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Post Info TOPIC: Stalybridge country park- Brushes (other wildlife)
Andy Bissitt


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RE: Stalybridge country park- Brushes (other wildlife)
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Didn't know this thread existed. So late news from Friday, 23rd. Saw 20+ green hairstreaks, 3 common heath and 1 Mother Shipton moth - which was very early, and appears to be a first for the 10km square where I saw it. Best experience, though, was seeing the number of green tiger beetles (15+), one of my top few British insects which aren't dragonflies!!



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Chris Harper


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Green Hairstreak above Brushes Reservoir this morning. Stoat near Higher Swineshaw dam.



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David Walsh


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Roger Baker 3 wrote:

" Much easier in my teenage years, when it was acceptable to catch them, gas them, then pin them to a board."
........................................................................................................................................

I'll bet you were ace at a party ...... that is if you ever got invited to one ..... which is highly doubtful !!

R.




Was only allowed in on the proviso I left my net at the door wink

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Roger Baker 3


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" Much easier in my teenage years, when it was acceptable to catch them, gas them, then pin them to a board."
........................................................................................................................................

I'll bet you were ace at a party ...... that is if you ever got invited to one ..... which is highly doubtful !!

R.

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David Walsh


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Thursday 16th April 2020, morning.

Brushes end of the Pennine Bridleway and Harridge Moor.

12+ Green Hairstreak dancing over the moor. Photo of one leaning to catch the rays of the morning sun.
Several parasitic bees of the species Nomada, but unfortunately, no images available to identify any further (coupled with inexperience on my part). Several host mining bees of the species Andrena do occur locally.
Several Peacock butterflies
1 Orange Tip
1 Green-veined White
Common Heath Moths on the moor

I have recently regained my interest in invertebrates, but I do find some a devil to identify. Much easier in my teenage years, when it was acceptable to catch them, gas them, then pin them to a board.



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David Walsh


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Sunday 11th April 2020, morning.

Harridge Moor.

6 Green Hairstreak butterflies, first of the year for me.
Several Green Tiger Beetles
1 Bilberry Bumblebee queen


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Steve Suttill


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Yes, David, pretty sure that's a Fox Moth. Here's one I found earlier...

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Steve "Make your birdwatching count!"
David Walsh


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Thursday 2nd January 2020, 11.00am.

I am no moth expert, but I am guessing at a Fox Moth caterpillar at Higher Swineshaw Reservoir this morning. There is such a variation between different stages of their development, and similarities to other Eggars. Any more expert advice would be appreciated.





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David Walsh


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Wednesday 23rd October 2019, 6.30pm.

Several Noctule Bats hunting over the moor above Lower Swineshaw Quarry.

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David Walsh


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Tuesday 17th September 2019, morning.

Higher Swineshaw area.

20+ Black Darters, a mix of adult and immature males, that I could see.
2 Brown Hawkers
1 Common Hawker
1 Garden, or Cross Spider (Araneus diadematus)
1 Violet Ground Beetle (Carabus violaceus)

I have enjoyed recording insects and other wildlife this year. Gives me something else to focus upon during the extended periods of drought on the birding front, and I do feel I have made progress. Still need to do some work on my hoverfly ID
confuse

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David Walsh


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Sunday 8th September 2019, morning.

Higher Swineshaw area.

Butterflies.

5 Small Tortoiseshell
5 Peacock
1 Painted Lady
1 Small Copper
1 Small White

Odonata.

4 Brown Hawkers
15+ Black Darters, all male.

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David Walsh


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Steve Suttill wrote:

David Walsh wrote:

Ive attached a photo of what I think is a Black Darter. My only issue is the light coloured pterostigma? Is this the sign of an immature insect?



I had to look it up (and it's not mentioned in all guides) but the pale pterostigma is a sign of immaturity. Something new I've learned today. Would be good to actually see some dragonflies, though - last summer's drought has wiped them out at most of my local sites...



