Mixed bag

Heysham Obs
A ringing session by the office produced a handful of Greenfinch and Chaffinch, an unexpected unringed adult female Great-spotted Woodpecker (and ringed male) but very little else - just one juvenile Willow Warbler.   A bit of a bonus was continuing sunshine allowing observers to connect with Red-veined Darter and a/the Banded Demoiselle was recorded again

Middleton NR model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - 6 males, including four very close to each other
Banded Demoiselle - one
Black-tailed Skimmer - 15-20

Another visit to the model boat pond and more pics from Jackie and David Moreton.  Thanks for these

Outfalls area (thanks Pete)
Med Gull - 6
possible Great Skua seen in the harbour area but only briefly

Moths
Magpie new for the year in the trap

Flowers
Two Bee Orchid sill just about in flower by office

YESTERDAY
Remains of Hedgehog on classroom path. 

Two Brown Hawker PA way and another seen by office today

Insect day

Heysham obs
Started fairly low key with a misjudged north harbour wall actinic session in a north-westerly which was far too brisk.  A couple of silver y highlighted along with four white line dart

Middleton
A late check after the butterfly census saw three male and one female red veined darter amongst an increasingly obvious common darter presence but no red males yet

Moth trap
Scalloped oak and yellow tail new for the year

Butterfly census
Hummingbird hawk-moth ne tearing on lady's bedstraw for five minutes the highlight in a niggling north westerly rendering some of the census route a bit too windy. Not a lot of choice this week on the forecast. Dominated by small skipper and meadow brown with a few gatekeeper and large skipper with ones and twos of white spp and comma and red admiral

Thanks to Jackie and David Moreton for these pics of Red-veined and Common Darters plus Black-tailed Skimmer

Still in notebooks

Heysham Obs
Not involved in recording today other than casually noting a Large Emerald, a rare visitor here, which was passed to me - don't know what else was of interest.  Similarly a bird ringing session at Middleton

A Small Mottled Willow was found by day in the Middleton model boat pond car park (thanks Justine)

An evening visit noted 35 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin at the Middleton roost - early days

No seagull watching today

Seagulls and moths

A lengthy spell over the tide produced nothing like the number of gulls on last Wednesday's dry day with an onshore wind.  Other inland wet-weather attractions?

Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 4 x ad, 1 x 3CY, 2 x 2CY, 1 x juv

Moths
A good selection but new stuff was year tick category rather than unexpected: Antler, White Satin, Dingy Shears...............with one exception, Common Wainscot.  These are very rare here and indeed over quite a chunk of North Lancs and usually appear as by no means annual late autumn second brood individuals

Late news
The Czech-ringed Med Gull was on the north harbour wall railings on the evening of 9th July

And this is Sunday!

Red Nab at high tide
Mediterranean Gull - 2 adults
Black-headed Gull - 161 plus 30 still feeding on the Outfall
Herring Gull - 5
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2
Curlew 51
Oystercatcher 455

Friday mega

Heysham obs

Friday news
At least one possibly two male banded demoiselle Middleton model boat pond early pm along the southern shore but obviously moving through

At least five prob six red veined darter males and one female. 15-20 black tailed skimmer

Heysham
CES ringing visit carried out with single juveniles of six common local breeding species trapped.

Dragonflies
Brown Hawker - first of the year on the reserve flying in ringing ride below the Obs tower site.

Mammals
Roe Deer - one by reserve entrance 07.00
Red Fox - one adult on the acid bank at 08.00

Middelton
CES ringing visit carried out here too.  Surprisingly few juvenile birds caught on this normally productive site. Hopefully more will be caught on further visits in this late breeding year.
Singles of Robin, Willow Warbler and Blackcap plus two Sedge Warblers were the only juveniles trapped.

Saturday news
No reports from out and about as most of time spent sorting moths out after best night of the year so far . New for the year in the office trap included garden tiger, barred yellow, straw underwing and first second brood early thorn. Numbers included five each of black neck and heart and club but double dart still in rather low numbers with just two

This is Thursday!

Heysham Obs
A surprisingly good day for dragonflies at Middleton NR and perhaps the last "easy" day for Red-veined Darter location as the Common Darters are piling out, albeit without a trace of red yet

Middleton NR model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - 5 separate males, earlier two pairs in cop (per Steve Graham)
Emperor - 2
Black-tailed Skimmer - 15-20
Common Darter - c10 teneral
Four-spotted Chaser - 2

Thanks for these pics Janet - the Red-veined flight shot pretty difficult!

No known seagull coverage today in the sunny north-westerlies (rear-end views in a heat haze!)

Moth trap held the first Buff Arches of the year

More ovipositing and another tidal vigil

Heysham Obs
Despite presence for the best part of five hours,  'only' Med Gulls could be found amongst the hordes

Outfalls on and off 1400-1900
Med Gull - 21 (no juvs) including a German ringed adult AxxY
Black-headed Gull - 1570

Model boat pond
Red-veined Darter - brief visit early pm - female ovipositing by spit and two males seen briefly over the water in rather marginal conditions

Moths
Double Dart x 4 and the first Dotted Clay of the summer

Mammals
Hedgehog - 2 very small young animals encountered  next to the path above the hut at 14.10hr. Ironically these were found by LWT staff who on their way to deploy hedgehog monitoring equipment on the reserve.  The animals were moved a short distance to the edge of adjacent bushes, Hopefully they will be able to feed and develop before the colder autumn weather arrives.

More red vein sightings during early afternoon window

Heysham Obs
A second-hand report of as many as five male RVD flying in very marginal weather early afternoon as seen by two dragonfly enthusiast on holiday up here.  Thanks for this.  One seen briefly at about 1530hrs - very late for this species still to be flying over the water

Painted Lady Nature park area (thanks Justine)

Six -spot Burnet out on Middleton (all reports so far have been the typically slightly earlier Narrow-bordered five-spot).  Thanks Janet

Red Nab lengthy pm vigil (Pete. Sean and Jean)
Med Gull:  juv, at least three 2CY, 5 x 3CY, 8 x adult
Black-headed Gull - 1,100
Curlew - 425
Oystercatcher - 370
Little Egret - one

low key day

Heysham Obs
A thorough search of the outfalls on the incoming tide just confirmed how much turnover there is during spring tides when birds are displaced to the Lune Estuary - there were hardly any Meds!

Outfalls
Med Gull - 3 x Ad, 2 x 2CY, 1 x 3CY

Unsuitable weather for dragonflies

Moth trap held nothing remarkable, despite a promising overnight south-westerly with 2 x Blackneck, 2 x Double Dart, 3 x Heart and Club the best