The Ringlets Have It.

On Thursday, a couple of hours at Heysham 10.15 - 12.15 produced 12 Mediterranean Gull, 8 on Red Nab, 3 on No2 Outfall, and 1 on No1 Outfall. I'm reliably informed of up to 30 birds on the early incoming tide that morning, but soon flew south, which accounts for my only finding twelve.

Rock Pipit Heysham Harbour 4 July. Pete Woodruff.

The breeding Rock Pipit seen carrying food for young, was by the lighthouse on the south wall.

Ringlet Heysham NR 4 July. Pete Woodruff.

Thirty minutes in the southern half of Heysham NR showed me an amazing 52 Ringlet, 16 Small Skipper, 6 Painted Lady, a Gatekeeper, a Six-spot Burnet, and 2 Chiffchaff. 

Mediterranean Gulls Conder Pool 24 June

Thanks to Ian Pinkerton for sending me his video of the two Mediterranean Gull, showing the black wing-tip markings of the ringed 2nd summer bird ZHF3, separating it from the all-white adult bird....As always, Full Screen is best.

Stars Of The Green And A Ringed Plover.

Four days later and I was back at Conder Green to find the Avocet pair still in charge of the one surviving young, coming along a treat and growing, but still needs luck for another three weeks to be out of the woods and flying....I'll take a shot at fledged by 25 July.

I saw the two adult Common Tern, but no sign of any young, though I'm confident they are well and were in hiding. According to a text message I received on Friday, one of the young had fledged, had flown and dropped into the pontoon, apparently the adult was frantic as the young bird was unable to get lift off and out of the pontoon, but it was reported flying on Sunday. 

Common Tern. Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

This was the Common Terns on 21 June with a young bird on the left. I had the two young down to fledge on or around 9 July, but one of them fledged on 1 July 10 days after I took the picture....amazing!

Eighteen Common Sandpiper were at Conder Green yesterday, ten were in the creeks and eight down the Conder Channel, 2 Wigeon both drakes were on Conder Pool, a Goosander was in the creeks, a Reed Bunting in the hedgerow, and 2 Swift over.

I only covered half the Cockersands plan yesterday. On Plover Scar at high tide, 95 Knot, 6 Ringed Plover and similar Dunlin. A single Eider took off from the sea, I watched this bird fly across to Middleton to land on the sea again just offshore.

On what little wanderings I did at Cockersands, I noted 6 Goldfinch, 3 Whitethroat, saw my first 4 Meadow Brown this year, c.25 Small Tortoiseshell, a Six-spot Burnet, and a Painted Lady....

....Think I'll Go Home! 

The Plover Scar Ringed Plover.

On 19 June a Ringed Plover was reported on Plover Scar, the bird apparently had four eggs in a nest. Yesterday I saw a Ringed Plover sitting on the shingle like it was still on the nest, not long after when I looked again it was stood motionless in the same place looking around. It's difficult to know where this stands in relation to whether or not this bird is still in the breeding programme, and I was reluctant to go on to the scar to investigate and disturb the bird. However when I left the area, looking back I saw two people with an unleashed mutt who had done just that along with the 100 plus other waders I'd been counting earlier....the scar is now birdless.

This is definitely not good for the birds, and certainly not for the breeding Ringed Plover, the mutt sniffed it's way around the entire area of Plover Scar, and to say the least I'm not happy about this 'free range' mutts and people situation.