Monday 31 August 2009

Sanderling & decent Grey Plover flock

Weather watch: Keep an eye on the e.g. XC weather site ("another weather site" on the links). The current synopsis suggests that this week, to put it politely, will be rubbish unless we pick up a nearctic wader or two in the area or a 'one-off' on the outfalls. However, it is a very 'mobile' picture and, if the depression track ends up a little further to the north, we're in business for a few seabirds. Mist nets, significant vis mig and the Grey Wagtail survey definitely on hold. A Monday forecast will be a weekly feature of the autumn passage season from now on

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge foreshore/outfalls 0930-1030ish, north harbour wall 1040
Med Gull - 2 juvs Stage 2 outfall (& 3 juv Common Gull), no adults at all!
Sanderling - juv Ocean Edge foreshore
Black-tailed Godwit - 5 Red Nab
Grey Plover - 152 on shore south of Ocean Edge
Swallow - 3 south

Moths
12 Silver Y but no other sign of any migrants in promising conditions

Elsewhere
Juvenile Common Tern Pine Lake (second day)

Sunday 30 August 2009

Misty murky uncertainty (or laziness)

Heysham Obs
A couple of checks of the outfalls, the latter one nearish high tide was accompanied by very poor visibility & driving rain.

Outfalls/Ocean Edge
Whimbrel - one
Med Gull - 1+ juv & 2 adults
Tern - a vague outline on Heysham 2 outfall late afternoon - too wet to walk down the seawall. Definitely Common/Arctic/Cayenne/Antarctic etc.

Middleton IE
Snipe & eclipse male Tufted Duck with the four surviving (now large)young

Moths
A photo essay on why Acleris variegana of a certain morph is not a Light Brown Apple Moth was foiled by its escape. Lime-speck Pug was a slight eyebrow raiser, but otherwise nothing untoward in the trap.

Elsewhere
Elusive Wood Sandpiper Conder Estuary (try looking upstream from the roadbridge??). Some unknowns appearing on the Leighton weekly summary, notably 4 juvenile Black Tern on 23rd

Saturday 29 August 2009

No morning squalls, no birds

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall 0700-0800, 1300-1330
Wheatear - one on mound, one on Middleton IE
Gannet - 4 +2
Fulmar - 4
Manx Shearwater - 2 1315ish
Common Scoter - 10 (one flock)
Med Gull - adult harbour mouth, 2 adults Red Nab, 2 juvs on outfalls

Middleton IE
Little Grebe - as is not unusual at this site with late broods, newly hatched young seen today

Ringing recovery
Decent Twite recovery received this morning; ringed here on 13/3/09 (2CY female) and found freshly dead at Kerrera, which is the island immediately next to Oban, on 20/4/09



Elsewhere
Juv Wood Sandpiper Conder creek

Friday 28 August 2009

Oversleep & just desserts

Heysham Obs
Other than a bit of a mobile tern i.d. guide in the harbour mouth for a short time, little to commend the retreating tide this morning, starting at an unforgivable 0800hrs! Please could the birder who passed me at the (ex)heliport post any Gannets or similar dross as we are a bit desperate for variety this month. Thanks.

North wall 0800-0840, outfalls 0845-0850hrs
Common Tern - 2 juvs harbour mouth, then out [one later on outfalls]
Arctic Tern - one juv as above
Common Scoter - flock of 3 out
Fulmar - one very distant out
Med Gull - juv harbour mouth, juv Heysham 2 outfall & 2 x ad Red Nab in afternoon

Afternoon seawatch 1430-1530ish
Spent most of the time on the phone!!
Sandwich Tern - 2 out
Kittiwake - 1st W out

Elsewhere
Bonxie off Cockersands 0925ish. Wood Sandpiper Conder area this evening. Juv Spoonbill still Allen/EM Pools.

Thursday 27 August 2009

Black Rabbit pulled from toilet wall!

Heysham Obs
Moths
New for the reserve and second record for SD45 was the oddly named "Black Rabbit Moth", Ypsolopha sequella.