Thanks for that, Steve. I was actually going to email you some images for your insect guru to look at, but that was a good (educated) guess on my part. Odonata are definitely NOT my strongpoint. I also had a couple of Common Darters in the Country Park on Sunday, again with white pterostigma, so that answers that one too. Brushes is usually poor for Odonata, but I seem to have seen a lot recently, including Hawkers and Damselflies in the garden.

Thanks again, David.

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Steve Suttill


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David Walsh wrote:

Ive attached a photo of what I think is a Black Darter. My only issue is the light coloured pterostigma? Is this the sign of an immature insect?



I had to look it up (and it's not mentioned in all guides) but the pale pterostigma is a sign of immaturity. Something new I've learned today. Would be good to actually see some dragonflies, though - last summer's drought has wiped them out at most of my local sites...

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Steve "Make your birdwatching count!"
David Walsh


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Some sightings from the past few mornings.

Butterflies, unless otherwise stated.

Higher Swineshaw area. Despite an excellent selection of birds, the highlight of Saturday morning was the sight of Peacock butterflies fluttering and gliding around the heather at the very top of Turf Pits, in the warm sunshine.

26 Peacock
21 Painted Lady
2 Red Admiral
15 Small Heath
5 Meadow Brown
5 Gatekeeper
2 Small White

20+ Orange Swift moths flying above the heather
20+ Black Darters. Ive attached a photo of what I think is a Black Darter. My only issue is the light coloured pterostigma? Is this the sign of an immature insect?
A few Common Darters
6 Brown Hawkers
2 Common Hawkers

Brushes Valley.

7 Peacock
1 Red Admiral
1 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Painted Lady
7 Speckled Wood
2 Small White


-- Edited by David Walsh on Monday 26th of August 2019 11:45:03 PM

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David Walsh


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Sunday 18th August 2019, morning.

Harridge Woods and Harridge Moor.

Butterflies. Numbers low in blustery conditions.

Another Small Copper, a worn individual, on the Bridleway near the gamekeepers cottage
6 Painted Lady
2 Peacock
2 Large White
Singles of Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Small Heath

Several Green Shield Bugs
Several species of Hoverfly, unidentified

Also found a White-shouldered House Moth, Endrosis sarcitrella, in our dining room this morning




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David Walsh


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Thursday 8th August 2019, morning.

Higher Swineshaw

Common blue damselfly
Brown Hawker
Black Darter females
More Tachina grossa flies

There were also scores of a black flying insect with dangling red legs for which I have no ID. Maybe a type of Ichneumon Wasp?

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Steve Suttill


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David Walsh wrote:

I took this image of a hoverfly yesterday, at Higher Swineshaw. I wondered if any of our insect experts could help with an ID?

I realise that the angle is not great, but my best guess is Melangyna cincta?




Pretty sure it's Episyrphus balateatus, David. Marmalade hoverfly.

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Steve "Make your birdwatching count!"
David Walsh


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Monday 5th August 2019.

Brushes Valley

A pleasant evening wander produced a colony of Painted Lady caterpillars on thistles, and several Bilberry Bumblebees.

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David Walsh


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Saturday 3rd August 2019, butterflies.

The most notable sightings were of Small Coppers. Before this year, I had only ever recorded a single individual in the area, but yesterday I recorded four at three different sites, and another this morning at Brushes Rifle Ranges.

Irontongue Hill and Higher Swineshaw

3 Small Copper (2 at Irontongue, the other at Higher Swineshaw)
1 Painted Lady
7 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Comma
9 immaculate Peacock - seems to have been an emergence this week
20 Gatekeeper
10 Meadow Brown
21 Small Heath
3 Small Skipper

Lower Swineshaw Quarry

1 Small Copper
10 Small Skipper
12 Meadow Brown
11 Gatekeeper
2 Small Heath

Other insects

10+ Antler Moths, mainly on Ragwort. Also present at Wild Bank this morning.
6+ Tachina grossa flies. ID thanks to John Williams description in the Out of County thread. What magnificent insects they are.
Bilberry Bumblebees still plentiful
Cinnabar caterpillars everywhere
A few Odonata in Higher Swineshaw overflow, smaller in size than Black Darters, but couldnt get decent enough views to attempt an ID.









