Mist net poles and mini-yurts

Heysham Obs
Its quite a challenge to your temperament getting up at some horrendous hour in the morning to find your mist net poles have been commissioned to construct a yurt.  This involves cutting them in half..........Fortunately enough poles were located to carry out the Heysham CES.  The "problem" at the Middleton CES was the usual one - wind a bit stronger than forecasted.  However, we 'got away with it' and the catches at both sites were reasonable as the sun was firmly kept in its place by some low cloud

There were no newly-fledged summer visitors, but a few territorial males were caught of  Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat, so hopefully the nests themselves have not been washed or blown away.  The recently fledged tit/Dunnock/Robin season was, however, in full swing!

Outfalls
A quick check revealed one Arctic Tern and the 2CY Kittiwake

Moths
Decentish catch included Figure of 80, Dog's Tooth and 3 Shaded Pug

Some pics from two days ago (thanks Janet)

Slightly windy fare

Heysham Obs
Outfalls
Ad & 2CY Kittiwake
Arctic Tern - 2
Common Tern - 1

Offshore 0845-0915
Gannet - 2
Manx Shearwater - 1

In with Arctic terns, out with Canada Geese!

Heysham Obs
So May draws to a rather quiet close after arriving with a significant Arctic Tern passage.  There are two hours of daylight to complete the last of the first (of two) breeding season TTVs!  Thanks to Pete and Janet for preventing a blank entry and the theme was some wandering Canada Geese, more evidence that the strong winds this last week have left a bit of a trail of weakened Gannets and the increasingly ubiquitous 2CY Kittiwake

North harbour wall 0945-1045
Canada Goose - 10 floated in, followed by 9 flying in
Gannet - 3CY

Outfalls area
Gannet - two birds
Kittiwake - the usual 2CY below

Sorry my computer will not allow me to upload the pics - something to do with Google.

Long on moths, short on birds

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls 0905-0930
Gannet - one across and out
Manx Shearwater - 2 across and out - all very distant
Kittiwake - single 2CY outfalls (usual bird)
Common Gull - 237
Black-headed Gull - 1(!)
Curlew - 34 on Red Nab

Moths
The second site record of Pale Tussock highlighted a reasonable catch which included new for the year:  Epiblema cynosbatella, Dark Arches & Crambus perlella.  3 Shaded Pug at this well-established northern outpost for this species

Whoops - not a good time to check the moth trap!

Heysham Obs
Another morning of strong winds, initially a bit too southerly for a decent seawatch, especially given the poor visibility much of the time.  JBP is better in this wind and was graced with 'one man and his persistence', as opposed to the Heysham scenario where a decent sea was left at the crucial time to check a moth trap!  Later, after the front/trough which the Long-tailed Skua was flying 'in' ahead of had passed, the wind went a bit more westerly and produced a few odds and ends, mostly Manxies

North harbour wall 0730-0900, 1135-1315
Gannet - 8
Manx Shearwater - 30 'in' & 24 'out', all but 3 of these 1200-1230hrs
Arctic Skua - dm out c1150hrs
Fulmar - one out
Whimbrel - late one 'in'

Outfalls/Red Nab
Arctic Tern - one
Med Gull - 2CY
Common Cull - c250
Kittiwake - TWO 2CY & adult

Moths
A decent catch with the following new for the year:  Shaded Pug, Scoparia ambigualis, Treble Bar, Garden Carpet, Swallow Prominent (scarce here), Marbled Minor agg, Mottled Rustic

Elsewhere
Long-tailed Skua - at least one inner bay with presumably the same bird flying up the Keer, then appearing again off JBP (but see Solway count re-presumptions)

Routine grotty weather seawatch

Heysham Obs
Some time during the last week, the eager anticipation of early morning seawatching went out of the window - the Long-tailed Skua possibilities dimmed to a highly unlikely straggler and with the majority of the "exciting rapid northbound seabird migrants" having "gone through", you are left with the more mundane adrenalin-deficient routine of looking at wandering 'Irish sea seabirds'............& too early for Storm Petrel possibilities.   At least one other person gave up after the Arctic Tern passage having better things to do than wait for one skua an hour.

North harbour wall 0740ish to 0900ish
Gannet - 23 out
Manx Shearwater - 2 out
Arctic Skua - dm 'in' at 0755 - distant

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 2CY
Kittiwake - adult and 2CY
Common Gull - 223

Now Blue Tits also shun the nestboxes!

Heysham Obs
North wall/south harbour pre-lunch
Gannet - 5 out, distantly
Kittiwake - 2CY outfalls
Sanderling - 5 'in' with about 10 Dunlin and at least one Ringed Plover

Heysham Nature Reserve
A pair of Blue Tits is nesting in another vertical 'pipe' near the classroom (thanks Janet)

Moths
One of two Silver Ground Carpet found by Janet:

Cesperation

Heysham Obs
A wind window of sorts led to me taking a chance with the rain this morning.  The result was, after thinking I had got away with it, a prolonged period of heavy rain "forming" overhead, rather like relief rain half way up a mountain.  Managed to get three hours in which included a very wet net furl for the best part of an hour, with the second change of clothes needed after another torrential downpour as the nets were being taken down.............However, it wasnt windy!!

Middleton CES
'Highlights' were a ringed singing male Reed Warbler from ?last year and unringed wandering singing male Lesser Whitethroat and Willow Warbler.  There was an increase to four singing male Reed Warbler - typically late arrivals at this site

Outfalls
The 2CY Kittiwake still in residence

Thanks Janet

Moths

Included Ingrailed Clay

Great Tits shun the nestboxes

Heysham Obs
An adventurous Great Tit has seemingly managed to get away with an 'open-top' nestbox.  Lets hope the young don't get too wet in the next few days.  Thanks for the pics, Janet.

(I've been monitoring this nest and the young look pretty healthy and strong so far.  Both parents feeding at full tilt this morning.  They are close to fledging and hopefully will be successful (ajd).)
Not a lot of coverage today other than a 'routine' CES & moth catch

Ringing
Blackcap - 2 unringed males caught amongst the small number of other breeding species and juveniles.


Mammals
Fox - 1 crossing the Reserve entrance road early this morning. Fairly regular sighting - probably on a food gathering run for young.

More squall-free seawatching

Heysham Obs
A few bits seen entering the bay from JBP in the morning and Heysham on the early stages of the incoming tide, but the conditions then rapidly ameliorated and led to nothing on the evening tide

JBP/centre of Bay 0700-0900
Great Skua - singles reached JBP after being picked up 'central bay' at 0735 & 0745, the first went up the Keer, the last 'up and over' JBP & Silverdale
Gannet - 3-4

Heysham north wall/south wall 1500-1600
Arctic Skua - dark morph flew in and across c1530hrs
Gannet - 4
Manx Shearwater - group of 4-5 distantly across the bay
Kittiwake - single ad off north wall

Outfalls
Kittiwake - adult and 2CY in residence

Moth
Shoulder-striped Wainscot opens its account