From the same family, Ypsolopha scabrella was the 3rd reserve record.
The rather local "grass moths" Agriphila latistria and Agriphila geniculea continued to perform.
Treble Bar, thin on the ground earlier this year, made a welcome reappearance with two fresh second brood specimens

Ocean Edge foreshore & north harbour wall late afternoon
Med Gull - 2 x Ad, 1 x juv Red Nab, ad north harbour wall
Black-tailed Godwit - 2

Black tern - juvenile off north harbour wall heading towards outfalls (near HT)

Shag - juvenile by wooden jetty - first of autumn

Elsewhere

Juv Spoonbill Griesdale Hide Leighton Moss

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Common Tern highlight

Heysham Obs
Its getting a bit desperate as regards variety - hopefully Friday will see a few waifs and strays

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Med Gull - 2 x juv, 1 x Ad
Common Tern - one juv
Whimbrel - 1

Moths
Rush Veneer

Elsewhere
Juv Spoonbill Leighton

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Hefty showers and a bit of vis

Heysham Obs
An 'early' start today for a change

Ocean Edge foreshore/Red Nab/outfalls 0800-0850hrs (low tide)
Tree Pipit - one SE
Meadow Pipit - 5 SE - first of autumn
Grey Wagtail - one grounded briefly, then SE. First perceived autumn migrant
Swallow - 14 S
House Martin - 1 S
Med Gull - 2 x juv, 2 x ad but a lot of gulls not visible at low tide
Sandwich Tern - 3 'out' along the low tide channel
Black-tailed Godwit - 9
Ringed Plover - 26
Dunlin - 11

Hey NR office area
Single Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff & two Willow warbler mid-morning

The seaward end of Heysham One outfall looks a real low-tide magnet for the Sabs Gulls, Blk Terns etc we are going to get on Saturday!

Elsewhere
Spoonbill Allen Pool, then NE, then back again! Juv Wood Sandpiper Glasson this evening

Monday 24 August 2009

Nice day highlighted by a Greenshank!

Heysham Obs
The CES indicated that yesterdays migrant influx had moved on

Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls 1100-1200
Med Gull - significant reduction in gull numbers saw 2 x adult (unringed) and 2 x juvenile/1st winter
Black-tailed Godwit - 16
Greenshank - juvenile Red Nab
Swallow - 32 south (including group of 25)
Sand Martin - one south

Elsewhere
Osprey Leighton Moss, Wood Sandpiper Conder Green area briefly

Sunday 23 August 2009

Med fest but indications a pre-rain passerine fall badly missed

Heysham Obs
Greeted on a far too late arrival by 3 Whitethroat in the buddliea below the office, at least 6 calling Willow Warbler by the office, a Sedge Warbler in the bramble next to the car park and 4 (remaining?) Wheatear dodging the dogs on Ocean Edge foreshore [plus another 6 on or around the heliport at high tide]. Par for the course in these conditions (a fresh SE wind prior to the rain) but thought the rain was happening a lot earlier (i.e. in the night) so no alarms set by any ringers/observers. Casual 'vis' comprised 14 south bound Swallows
during scattered coverage (e.g. WeBS)

Incoming tide Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls
This was covered very thoroughly by Mark Prestwood by the outfalls and Pete Marsh on Ocean Edge foreshore. Unfortunately the colour-ringed Med could not quite be clinched (camcorder needed!)
Med Gull - at least 6 quite possibly 7 adults, including green-ringed bird starting with a definite letter 'A', then a probable 4, then at least one '1', the latter part of all this being very uncertain. If anyone sees it, please try and sort out the top one or two characters first. Also 5 juveniles, one of which was virtually into 1st winter plumage and therefore quite hard to pick out on Red Nab amongst the Black-headed Gulls. No other ages seen in careful search.
Black-tailed Godwit - 6
Whimbrel - 1
Common Sandpiper - 1

North harbour wall/heliport high tide
Med Gull - adult patrolling the wall amongst all the anglers but couldnt get decent view yo see whether it was the above-tarsus-ringed Czech bird or the other regular wintering adult
Cormorant - 39 on the wooden jetty - a good total for August

Elsewhere
'Ad-type' (surely the 4CY?) Yellow-legged Gull Glasson, juv Wood Sandpiper Conder creek, 2 ad Meds Glasson, juv Spoonbill EM complex

Saturday 22 August 2009

High tide, jetskis and holidaymakers having a good time

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab etc
Med Gull - juv on the sea was the only notable bird on a visit which was a little too late with very little of Red Nab uncovered

Half Moon Bay woodland
Perhaps the same Jay party as recorded recently on Moneyclose Lane were seen this morning (3 young or 4 young in a single parent family!)