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David Walsh


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I took this image of a hoverfly yesterday, at Higher Swineshaw. I wondered if any of our insect experts could help with an ID?

I realise that the angle is not great, but my best guess is Melangyna cincta?



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Steve Suttill


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David Walsh wrote:

Monday 22nd July 2019, 9.15am - 12.00pm.

Very quiet, bird-wise, but plenty of insects around on a warm, blustery morning.

Higher Swineshaw and Lees Hill.

Butterflies.

The highlight was at least one, maybe two, Dark Green Fritillary, seen in two locations, half an hour, and 200 metres, apart. My first record for five years.



The Dark Green Fritillaries are a good sighting in this area. I saw one at Puddle Clay Pits this week last year. It was a female so was hoping it might have laid eggs on the site!

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David Walsh


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Monday 22nd July 2019, 9.15am - 12.00pm.

Very quiet, bird-wise, but plenty of insects around on a warm, blustery morning.

Higher Swineshaw and Lees Hill.

Butterflies.

The highlight was at least one, maybe two, Dark Green Fritillary, seen in two locations, half an hour, and 200 metres, apart. My first record for five years.

34 Small Heath
25 Meadow Brown
5 Ringlet
3 Gatekeeper
11 Large Skipper
2 Small Skipper
6 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Red Admiral
1 very ragged Painted Lady
2 Small White

2 Antler Moths
Bilberry, Common Carder, and White-tailed Bumblebees
Red Soldier Beetles everywhere. Easy to understand why they are also known as the Hogweed Bonking Beetle.
Also an abundance of 7-spot Ladybirds

Lower Swineshaw Quarry.

14 Small Skipper
2 Small Heath
6 Meadow Brown
2 Ringlet
1 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Green-veined White




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David Walsh


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Thursday 18th July 2019, morning, overcast.

Higher Swineshaw.

Butterflies.

7 Large Skipper
1 Small Skipper
3 Meadow Brown
4 Small Heath
1 Ringlet
1 Small White
100+ Peacock larvae feeding on nettles

Bumblebees.

Common Carder
White-tailed
Bilberry

Hundreds of Cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort throughout the valley

Lower Swineshaw Quarry.

6 Small Skipper
1 Small White
2 Ringlet
1 Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet Moth

Common toadlets also abundant this week




-- Edited by David Walsh on Thursday 18th of July 2019 11:21:12 PM

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Steve Suttill


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David Walsh wrote:

Thursday 4th July 2019, afternoon.

Behind Brushes Rangers football pitch, warm but very breezy.

Butterflies

12 Meadow Brown
5 Ringlet
2 Large Skipper
1 Small Tortoiseshell
25+ Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet moths

In the fields below the rifle ranges.

11 Meadow Brown
7 Ringlet
1 Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet moths




Further up the valley at Puddle Clay Pits SBI in Mossley, Ringlets were outnumbering Meadow Browns by approx 3 to 1. That's 100+ Ringlets on the site to 30 or so Meadow Browns. Quite a sight! and there was a Blood-vein moth here as well. Recorded last year too.

-- Edited by Steve Suttill on Saturday 6th of July 2019 09:45:30 AM

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Steve "Make your birdwatching count!"
David Walsh


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Thursday 4th July 2019, afternoon.

Behind Brushes Rangers football pitch, warm but very breezy.

Butterflies

12 Meadow Brown
5 Ringlet
2 Large Skipper
1 Small Tortoiseshell
25+ Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet moths

In the fields below the rifle ranges.

