Small Tortoiseshells back to form and Hummingbird Hawk-moth

Heysham Obs
Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the NE of the recording area in suburban Heysham at Mossgate park (per H Dickson via LDBWS insects)

Saw about 50 Small Tortoiseshell today, over the twice the number than in the last two years put together.  6 of these were on/around the emerging office buddleias (with 35 others up Roeburndale east).  On the down side there appears to have been a dramatic population crash of midges this year with none in the usual Roeburn/Hindburn hotspots, even after the monsoon.  Clegs, on the other hand have been very bad, with a mass synchronised emergence after the start of the rainy season, notably Middleton NR

CES Heysham office area
A much better morning for ringing, but no obvious migratory movements yet with the 30 or so birds largely reflecting a reasonably good breeding season including a small Long-tailed Tit flock.  The only summer migrants were 2 Whitethroat, 4 Willow Warbler and a Blackcap.  Unexpectedly, for this site, no new Lesser Whitethroat.  There were TWO Moorhen chicks wandering around the office this morning!

Med Gull - adult off Ocean Edge early am

Moths
Nothing dramatic other than a small black and white thing which might be new to science given absence of an obvious match on UK Moths!   Two Dingy Footman and the first Shuttle-shaped Dart of the second brood

First 'autumnal' Garden Warbler

Clouded Border moth at Heysham NR this evening. Thanks Janet

Heysham Obs
Useful when species do not breed anywhere near here as is the case with Garden Warbler - you can identify any movements over and above the local.  This was the first bird caught on an attempted Middleton CES, but the operation soon fell foul of a NE wind which started blowing the nets around to an unacceptable degree as regards the welfare of the birds.

Middleton NR very early morning
Garden Warbler - one ringed
Grasshopper Warbler - one singing regularly, another intermittently
Reed Warbler - 3 singing males
Kingfisher - heard once

Moths
A large catch devoid of really interesting macro captures, apart from four Dingy Footman and an (increasingly scarce) Garden Tiger.  However, the micros included a new species for Heysham: Argyresthia curvella and two scarce Heysham area specialities Phtheochroa inopiana and Coleophora trifolii

2441 influx & seabird array

Heysham Obs
Time to get a little geeky as the huge backlog of hut trap moth records are put on MapMate.  The easiest way is to remember the individual (Bradley and Fletcher)numbers, so 2441 refers to Silver Y, a migrant moth of which there was a small influx in the overnight torrential rain.  This sort of weather often produces a few migrant moths, especially if the wind is southwesterlyish

North wall early morning (Mike Baron)
Arctic Skua - dark morph chasing juv Common Gull (both quite early for here in 'autumn'
Sandwich tern - 1
Razorbill - one - scarce in July
Gannet - 1

Thanks for these Mike

Middleton NR
Kingfisher - hovering over the central marsh pond, caught something or other, then flew towards the fence pond
Reed Warbler - 3 singing males

Singing in the rain

Heysham Obs
Middleton NR
Singing male Grasshopper and Reed (2) Warblers

Moths
Drinker an appropriate new species for the year.  Just 13 Straw Underwing and 20 other moths in total

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain..............................

..............for forty days it will remain

Heysham outfalls/Red Nab
Common Tern - adult
Arctic Tern - adult
Med Gull - adult
Dunlin - adult

Moth trap
Not too bad with Grass Emerald, Southern Wainscot, Dingy Shears and (scarce here) Rivulet highlighting & Straw Underwing & Large Yellow Underwing tying for the lead with 10 apiece

Frontal wave drenching

Heysham Obs
Early check off Ocean Edge
Med Gull - adult
Little Egret - adult in creek

Midday check of outfalls/Red Nab (with Stuart Piner)
Arctic Tern - ad & juv Stage one
Common Tern - ad Stage two

Watch this space as I'll do another check nearer high tide.  Nothing new - adult Common Tern 'glued' to Stage 2 outfall & Ad Arctic tern on Red Nab

Middleton NR
Common Sandpiper - 2

Moths
Catoptria margaritella wandered down from the hills/upper valleys (not accidentally transported in my car!).  I think this is the second record for here

Three Manx, three Meds and a probable juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Heysham Obs
Early morning coverage in grottier weather than forecast saw three Manx Shearwaters flying out during a short period of offshore clarity and an adult Med Gull next to Heysham 2 outfall.  No sign of any terns, but a poor stage of the tide for the outfalls

Afternoon coverage (& Tom Walkington)
Med Gull - 2 adults & presumably the same 2CY although the legs were not seen for rings
Arctic Tern - 3 adults Heysham 2 outfall
Common Tern - one adult off north harbour wall

Last minute check of the outfalls area near high tide
This produced a 1CY large gull which flew in off the sea, then circled around Heysham outfalls, but unfortunately did not land on the remains of Red Nab, but headed north over the wooden jetty.  It looked a very good candidate for juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, quite a pale-headed individual but the level of individual feather detail required was not possible

Moths
More than expected, but no great surprises with the best (for this site) being Plain Golden Y, Latticed Heath, Dingy Shears and Southern Wainscot and a local speciality, Straw Underwing, reaching double-figures

Cetacean
Dead Harbour Porpoise photographed at Half-moon Bay

Terns

Heysham Obs
Very variable weather today! 

Ocean Edge/outfalls/offshore
Sandwich tern - a single flying out far offshore
Common Tern - adult outfalls & also one in non-breeding plumage for a short time
Arctic Tern - 2 adult outfalls
Whimbrel - 1
Great-crested Grebe - unseasonal bird offshore
Med Gull - 2 adults Red Nab, one almost in winter head plumage

Heysham N Reserve circuit
Very good for butterflies early afternoon, despite the wind.  15+ Gatekeeper, c80 Small Skipper, 3 Comma, 20 Common Blue, 15 Meadow Brown, 2 Large White, 3 Green-veined White, 2 Small Copper, 20 Speckled Wood, 1 Large Skipper plus a Silver Y moth

Deskbound

Heysham Obs
Report time and despite arrival at just ofter 0600hrs, the only sightings today were two Moorhen running about on the grass outside the office window, three Lesser Whitethroats in the nearby bushes and an adult Med Gull on Red Nab on the incoming tide

Gross incompetence!

Heysham Obs
A quick post-tide check saw a 2CY Med Gull bearing a green left leg colour ring and an above-tarsus right leg metal ring still on Red Nab.  The Dong compound for the windfarm cable meant I couldnt get as close as I would have liked and..............aaaargh, no 50 x lens in the car, so the critical digits on the colour ring remained unread.  This bird has quite a distinctive 'peppered' head with no obvious mask & no flight-feather moult discernable other than greater coverts

An attempt to retrieve the situation with a scope & zoom from another car by the office was rewarded with superb views of the bird as it flew off to the south towards the Fylde where much more competent ring-readers lurk......... 

Also one adult Med Gull on Red Nab

"Lots" of Sedge Warblers on Middleton IE

Moths
The third Elephant Hawk-moth of the year was just about it in the interest stakes due to a strong SE wind blowing into the window