An afternoon Newchurch Common Walk in warm sunshine.

A Small Copper in Big Pool east meadows was the best species of butterfly. Another excellent sighting was at least 25 Large Whites and 20 Small Whites in a new area of 'beetle bank' on the Common Farm loop. More Speckled Woods (8) today than any other walk this summer.

A good odonata day with the first 2 Migrant Hawkers of the year, both over the same 'beetle bank' strip on the Common Farm loop, one obligingly landing for pictures. Also here was a female Black Darter, another away from the core population on the mosslands. A male Ruddy Darter was in Big Pool Island Cut meadow. Also seen were at last 6 Brown Hawkers on the whole walk and a Common Darter. Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies were also seen.

A Red Bug (Deraeocoris ruber) was by the track near Big Pool SW Corner Glade and was a totally new species for patch. A burying beetle that flew and landed in a gorse remained unidentified due to it being totally covered with Poecilochirus mite deutonymphs, it was totally covered so that not even the colour of the beetle could be seen! Needless to say the mites were recorded as new for patch! Another new mite record was from galls on a Damson tree leaf, made by the mite Eriophyes similis.

A small group of 6 Lung (also called Pale) Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) were in the edge of the woods on the east side of Small Pool.

Single Wild Plum (Prunus domestica) and Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)  trees were covered in fruit as well as many Damson (Prunus domestica subsp insititia) and Sloe/ Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) trees too.

A morning on the mosslands part of my Newchurch Patch, sunny and hot again.

A small (prob male) Grass Snake and 3 Common Lizards were seen today.

Several butterflies and odonata were on the wing. The stand out sighting were 2 male Common Hawkers over one of the pools on Shemmy Moss, the first of the year. These were chasing and whizzing around constantly but did come close at times. Five other species of dragonfly were seen, namely 3m Emperors, 2 Four-spotted Chasers, a Brown Hawker, 3 Common Darters and 40 Black Darters, 2 pairs of which were in cop and ovipositing.

A large wasp on the edge of the moss proved to be my first ever Median Wasp (Dolichovespula media) on the patch. This species is a relatively recent UK colonist and is almost as big as our native Hornet, the queens often being mistaken for Hornets by experienced naturalists.

A Sericomyia silentis hoverfly was a first of the ear. also seen were Melanostoma mellinum and Platycheirus albimanus hoverflies, both not new for 2025... I think!

A Green Tiger Beetle was still at large amongst the heather. Again 4 Green Leaf-hoppers were seen near the edges of the pools.

New spiders were Liyphia triangularis and Garden-cross Orb-weaver whilst another 4-spot Orb-weaver was seen.

In the Big Pool area of Newchurch Common this afternoon, dull and mild, no sun.

A nice shoal of around 15 Perch were by a peg on the north side of the pool.

A few butterflies, the most noteworthy being a Small Copper in the east meadows.

Only one dragonfly but a female Black Darter in the east meadows was the first of that species away from the mosses this year.

Several moths were seen, the best undoubtably being a huge Poplar Hawkmoth, my first here, flying past north of the Pine Belt. Also seen were at least 30 Straw Grass-moths (Agriphila straminella) in all the meadows, a new moth this year. Another new species was Scalloped Tortrix (Acleris emargana)Other moths seen for a repeat time were Straw Dot, Blood-vein, Mother-of-Pearl and Dingy Footman.

Leafmines of a sawfly Profenusa pygmaea were in several oak leaves in the pine belt.

A Common Stiletto Fly (Thereva nobilitata) was near the entrance barrier and the Marsh Snipefly (Rhagio tringarius) was at the NE corner of the Pine Belt. One holly bush was full of leafmines of the Holly Leafminer fly (Phytomyza ilicis).

Two new leaf hopper bugs were found, Aphrodes makarovi andPopulicerus albicans, both near Big Pool Island Cut. There were 4 Hairy Shieldbugs here too, including 2 final instar nymphs and 2 adults.

A new fungus added today was the minute Frosty Bonnet (Mycena tenerrrima) in leaf litter in a copse in the east meadows.

A morning walk in the weak sun, but still warm, on the mossland part of my Newchurch Patch.

A Common Lizard was basking today.

The massive butterfly highlight was a Purple Hairstreak that was also basking, down at low level with its wings open. To get one low down is rare but to get it basking, wings open is even rarer!!

There were 3m Emperors today but little else of note odonata-wise.

Both a Common Carpet and a Diamondback Moth were photographed.

The hoverfly Melanostoma mellinum was a repeat sighting on patch but a first on Shemmy Moss. All 3 Long Hoverflies seen were females and so not IDable to species. A Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae) was photographed.