11 Meadow Brown
7 Ringlet
1 Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet moths


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David Walsh


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Sunday 23rd June 2019, am.

Flaxfield and Brushes Rifle Ranges.

I visited with the expectation of an early Skipper butterfly or two, but didnt see one butterfly, in quite breezy conditions.

I did find this slightly damaged Blood-vein moth. I am no expert on insects, but from what Ive read, we seem to be at the north western fringe of its UK distribution.

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David Walsh


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Saturday 22nd June, 2019, am.

Higher Swineshaw area.

Several Small Heath butterflies
A couple of Bilberry Bumblebees

A few Speckled Wood in the woods on the way down



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David Walsh


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Plenty of bumblebees flying over the past two days, around Higher Swineshaw yesterday, and Wild Bank this morning.

White-tailed, Red-tailed, Common Carder, and Early Bumblebees all seen.

Image of an Early Bumblebee on thistle, yesterday at Higher Swineshaw Reservoir, attached

-- Edited by David Walsh on Sunday 16th of June 2019 11:11:58 PM

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David Walsh


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Sunday 9th June 2019.

Small Copper butterfly at Higher Swineshaw, my first ever record this high up the valley.
White-tailed / Buff-tailed Bumblebees in abundance
Two Red-tailed Bumblebees at Lower Swineshaw

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David Walsh


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Thursday 6th June 2019.

Good numbers of Bilberry Bumblebees seen at the Brushes end of the Pennine Bridleway this morning, during my late BBS visit.

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David Walsh


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Saturday 25th May 2019.

Higher Swineshaw.

6+ Green Hairstreak
2 Small Heath, my first of the year
1 Green-veined White

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David Walsh


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Sunday 5th May 2019.

Late post for yesterday, when there were amazing numbers of Green Hairstreak butterflies on the moor around Higher Swineshaw Reservoir. I started counting singles, then gave up. Well over 20 individuals fluttering over the heather and bilberry.

A couple of Tawny Mining Bees were around the Rifle Ranges this morning.

Several stands of Cowberry plants are in bloom early.

-- Edited by David Walsh on Monday 6th of May 2019 03:04:14 PM

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David Walsh


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Thursday 2nd May 2019, 11.30am.

After three hours and several dousings, in cold conditions around the top of Brushes Valley, a ten minute sunny interlude produced a single Green Hairstreak on the Bridleway, near to the Gamekeepers cottage.

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David Walsh


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Monday 22nd April 2019, 9.30 - 11.30am.

Around the woods and moors above the gamekeepers cottage, to the north of Brushes Reservoir.

15 Green Hairstreaks this morning. 5 in a similar area to the first sighting last Thursday, and at least 10 on the moors above Harridge Woods, split between the SBIs of Harridge Moor and Brushes.
2 Holly Blues on the moor edge
1 Peacock
4 Orange Tip
2 Speckled Wood

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David Walsh


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Saturday 20th April 2019,

Butterflies.

Wild Bank and Hobson Moor

2 Green Hairstreak spiralling above the heather along the 1,000ft contour on Wild Bank. Before Thursday I'd never seen one locally, then I see them on three consecutive days, in completely different parts of my recording area. According to the County Recorder, the last official record for Brushes was in 1995. Of course, that doesnt mean that they do not occur locally, more that no one sees and records them.
3 Small Tortoiseshell
5 Peacock

Rifle Ranges and Brushes Road

6 Orange Tip
1 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Speckled Wood



-- Edited by David Walsh on Sunday 21st of April 2019 12:09:57 AM

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David Walsh


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Friday 19th April 2019.

A very satisfying morning, Lepidoptera-wise, transporting me back to the butterfly heydays of my teenage years.

