Lots of small wader food = lots of small waders.......and some good ones too!

Very light east breeze. Overcast but very warm all day. There must have been lots of Saharan sand in the clouds, as a light shower covered everything in fine dust!

South shore (MD)

We have, very quickly, moved back to neap tides, so I walked to the waterline out from the saltmarsh late afternoon as the tide was coming in. On the way out, there were areas where the small sea snails were covering the mud. They are always present, but normally hide just below the mud surface when the tide is out.

This is about a square metre of mud. You can see the density of the snails.

These are the snails, if you look in the bottom left corner it appears greenish, this is the 
algae that I suspect the snails are feeding on.

This is one of the snails. The waders eat them whole, but they normally have to dig for them

This is another section of drier beach, the snails have all attempted to hide in the mud.......

........but the detail shows that some are barely hidden

I suspect that a combination of a quick change from spring to neap tides, leaving much of the mud wet, and the very warm weather allowing the algae to form quickly tempted the snails out to feed, they were only visible in numbers on the wettest sections of the shore.

Mediterranean Gull 7 adult

Shelduck 14

There were a lot of waders on the waterline and many more just resting on the shore, presumably well fed!

Oystercatcher c600

Curlew c200

Bar-Tailed Godwit 121

Grey Plover 22

Knot c300

Redshank 10 

Dunlin c1,000

The tide only comes in slowly on neap tides, but this is the moment, that the wake from the Seatruck reached the shore. You can hear it lapping about my feet and it moves the Godwit, Knot and Dunlin further up the shore.

As I was walking back I noticed a group of small waders feeding on a wet section of shore near the saltmarsh. Sure enough, as I got closer the density of snails was increasing. The group was quite flighty but roughly consisted of. 

Ringed Plover 35

Dunlin 25

Curlew Sandpiper at least 3 juvenile 

Sanderling 1 juvenile 

These are two of the Curlew Sandpiper

Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers

Three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers in this shot (white rumps)

This is the juvenile Sanderling, you can see it, the plovers and Dunlin picking up the snails.

Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin and Ringed Plover

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that there will be a repeat performance in the same place tomorrow. Today's tide would not wet this area again and the mud here will likely be dry, but other areas should provide opportunities.

Osprey feeding again

The light east wind only held out till about 08:00, it then drifted south and continued to the west. Hot and sunny again.

First some updates from Rosemary and Peter Silvester:

Female Emperor Heysham Nature Reserve Monday

Middleton Nature Reserve yesterday 

Male Black Darter

Female Common Darter

Male Common Darter

Janet went to check the Middleton Black Darters this morning, but only one remained where there were four yesterday evening.

Black Darter

Male Common Darter

One of the influx of Small Whites

South Shore (MD)

I went along the wall mid morning, it was a little early for insect movement but the early east wind was already largely to the south. Even so a number of insects were seen coming in off (then later some heading out to the south).

These were seen along the wall and in the scrub near the lighthouse 

Small White 11

Red Admiral 3 in off, 2 out

Small Tortoiseshell 1

Large White 1

Darters sp, probably Common, coupled pair came in off 

Rock Pipit 3 on Red Nab

Wheatear 1 on inner harbour

Wheatear with dredger passing behind

Robin 5 - 3 on foreshore/Red Nab and 2 between lighthouse and waterfall 

Robin on one of the battered buffers - used when the dredgers are in operation near the harbour wall.

Osprey 1 - it was feeding off the end of No.1 outflow 10:30, just before low water. The gulls were harassing it, but clearly there were plenty of targets as it was still managing to dive.

The calm clear water would make it much easier than normal to spot the fish, it is normally Bass that feed here, they have formidable spikes on their dorsal fin (Mullet also have a spiked dorsal fin, but much smaller), so the Osprey will have to be careful how it grabs one. It seemed to have got closer this time.

Near miss

It wasn't obviously ringed, but this shot suggests possibly 

I was showing the bird to some interested visitors when it managed a successful dive, so I missed filming it. But I did get this clip of it flying off to the SE. You can see it is carrying the fish upside down, it does have a large dorsal fin so almost certainly a Bass.

Presumably there will be other Osprey fishing trips to witness here, but you have to drop lucky with the timing. From arrival to leaving with a fish today only took 10 minutes. Although I expect it will take a lot longer in less favourable conditions.

Pink-Footed geese - Pete advises that there are lots on the move, worth watching out for.

Just outside the recording area - Heysham Moss

Peter and Rosemary had a look yesterday 

One of many Black Darters. This one a mature male

This unfortunate Migrant Hawker was doing its best to free itself from
the spider's web but we didn't think it stood much of a chance.

I had a quick look today (MD)

I didn't go into the raised moss, it is quite overgrown this year and the going is tough. But the main reason was that I didn't need to, a 100m walk along the tractor track to the north of the raised moss located 

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 10

Black Darter 10 - including 2 females, which were too flighty to photograph!