A new species was Four-banded Beegrabber (Conops quadrifasciatus) whilst a repeat was Ferruginous Beegrabber.

Around 5 Green Leafhoppers (Cicadella viridis) were new for patch and a bog specialist species.

A nice group of around 8 Sphagnum Greyling fungi were amongst the sphagnum!

..................... AND : the advantages of being well known on my Local Patch paid dividends again, on leaving I was picked up by a Nursery tractor and driven back to my car parked outside the Nursery approach road entrance, brilliant 

On my BTO WeBS Count at Newchurch Common so not as much time for other wildlife today, hot & sunny.

Standing by Small Pool counting birds I noticed several small shoals of fish in the shallows, overall the total was 45 Perch, including one around 10cm long whereas the rest were only tiddlers up to 4cm!

A Purple Hairstreak was seen in a new oak, on the south side of Small Pool.

On Small Pool a Common Darter and a male Emperor were noted.

After finding a male and a female Southern Oak Bush Cricket in our Moulton garden in the past 2 years today we found 2 Southern Oak Bush Cricket nymphs as we lightly trimmed vegetation ready for the green bin collection tomorrow! It was all of 3mm long and green on green but my wife Carys spotted them and it's post-eye operation, hopefully proves that the op worked!! As nymphs it theoretically isn't possible to distinguish them from Oak Bush Cricket, but as we have never recorded that species in our garden I think our best guess ID is safe 

An afternoon mainly around Big Pool, Newchurch Common, sunny & hot.

A fab butterfly day with 15 species seen in a small area of the patch! The best of these was a Purple Hairstreak down on brambles on Sandy Lane. The bad news was that I forgot my phone so no photos, poo! Around 5 Essex Skippers today in North Meadow including a mating pair, and at least 16 Small Skippers too. It was a good day for emergents with 20 Meadow Browns, 40 Gatekeepers and 30 Large Whites seen. Other species were Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Comma, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and 2 Holly Blue.

A stunning male Ruddy Darter was the first 'red' one of this species seen. Also seen were Common Darter and Brown Hawker as well as Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies.

The first Six-spot Burnet of the year was in North Meadow and around 15 Shaded Broad-bar moths were seen. Another new species was Straw Grass-moth (Agriphila straminella).

Two Cherry Galls were on an oak leaf on Sandy Lane, made by the Cherry Gall Wasp Cynips quercusfolii.

Another Common Field Grasshopper was photographed, this one being the biggest yet.

The pink form of Hedge Bindweed was on Sandy Lane.

A very short walk on my Newchurch Patch am, some light drizzle and just mild not hot, for a change!

A totally new hoverfly for me, Melanostoma mellinum was added, seen in the Big Pool SW Glade.

A new fly addition to the yearlist was the caddisfly Mottled Sedge (Glyphotaelius pellucidus), near the main track just west of the pools.

At least 7 Tawny Grisette mushrooms were in their old traditional location, but as my patch has been hit by indiscriminate fungi foragers, who strip the area of every fungus and then ID later, I'm not revealing the exact location.

A Dark Mullein plant and 2 Intermediate Evening Primroses were new and in the Big Pool SW Glade.

Morning on the Shemmy Moss part of my Newchurch Local path. Sunny & hot.

A Common Lizard skittered off as I walked through.

A good butterfly walk with 2 Small Coppers and 5 Gatekeepers being the highlights. Other species were Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.

An old looking Brown Silver-line moth was photographed.

Repeat orthoptera were multiples of both Bog Bush Cricket and Common Field Grasshopper.

The first Tawny Grisette mushroom (Amanita fulva) of the year was seen in an area that I've never found them before.

A very short walk on Newchurch pre-swan rescue (see bird thread!). Cloudy but warm.

Currently in Big Pool there are shoals of young fish. Ones that I have managed to ID so far have been Carp and Perch.

A few butterflies were out including Small Skippers and Ringlets but the best was a pristine, newly emerged Peacock.

A Common Wasp was photographed face on to prove it's identity! A nice Ferruginous Sawfly (Tenthredo ferruginea) was in the Big Pool east meadows.

A Long Hoverfly (prob Sphaerophoria scripta) was in the east meadows too. Nearby the first Tapered Dronefly for a while was photographed.

A Harlequin Ladybird of the form conspicua was in the east meadow as was a 4th instar Green Shieldbug.

A Broad Centurion Fly (Chloromyia formosa) was also in east meadow.

A good morning on the mosslands section of my Newchurch Patch. Overcast but warm, no breeze.

A nice male Grass Snake was on Shemmy Moss again, same place as on Friday 27th.