Another Green Hairstreak, this time at Higher Swineshaw Reservoir
1 Holly Blue near Brushes Cottages
1 male Orange Tip at Higher Swineshaw, and 2 along Brushes Road.
2 Speckled Wood in Brushes Valley
2 Green-veined White, Brushes Valley
4 Peacock, 3 at Higher Swineshaw, one in the valley

Some large colonies of Dog Violet at the top end of the valley. Fingers crossed for Dark Green Fritillary later in the year.



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David Walsh


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Thursday 18th April 2019.

By far the best sighting of the morning came in the shape of a Green Hairstreak butterfly, feeding on bilberry flowers, on the Pennine Bridleway, in the area of the gamekeepers cottage.
A Peacock butterfly was also flying around the moor

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Simon Gough


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Orange-Tip butterfly from the dam on Walkerwood Res on Saturday 6th April

-- Edited by Simon Gough on Monday 8th of April 2019 09:11:58 AM

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David Walsh


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Thursday 21st March 2019, 8.00 - 9.00pm.

Around Walkerwood Reservoir.

Dozens of Common Toads, mainly males, on Brushes Road, from the country park, as far as Brushes Cottages. Unfortunately, a depressing number are squashed under car wheels at this time of year.
2 Smooth Newts, one alive, one squashed.

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David Walsh


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Thursday 3rd January 2019, 11.00am.

An almost completely white Stoat around the walls of Shaw Farm, Wild Bank. The only brown fur was a narrow dorsal strip, and a small area of the tail. The black tip to the tail was very striking. A real bonny specimen.

-- Edited by David Walsh on Thursday 3rd of January 2019 11:43:39 PM

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David Walsh


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Saturday 5th May 2018, 6.00 - 7.00p,

Butterflies.

5 Orange Tip
2 Comma
4 Green-veined White
2 Speckled Wood

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David Walsh


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Monday 7th August 2017, 9.30 - 10.30pm

Several Noctule bats hunting over the moor above Lower Swineshaw Reservoir.

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Andy Bissitt


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Went up the path to the moors on Wednesday p.m. as had not visited for a while. I'm sure it's length is increasing! Don't think I saw galium carpet: they all seemed to be commons. Best moth was northern spinach. Butterflies included ringlet and small heath. Odonata confined to large red damselfly and brown hawker. My hoverfly photos remain to be viewed.



-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Friday 14th of July 2017 09:45:51 PM

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David Walsh


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Tuesday 4th July 2017 Gold Swift, and Galium Carpet moths flying around the bracken at Higher Swineshaw

-- Edited by David Walsh on Wednesday 5th of July 2017 12:11:19 AM

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David Walsh


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Monday 26th June 2017, 8.00pm

Gold Swift moth (Phymatopus hecta) in the bracken at Higher Swineshaw. Tried to attach photo but it took up half the thread!

-- Edited by David Walsh on Monday 26th of June 2017 08:53:33 PM

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David Walsh


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Saturday 17th June 2017, 5.00pm

Large Red Damselfly in the overflow at Higher Swineshaw Reservoir
Cinnabar moths in abundance over the past couple of weeks

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David Walsh


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Friday 9th June 2017

Second year Smooth / Palmate Newt in the rough grass by Lower Swineshaw dam this morning. The underside was almost devoid of spots, but isn't conclusive, given the age of the individual. I took a couple of photos, if there are any amphibian lovers interested.

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David Walsh


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Sunday 4th June 2017

1 fully grown Oak / Northern Eggar caterpillar at Higher Swineshaw overflow
Several Cinnabar moths have appeared over the past fortnight

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David Walsh


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Saturday 6th May 2017

Dog violet (Viola riviniana), in flower around Lower Swineshaw Reservoir, the first I have found in the area. It is the larval food plant of the Dark Green Fritillary, which has been recorded in the valley (but not by me for almost three years).

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David Walsh


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Sunday 2nd October 2016

A couple of Odonata species made up for the complete lack of bird life around the Swineshaws this morning.

Male and female Black Darters in Higher Swineshaw overflow
Brown Hawkers around both reservoirs

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