Insects
A Red Underwing was disturbed during the butterfly transect, unfortunately in SD45E where already recorded (once) in the moth trap this year. Butterflies on the HNR transect highlighted by 6 Brimstone, 6 Gatekeeper still, 5 Small Copper and 4 Small Tortoiseshell on the fleabane in the NE corner. Two Common, single Migrant and Brown Hawkers seen on transect route

Elsewhere
Nothing yet of note

Friday 21 August 2009

Incoming tide check highlighted by distant Bonxie

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge foreshore/Red Nab/outfalls 1125-1200hrs
Bonxie (Great Skua) - distant bird appeared after IOM ferry started coming in, circled around then appeared to land on the sea
Gannet - one imm
Med Gull - just the one juv on Red Nab
Black-tailed Godwit - one Red Nab
Ringed Plover - 47 on shingle Ocean Edge south beach; no obvious colour-ringed birds (some hard to see) but metal-ringed male

Elsewhere
Two Spoonbill still on Eric Morecambe complex. 4CY Yellow-legged Gull by red buoy 14 as seen from Sunderland tidal road late afternoon. Wood Sandpiper briefly on Conder Pool earlier on

Thursday 20 August 2009

Another guillotined check

Heysham Obs
A spray-filled high tide check produced
Ringed Plover - exactly 50 on OE west field, 25 definitely unringed, then all flushed before could be checked
Med Gull - adult drifting around OE foreshore
Gannet - one along horizon
Manx Shearwater - I think it was - split second on the horizon

Elsewhere
2 Spoonbill Leighton Moss. 45 Little Egrets left roost in morning. 4CY & JUV Yellow-legged Gull off Fishnet Point, Glasson this late afternoon (& Ad & juv Med).

Wednesday 19 August 2009

5 minute guillotine

Heysham Obs
Pressing work issues kept the birding to a 5-minute high tide sweep of the outfalls & Red Nab & Ocean Edge foreshore

Little Egret - One OE saltmarsh creek
Med Gull - 2 juvs on outfalls, ad & 2CY on Red Nab
Black-tailed Godwit - none seen for the first time for a week or so
Grey Heron - juv Red Nab

Moths
Old Lady was a welcome visitor and Dark Spectacle was another rather uncommon addition to the year list


Elsewhere
Note that this wind might produce a Black Tern or two later on today. Ad Curlew Sandpiper Glasson still, Marsh Harrier and Hobby past Cockerham Sands Carvan Park & Med Gull Jeremy Lane. Common Scoter Barnacre reservoir (no general access)

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Unobtrusive Meds & breeding Jays

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls/Ocean Edge
Med Gull: 2CY, 2/3CY, Ad on Red Nab in perfect viewing conditions, the first two a bit 'unobvious'! The 2/3CY was not clearly visible but seemed to have newly-growing (as opposed to old and unmoulted) black-tipped primaries, therefore another 2CY. Note that old extensively black outer primaries would still be a 2CY, with the moult not as advanced! These can otherwise look like 'adults' at rest at this time of year, especially if the bill is tucked away. No juvs today.
Black-tailed Godwit - just 2

Moneyclose Lane
Family party of very noisy Jays - almost certainly bred along here

Middleton IE
3 Reed Bunting, 2 Common Whitethroat & 2 Willow Warbler ringed before the weather which should have stayed in or west of the Isle of Man reached us in the form of medium/heavy rain!

Moths
Included a late Mother of Pearl

Monday 17 August 2009

A bit of variety!

Heysham Obs
Not up early enough this morning & I dont think there were any early morning seawatchers out.