There were 2(1m) Black-tailed Skimmers on Shemmy Moss, including the first 'blue' male this year.

Just 1 Grass Wave moth was seen.

Two types of gall were on the same oak on one of the tracks, Artichoke Gall by the Gall Wasp Andricus foecundatrix, and Silk-button Spangle Gall by the Gall wasp Neuroterus numismalis.

The biggest find was the national mega Cheshire Horsefly (Atylotus plebeius), a species that I re-discovered here after it hadn't been seen for many years and is now only known from 2 sites in the whole of the UK, my patch being one! It took up its typical head-down pose that I saw it doing last year and then walked slowly around the heather stem but took off before I got a picture! Also seen, and new for 2025, were 3 Awkward Cluster Flies (Pollenia rudis), a common fly here.

A Striped Millipede was the first on the mosses but the second of the year on patch.

A wetland specialist spider, a Piratula sp. was seen carrying an egg sac on the moss.

Another bog specialist found today was the small mushroom Bog Bell (Galerina paludosa).

All day on my Newchurch Patchm am near the pools, pm on the mosses, fine and dry with some sun.

A good day for reptiles with a Grass Snake, a Common Lizard and a Red-eared Terrapin all seen, the latter not so welcome! The snake was quite small, possibly a male and it and the lizard were on Shemmy Moss. The terrapin was in Small Pool. A Common Toad-let was by Small Pool too.

There were up to 3 Purple Hairstreaks in the crown of the favourite oak tree today near the main track between the pools. An extra butterfly to add to yesterdays haul was a Small Tortoiseshell, making 13 species over the two days!

As yesterday was 12 species of butterfly, today was 12 species of odonata! The best find was a Ruddy Darter on Shemmy Moss, a new species for the year. Also seen on the mosses only were 27 Black Darters, a Common Darter, 2(1m) Emperors and 2 Four-spotted Chasers. More widespread were Brown Hawker, and the 6 damselflies, Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed, Red-eyed, Large Red and Common Emerald.

A great find were 2ad Scarlet Tiger Moths, after previously having only seen the caterpillars. It was only a matter of time, but today was that day!! They were in the Big Pool SW Glade where I find the caterpillars. Also seen again this year were a few Celypha lacunana micromoths all in Gull Pool. A Silver Y moth was on Newchurch Common again in the meadows. A Horse Chestnut with nearly every leaf showing the mines of the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moth (Cameraria ohridella) was by the Whitegate Way. Exit holes in a log in Gull Pool Wood looked very like those of the Lunar Hornet Clearwing moth.

The cuckoo bee Bombus sylvestris (Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee) was on Shemmy Moss and was new this year. Up to 10 Marmalade Hoverflies were seen with one photographed.

The black beetle Pterostichus nigrita was in Gull Pool Wood under a log. A Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) was on Shemmy Moss. At least 20 Harlequin Ladybirds were by Shemmy Moss. A Click Beetle larva was under a log in Gull Pool Wood, but no further ID was possible. A Potato Capsid Bug Closterotomus norwegicus was on Musk-mallow in the Big Pool SW Glade. A Green Shieldbug was on Shemmy Moss by the entrance road as well as a Dock Bug. 

Again over 10 Bog Bush Crickets were on Shemmy Moss and over 6 Roesel's Bush Crickets were seen in the Big Pool Meadows.

Another Ferruginous Bee-grabber was seen, this one in Gull Pool Wood. The lacewing Chrysopa perla was again on Shemmy Moss.

A nice fungus was deep in the wet moss on Shemmy Moss, Gymnopus aquosus and was a new species for patch. Also new was a Pavement Mushroom (Agaricus bitorquis) by the nursery entrance road. The fungal infection Dasineura pustulans was on bramble leaves  on Newchurch Common.

New plants photographed were Musk-mallow and Perforate St.John's Wort, both in the Big Pool SW Glade. Hedge Bindweed was confirmed as the species growing in Big Pool SW Glade.

An afternoon walk today to get the best of the weather, warm, some sun but breezy at times.

A good butterfly day with twelve species on the wing, easily my best butterfly day of the year! There were 2 Essex Skippers, a Large Skipper and an amazing 21 Small Skippers in Big Pool north meadow today. As I was leaving a highlight was a Purple Hairstreak in an oak canopy near the entrance barriers on Novia Scotia Lane. Around 17 Commas were noted, all fresh and looking superb in the sunshine. The three whites, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White were all seen as were the browns Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and 40 Ringlets, whilst 3 Red Admirals made up the twelve species for today.

As well as the common damselflies there were a male Southern Hawker, 3 Brown Hawkers and a Common Darter in the Big Pool meadows today.

