Almost 3 hours around the meadow above Wales Lodges. Plenty of thistles and masses of Knapweed attracting loads of butterflies and a decent selection of daytime moths. Also a couple of Buzzards kept me company.
97 Small Skippers 46 Large Whites 11 Small Whites 42 Green-veined Whites 4 Small Coppers 26 Small Tortoiseshells 48 Peacocks 1 Comma 1 Speckled Wood 33 Gatekeepers 65 Meadow Browns
Dozens of Udea lutealis A few Straw Dot 6 Silver Y 2 Gold Spot 1 Burnished Brass 1 Smoky Wainscot 1 Shaded Broad-bar
At first I thought I had four different species of ladybirds on an umbelifer. Further examination revealed 4 variations of Harlequins. One 7-spot was elsewhere.
David Lumb said
Sat Jul 6 12:46 AM, 2013
At last ! Able to do a 3 hour mooch around Wales Lodges and the whole meadow between the lodges & the golf course without worrying about the sun disappearing.
171 Large Skippers (I have had 100+ before but never this many), 1 Large White, 2 Green-veined Whites, 1 Speckled Wood, 11 Meadow Browns.
96 Silver-ground Carpets (like the skippers they covered the whole meadow), 2 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets (I expect many more when they get going), 1 Snout.
50+ Celypha lacunana, numerous Bactra lancealana, Agriphila tristella, Chrystoteuchia culmella, Nettle-tap, Timothy Tortrix, & Nemophora degeerella.
1 Light-brown Apple Moth, 1 Syndemis musculana.
3 Brown Hawkers, 2 Broad-bodied Chasers.
Damselflies :- Large Red, Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed.
1 Common Green Grasshopper
1 Roe Deer.
1 large Common Toad, 1 small Common Frog. Still lots of tadpoles in the lodges.
David Lumb said
Sat Jun 29 9:42 PM, 2013
Meadow behind Wales Lodges this morning. Very wet grass as I trudged through it.
A young doe Roe Deer 2 Large Skippers. I was surprised to see any butterflies in the overcast conditions. 20+ Silver-ground Carpets Hundreds of grass moths disturbed, mostly Bactra lancealana again. Also picked out Timothy Tortrix, Nettle-tap, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Crambus lathoniellus, Agriphila tristella, Celypha lacunana.
As with butterflies not good weather for dragonflies/damselflies. Only saw an Azure and a Blue-tailed damselfly at the lodges.
David Lumb said
Sun Jun 23 2:51 AM, 2013
Roe Deer watching me from the long grass by Wales Lodges, whilst I was watching a bright orange Koi Carp. A Grey Squirrel ran along the bank of the lodge. A Rabbit at Eagley Sports Complex.
David Lumb said
Sun Jun 16 2:59 AM, 2013
Wales Lodges :- Large Red, Azure, and Blue-tailed damselflies. Hundreds of tadpoles.
Wild flower meadow behind the lodges. Most flowers have still not appeared, but plenty of thistles. I managed over half an hour with the sun out which made all the difference after a fruitless first overcast mooch. 2 Large Skippers (my first ones this year) 1 Green-veined White 1 Orange Tip
Grass moths everywhere with at least a thousand Bactra lancealana, and a few Chrysoteuchia culmella. Ancylis badiana Aethes cnicana Anthophila fabriciana (Nettle-tap) Celypha lacunana 3 Silver-ground Carpet 2 Beautiful Golden Y
1 Common Frog Azure damselfly White-tailed Bumblebee & Carder Bees (still a shortage of bees around) Red & Black Froghoppers & other froghopper/leafhopper species Green Lacewings Scorpion Flies Various Cranefly species A few hoverflies. My rush to check moths before the sun disappeared again meant I did not spend time identifying them. Helophilus pendulus & Leucozona lucorum amongst them. Grass Spider and other spiders I failed to identify from photos
David Lumb said
Wed Jun 5 4:50 AM, 2013
Odonata at Wales Lodges. Finally after my moan yesterday about only seeing Large Red damselflies this year things seem to be picking up, even though that particular species was absent here. 2 Broad-bodied Chasers (1m + 1f) A few Azure damselflies
Butterflies :- 1 Large White Numerous Green-veined Whites 3 Orange Tips 1 Small Tortoiseshell 1 Speckled Wood
Moths :- 1 Silver-ground Carpet at Gleaves Lodge 1 Chimney Sweeper off Belmont Road Cydia ulicetana common on Gorse bushes Common Heaths & Latticed Heaths near Wilton Arms
David Lumb said
Tue Apr 23 1:12 AM, 2013
4 Roe Deer around Longworth Lane/Wales Lodges this morning and a doe near Fernhill Farm. 1 Grey Squirrel and a few bumble bees, but not the weather for doing insect reports yet.
