A couple of insects

A couple of insects from Meols the other day. The first is clearly a 22-spot ladybird, the other looks like Epeolus cruciger to me, which according to NBN Gateway is pretty scarce but does occur on the Wirral coast. Epeolus cruciger is a cleptoparasite, which means it steals food from another species, in this case Colletes succinctus.

This photo shows the animals three ocelli quite well. Ocelli (or ocellus singular) are"simple eyes" with a single lens. Humans also have "simple eyes" and the term is used to distinguish them from the insects compound eye which has multiple lenses.

Pennington Flash

The garganey was at the west end of Pennington Flash this afternoon, the first time I have seen it for a few days. I actually managed to get a few flight photos, which I think show that it is an eclipse male and not a female as has been reported a few times. Unfortunately I haven't got any pictures which show conclusively the pale grey forewing, but I think that the broad white bars either side of the speculum, which are visible on the photo where the bird is crashing into the water, combined with the paleness of the throat and eye stripe make it a male.

Also today, at least 300 tufted ducks, mainly in Ramsdales Bay.

Red-backed shrike, Meols

A juvenile red-backed shrike at Meols this morning was only my second ever in the North West. At times it was an ok view through the scope but generally it was miles away and against the sun making photography virtually impossible.

Year: 251 (Red-backed shrike)

Pennington Flash

Not much happening at the Flash this evening, but at least this kingfisher showed well.

Kite fest

I was driving home through mid Wales today and saw what I thought at first was a flock of crows, but then realised they were all red kites! In total I counted about 150 birds! I assume that there is a feeding station nearby....

Not the greatest photos, but you get the picture!

Seawatching Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire

Balearic shearwater 3
Sooty shearwater 1
Long-tailed skua 2 (ad & juv.)
Great skua 4
Arctic skua 5 (1 pale, 4 dark)
Manx shearwater 100
Gannets
Fulmars
Kittiwakes
Shag
Common scoter 20
Chough 2 (on the headland)
Red kite 1 (over the fields just before the headland)

Cetaceans: Common dolphin 2, harbour porpoise 1

UK Life: 412 (Balearic shearwater); Year: 250 (Balearic shearwater, long-tailed skua, sooty shearwater, great skua, Arctic skua)

This was my first ever visit to this really impressive seawatching spot. The first two Balearics today were a bit distant, but the third was quite close and showed well. Both long-tailed skuas were good views, but the juvenile was particularly good, flying in the sunlight at close range, it's pale rump stood out even through binoculars. Thanks to the other birders present for helping me get onto the Balearics. Seawatching is an art form all of it's own!

The seawatching shelter.

Seawatching in luxury!

Bonxie and gannet. This is not meant to be a great photo of the birds (it clearly isn't!) it's meant to convey the seawatching experience which is often long distance, poor views. What it doesn't get across well is the cold, the wind and the wet, to say nothing of the brevity of the views and often the boredom! You can see the dedication that some birders have to this form of birding on the Strumble Head Seawatching blog.

Gannets and common scoter.

I think this might well have been my first red kite in Pembrokeshire.

Chough.

Emperor moth caterpiller.

Goldenrod is now in flower all over the headland, and it makes an impressive display in conjunction with the flowering ling.

Seaforth

Black tern 4 (ad & 3 juv.s)
Sandwich tern 3 (2ads & juv.)
Mediterranean gull (3 adults)
Common tern (200+)
Yellow wagtail 1 female
Goldeneye 2 females
Common sandpiper 2

The hide at Seaforth.

Ribble Marshes

We spent the day on the Ribble mainly hoping to see the spoonbills which have been in the area recently. Most of our day was at Hesketh Out Marsh, but we also took in Banks Marsh south from Old Hollow (Baxters) Farm and finally Crossens Marsh and Marshside. No sign of the spoonbills anywhere, goodness knows where they hide themselves, but I suppose it is a big estuary.

At Hesketh Out Marsh we saw seven species of raptor, hobby, three marsh harriers, peregrine, two merlins, two buzzards, sparrowhawk and kestrel. Also three yellow wagtails, at least 10 greenshanks, 30 black-tailed godwits and a couple of common sandpipers.

Black-tailed godwits.

Hesketh Out Marsh

Whilst hanging out the washing this morning.....

A hobby flew over, quite low down, from the direction of Pennington Flash!

Pennington Flash

The juvenile black tern was still hawking for insects over the eastern end of the flash this evening, at times showing very well from the car park, but it also spent a lot of time over in the south east corner. It was persued by black-headed gulls for most of the time, I'm not really sure why since it's not eating anything which the gull can steal.

Pale Common Buzzard

This very pale juvenile common buzzard set off a few alarm bells when I first saw it  near Carr Lane Pools at Hale today.