Moths were wellrepresented too with a Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet and 3 Silver Y moths in the north meadow. Around 60 Cinnabar caterpillars were on ragwort near Big Pool island Cut.

Around 6 adult and nymph Common Field Grasshoppers were again in the north meadow as well as up to 3 Roesel's Bush Crickets today, although searching was brief.

Originally posted by John O’Neill today from Gatewarth, Cheshire:

New Butterfly ssp for year ...Ringlets . Meadow Browns, Speckled Wood. Large White , Red Admiral and Comma all on wing. The latter 2 sps feeding on some very unlovely dog waste .

A very very short nip onto the Newchurch Pools area due to other commitments for the rest of today. On early but already hot and sunny.

The reward was my first Common Darter by Small Pool. A recently emerged male Southern Hawker was along the main track between the main pools.

A Ruby Tiger caterpillar was a new species for the year.

A bindweed was checked carefully and IDed as Greater Bindweed (Convolvulus silvaticus) due to the bracts completely covering the sepals on the flower. I now need to check the previous record of Hedge Bindweed as I didn't look at this feature or have photographs that show it!

All day on my Newchurch Patch in the blazing hot sun, must be mad!

The main oak produced 2 Purple Hairstreaks today up in the canopy. I had gone relatively early hoping they may come down but no luck. Around 25 well grown Peacock caterpillars were by Big Pool Island Cut.

A lifer anywhere for me was a King Diving Beetle (Dytiscus dimidiatus), the UK's largest water beetle, found in Small Pool.

A Common Ground Hopper was by Gull Pool.

Water Mint was recorded in the margins of Small Pool.

At Newchurch Common all am, warm with sunny intervals.

A Water Vole, the first ever here and a mega sighting for me on patch, was near Gull Pool.

Around 5 Common Toadlets were east of Big Pool.

A great find was my first Purple Hairstreak of the year, in the favoured oak canopy near the two opposite car parks of Big and Small Pools. This is my earliest ever sighting of this species and is a massive 18 days earlier than last year's first one. In all 10 species of butterfly were recorded, the noteworthy ones being 18 Ringlets, 10 near Big Pool and another 8 on Shemmy Moss, 4 Large Skippers, a Comma, a Red Admiral, and the rest were the usuals!

It was also a good odonata day with all 6 commoner Damselflies seen including around 180 Azure Damselflies by Gull Pool. Also another Southern Hawker was found, by Big Pool. Male and female Emperors were on Shemmy Moss, with 10 Four-spotted Chasers here too. A total of 3 Downy Emeralds were seen, 2 on Gull Pool and 1 in a private location.

A Tree Bumblebee was photographed on Shemmy Moss.

Also on Shemmy Moss a new horsefly for the year was Large Marsh Horsefly (Tabanus autumnalis).

A male Bog Bush Cricket was photographed on Shemmy Moss, adults are now obviously starting to appear!

The egg sac of a spider was on Shemmy Moss and the pale yellow-green colour hints at it being possibly of a Enoplognatha species.

On a log in Gull Pool Wood there were around 5 'colonies' of a superb Slime Mould of the Stemonitis group, a stemmed slime mould with long tops like mini greater reedmace!

Hedge Bindweed, Self-heal and Tufted Vetch were photographed, both possibly for the first time this year.

A morning on Shemmy Moss, sun at first, cloudy and still warm later.

A first on the mosses this year were 4 Ringlets. Other species seen were Meadow Brown, Comma, Red Admiral and Small White.

A good odonata day with a new species for the year seen with a big emergence of 33 Black Darters. This beats the earliest date that I have recorded them here by 5 days. An immature male Black-tailed Skimmer showed well and allowed me to get my first close up photos this year! On the mossland pools around 6 Four-spotted Chasers and a male Emperor were seen. Around 6 Emerald Damselflies were the best damsels around.

A moth highlight was the first male Clouded Buff, one of my heathland specialities. This unfortunately did what 90% of Clouded Buffs do and hurtled off away from me. It ended up over the boggy pools and it was impossible to follow! Another heathland specialist and one I have never recorded before was seen in the form of a Light Knot Grass caterpillar, a black, hairy, red-spotted handsome looking larva. There were still 4 Grass Waves on the wing, again a heathland specialist. Around 10 Heath Streak micromoths and 8 Common Heaths were also seen. A new species for 2025 were 3 Silver Y moths all hovering around over the heather on Shemmy Moss.

A Narcissus Bulb Fly hoverfly was photographed as was a worker Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Just 2 Green Tiger Beetles were seen. A Swollen-thighed Beetle was another repeat sighting, at the edge of the moss along with Rutpela maculata, the Spotted Longhorn.