Immature male Black Darter

This is the tractor track between the wooded area and the raised moss. There are four or five 
pools that can easily be seen along its 100m length, and it's nice easy walking.

A good day for insects

Quite a fresh east wind. Hot and sunny all day

First, this shot by Kevin Eaves, of a Whimbrel on Red Nab yesterday.

Whimbrel 

Heysham skear - low water 10:20 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 10 - including this juvenile fending for itself 

Red-breasted Merganser 3 female/immature feeding together.

Eider 22 including 5 males at various stages of breeding plumage. This clip,shows two of the males plus the feeding mergansers.

Little Egret 15

Oystercatcher c500

Curlew c100

Redshank 80

Turnstone 60

Knot 5

Ringed Plover 2 - none seen on inner skear, these came in off and rested on the middle skear

Dunlin 1

Several butterflies were coming in off, 5 Small White, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Red Admiral, so I went to check insect movement on the south side.

Red Nab (MD)

Mediterranean gull - just 2 adult seen.

Adult Mediterranean gull, top left, with Black-Headed gulls

Redshank 150

Dunlin 1

Ringed Plover 13 - they were feeding on the small cobbles, a terrain that they are perfectly camouflaged for. There are nine in this clip.

The tide was just reaching Red Nab when I arrived. The insects will still have been coming in off the sea, but no longer focused along the sea wall, as they are when the tide is out. Even so there had obviously been some significant movement. Along the track from Red Nab to the Nature Park there were:

Migrant Hawker 1

Small White 8

Red Admiral 4

Small Tortoiseshell 1

There wasn't many more in the park itself, just:

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 3

Large White 2

Red Admiral 2

Small White 3

Speckled Wood 3

Treble-bar moth in the Nature Park

This Common Whitethroat was eating the blackberries, a Robin singing in the background.

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Janet checked in the morning, there were plenty of active dragonflies, but mainly Common Darters. Their activity ensuring future generations.

Common Darters

The only other dragonfly was a Migrant Hawker.

I went to check early afternoon to see if anything interesting had moved in.....it had (MD)

Black Darter 4 male and a probable female - the males were defending small territories amongst the shallow pools that you have to cross to get to the peninsula on the main pond. I only got a quick look at the female as she moved through (obviously not impressed!).

This is the area, plus the very edge of the main pond behind me in this shot

They were all quite mature, but some still with hints of yellow markings.

Male Black Darter - uncommon here

Other dragonflies - only the main pond checked:

Common Darter 10+

Brown Hawker 3

Migrant Hawker 4

It was very hot. But the "resident" Heron was presenting its wings to the full glare of the sun. I can't think that this is to cool it down. Its wings appear to have insects amongst the feathers, perhaps it is using ants to help rid it of parasites. 

Grey Heron covered in insects

Janet called back in passing in the evening. She quickly found the Black Darters. These shots are with her mobile phone, they are just to show that you do not need an expensive camera, especially with these very approachable dragonflies.

Black Darters, snapped with a phone

Hopefully they will still be in the same area tomorrow

Hirundinidae action shots

A light breeze started from the east, gradually working it way clockwise around the compass to return to NE. Sunny and very hot.

Middleton Nature Reserve (JP)

Some nice shots from Janet, these first six from yesterday. It's worth opening these to appreciate the detail

Swallow having to turn its head to catch a fly.....

.......got it

They were taking insects (looks like flying ants) to feed the young on the wing.

House Martins were also hunting 

Today's action was more about refreshment 

Juvenile House Martin grabbing a drink

and then a bath

Meadow Browns

Common Darters, already finding a use for the Hawthorn berries

Male Common Darter

Great Tit with one of the seeds left by visitors 

There were two additional adult Mute Swans flying around.

The Coot are still bickering 

and the female Tufted is still on the main pond

South Shore (MD)

I had a walk along the wall around lunchtime on the rising tide, although it was still a way out.

Mediterranean gull 4 - just a juvenile and a second calendar year seen on Red Nab plus one adult on the beach and another out at sea.

Guillemot one drifted past the wooden jetty on the incoming tide.

Ringed Plover 10 Red Nab

Grey Plover c150 in a distant flock heading NW, they may have returned a little later as a similar sized flock flew south, but too distant to identify species.

Grey Heron with Cormorants on wooden jetty

Starling numbers continue to increase between the lighthouse and waterfall. They were like a swarm of locusts working their way over the vegetation.

They looked like locusts when they moved on too

I'd watched this grey blob drifting in on the tide for a while, thinking it was some sort of duck. Then it woke up, scratched its chin, had a yawn, a quick look around then back to sleep again - Grey Seal

Nature Park

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter 1

Large White 1

Red Admiral 1

Small,White 3

Meadow Brown 1

Speckled Wood 4