Red Nab Therapy.

It was never planned, it just happened to be a couple of hours at Heysham Red Nab on Sunday which proved to have excellent therapeutic value. It was good to sit quietly and watch the gulls slowly pushed closer by the incoming tide....recommended if you want your head clearing out. 

Five Mediterranean Gull, and 4 Whimbrel seen. Over the pool on Heysham NR, a male Emperor Dragonfly chased a female around, which was eventually seen ovipositing, also a male Broad-bodied Chaser, a Painted Lady and Small Skipper. 

On Monday, a check of Conder Pool showed harmony to prevail on the pontoon, though a period of flying around, with screeching gulls and terns, and dive bombing at the pontoon, eventually calmed down.

Common Tern adult with juvenile. Conder Pool 8 July. Pete Woodruff. 

Three young are out of the second Common Tern nest, the two fledged CT's are enjoying their freedom and independence, as are the two fledged Black-headed Gull young. The second BHG now has two chicks out of the nest, and one of the Avocet also has day old chicks out of the nest, whilst the other Avocet continues to be sitting.

Two Little Grebe were seen again, and the Little Ringed Plover put in another brief appearance, with no evidence of breeding seen to date. In the creeks 12 Common Sandpiper, and on a wander, a Whitethroat, a Painted Lady and Cinnabar moth seen.

Swift at Conder Green.

A Swift was seen around Conder Green Farm, and by something of a coincidence was only two days adrift of one seen here on 6 July 2018, when it showed the same behaviour as this 8 July bird, in that it having been flying low around the farm, twice appeared to be going head-on under the guttering of the farm-house before sharply veering away. 

The Swift has never nested here to my knowledge, so it's hard to understand exactly what this behaviour is all about, though I read an interesting comment recently....'now is when patient watching reveals active nests and boxes can attract non-breeders searching for future sites'....perhaps I'd better be more vigilant next year. 

Cabbage Moth. Lynn Woodruff.

Thanks to Lynn for the Cabbage Moth found in her garden recently. A common moth which resembles a few other species, and has the unfortunate distinction of being a serious pest, mainly due to its liking for the cabbage as it's name indicates.