Today.
Just took Michelles staffy out on Greenbank Park, Levenshulme, on the pavement near the entrance was this cracking Lime Hawk Moth.
I gently picked it up off the floor and after a minute or so it flew up into a Sycamore tree.



-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 1st of July 2019 12:48:55 AM

There was a fox asleep in an out-of-the way corner near Failsworth tram stop around tea time. I thought it might have been dead, until I saw the ears twitching. Nice end to a good day out at Hope Carr

An absolute plague of them in heaton park yesterday when the sun was out. At one point my wife had 20 on her back. Clouds of them in places especially near the hidden gem cafe. Mixed patterns and colours, most looked like the harlequin variety.
Also had plenty in my garden but nowhere near the numbers in the park.

Not a great day for insects today, but the area near where I ride, off Crime Lane, did throw up a couple of interesting species in the shape of a small copper and a thick-headed fly, Physocephala rufipes; only the second conopid fly I've ever noted.

Also small skipper, speckled wood, green-veined white, small white, gatekeeper, meadow brown and comma, as I did a butterfly count.

A Brimstone Moth seen flying around outside Aldi on the Kingsway in Burnage this morning.

A real odd one to me this, driving home on the M60 yesterday I spotted a dead Badger by the central reserve on the clockwise carriageway a couple of hundred metres prior to the Jct 9 off slip.

I'd guess it was in the vicinity of the Winchester Road underbridge. I'm local to this area and just cannot think of anywhere close that is usual badger habitat and I have never seen or heard of a badger locally.

The motorway works have created a lot of habitat disturbance and locals have noticed increased activity in small mammals but the sighting of a badger here has really surprised me.

Just had a sighting of Floating Water Plantain I found confirmed at a new site in GMC. This is highly protected and a rare very pretty plant moved about the northwest historically by canal traffic from its home in N Wales and the Lakes. It was totally unexpected and very nice find. It has been lost from many sites in the last 20 years as canals have been opened for navigation.

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Friday 30th of August 2013 12:49:05 AM

Hare spotted running through the tented village at creamfields music festival on sunday. next to my sons tent.

Site in south Manchester Upland Enchanter Nightshade, took a bit to find

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Saturday 10th of August 2013 06:17:55 PM

'Scarse' Plant Yellow Bird's-nest Hypopitys monotropa (Monotropa hypopitys) placed in the heather family associated and parasitic with a particular tree and possibly a fungi continuing at a site in Bury today if going over.