David Lumb said
Thu Mar 21 9:40 PM, 2013
3 Roe Deer this morning between Fernhill Farm and Dunscar Golf Course.
David Lumb said
Sun Mar 3 10:38 PM, 2013
3 Roe Deer near Wales Lodges and 4 more near the golf clubhouse
David Lumb said
Thu Feb 7 3:01 AM, 2013
One Roe Deer in woods at Dunscar Golf Course
David Lumb said
Wed Oct 31 9:34 PM, 2012
3 Roe Deer again this morning
David Lumb said
Wed Oct 24 11:24 PM, 2012
3 Roe Deer at Wales Lodges this morning
David Lumb said
Sat Oct 20 2:59 AM, 2012
A very late Brown Hawker on Wales Lodges.
A few large carp just below the surface of Eagley Lodge.
David Lumb said
Thu Oct 18 1:19 AM, 2012
Group of Lawyer's Wigs on Dunscar Golf Course
David Lumb said
Tue Oct 9 3:35 AM, 2012
A Roe Deer by Wales Lodges this morning
David Lumb said
Thu Oct 4 1:24 AM, 2012
On my way out this morning I saw a couple of Roe Deer from the old bus terminus on Blackburn Road. The queue of traffic must have wondered what I was photographing. I took photos as mother was washing her yougster, oblivious of myself or the traffic.
Early this afternoon on my way back from Belmont the sun was shining on Wales Lodges, allowing a Koi Carp to bask just below the surface. This individual appeared last year, with a similar sized Catfish and a Terrapin. Something which kept diving from sight on both morning and afternoon visits was probably the Terrapin. Whilst watching the Koi I saw a disturbance nearby on the water. On closer inspection I saw the heads of four Common Frogs.
Stump Puffballs were on a nearby tree.
David Lumb said
Mon Sep 10 1:36 AM, 2012
Early afternoon
1 Brown Hawker 1 Common Hawker 1 Common Darter 2 Green-veined Whites 1 Meadow Brown 2 Speckled Woods Red-tailed Bumblebee Carder Bees Tree Wasps
3 Small Tortoiseshells by Gleaves Lodge
2 Small Tortoiseshells at Horrocks Fold Farm
Walmsley churchyard & adjacent woodland :-
Amethyst Deceiver, Blackening Brittlegill, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust, Candlesnuff, Charcoal Burner, Deceiver, Elder Whitewash, Fly Agaric, Green Elfcup, Oak Curtain Crust, Penny Bun, Scaly Earthball, Sulphut Tuft, Tar-spot, Tawny Funnel Cap, Yellow Swamp Brittlegill.
Dunscar Lodges & Longworth Lane :-
Beech Woundwort, Birch Polypore, Blackening Brittlegill, Bulbillomyces farinosus, Candlesnuff, Clustered Bonnet, Common Inkcap, Crumble Stump Brittlestem, Elder Whitewash, Glue Crust, Green Elfcup, Hoof Fungus, Lumpy Bracket, Oyster Fungus, Stinking Brittlegill, Tar-spot, Variable Oysterling, Yellow Swamp Brittlegill.
Also a couple of Buzzards kept me company.
