-pm

Elsewhere

The Woodchat Shrike postings/photos from the Lancaster DBWS site have been removed due to serious issues with the accuracy of some of the posted written material. No discussion will be entered into on this, as further material in the public domain will serve no purpose other than increase the chances of people suppressing their finds due to perceived endemic irresponsibility at rare birds, when in fact it is a very small minority who are not present at every 'twitch'. Osprey Leighton area all afternoon and 14 Crossbill (including adult males) NW over Tarnbrook fell

Butterfly Day

Heysham Obs
North wall angler report
Canada Goose - flocks of 28+11 blogging for a short time
Black Guillemot

Insects
Following yesterdays 'invasion' of Painted Lady butterflies a count of 58 were recorded on the reserve between 12.30pm and 13.30 thanks to Doreen Carmen.

A single Clouded Yellow was also seen in the far marsh on the reserve late afternoon as well as two Four-spotted Chasers and an excellent count of other butterfly species.

Outfalls grilling

Mediterranean Gull two 1st S between the outfalls, side by side for comparison one had slightly more of a dark mask, neither appeared to be ringed.
Black-headed Gull C100 mostly 1st S

Black Guillemot off NHW

Heron N over WJ eventually came down on Sandylands skeer

Swallow pair near Gate 38

Pied Wagtail F near Gate 38

Feral Pigeon nesting inside large rusty cylinder on end of WJ entering on foot through door which has been left ajar.

Small white SHW inner harbour

Elsewhere

Female nominate form Woodchat Shrike Tower Lodge

Hazy gulls

Heysham Obs
A quick check of the gulls on the outfalls prior to the tide through a significant heat haze produced:
Arctic Tern - 2
Common Gull - 67
Black-headed Gull - 19
Little Gull - a worn-looking 1st summer

Elsewhere
Nothing yet (1445hrs)

Purple Sandpiper surprise

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper - one with a flock of 11 Turnstone below the north wall was a surprise - perhaps the latest spring record for here
Black Guillemot inshore

Lunchtime seawatching Ocean Edge foreshore
This was pretty hopeless with the wind dropping and the low cloud not really clearing
Manx Shearwater - 2 together across the mouth
Arctic Tern - one outfalls
Common Gull - 37 outfalls
Black-headed Gull - 39 outfalls
Whimbrel - 2

Mid-morning routines

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall 0845-1045
Fulmar - 7 in
Gannet - 8 in (5 of these out), 6 across the mouth
Sandwich Tern - 2-3
Black Guillemot - on wooden jetty

Outfalls/Red Nab - low tide 1000-1025
Arctic Tern - 3 Heysham 2 outfall
Common Tern - 1 Heysham 2 outfall
Common Gull - c35
Med Gull - the usual 1st summer (forgot to post it!)

Moths
A Mother Shipton was found in the recently created heath area below the observation tower. No vast number of Painted Lady in the cool breezy conditions (c5)

Elsewhere
Ad male Honey Buzzard giving great views as it flew low to the SW over High Tatham 0750-0755ish mobbed by 2 Ravens. Up to four 1st summer Little Gulls have been around Leighton with a further bird at Aldcliffe. At least one of these will probably end up moulting at Heysham outfalls from the late summer