At the end of my regular evening walk tonight (20.00) a pipistrelle-sized bat flew over from the tree in a neighbouring garden towards the one in the next street. First one I've seen around for quite a while.

Sat 7th November. Turn around Werneth Park for my permitted exercise. Mostly small things now, excluding the Squirrels and some large specimens of Trooping Funnel. A Harlequin Ladybird, a couple of wasps, a hoverfly and a number of different fly species on the ground level Ivy, plus a mystery Lepidopterid. It was flying around the canopy of an Acer species on the edge of the scruffy area. Unfortunately only seen against the sky and had disappeared before I could move to view it against the foliage. On a different tree species earlier in the year I'd have said it was a White Hairstreak, but this late all I can think of is maybe a small second generation Speckled Wood (it was too small for overwintering Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell).

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Monday 9th of November 2020 08:29:13 AM

Highlights from the last month(roughly)

July 19th. Walk over to Chadderton Cemetery. Was hoping for a good collection of insects but the combination of patchy cloud cover and a cool breeze meant that only one distant white and one Small Tortoiseshell were seen around the cemetery itself, despite large numbers of recent cut flowers and an extensive area of Hawkbit/Sowthistle around the older graves. The scrubby, woody edges were more productive, with Speckled Wood(2), Ringlet(several), Small Tortoiseshell(1) Red Admiral(1) Peacock (1) Comma(1) ans Small Skipper (1). Also an interesting fly with a spotted abdomen and what appeared to be a gold spot in front of each eye on either side of the mouth, which I failed to photograph well enough with my phone to identify. Also not so much a troop as a regiment of Redleg Roundhead mushrooms on wood chip in a shaded part of the park

July 28th Brown Rollrim and a welcome return of Honeysuckle on Suthers Street, the latter having disappeared a few years ago in a very sever cut back of vegetation (admittedly mostly eye-level bramble!) on a chain-link fence.

August 11th Brown Hawker over a patch of grass between the industrial units and the overgrown fence opposite my flat. First record around here for me.

Large and Small Whites in Werneth Park late afternoon and a couple of Red Admirals having a border skirmish. Elsewhere on my usual route more Small Whites and my first local Ringlet. A reliable source confirmed another 4 Ringlets nearby, along with 4 Small Skippers and recently emerged White-letter Hairstreaks.

Foxdenton Hall, Chadderton this a.m. Around the edge of the football pitch and just beyond, at least 2 probably 3 Ringlet, Red Admiral and at least 1 Small Tortoiseshell. Might just get the year's butterfly list into double figures. Also a couple of Grey Squirrels.

Have added Red-tailed and Buff-tailed Bumblebees to my sightings in Werneth Park and on my last fortnightly shopping trip (May 25th) found a Common Spotted Orchid behind a slab-topped retaining wall on Featherstall Road.

Despite the warm windless afternoon there were very few butterflies on the wing during my circuit today ..... and none in the sheltered suntrap on the edge of the park. Plenty of other insects around there though, the only two of which I could identify being Common Carder Bee and Red Mason Bee. The lack of humans and, more likely, wandering dogs seems to have encouraged the local Grey Squirrels with maybe 10 sighted throughout the park. Elsewhere in the area 2 Large White and 1 Small White butterfly were seen.

Several year ticks for my butterfly list this afternoon as part of our #Virtual Trip, all in the overgrown area, with Speckled Wood, Small White and female Orange Tip to go with the Peacock.

The park is actually the extensive gardens of Werneth (new) Hall so wild flowers are pretty much weeded and mulched out of existence. Even the ubiquitous Dandelion is banished to the edges and I suspect the Bluebells that are to be seen are foreigners, but Pink Purslane has got a good foothold around the area once know as the 'nature reserve' and Forget-me Nots are providing a fine spread along the woded boundary path to offset the Snake's Head Fritillaries

Just one butterfly seen in the park today. A peacock in its' favoured spot. Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queen in the same area. At least 6 Grey Squirrels around today, and clumps of Speedwell among the cultivated flowers on the side entrance.

Short walk to Werneth Park this afternoon and in a quiet, overgrown area just on the edge of the park 2 Comma butterflies and a Peacock were arguing over the best sunning spots. White-tailed Bumblebee Queens around in a couple of places, 6 Grey Squirrels and some good clumps of Lesser Celandine.

Just heard an almighty squealing outside which proved to be three foxes having a fight up and down the street! And this us supposed to be a nice, quiet area

Good 'troop' of Velvet Toughshank on a mature, pollarded Beech on Chamber Road.

At last. Painted Lady on the track bed just south of Freehold tram stop Not exactly an invasion but it's a start.!

Peacock nearby as well.

Comma on Watts Street and loads of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars all over the ragweed throughout my route over to Chadderton.

Cream Wave on a door jamb on Chamber Road, Cinnabar Moth again and a Speckled Wood.

First local Cinnabar moth of the year today flitting round the edges of the lawn this afternoon.

Female Orange-Tip on Cuckoo Flower along Featherstall Road South this lunchtime. First record for the area for me in at least 7 years.