North harbour wall/Ocean Edge/outfalls 0900-1000hrs
Common Tern - adult Red Nab
Manx Shearwater - one out close in at 0905 & 4 together distantly across the mouth at c0915 - no others in a further 45 minutes watching
Arctic Skua - Juvenile in the mouth of the bay - headed in and across towards Ulverston 0905-0915
Med Gull - 2 adults (one Ocean Edge saltmarsh), one 2CY and one juvenile
Black-tailed Godwit - at least 12

Moths
Just Agriphila latistria of note

Ringed Med
A rather unexpected reappearance in this area by a bird recorded as a juv in 2007. There is a distinct possibility that this bird has been seen in the meantime e.g. Dutch/Belgian/French coasts and any details received will be published on this site

Arnhem 3651898 & darvic
Ringed: De Kreupel, Netherlands Nestling 5/7/07
Seen: Heysham outfalls 1-2/9/07 (& prob from 28/7/07)
Seen: Morecambe Broadway area 16/8/09

Sunday 16 August 2009

Seawatching missed

Heysham Obs
No significant amounts of seawatching today which probably saved an observer or two from watching paint dry

North harbour wall/outfalls
Med Gull - two adults and a juv
Manx Shearwater - 3 out together early evening

South harbour wall
Wheatear - 1
Lapwing - increase to c50

Middleton IE
Tufted Duck family party (first breeding record for SD45E) now down to 4 young

Elsewhere
Belgian (Ad) and Dutch (3CY)-ringed Med Gull north Morecambe along with an unringed adult. Another colour-ringed Little Egret seen at Leighton Moss - please keep checking both legs above and below the knee of any Little Egrets you come across

Saturday 15 August 2009

Meds return but wind below seawatching par

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/outfalls
Med Gull - 2 juveniles & one adult
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
Whimbrel - 2
Wheatear - 2

North wall
Med Gull- visiting birders saw an adult & either 2CY or 3CY

Elsewhere
Nothing yet

Friday 14 August 2009

Rock bottom early autumnal dross

Forecast 'back on again' (via the usually reliable XC weather) for early Sunday morning and seabird possibilities. Note it is an anniversary of some sort for Balearic Shearwater!

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Robert-the Bruce-like persistence with Red Nab saw a third visit late afternoon which produced fleeing Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, seagulls etc and a family of 'flattened mohicans' with a double 'tideline' on the shaven bit along the side of the head. Extraordinary: father & two small sons with identical highly intricate patterns.
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
No Meds at all at high tide!

North harbour wall
Nothing

Heysham Nature reserve
The Constant Effort Site ringing session revealed that there was no movement of an ornithological nature through the bushes below the observation tower. A supplementary net next to the office produced a sprinkling of finches and warblers, including one of three Lesser Whitethroats around the office during the morning

No vis at all. A perceived Swallow passage was resolved as the same bird on a sizeable circuit!

Moths
Highlighted by White-spotted Pug plus the first of the local Agriphila latistria for the year. Another rarity, Agriphila selasella wandered from the local saltmarshes for the second time this year.

Elsewhere
Similarly dead by the look of the pager

Thursday 13 August 2009

Cold, clear and birdless start to the day

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE
Green Woodpecker - heard on golf course & then east of Tim Butlers
Swift - 1 south
Swallow - c15 south
Meadow Pipit - one high to the south (first perceived autumn migrant)
grounded migrants: zilch

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Dreadful heat haze with birds facing away at high tide
Med Gull - 2 juvenile & 2 adult noticed
Black-tailed Godwit - 27
Whimbrel - 1

Butterflies Heysham Nature reserve
Highlighted by a really good count of 6 Small Copper, 3 Brimstone, 3 Red Admiral and Gatekeeper relegated to 'lots'.

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Good Med total at high tide

Heysham Obs
Original posting removed due to changed forecast!

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls (with Brian Yorke)
Med Gull - 3 adults, one 2CY, 4 juvenile
Black-tailed Godwit - 4

Moths
A very late check saw a good number of Silver Y still left in (12), despite the sun on the window - possibilities of other migrants in the next few days!

Elsewhere
The 4CY Yellow-legged Gull and moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper still showing well at Glasson

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Green Woodpecker added to the year list and almost to the ringing list!

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge a bit too early on incoming tide & a quick look just after high tide
Med Gull: 2 adult and three juv
Black-tailed Godwit - 35
Dunlin - 3 OE south shingle bank
Ringed Plover - 16 OE south shingle bank but no sign of ringed bird from last 'winter'

Ringing at Middleton
Green Woodpecker - one sat on a mist net pole!
Ringing included: 3 Lesser and 5 Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, a flock of 6 Goldfinch, just 2 Sedge Warbler and one Willow Warbler & Reed Bunting. A bit too windy.