4 Bog Bush Crickets were seen but of note this included the first adult female as well as the usual nymphs.

A Nursery Web Spider was at the edge of the moss, the first in this location this year and possibly the first anywhere on patch.

A morning on my Newchurch Patch, sunny and hot and quite productive.

Two amphibians were see, not a regular June occurrence, but I was in an area that I hadn't explored for a while and it has different habitats! A Common Frog and a Smooth Newt were under lots by Gull Pool.

A Painted Lady butterfly, the first for a while, was by Nunsmere.

Lots of odonata in numbers, the best dragonfly being a male Emperor over Gull Pool. At least 130 Azure Damselflies were around Gull Pool with at least 15 pairs in tandem.

Some good moths were seen, namely my first Small Yellow Wave anywhere ever, a first Brown China-mark for the year, both by Gull Pool, and the first Green Oak Tortrix of 2025, by Shemmy Moss.

A Chrysogaster solstitialis hoverfly was by Shemmy Moss, a year first.

A beetle only identifiable to Nebria sp. was under a log in Gull Pool Wood.

A pair of Common Awl Robberflies (Neoitamus cyanurus) were near Gull Pool, another year-first.

A flat millipede Polydesmus angustus was in Gull Pool Wood, the first since January.

Wolf's Milk Slime Mould was on a log in Gull Pool Wood, at least 35 'globules' of it, a different group than the previous ones this year.

The one specimen of Large-leaved Avens, on Shemmy Moss, has more flowers now, so was photographed again.

Morning and afternoon on a scorching Newchurch Common Local Patch.

Eight species of butterfly were seen with the best being my first 2 Ringlets of the year. both in Big Pool north meadow. Also seen were 3 Meadow Browns, a Large Skipper, a male Brimstone, a Comma, a Speckled Wood, 5 Large Whites and a Green-veined White.

A good odonata day too with a male Banded Demoiselle seen, after having seen a female earlier this year. This one was in the Big Pool east meadows and photographed. Also seen were a Brown Hawker, a Downy Emerald, and the usual five common damsels here, all around Big Pool.

Around 20 Red-pea Galls were on an oak by north meadow, the galls of the Pea Gall Wasp Cynips divisa. This was a new sighting this year.

The first 3 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets were seen, all in the north meadow. Also new nearby were 2 Common White Waves (Cabera pusaria).

A new beetle was on the oaks by north meadow, an Oulema duftschmidi/melanopus agg. There were 2 Red-legged Shieldbugs (Pentatoma rufipes) seen today, new for 2025, one in the north meadow and one in Big Pool Island Cut. Around 4 Spotted Longhorn Beetles (Rutpela maculata) were seen. A Tree Damsel Bug (Himacerus apterus) was new for 2025 and possibly for the site.

On the Shemmy Moss part of my Newchurch patch again am, to release a micromoth I potted up for ID and photos! Warm and still but not very sunny.

A moth was also this mornings highlight, a Light Emerald, the first ever here, rescued from a mossland pool and survived. A repeat sighting was the micromoth Celypha lacunana. Around 15 Common Heaths were seen as well as 5 Grass Waves and 5 Heath Streaks.

Out on the moss 2 Welsh Chafers (Hoplia philanthus) were new for the year.

A Twin-lobed Deer-fly (Chrysops relictus), a vividly green-eyed horsefly was seen on the entrance road, landing on a forestry worker who I was showing invertebrates to! This is a species of damp grassland but surprisingly this may be my first record here.

Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) was photographed for the first time this year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also today the Hedgehog was seen a couple of times late afternoon in our Moulton garden.

Spent this morning on Newchurch Common around Big Pool. The weather alternated between sunny & cloudy!

A new butterfly species was added for the year in the shape of 2(m+f) Meadow Browns. Also seen were 2 Large Skippers and a Red Admiral. A big group of c.80 Peacock Caterpillars was found in a nettle patch, all just hatched.

To complete a 'brown' day a Brown Hawker was near Big Pool too, also the first of the year.

A nice new sawfly Tenthredo mesomela was by Big Pool Island Cut and was new for 2025.

A Harlequin Ladybird was photographed for the first time this year albeit a repeat sighting and a Harlequin larva was found too, both in the Pine Belt.

The first fungus for a while was seen, the spring species Common Fieldcap (Agrocybe pediades), in Big Pool east meadow. 

There was a Common Twayblade now in full 'flower', nice to see these understated 'lesser' orchids clinging on here. Foxgloves were in flower ad photographed and formally recorded for the first time this year. White Campion was a repeat sighting, but lots in flower currently.