Wader numbers growing, but insects still the main interest

A warm sunny day with a west wind,

Middleton Nature Reserve 

These shots from Janet.

Some of the several Copper-Tipped Longhorn moths.
See Tuesday's post for the location 

Male Red-Veined Darter where the Swans rest on the west bank
of the main pond

Male Common Darter, one of several

Comma

Meadow Brown

Male Gatekeeper

Male Large white

The Coot chicks are growing 

Chiffchaff 

Kevin Eaves took this shot of a Common Sandpiper on the peninsula of the main pond.

Common Sandpiper 

Heysham skear (Malcolm) 14:00 - 15:30

I went down early on the ebbing tide. There was very little skear showing, but at least it concentrates what birds there are.

Oystercatcher 50 - many more arriving later

Curlew 3

Redshank 98 - probably more arrived later

Turnstone 84 - probably more arrived later

Dunlin 1 arrived later

I can empathise with this shot.
 Redshank and Turnstones looking out to sea

Redshank and Turnstone 

Turnstones 

Turnstone 

This one looks like it's on a mission!

Redshank 

Gulls initially 100 growing to 250 mainly Herring gulls. Two ringed birds seen, but both have been seen here before.

Red-Breasted Merganser 6 female type flew north together 

Great Crest Grebe 1

Starlings flying back from the skear, they collect fragments of barnacle
shells for grit

This Hoverfly was in Kevin's moth trap.

A nice intruder in my Heysham moth trap last night. Volucella zonaria, or Hornet Hoverfly.
It's the UK's largest species of Hoverfly and really is quite chunky.

Dragonfly day

A dry day, some sunny spells after a hazy start. A light NW wind

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

First Migrant Hawker of the year

Male Red-Veined Darter on the west bank of the main pond

Female Emperor 

Common Darter and a Gatekeeper

Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood
The above three shots within inches of each other

Red Admiral and Peacock

Large White - not quite as large as it used to be

Meadow Brown - not quite as brown as it used to be

One of five or six swallows feeding high up

Racing Pigeons (they are all ringed). Still in tight formation so 
presumably released not too far away

Young Cormorant circling before landing on the main pond

South shore (Malcolm)

I checked twice, this morning as the tide reached Red Nab and again in the afternoon when the beach by the wooden jetty was being exposed by the ebbing tide.

Mediterranean gulls 9 minimum. This morning there were 6 adults and a 2nd calendar year on Red Nab. Just 2 adults turned up at the feeding beach this afternoon, plus 2 juveniles alternating between resting and feeding on the outfalls.

Three of this morning's adult Mediterranean gull, leaving Red Nab

Adult Mediterranean gull robbing an Oystercatcher this afternoon 

Juvenile Mediterranean gull

Great Black-Backed gull on Red Nab this morning 

Wheatear 1 juvenile on foreshore 

Rock Pipit 3 (1 + 2) on Red Nab

Whimbrel 1 this morning 

Whimbrel 

Redshank 5 this afternoon 

Common Sandpiper 1 this afternoon 

You can just about make out the Common Sandpiper by No.1 outfall

In the Nature Park this afternoon 

Large White 6

Small White 8

Speckled Wood 6

Meadow Brown 4

Gatekeeper 6

Red Admiral 3

Comma 2

Small Skipper 2

Common Blue 10+

Small Skipper and a Red Admiral 

A very fresh and bright Comma

Good moth day

A dry but mainly overcast day. A light west breeze.

Middleton Nature Reserve (Janet)

These scarce Copper-Tipped Longhorn moths were in the same area in the
southern section of the Reserve where Janet found them last year. It looks like a
breeding population. But no males have been seen. Copper-Tipped Longhorn
moths can reproduce by parthenogenesis. i.e. without a male

If you want to have a look, this is the location map from last year.
The pond top right is the main pond, the one to its left the "no swimming" pond
This part of the reserve is on the south side of the road from the main pond.
Blue highlight marks the spot

Shaded Broad-Bar

Common Blue

Green-Veined White

Faded Ringlet

Small Skipper

White-Tailed Bumblebee 

Honey Bee

One of the many solitary bees

Lacewing

There are at least 2 Coot families on the main pond

South shore (Malcolm) 13:00 - 14:15

Wheatear 1 juvenile on the foreshore 

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab

Mediterranean gull 17 - there were 3 adults on Red Nab as I walked out, presumably some of the 11 adults that arrived at the feeding beach by the wooden jetty as it became exposed. Also on the beach 2 x 2nd calendar year and a 3rd calendar year. A juvenile and an adult feeding on No.2 outfall plus an adult seen flying to the feeding beach as I walked back.

These are some of the Meds as the beach was just becoming exposed 

2cy Mediterranean gull

Adult Mediterranean gull

Juvenile Mediterranean gull

Whimbrel 2 - one near No.2 outfall and one calling from Red Nab

Whimbrel 

This moth was In Alison's trap this morning.

A nice European visitor to the Heysham moth trap this morning.  Bedstraw Hawk moth - Hyles gallii. It's resident from the east of southern France as far north as southern Scandinavia and Russia.