lots and lots of invertebrates but best of were Common Groundhopper-not often recorded but almost certainly overlooked, Ampedus balteatus Click beetle with a two third bright red electra, Longhorn Beetle Rhagium mordax fierce looking big things that is in reality a veggie, and a bright red weevil Attelabus nitens which is a leaf rolling weevil. It lays a single egg and rolls is up in a leaf to protect it. appears to be quite rare in GMC again probably overlooked and possibly at the edge of its range in the northwest according to NBN.
En route to Little Woolden I noticed a huge Rhubarb plant growing wild in a Hedge, and then another and then three more on the Horizon. An Advisory Plan originally published in 1947 by Rowland Nicholas and J. Hellier reported that at that time Celery Lettuce and Rhubarb were chief in the area.
-- Edited by Ian Boote on Monday 18th of May 2015 02:53:11 PM
3 Peacock & 5 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies seen, mainly around Astley Moss Scrapes.
1 dragonfly here too, unsure of the species, but not a Four Spotted Chaser, as the wings were unmarked, it also had a thin brown body, looked a smallish hawker?.
Hi Tim, it's likely to have been a Large Red Damselfly, an early emerging species
thanks Dave. Looking in my dragonflies book and reading the entry that is indeed what it was - almost bang on the average emergence date. The thorax was black with an iridescent sheen and the wings had a shimmering newly unfurled quality. I read they hugely increase their weight during their brief lives - males by 14% and females by 66%. Acid soils and ditches are favoured so I imagine they are common on the moss and the SSSI
Tony Darby and I had a very small orange-abdomened Dragonfly today in the line of wood off the feeding track off Rindle Road this afternoon. It was possibly a Common Darter but seemed smaller. Incredibly early either way
Creeping Corydalis in Flower Other things Scarlet Elf Cap, Zebra Spider, Saldula saltatoria Common Shore Bug, crab spider Xysticus cristatus, and two basking Common Lizards Lacerta vivipara.
Besides the Clouded Yellows mentioned in the bird thread Loads of Common Blue, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, 2 Small Copper, Large White, Black Darters, Emerald Damsels, and a small patch of wild Pansy, Viola tricolor on waste land
A minimum of 4 Clouded Yellows (both males and females from photos of upper wing) 62 Common Blues 2 Peacocks 1 Red Admiral 1 Small Copper 3 Small Tortoiseshells 2 Small Whites 2 Meadow Browns
Loads of Black Darters, 2 Four-spot Chasers and 3 Toads
Good views of two hunting Stoats this afternoon along the Rindle road feeding track. Also seen on various parts of the mosses was another Stoat, Grey squirrel, plenty of Rabbits, 2 Toads , Common Frog.
A stoat ran within 2m of where I was supping hot Ribena on the edge of the SSSI this am. Also some very cute baby rabbits feeding on edge of field 67. Fortunately for them they were a good way away from the stoat........
Good numbers of Broad-bodied Chasers, Four-spotted Chasers and Large Red Damselflies at Astley Moss, along the edge of Rindle Wood and the SSSI this morning. All that was missing was a Hobby to come along and chase them.
Around the loop path by Astley Moss SSSI this afternoon single Brimstone patrolling up and down by the scrapes in the old carrot field, 2 male Orange Tips, 12 Peacock, 9 Small Tortoishell and a few whites I didn't get a good look at.
8 Rabbits 2 Grey squirrels 5 Brown rats And due to the amount of bugs flying about 2 Noctule Bats and at least 20 Pipistrelle around the srcapes and the edges of Bedford moss.
7 Brown rats including 2 young on the feeding track, they don't mind the birds but do react to any bird giving out an alarm call. Grey Squirrel in Rindle woods Water vole swimming down the full length of the ditch. Small Shrew seen in the grass Toad and 4 adult Frogs near the SSSI
2 Weasels running across 12 Yards road Grey Squirrel in woods beside 12 Yards road 4 very well fed Brown rats on the feeding track at Rindle 2 Small tortoiseshell butterflies 1 small white butterfly, I'm not really sure of its id.
I watched a Stoat dancing in the snow this afternoon. It was at the edge of the potato field near to the path next to the SSSI and when I first saw it jumping about I thought that it was hunting nearby prey. I have seen Stoats before try to mesmerize Rabbits by jumping about , while getting closer and closer to the Rabbit before the attack. This was very different in that the Stoat crawled on its belly in the snow,then rolled over a couple of times, them jumped and ran about and then back to rolling about in the snow. It danced about for about 4-5 minutes and it did seem to be enjoying itself.
Also there was plenty of tracks in the snow around the mosses this afternoon including;
Rabbit, all over the place Small dog, along the paths Stoat, in three areas Squirrel, Rindle woods Brown rat tracks at the feeding track and some that I did not recognise.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 7th of June 2014 06:21:09 PM
I watched a Stoat in the field between Rindle woods and Rindle road this afternoon. At one point it stood upright as it watched the many Fieldfare working their way across the field.
Stoat near green sheds on Astley Road. A juv Pied Wagtail was mesmerised by it until some lads came along on scooters and the stoat scarpered, only to reappear when they had passed. A few dragonflies also
Chat moss Stoat hunting around two piles of bricks opposite Red Challis farm.
Also on Saturday [12/5] evening a Buzzard was perched on a fence post beside field 69. A couple of young Rabbits were feeding on the grass close by. One Rabbit got too close to the Buzzards post and the bird just dropped on the rabbit and very quickly killed it and carried it off to the trees beside the rail track.
2 Rabbits Plenty of Buff tailed bumble bees about Lots of Frog spawn in the ponds and the ditches and a small amount of Toad spawn with one dead Toad found near the scrapes
6 Brown rats all under the feeders on the Rindle road feeding track including 2 which had a disagreement and started a fight, lots of jumping about and I was able to get very close to watch.
5 Rabbits in f69 2 Pipistrelle bats over Bedford moss 3 small rodents caught by a pair of Kestrels following the plough in f67 Plenty of Frogs and two Toads on Rindle road.