Had a report from a reliable observer of a Common Blue at Burton Mere Wetlands last Tuesday (11th). I found the Green Hairstreaks at Newchurch Common earlier than this species usual emergence date. So this may be one of the early emergence years for a number of species! ğ
Could well have been; fairly fleeting view (without underwing confirmation), just looked a bit darker than I normally associate with the holly blue. Is late April / early May more likely for the first brood, then? My guide just said 'April'.
Cheers for the info, anyway!
Shannon,
My brother delivered the 2016 Cheshire Butterfly report on Monday, and after my post I just thought I'd check my 'facts'. The earliest ever recorded sighting in Cheshire was 9th April, 2011, so it's not impossible. However, last year it was not seen until 6th May!!!, and since that 2011 sighting, the next earliest was 23rd April in 2015. I once sent a May sighting in to the Greater Manchester recorder, and he said it must have been a 'holly' as it was too early for a common!! Global warming has changed things a little since then.
Could well have been; fairly fleeting view (without underwing confirmation), just looked a bit darker than I normally associate with the holly blue. Is late April / early May more likely for the first brood, then? My guide just said 'April'.
First orange tips of the year today, with several around Irlam Moss. Also around here and Little Woolden Moss were small tortoiseshell (several), peacock, brimstone, green-veined white and common blue (a first for me here).
Single common lizard on Little Woolden Moss.
Got to tell you Shannon that common blue is highly unlikely this early in the year. Must have been holly blue for sure.
Cheers,
Andy Bissitt
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Tuesday 11th of April 2017 09:02:49 PM
First orange tips of the year today, with several around Irlam Moss. Also around here and Little Woolden Moss were small tortoiseshell (several), peacock, brimstone, green-veined white and common blue (a first for me here).
On a sunny corner of the junction of Cutnook Lane and Twelve Yards Road on Chat Moss around midday today, 4 Commas and a Small Tortoishell were feeding on Pussy Willow tree bloom along with a multitude of various bees, whilst three Brimstones patrolled the edges of the wood.
15.00-16.45 1 small dragonfly still flying around along the track down LW Moss seen from the car. I assume either Black Darter or Common Darter but couldn't get a clear ID Spindle Tree noted along Astley Road A number of interesting fungi but most I couldn't put a name to!
Dragonflies: numerous Black Darter (all males), 1 Brown Hawker, 2 Common Darter Butterflies: 5 Common Blue, 2 Meadow Brown, 2 Large White Flowers: numerous Evening Primrose
5 Common Lizard 2 Toadlets Lots of Dragonfies - Black Darter, Emperor, Common Hawker, Common Darter Butterflies - Meadow Brown, Large White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper An interesting Hoverfly sp. - googled it later - I think it was a Deadhead Hoverfly? Horseflies !!
Also here, plenty of common and black darter, and several red admiral.
Lots of horseflies on both Irlam and Little Woolden Mosses; although I can't ID them beyond 'horsefly', at least two different species got me today. Did at least give me an opportunity to properly appreciate what stunning looking little animals they are, though.
Excellent day for butterflies on Irlam and Little Woolden Mosses yesterday, with the following species all spied:
Green-veined white, small white, large white, ringlet, gatekeeper, small copper, comma, small tortoiseshell, peacock, speckled wood and red admiral.
No meadow brown, though, which was just plain bizarre. Very happy to see small copper, as I've only ever had a couple of sightings before, and they're glorious little creatures; small, but perfectly formed.
Black darter, common darter, brown hawker, migrant hawker and a couple of un-ID'd larger hawkers around too; mostly on Irlam Moss, surprisingly, with only black darter seen on little Woolden (lots of them there, though).
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Monday 1st of August 2016 02:08:50 PM
1 Brown Hawker, 1 Broad Bodied Chaser dragonflies and 1 Large Red damselfly. 1 Birds Wing moth. 2 groups of "Nemophora Degeerella" micro-moths doing their aerial dance.
1 Small Copper, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and 1 Speckled Wood butterflies. 2 "Ichneumon Suspiciosus" or similar species.
6-8 Dingy Skipper seen along the path. Never seen these before on the mosses! 1 Large Skipper 1 Short-tailed Vole ran across the path just in front of me.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 12th of June 2016 07:02:54 PM
50+ large red damselflies on Little Woolden Moss today; my first odonata of the year.
Also about over Irlam / Little Woolden Mosses were peacock, orange tip, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood (my first of the year) and large white butterflies.
Few inverts knocking about but a search revealed this little critter a Pseudo-scorpion. It's a member of the spider family. Twenty nine species recorded in the UK very difficult to ID. They live in birds nests, in books, in sphagnum, under bark, in leaf litter, etc. Reported to be common if unrecorded due to their elusive nature . Another was found on Chatmoss/little Woolden Moss as seen on their Facebook Page. Looks similar to this but that was found in sphagnum. This was found in leaf litter on Astley Moss. The coin is a 5p.
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Sunday 20th of March 2016 10:40:24 PM
Black-tailed skimmer Black darter (by far the most numerous, it seemed) Common darter Common hawker Emperor
Did a few butterfly counts, too; gatekeeper by far the most numerous, but small white, meadow brown, small tortoiseshell and peacock in decent numbers, and a couple of red admiral, too.
Astley Moss. Chrysolina fastuosa Dead Netle Leaf Beetle on Hemp Nettle also flowering. Electric Green, Blue and red. Only seen in GM before by me at Highfield Moss. Also Rutpela maculate a bright yellow black longhorm beetle.
try the latin name which allowed me to report it ok
Ian,
I did, but it definitely doesn't compute on the ad hoc reporting system. Anyway, I signed in for the 'full service' and was able to put the report in. What a great little creature it is, and a fine addition to our local biodiversity.
Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Agapanthia villosoviridescens more of this longhorn beetle with two seen
Saw a couple of these myself during the week locally (Romiley). I tried to add the sighting on RODIS (ad-hoc) but because the species is not in their data bank, I couldn't. Is there a way round this?
Few bits Moth-Gold Swift Phymatopus hecta feeds on Bracken. Common Sexton Beetle - Nicrophorus vespilloides Red banded beetle Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Agapanthia villosoviridescens more of this longhorn beetle with two seen and Luperus longicornis (a Leaf Beetle)
Bugs Spear Thistle Lacebug - Tingis cardui seen as common but under recorded. red legged shield bug instar Butterflies Small Copper Common Blue, Small T.Shell, large Skipper, Moths Yellow-barred Long-horn , cinnabar moth, Four Spotted Chaser, Red Damsel Azure Damsel,
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens, Azure Damsel, Common Blue Damsel, Blue Tailed Damsel Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Agapanthia villosoviridescens (Prev seen by LWT staff) Common Malachite Beetle - Malachius bipustulatus Dolycoris baccarum Hairy Shieldbug
Today on the LWT/GMRC event with among a lot of other stuff on a very enjoyable few hours Black Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus humator with gamasid mites hitching a ride Highfield Moss recovering from recent fires lots of Lousewort in flower and Heath Bedstraw