A bit of variety!

Heysham Obs
Not up early enough this morning & I dont think there were any early morning seawatchers out.

North harbour wall/Ocean Edge/outfalls 0900-1000hrs
Common Tern - adult Red Nab
Manx Shearwater - one out close in at 0905 & 4 together distantly across the mouth at c0915 - no others in a further 45 minutes watching
Arctic Skua - Juvenile in the mouth of the bay - headed in and across towards Ulverston 0905-0915
Med Gull - 2 adults (one Ocean Edge saltmarsh), one 2CY and one juvenile
Black-tailed Godwit - at least 12

Moths
Just Agriphila latistria of note

Ringed Med
A rather unexpected reappearance in this area by a bird recorded as a juv in 2007. There is a distinct possibility that this bird has been seen in the meantime e.g. Dutch/Belgian/French coasts and any details received will be published on this site

Arnhem 3651898 & darvic
Ringed: De Kreupel, Netherlands Nestling 5/7/07
Seen: Heysham outfalls 1-2/9/07 (& prob from 28/7/07)
Seen: Morecambe Broadway area 16/8/09

Seawatching missed

Heysham Obs
No significant amounts of seawatching today which probably saved an observer or two from watching paint dry

North harbour wall/outfalls
Med Gull - two adults and a juv
Manx Shearwater - 3 out together early evening

South harbour wall
Wheatear - 1
Lapwing - increase to c50

Middleton IE
Tufted Duck family party (first breeding record for SD45E) now down to 4 young

Elsewhere
Belgian (Ad) and Dutch (3CY)-ringed Med Gull north Morecambe along with an unringed adult. Another colour-ringed Little Egret seen at Leighton Moss - please keep checking both legs above and below the knee of any Little Egrets you come across

Meds return but wind below seawatching par

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 2 juveniles & one adult
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
Whimbrel - 2
Wheatear - 2

North wall
Med Gull- visiting birders saw an adult & either 2CY or 3CY

Elsewhere
Nothing yet

Rock bottom early autumnal dross

Forecast 'back on again' (via the usually reliable XC weather) for early Sunday morning and seabird possibilities. Note it is an anniversary of some sort for Balearic Shearwater!

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Robert-the Bruce-like persistence with Red Nab saw a third visit late afternoon which produced fleeing Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, seagulls etc and a family of 'flattened mohicans' with a double 'tideline' on the shaven bit along the side of the head. Extraordinary: father & two small sons with identical highly intricate patterns.
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
No Meds at all at high tide!

North harbour wall
Nothing

Heysham Nature reserve
The Constant Effort Site ringing session revealed that there was no movement of an ornithological nature through the bushes below the observation tower. A supplementary net next to the office produced a sprinkling of finches and warblers, including one of three Lesser Whitethroats around the office during the morning

No vis at all. A perceived Swallow passage was resolved as the same bird on a sizeable circuit!

Moths
Highlighted by White-spotted Pug plus the first of the local Agriphila latistria for the year. Another rarity, Agriphila selasella wandered from the local saltmarshes for the second time this year.

Elsewhere
Similarly dead by the look of the pager

Cold, clear and birdless start to the day

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE
Green Woodpecker - heard on golf course & then east of Tim Butlers
Swift - 1 south
Swallow - c15 south
Meadow Pipit - one high to the south (first perceived autumn migrant)
grounded migrants: zilch

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Dreadful heat haze with birds facing away at high tide
Med Gull - 2 juvenile & 2 adult noticed
Black-tailed Godwit - 27
Whimbrel - 1

Butterflies Heysham Nature reserve
Highlighted by a really good count of 6 Small Copper, 3 Brimstone, 3 Red Admiral and Gatekeeper relegated to 'lots'.

Good Med total at high tide

Heysham Obs
Original posting removed due to changed forecast!

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls (with Brian Yorke)
Med Gull - 3 adults, one 2CY, 4 juvenile
Black-tailed Godwit - 4

Moths
A very late check saw a good number of Silver Y still left in (12), despite the sun on the window - possibilities of other migrants in the next few days!

