Hi Tim, I have seen Fallow Deer on numerous occasions, and they are breeding as I saw young ones last year. They are presumably escapes from Smithills Open Farm, and a few months ago I saw a buck at the fence on the outside of the enclosure, with another buck at the fence inside the enclosure, quite happy together. When I first saw them reported on here I also wondered about them. Obviously there are still plenty of Roe Deer about also.
Chatting to farmers and horse riders I am led to believe there are maybe a dozen living wild.
Pair of Fallow Deer watched me walking up Coal Pit Road, and were still lying in the same place when I came back down again. A fine set of antlers on the buck.
1 Grey Squirrel running along the road by the last two masts. A surprise for the workmen there. I have seen them by the masts and along Dean Ditch years ago, a long way from the nearest tree. Violet Ground Beetle at Dean Ditch Small Tortoiseshell at Bryan Hey Reservoir Peacock along Coal Pit Lane
Bryan Hey Reservoir :- 2 Common Blue damselflies White-tailed Bumblebees 1 Green-veined White 1 Speckled Wood
Coal Pit Lane :- 1 Green-veined White 1 Small Tortoiseshell 4 Peacocks 2 Gatekeepers 1 Meadow Brown 1 hairy caterpillar in road, unable to identify but not a woolly bear Common Green Grasshoppers + Field Grasshopper Common Pond Skaters in a puddle
Roe Deer and youngster in deep cover Brown Hawkers near pond, one caught what looked like a Cranefly and managed to get some film of it eating it. http://youtu.be/kKskLqrUGZg Blue tailed and Azure Damselflies also in good numbers. Meadow Brown, small Copper, Gatekeeper and Peacock Butterflies all present
A Weasel on the path in front of me near the quarries today was a nice sighting, it took cover in the ditches at the side. waited for a while but didnt re show
Very likely - Black Darter are very common up on the moors around here and are one of the last species on the wing locally. When I read your description it was the first thing that sprang to mind.
Thanks Mike, your suggestion sparked another look through the possibilities, which I hadn't really done before. It wasn't a Broad-bodied Chaser as it's body (arse end) wasn't that wide, rather it was narrower by the thorax and flattened out slightly by S7/8/9 (if my topography's correct!). It was basically the same dark colour but I noticed four yellow 'spots' near the end of the abdomen.
I came across the illustration and images of Black Darter which seems to fit very well with what I saw. What's the likelihood of this species up there?
Small Copper around the pond by the Big Hedge Single Speckled Woods by the cottages on Georges Lane and also by the dell Single Large White heading out across Wildersmoor Single Small Tortoiseshells by the cottages on Georges Lane and on Burnt Edge Single Red Admirals on Wildersmoor and Burnt Edge 2 Common Blues by the cottages on Georges Lane
In Brownstones Quarry some marvellous dragonflies caught my eye so I set about identifying them with the aid of my Birdguides dragonfly app which I've had (unused) for about two months now! Needless to say I narrowed them down to either Common or Migrant Hawker but after nearly 40 minutes I gave in and conceded defeat. It was like starting out birding again but worse as the damn things wouldn't sit still for a second.
There was also another dragonfly, much smaller, very dull and dark looking with what looked like four tiny yellowish spots right on the tip of its arse end, or whatever its called. Also, said 'arse end' looked like it had been hit with a spade as it was slightly flatter than the rest of the arsy bit.