wed 30 Aug pm. Female Southern hawker dragonfly, female migrant hawker, common darter. a possible small Heath butterfly. Photo of southern hawker attached.
Some butterflies etc. from the last week or so down dark lane.
large skipper, comma, red admiral, gatekeeper,
small tortoiseshell, green veined, small and large white
plenty of meadow browns.
Banded demoiselle near sinderland green
Common green grasshoppers down dark lane and a possible woodland grasshopper(rare round these parts but the length of the song matched, its awaiting review.
some phone photos attached of the common hopper , skipper, comma and tortoiseshell
Yesterday with Tony Darby in the meadow area off Dark Lane alongside Sinderland Brook pm:
Banded Demoiselle 6+ Emerald Damselfly 3 Large Skipper 3 Brimstone 2 Orange-tip 2 Painted Lady 1 numerous unidentified Green-veined or Small Whites on the wing Large numbers of Southern Marsh Orchids
Hawkweed Oxtongue (only recorded in 1 GM tetrad) Ploughman's-spikenade (not recorded in GM) Also some Teasels with pinnate leaves, something I've not seen before.
Out on the moss: Large-flowered Hemp-nettle and Marsh Woundwort in profusion in amongst the crops. Lots of other stuff throughout the area.
The Geater Burnet-saxifrage plants at Sinderland Green have been reduced from 20 down to 4 after some unnecessary verge mowing (this plant also not recorded in GM).
This morning in scrub area from Altrincham ETW north to Swiss Cottage Farm 7 species of butterfly: Peacock 28 Small Tortoishell 13 Orange-Tip 7 Brimstone 8 Speckled Wood 1 Comma 1 Green-veined White 4
f2 is looking particularly good at the moment. The Flax crop with its blue flowers is good enough alone, but even better with large swathes of Large-flowered Hemp-nettle mixed in. The latter plus Common Hemp-nettle also along the edge of the crop on f25.
In the Carrington Moss area today - Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange-tip, Small White and Peacock butterflies. Then when I got home a Large White through my garden, the first 6 butterfly day of the year
Tues 6th Nov c.5.15pm 3 Bats along cycle path at back of MUFC as I cycled home in the dark! 2 seemed to be Pipestrelles but the other seemed a touch bigger. Any ideas?
Thurs 8th Nov c.5.30pm 1 Pipestrelle around Woodcote Stables
John, if you fancy a real challenge, have a wander down Dark Lane in the Sinderland Brook area, the clegs down there can smell your fear from 50 yards, and they show no mercy. Whilst you're in the area, you could nip in to Brookheys Covert and have some more blood removed by the giant mosquitoes that lie in wait for the unwary birder.
The joys of birding Carrington Moss in the Summer.
John, if you fancy a real challenge, have a wander down Dark Lane in the Sinderland Brook area, the clegs down there can smell your fear from 50 yards, and they show no mercy. Whilst you're in the area, you could nip in to Brookheys Covert and have some more blood removed by the giant mosquitoes that lie in wait for the unwary birder.
The joys of birding Carrington Moss in the Summer.
05/06/2012 - Pyrenean Lily (Lilium pyrenaicum) growing at Altrincham Sewage Works this afternoon, a few naturalised clumps sporting lovely yellow drooping flowers. This is about the 3rd record for Greater Manchester.
Also Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris) at it's only GM site by the pools.
-- Edited by Henry Cook on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 06:58:35 PM