Elsewhere
The 4CY Yellow-legged Gull and moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper still showing well at Glasson

Green Woodpecker added to the year list and almost to the ringing list!

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge a bit too early on incoming tide & a quick look just after high tide
Med Gull: 2 adult and three juv
Black-tailed Godwit - 35
Dunlin - 3 OE south shingle bank
Ringed Plover - 16 OE south shingle bank but no sign of ringed bird from last 'winter'

Ringing at Middleton
Green Woodpecker - one sat on a mist net pole!
Ringing included: 3 Lesser and 5 Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, a flock of 6 Goldfinch, just 2 Sedge Warbler and one Willow Warbler & Reed Bunting. A bit too windy.

Elsewhere
The red-ringed Bittern (originally taken into care & released at Leighton) in front of the Lower Hide.

Usual stuff

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls incoming tide
Med Gull - 3 juvenile, 2 adult
Black-tailed Godwit - 16
Whimbrel - 1
Little Egret - 1

Elsewhere
Ad Curlew Sandpiper & 4CY Yellow-legged Gull still at Glasson

Still no Ruddy Darter.............

Heysham Obs
.............Are they now extinct at Middleton/Heysham?

Very brief visit to Red Nab/OE foreshore
Med Gull - ad & juv
Black-tailed Godwit - 14
1 Whimbrel
1 Juvenile Wheatear

Heysham Nature reserve
Quite a few Willow Warblers (c10 at any on time) calling within earshot of the office along with 3+ Common Whitethroat - more migrants than yesterdays poor show !

Middleton IE dragonflies (thanks Colin & Colin)
Model Boat Pond: Common Blue Damselfly: many males (pure guess - 50), 3 tandems, 1female, 4 tenerals; Common Darter 12 males 15 tenerals 1 tandem; Emperor: 1 male, 2 females ovipositing; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 4 males; Black Tailed Skimmer: 1 male
Middleton Wood Pond: Common Darter: 9 males, 1 female, 1 unsexed, 13 tenerals, 2 ovipositing tandems; Emperor: 1 male; Emerald Damselfly: 1 mating pair
Central & Western Marshes
Sightings included 5 4-spotted Chaser
Butterflies: 3 Wall Brown

Heysham NR dragonflies
Dog Pond: Migrant Hawker: Possible female, definite male about 30 yards past on the way back, hawking; Common Darter 4 males + 1 tandem ovipositing; Common Blue Damselfly: 5 males; Emperor: 1 female ovipositing, 2 males; Brown Hawker: 1 male; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Common Hawker: 2 males (1 of which consistently saw off the emperor!)
Dipping pond: Brown Hawker: 1 male, 1 female; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 2 males
Jetty: Common Darter: 5 males 1 female; Common Hawker: 1 male; Brown Hawker: 1 female; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Emerald Damselfly: 1 male
Hide screen: Possible female Migrant Hawker (but probably not Common Hawker) & 1 male; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Common Darter: 1 male, 1 tandem
Marsh & surrounds: Migrant Hawker: 3 males; Common Hawker 4 males & 16 male 7 female Common Darter

Moths
Decent catch included the following less-common species here: Double Lobed, Dingy Footman (3), Flame Carpet (!), Bordered Beauty, Narrow-winged Pug.

Elsewhere
4CY Yellow-legged Gull & Ad Curlew Sandpiper still at Glasson

The miracle of Red Nab

Heysham Obs
Amazingly Red Nab was untouched by human or canine hand on the latter stages of the incoming tide

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls
Med Gull - 3 separate juvs (at least 2 unringed), 2 adults
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
Whimbrel - 2

Middleton IE
Too clear and breezy, followed by fast moving cumulus from the SW, from an early stage this morning as the forecasted Atlantic weather seems to be starting to run ahead of predictions. Just a handful of birds caught including Lesser Whitethroat & the only overhead movement involved 3 Swift and 6 Swallow

Butterflies
3 Red Admiral, 9 Painted Lady, 3 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoiseshell HNR office buddliea. Grayling Ocean Edge foreshore