97 Small Skippers
46 Large Whites
11 Small Whites
42 Green-veined Whites
4 Small Coppers
26 Small Tortoiseshells
48 Peacocks
1 Comma
1 Speckled Wood
33 Gatekeepers
65 Meadow Browns
Dozens of Udea lutealis
A few Straw Dot
6 Silver Y
2 Gold Spot
1 Burnished Brass
1 Smoky Wainscot
1 Shaded Broad-bar
At first I thought I had four different species of ladybirds on an umbelifer. Further examination revealed 4 variations of Harlequins. One 7-spot was elsewhere.
171 Large Skippers (I have had 100+ before but never this many), 1 Large White, 2 Green-veined Whites, 1 Speckled Wood, 11 Meadow Browns.
96 Silver-ground Carpets (like the skippers they covered the whole meadow), 2 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets (I expect many more when they get going), 1 Snout.
50+ Celypha lacunana, numerous Bactra lancealana, Agriphila tristella, Chrystoteuchia culmella, Nettle-tap, Timothy Tortrix, & Nemophora degeerella.
1 Light-brown Apple Moth, 1 Syndemis musculana.
3 Brown Hawkers, 2 Broad-bodied Chasers.
Damselflies :- Large Red, Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed.
1 Common Green Grasshopper
1 Roe Deer.
1 large Common Toad, 1 small Common Frog. Still lots of tadpoles in the lodges.
A young doe Roe Deer
2 Large Skippers. I was surprised to see any butterflies in the overcast conditions.
20+ Silver-ground Carpets
Hundreds of grass moths disturbed, mostly Bactra lancealana again.
Also picked out Timothy Tortrix, Nettle-tap, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Crambus lathoniellus, Agriphila tristella, Celypha lacunana.
As with butterflies not good weather for dragonflies/damselflies. Only saw an Azure and a Blue-tailed damselfly at the lodges.
A Rabbit at Eagley Sports Complex.
Large Red, Azure, and Blue-tailed damselflies.
Hundreds of tadpoles.
Wild flower meadow behind the lodges. Most flowers have still not appeared, but plenty of thistles. I managed over half an hour with the sun out which made all the difference after a fruitless first overcast mooch.
2 Large Skippers (my first ones this year)
1 Green-veined White
1 Orange Tip
Grass moths everywhere with at least a thousand Bactra lancealana, and a few Chrysoteuchia culmella.
Ancylis badiana
Aethes cnicana
Anthophila fabriciana (Nettle-tap)
Celypha lacunana
3 Silver-ground Carpet
2 Beautiful Golden Y
1 Common Frog
Azure damselfly
White-tailed Bumblebee & Carder Bees (still a shortage of bees around)
Red & Black Froghoppers & other froghopper/leafhopper species
Green Lacewings
Scorpion Flies
Various Cranefly species
A few hoverflies. My rush to check moths before the sun disappeared again meant I did not spend time identifying them. Helophilus pendulus & Leucozona lucorum amongst them.
Grass Spider and other spiders I failed to identify from photos
2 Broad-bodied Chasers (1m + 1f)
A few Azure damselflies
Butterflies :-
1 Large White
Numerous Green-veined Whites
3 Orange Tips
1 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Speckled Wood
Moths :-
1 Silver-ground Carpet at Gleaves Lodge
1 Chimney Sweeper off Belmont Road
Cydia ulicetana common on Gorse bushes
Common Heaths & Latticed Heaths near Wilton Arms
1 Grey Squirrel and a few bumble bees, but not the weather for doing insect reports yet.
A few large carp just below the surface of Eagley Lodge.
Early this afternoon on my way back from Belmont the sun was shining on Wales Lodges, allowing a Koi Carp to bask just below the surface. This individual appeared last year, with a similar sized Catfish and a Terrapin. Something which kept diving from sight on both morning and afternoon visits was probably the Terrapin.
Whilst watching the Koi I saw a disturbance nearby on the water. On closer inspection I saw the heads of four Common Frogs.
Stump Puffballs were on a nearby tree.
Early afternoon
1 Brown Hawker
1 Common Hawker
1 Common Darter
2 Green-veined Whites
1 Meadow Brown
2 Speckled Woods
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Carder Bees
Tree Wasps