Elsewhere
The red-ringed Bittern (originally taken into care & released at Leighton) in front of the Lower Hide.

Monday 10 August 2009

Usual stuff

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls incoming tide
Med Gull - 3 juvenile, 2 adult
Black-tailed Godwit - 16
Whimbrel - 1
Little Egret - 1

Elsewhere
Ad Curlew Sandpiper & 4CY Yellow-legged Gull still at Glasson

Sunday 9 August 2009

Still no Ruddy Darter.............

Heysham Obs
.............Are they now extinct at Middleton/Heysham?

Very brief visit to Red Nab/OE foreshore
Med Gull - ad & juv
Black-tailed Godwit - 14
1 Whimbrel
1 Juvenile Wheatear

Heysham Nature reserve
Quite a few Willow Warblers (c10 at any on time) calling within earshot of the office along with 3+ Common Whitethroat - more migrants than yesterdays poor show !

Middleton IE dragonflies (thanks Colin & Colin)
Model Boat Pond: Common Blue Damselfly: many males (pure guess - 50), 3 tandems, 1female, 4 tenerals; Common Darter 12 males 15 tenerals 1 tandem; Emperor: 1 male, 2 females ovipositing; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 4 males; Black Tailed Skimmer: 1 male
Middleton Wood Pond: Common Darter: 9 males, 1 female, 1 unsexed, 13 tenerals, 2 ovipositing tandems; Emperor: 1 male; Emerald Damselfly: 1 mating pair
Central & Western Marshes
Sightings included 5 4-spotted Chaser
Butterflies: 3 Wall Brown

Heysham NR dragonflies
Dog Pond: Migrant Hawker: Possible female, definite male about 30 yards past on the way back, hawking; Common Darter 4 males + 1 tandem ovipositing; Common Blue Damselfly: 5 males; Emperor: 1 female ovipositing, 2 males; Brown Hawker: 1 male; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Common Hawker: 2 males (1 of which consistently saw off the emperor!)
Dipping pond: Brown Hawker: 1 male, 1 female; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 2 males
Jetty: Common Darter: 5 males 1 female; Common Hawker: 1 male; Brown Hawker: 1 female; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Emerald Damselfly: 1 male
Hide screen: Possible female Migrant Hawker (but probably not Common Hawker) & 1 male; Blue Tailed Damselfly: 1 male; Common Darter: 1 male, 1 tandem
Marsh & surrounds: Migrant Hawker: 3 males; Common Hawker 4 males & 16 male 7 female Common Darter

Moths
Decent catch included the following less-common species here: Double Lobed, Dingy Footman (3), Flame Carpet (!), Bordered Beauty, Narrow-winged Pug.

Elsewhere
4CY Yellow-legged Gull & Ad Curlew Sandpiper still at Glasson

Saturday 8 August 2009

The miracle of Red Nab

Heysham Obs
Amazingly Red Nab was untouched by human or canine hand on the latter stages of the incoming tide

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls
Med Gull - 3 separate juvs (at least 2 unringed), 2 adults
Black-tailed Godwit - 24
Whimbrel - 2

Middleton IE
Too clear and breezy, followed by fast moving cumulus from the SW, from an early stage this morning as the forecasted Atlantic weather seems to be starting to run ahead of predictions. Just a handful of birds caught including Lesser Whitethroat & the only overhead movement involved 3 Swift and 6 Swallow

Butterflies
3 Red Admiral, 9 Painted Lady, 3 Peacock, 2 Small Tortoiseshell HNR office buddliea. Grayling Ocean Edge foreshore

Friday 7 August 2009

No birding time

Heysham Obs
No known coverage of the coastal areas

Middleton IE
Tufted Duck with 5 young still on No Swimming pond & surviving well
One Wall Brown notable.

Moths
Reasonable catch included a single migrant Diamond-back Moth, barred Rivulet, Carcina quercana & Sallow (both first of year)

Butterflies
The HNR office buddliea held up to 13 Peacock, 6 Painted Lady, 3 Small Tortoiseshell but the Red Admiral influx of two days ago had melted away

Elsewhere
Ad Curlew Sandpiper & 4CY Yellow-legged Gull Glasson. 2 Yellow Wagtail Bank End area

Thursday 6 August 2009

Bits and bobs

Heysham Obs
Middleton IE 0630-1230
Still 2 singing male Grasshopper Warbler and a 'squealing' Water Rail - surely they have bred this year. 28 new birds ringed comprising the 'usual' selection of warblers (7 Sedge Warblers, 5 Reed Warblers [including four juvenile], 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap ) and a few passage Swallows (about 50 - 7 ringed) and Swift (11). No tit flocks to enhance the total/reduce the quality of the catch!
Other: 9 Greylag south, 1 Raven over.

