It seems Spring was a little late this year. Recent visits have confirmed a few specimens of Bog Beacon upstream of the pre-Millenium site and good numbers in the 2019 site. Nice to know it hasn't been lost to the area.
Otherwise, 2 Speckled Woods, 1 Small Heath and the usual, just out of range smattering of Whites.
No sign of Bog Beacon at any site this year, including upstream of what was apparently the original site pre-Millennium. Changes in the canopy over the first two sites (pre 2014) have changed the nature of them - deciduous leaves rather than pine needles now at one and the spread of Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage at the other. The site found in 2019 appears to have dried out completely, but there doesn't seem to be any change to conditions at what was the main site in 2019.
Otherwise several Peacock butterflies, a Queen Bumble Bee which eluded identification and some golden dung flies (not capitalised because that's their colour and food source rather than a Specific name)
Ringlet......several Small Tortoisehell 3 inc 1 up at Chew Dam Peacock 2 Meadow Brown....several Small Heath....stopped counting after 10 Speckled Wood....2 Whites....various none near enough or stopped long enough for me to check markings Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar 1 on Ragwort up near Chew Res
Swarm of male Solitary Mason Bees near one of the bridges where the Chew Brook enters Dove Stone reservoir, and one of the red-tailed spider-hunting wasps associated with pine - "The one that's not supposed to be here" apparently, but is ; both courtesy of Richard and James, local entomologists out checking their patch and happy to share their sightings. Good general socially-distanced natter about bees, wasps, hover flies, fungi, birds, the Essex Skipper, the Manchester Argus (not the newspaper!) black spider-hunting wasp ninjas and the anomalies of the latest local restrictions.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Friday 31st of July 2020 09:00:41 PM
The main site for Bog Beacon has now been overgrown with Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, probably as a result of the gaping holes torn in the canopy by last year's storms, so very few specimens could be found today, although there is some extension to the boggy areas down the slope. However, the nearby secondary site seems to be doing well, with clumps of 24 and 54 as well as a good spread of individual specimens throughout it's length. A new site has also appeared a few yards south- east along the path with a few fruiting bodies in evidence.
A butterfly species was glimpsed while we were having our butties by the side of Yeoman Hey as it appeared briefly above the tussocky heather. Seen initially as a dark shape it showed a warm brown tone as it briefly settled on a patch of grass but was lost to view before either of us could get a good view of it and couldn't be located anywhere in the vicinity. Neither of us thought it was big enough for Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell, Mike A's initial reaction being Small Copper but it was too big for that. Given Green Hairstreaks are already on the wing could either Ringlet or Mountain Ringlet be a possibility?
Hi Mike,
The answers are 'no' and 'no'. Had you considered emperor moth which is very likely over heather moorland at this time of year?
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
I thought that might be the case.
I wondered about Emperor Moth when I was writing the post (Waring and Townsend mentions confusion with Nymphalid butterflies) but I'm not sure it was big enough and when it settled vertically on the side of the tussock it held its' wings up and away from the body in that classic butterfly V . The angled view of it I had through my bins showed a uniformity of colour from the base of the left wings across the body and onto the right wings. We were at an angle to it and more of the right wing was visible, so I think the eye spot might have shown. I guess it will be 'one that got away'
The main site for Bog Beacon has now been overgrown with Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, probably as a result of the gaping holes torn in the canopy by last year's storms, so very few specimens could be found today, although there is some extension to the boggy areas down the slope. However, the nearby secondary site seems to be doing well, with clumps of 24 and 54 as well as a good spread of individual specimens throughout it's length. A new site has also appeared a few yards south- east along the path with a few fruiting bodies in evidence.
A butterfly species was glimpsed while we were having our butties by the side of Yeoman Hey as it appeared briefly above the tussocky heather. Seen initially as a dark shape it showed a warm brown tone as it briefly settled on a patch of grass but was lost to view before either of us could get a good view of it and couldn't be located anywhere in the vicinity. Neither of us thought it was big enough for Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell, Mike A's initial reaction being Small Copper but it was too big for that. Given Green Hairstreaks are already on the wing could either Ringlet or Mountain Ringlet be a possibility?
Hi Mike,
The answers are 'no' and 'no'. Had you considered emperor moth which is very likely over heather moorland at this time of year?
The main site for Bog Beacon has now been overgrown with Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, probably as a result of the gaping holes torn in the canopy by last year's storms, so very few specimens could be found today, although there is some extension to the boggy areas down the slope. However, the nearby secondary site seems to be doing well, with clumps of 24 and 54 as well as a good spread of individual specimens throughout it's length. A new site has also appeared a few yards south- east along the path with a few fruiting bodies in evidence.
A butterfly species was glimpsed while we were having our butties by the side of Yeoman Hey as it appeared briefly above the tussocky heather. Seen initially as a dark shape it showed a warm brown tone as it briefly settled on a patch of grass but was lost to view before either of us could get a good view of it and couldn't be located anywhere in the vicinity. Neither of us thought it was big enough for Peacock or Small Tortoiseshell, Mike A's initial reaction being Small Copper but it was too big for that. Given Green Hairstreaks are already on the wing could either Ringlet or Mountain Ringlet be a possibility?
Small Copper - my first ever, they are stunning little things Small Heath Painted Lady Peacock - loads and loads of them Dark Green Fritillary - from the path back to Greenfield along Chew Brook, below the road into Dove Stones, what a beauty this was Meadow Brown Gatekeeper Comma Red Admiral Speckled Wood Large White Small White Holly Blue - down near The Clarence, pointed out to me by Ken Gartside, nice to meet you mate and thanks for this one!
Hundreds and hundreds of red-thighed St Mark's flies, Bibio pomonae, around Chew Reservoir and surrounds yesterday (also known as heather flies, so perhaps not surprising!).
Very beautiful flies seen up close, but the amount of them that blundered into me, I'm surprised I didn't end up inadvertently eating a couple of them.
Tomorrow we will be in search of 'The Ballerina' or Pink Waxcap. It is a beautiful mushroom, having a bright pink cap and white stem. It is a BAP species so it would be great to find it here (it does occur in Rochdale and in other Oldham sites). So fingers crossed! (Though on the back of the worst fungi season I remember I will not hold my breath!).
We will be updating our facebook page (link below) during the day with the highlight finds and of course a full list will be on here in the near future!
