Fluffy things on rooftops

Gull nest count day - haven't got the figures though - update tomorrow

First 6-spot Burnet of the year - thanks Janet

Mixed bag

A Short-winged Conehead found yesterday at Red Nab - previously 'bat-detected' on Ocean Edge saltmarsh

Teneral Common Darter today at Middleton.  Bad news for Red-veined - never recorded Red-veined as new for the year, as far as I am aware, after the teneral Common D's appear:

Poor breeding season for waterfowl on Middleton.  Mute Swan down to one chick by all accounts.  No obvious sign of successful Little Grebe.   Gadwall chicks down to 7+2

THREE singing male Cetti's today including the western marsh bird for the first time in ages

Another sunny insect day

……..…..but still no sign of any Red-veined Darter

30 Canada Geese off Ocean Edge yesterday evening

Some nice pics from Janice Sutton's dragonfly searching visit.  Thanks Janice

Med Gull

A quite early unringed summer adult Med Gull was on the tideline between the old sewage pipe and Heysham 2 outfall just after morning high tide

Three Little Egret around

15 adult summer Black-headed Gull also showing the seasons are changing

Nothing notable on Middleton CES but two singing Cetti's Warbler

Insects and wanderers

The insects are making the most of the hot weather on Middleton nature reserve. Large numbers of dragonflies including: Emperor, 4-Spotted chasers, Broad bodied chasers and Black tailed skimmers. Plenty of butterflies too, including first Meadow brown (for me at least).

Birds on Middleton NR:
Canada goose - 3 on model boat pond all morning
Gadwall - 3 adult plus two lots of young chicks (5 & 11) "no swimming" pond
Mallard 2 female with chicks (2 mature & 8 young)
Little grebe, at least one feeding on "no swimming" pond
Just one pair of mute still with active nest, but the two failed pairs are still present.
Cetti's warblers 2 singing birds, "no swimming" pond and central marsh

Two additional mute swan feeding on Red Nab again today.

Two Pinkfoot south 9:00.
MD

Coastal bits and pieces

Sandwich Tern - 16 feeding in Kent channel region on dropping tide
Arctic Tern - one fishing slightly closer in than above
More diving white dots further out in the heat haze
Eider - couldn’t find a single one in scan from Knowlys
Shag - 2cy still on and around wooden jetty
Great crested Grebe - still one
Rock pipit no show

Jackdaw - two in sheep field - never seen them foraging on south side of head before!

Grey Seal - one between outfalls

MD and PM

Summer variety

Birds
Two sandwich tern in low tide channel off outfalls

Middleton NR
Dragonflies
Three black-tailed slimmer and four emperor

At least one Little grebe feeding on "no swimming" pond (pair feeding on main pond yesterday).
Cetti's warbler singing from central marsh.
2 Gadwall plus at least three chicks

Quiet period

Please could people post their own stuff this week.  I may be able to do a quick check of gulls one or two mornings but otherwise nothing from Jean or Pete this week.  Thanks.

Bits and bobs

Gadwall - female with 5 new young Middleton
Little Grebe - pair but behaviour suggests nest failure
Mallard with two large chicks

No coastal coverage but the seagulls should be building up now - await some Meds!

2nd June belated warblers

The only coverage today was a ringing session in our usual Middleton western marsh sites which was a bit of a revelation, with the absence of the Subalpine Warbler replaced by a perfectly acceptable Plan B

Eight new for year Sedge Warblers were caught (three with last year's rings) and all seemingly wandering males or females without brood patches.  Mid-month there was just one singing male Sedge Warbler in the trapping area!  Three unringed male Whitethroat were also caught, unringed Dunnock, Goldfinch, Blackbird and Robin, the 'ahhh' factor a baby Robin and the pain factor a Great-spotted Woodpecker

Two singing male Cetti's Warblers in the central marsh - one intermittent and the other sounding like it was unpaired