Ocean Edge
A bit late with the rocks nearly covered by the spring tide. Apart from the lack of terns, the absence of one or two moulting Little Gulls at this stage of the autumn is rather surprising
Med Gull - one adult
Redshank - 257

Insects
Good variety of butterflies on the office buddleia, incluing a brief Holly Blue

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Quick check incoming tide

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge foreshore & area
Med Gull - 2 adult & 1 juv
Whimbrel - 1

Moths
Fen Wainscot, Southern Wainscot & Dingy Footman headed a decent moth catch. 25 Silver Y the only migratory evidence

Tuesday 4 August 2009

A struggle..................

Heysham Obs
..................but there could have been a massive Willow Warbler fall at pre-rain dawn as the only coverage was over the 1000ish tide!

Red Nab/Ocean Edge/outfalls
Med Gull - just one juv with most gulls heading for wet fields on arrival
Redshank - 210
Turnstone - 59
Whimbrel - 1

Moths
A very small catch did include the first Fen Wainscot of the year

Butterflies
The HN reserve is really good at the moment - even though sunlight was at a premium today, in the high humidity there were loads of Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper & single Comma & Small Copper on just a short walk

Elsewhere
4CY Yellow-legged Gull off Fishnet Point area, Glasson along with 3 x Ad, 1 x 2CY Med Gulls at nearby Cockersands LAST night (3CY Med recently). See Fylde site for several Med records from Lune Estuary over the last week.

Monday 3 August 2009

Black Tern new in

Heysham Obs
Red Nab/Ocean Edge/Outfalls
Black Tern - moulting adult on Red Nab (nearly overlooked!), then shoreline
Med Gull - just one juvenile and one adult seen

Passage 0915-0945
Swallow - 23 south
Sand Martin - 16 south
Wheatear - one OE foreshore

Moths
Contrasting aesthetically, but equally notable, were Dingy Shears and Bordered Beauty. First Golden Rod Pug of the autumn. Just one migrant (Silver Y).

Sunday 2 August 2009

Disappointing

Heysham Obs
Not a lot this morning with the two 'glued-together' juv Med Gulls seemingly disappearing and an unfavourable wind direction making life difficult viewing resting birds on Red Nab

Ocean Edge to Heliport
Med Gull - Czech-ringed adult & one other adult & one juv.
Little Egret - 1+ OE saltmarsh creek
Black-tailed Godwit - 1
Knot - 2
Whimbrel - 2
Nothing offshore

Heysham NR
The pair of Sparrowhawk, nesting at an inaccessible site, fledged three young today. At least four Coal Tit in mixed flock - early for this species on here

Butterflies
Excellent on Heysham NR, given the wind, with at least 27 Gatekeepers, 8 Painted Lady, 3 Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small Copper, 3 Comma, Grayling, plenty of Small Skipper & Meadow Brown. Highlight was an unprecendented c30 Holly Blue and similar numbers of Common Blue

Saturday 1 August 2009

Little Egret invasion & late afternoon Storm Petrel

Heysham Obs
Ocean Edge/Red Nab/outfalls quick visit 0745-0800, then c1730-1810
Little Egret - 3 in OE saltmarsh channel am
Med Gull - 3 juvs, 2CY & 2 ads Red Nab/OE foreshore/outfalls evening
Whimbrel - 4 am
Black-tailed Godwit - 14 Red Nab am
Storm Petrel - one between the dredger and the red buoy, flying backwards and forwards at about 1750hrs, then a big yellow thing emerged from behind a cloud and it became impossible to view the area.

Moths
A really odd catch - only 10 moths but graced by Dun-bar (first of year & scarce here), Flounced Rustic (first of year & not scarce here!), Southern Wainscot (not common away from the wetlands) & Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (not particularly common here)

Elsewhere
Note there were 16 Storm Petrel off Walney yesterday