We had a quick family walk around the lake yesterday for 1 hour. Not much birds about but there was a Terrapin sunning itself at Teal Pool. Also from my tram at 06:21 on Saturday morning at SWP tram stop, I thought/hoped it was a Stoat (not seen one this year), but it was a Mink carrying one it's young over the tram tracks, up the ramp, across the road & into the bushes. Must be moving den.
Looking at the pond next to Broad Eas Dole (to the left, if your back is facing the main lake) we saw a pretty large terrapin hauled out on what looked like a Coot's nest (or similar) in the centre of the pond. Looked about 10 inches long and no doubt has accounted for more than a few birds eggs in its time.
By far the most notable thing I saw here today was undoubtedly a pair of hornets, feeding quite high up on flowers in an ivy-covered ash, near to the stepping stones. Not a species I've ever had locally, and one I've only ever seen on a handful of occasions before.
Also 4 common darter (two copulating), 2 brown hawker and several speckled wood.
Lots of butterflies about here today, with small skipper, gatekeeper (first of the year), meadow brown, small white, large white, small tortoisehell, comma and peacock all about.
Good numbers of odonata, too; lots of common blue damselflies, a nice sized colony of azure damselflies on the outflow channel (lots of copulating and ovipositing going on), 8+ brown hawker, 2 southern hawker and a single emperor zipping over the outflow channel.
Quite a few azure and (especially) common blue damselfly around here today; also several mayflies over the lake itself. Only butterfly seen was a speckled wood.
After reading (and then googling) Steve's recent post on the Rochdale (other wildlife) sightings I came across two clumps of Autumn Crocus (Crocus Nudiflorus) on the banks of the Mersey today.
Family of mink at Broad Ees Dole. I was close enough to have picked one of the kits up, had I fancied losing a finger. Sadly, though, probably the reason why I see little evidence of chicks here, and those I do see don't seem to last long.
Also a fox on the river bank.
-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 19th of June 2015 11:37:33 PM
First night of the year out with the bat detector tonight; tens of common pipistrelle flitting around, feeding on the multitude of tiny flies that were about.
Not strictly Sale WP (but doubt it's worth it's own thread) there's a massive emergence of Large Skippers and Six Spot Burnets out just the other side of the motorway bridge behind Priory Gardens. Fantastic to watch, skippers are very aggressive and attack any of the other insects.
Azure damselflies in profusion this afternoon. Many, many hundreds over the main lake and Broad Ees Dole. They were particularly active at the overflow channel where their mating and egg laying could be more easily observed . Also a very smart looking male Large Red Damselfly.
whilst watching the corvid roost from the bank off the mersey,me & phil had at least 6 bats whizzing around us, only small ones so probably pipistrelles.