A fox doing the rounds of the gardens on Windsor Road at 11.30 this evening.

Two good clumps of Shaggy Scalycap around the base of one of the trees in our communal area again this autumn, and a smart Red Admiral on Ivy leaves nearby on Frederick Street.

Fox foraging along Napier Street around 22,20 this evening.

Some clumps of Shaggy Inkcap were new since Sunday in a garden on Chamber Road and a Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillar was making it's way over the back lawn behind the flats on Windsor Road.

You know the weather's bad when there's a Fox checking out the gardens on a busy suburban road in Werneth at 11.30 a.m!

Rather shaggy-coated and definitely not as relaxed with humans as the foxes on the local trading estate, he was surprised to emerge through a front gate just in front of me and bolted off a short distance down the road before turning off into another front garden. The fact that he was even more surprised to find me still walking down the road when he emerged from that garden suggests maybe a last year's cub. He fled back up the path towards the back garden and hopefully found some quieter foraging there.

A Pipistrelle sp. over the roof at about 17.45 yesterday evening, and a good showing of Snowy Waxcaps in the verges on Lansdowne Road, also several Shaggy Inkcaps at Apfel Lane.

More Snowy Waxcaps at Apfel Lane but more scattered than the other clump, with a few Blackening Waxcaps and possibly a specimen of Vermilion as well; also lots of Candlesnuff and a Mycena -probably Milking Bonnet but I didn't have time to check details.

A 'fairy ring' of Snowy Waxcap on one of the mounds at Apfel Lane today.

Nearly trod on an Angle Shades lurking on a leaf-strewn kerb as I was heading into Oldham this morning.

Good selection of Shaggy Inkcap at Apfel Lane as usual.

Three Foxes out tonight. A slim rangy animal with the look and colouring of a Jackal, which I've seen before, was prowling a regular area while a pair of shorter, thicker-furred russet toned 'Basil Brush' types betrayed their inexperience by making a dash for it when lurking in cover might have served them better. Certainly lacked the casual insouciance of some of their predecessors.

A large but sadly defunct Hedgehog on Windsor Road this morning, near the grounds of the Grammar School. The animal was still largely intact and looked as if it might have been killed while in the act of rolling up defensively. First evidence of Hedgehogs in this area I've seen in the 12 years I've been living here.

Elsewhere, occasional sightings of a young male Fox along my Sunday evening route home from Chadderton.

A fox was quietly foraging along part of Windsor Road last night about 22.45, completely unnoticed by (most ) people and dogs passing within feet of it.

A fox was quietly foraging along part of Windsor Road last night about 22.45, completely unnoticed by (most ) people and dogs passing within feet of it.

Recent sightings:

Sulphur Tuft - several clumps Apfel Lane
Shaggy Scalycap - Napier St West
Pleated Inkcap - Manchester road

Fox- Alder Root.

Another local first for me with a Satellite last night.......also first local Peacocks of the year this morning!

An attractive new addition to my local list last night - Flame Shoulder. Obviously taking shelter from the elements

Green-veined White on Suthers Street this afternoon.

Just outside the area A Brown Hawker was cruising the playing fields at Boundary Park.

Scalloped Oak (deceased) in the gap between door and sill on an internal front door in Apfel Street flats.

A Fox playing 'chicken' on the tram tracks between South Chadderton and Freehold this afternoon

Heart and Dart moth sheltering in the entrance to flats on Apfel Lane this afternoon

Ghost Moth sheltering in the Ivy on Suthers Street bridge last night.

Fox vocally active last night in the vicinity of the tramline - although it actually sounded like someone neutering a basso profundo chicken very deep 'clucks' then a higher noise like plucked violin string.

First wasp of the year this afternoon on Apfel Lane.

Pleated Inkcap - Watts Street

Shaggy Scalycap - Napier Street West
Velvet Shank - Dalton Street
Shaggy Inkcap - Apfel Lane.

Common Inkcap: several clusters on the verge near Old Lane
Snowy Waxcap: good, spread cluster in Werneth Park

20/09/15 Watts Street. Pipistrelle sp. hawking for insects below the canopy of the trees at the Peel Street end

2 foxes last night - a smallish one on Peel Street practicing its' Highway Code with passing traffic (motorised and pedestrian) and a larger dog fox on Windsor Road quietly going about its' business .

Went out around 23.30 last night to check on the chances of watching the Persid meteor shower, but there was too much light pollution for any but the very brightest to show through. Did manage my first bat for The Coppice though - a Noctule, judging by size.

Yes, I gathered from Waring and Townsend that this is the predominant form 'in the north' (wherever that starts ); just the first time I'd seen it. Then again, I'm not a regular trapper.

Mike Chorley wrote:

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Ribband Wave f. remutata taking shelter last night. Not seen this form before in GM

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I used to moth trap in West Didsbury, Mike, and had both forms reguarly, albeit more of the typical dark-banded forms I agree. Also on UK Moths there is a pic by Ian Kimber of a remutata, taken in Littleborough.

Ribband Wave f. remutata taking shelter last night. Not seen this form before in GM