On Sunday 15th, at Bod Petryal (or however they spell it this year!) in Clocaenog Forest - a medium-sized bat flying around the first parking area, presumably Noctule, at 3pm. Temp was a mild 10C

Another morning on Newchurch Common, dry and mild.

An exhaustive search for invertebrates as the sun was quite warm turned up just two flies basking on a farm trailer and even though they looked similar they were different species. The first, and larger, one was in the Housefly family and indentified as Phaonia tuguriorum. The second, smaller one, could only be assigned to family, being one of the Root Maggot Flies (Anthomyiidae).

A new fungus was Small Stagshorn (Calocera cornea) found in Gull Pool Wood. Otherwise just repeats such as Yellow Brain Fungus near Big Pool. Also found was the minute stalked Slime Mould Comatricha nigra (probable ID).

My first December patch walk on Newchurch Common today in misty murk!! All Fungi!

A new species for me and patch was Fragrant Funnel (Clitocybe fragrans), found in the ex meadow east of Small Pool and smelling beautifully of aniseed. It was so strong that it attracted a passing Labrador!! I found a new disc fungus on a dead leaf, possibly Snowy Disco (Lachnum virgineum), but I await expert opinion! This was in woodland south of Big Pool on deciduous leaf litter.

Repeat sightings included Sulphur Tuft, Common Earthball, Common Bonnet, Clouded Funnel and White Fibrecap (all photographed).

As an aside I had my 3rd ever record of the locally rare Southern Oak Bush Cricket in my garden this am, attracted by my moth trap. This was my second male with one female previously too. (photo)

EDIT: So far feedback agrees with my Snowy Disco ID on the small disc fungus

A brief visit to Newchurch Common this morning in the mist.

A Common Wasps nest by Big Pool that I had seen on each visit recently was still active with a number of wasps coming and going still, but the Hornets nests were both seemingly inactive now.

Not much on the fungus front, but some really nice mature Earthy Powdercaps east of Big Pool along with one Snowy Waxcap. Both had been previously recorded this year.

A short morning trip to my Newchurch Local Patch. Dull weather.

The trip was cut short by news of a male Red-breasted Flycatcher in Wales that I left to photograph! So all sightings refer to fungi.

Ones that I think were new for year were Netted Crust Fungus (Byssomerulius corium) and Common Jellyspot (Dacrymyces stillatus) in the woods by Big Pool Island Cut and Ribbed Bell (Galerina clavata) in Big Pool east meadow.

Repeat sightings included a Veiled Poisonpie, lots of new Candlesnuff, a new Blackening Waxcap and some new growth Jelly Ear.

Just had a rare catch in my Moulton garden when out looking around my moth trap. My second ever garden Southern Oak Bush Cricket and only the third ever in my tetrad :)

On my Newchurch Patch, Shemmy Moss section am. Overcast but sunny intervals.

There were 2m Black Darters and 3m Common Darters by the main paths.

At least 10 x 7-Spot Ladybirds were seen. A Green Sheildbug and a Dock Bug were recorded.

A new plant for me was by the paths, Bush Vetch, and in flower too.

A new fungus was recorded in the shape of Butter Cap (Rhodocollybia butyracea), by the path through the silver birch scrub thicket.

A much duller day on my Newchurch Patch weatherwise, mild but cooler than last time too meaning no new or notable invertebrate sightings.

A new fungus for the year was Dark Honey Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) near Small Pool, with huge numbers of fruiting bodies seen. The Miller (Clitopilus prunulus) was seen in the same area and also was new for 2024. The Deceiver (Laccaria laccata) was a repeat sighting, seen near Big Pool.

A new slime mould was found on wood chippings near Common Farm, Trichia decipiens Slime Mould, a very tiny globular yellow species.

On my Newchurch Patch am again and again around Big Pool in the east meadows. Dull & mild weather.

A couple of invertebrates around including a Common Darter again.

A male Tree Wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris) was an addition for the year on patch, the yellow face with a single black dot was noted for ID. Away from Big Pool, one of the Hornet's nests was found to have been predated, I'm not sure how because the nest was up inside a narrow tree cavity but comb was on the floor around the entrance. The second nest is still active. A Suillia fly species was on a fungus.

A new Millipede was seen whilst fungus hunting, the Striped Millipede (Ommatoiulus sabulosus).

A new arachnid was added for the year near Beach Peg, the Harvestman Paroligolophus agrestis.

Again a few new fungi were seen namely Veiled Poisonpie (Hebeloma mesophaeum), Leopard Earthball (Scleroderma areolatum), White Domecap (Leucocybe connata), and a probable Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria lacrymabunda),

Repeat sightings were Candlesnuff, a few new Snowy Waxcaps, the biggest group of Variable Oysterlings I've ever seen, and Shaggy Parasol.

On my Newchurch Patch am, cool and overcast.

A Common Toad was on Shemmy Moss

A Common Darter was also on Shemmy Moss, basking not flying.

A few 'new for year' Parrot Waxcaps were amongst the Butter Waxcaps on Newchurch Common, giving me my fifth waxcap species this year on Patch! The fungus Beige Fibrecap (Inocybe sindonia) was in Gull Pool Wood and was another new fungus species for the year, and was almost certainly the first record for the Patch.

An all day stint on my Newchurch Common Patch today, cold and sunny.

Two butterflies were in the Big Pool north meadow, a Peacock and a Speckled Wood.

Just one Common Darter was seen.

The two Hornet nests were still active but one seemed to have been attacked by a Badger, but minimal damage had been done as it is inside a tree trunk. In addition a Queen Hornet was found under a log, already in hibernation. A Common Wasp nest was found in the ground at the northeast corner of Big Pool. Outside the nest on a leaf was a hornet-mimic hoverfly Volucella zonaria. This parasitises wasp nests with the larva growing in the wasp's care until it emerges from the nest as an adult as this adult had presumably done!

A Spiked Shieldbug was photographed on Shemmy Moss. A Common Earwig was near Big Pool.

A good day for fungi again. New for the year were a Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) on Newchurch Common, Yellowleg Bonnet (Mycena epipterygia) on Newchurch Common, Deceiver (Laccaria laccata) on Newchurch Common, Spectacular Rustgill (Gymnops junonius) in Gull Pool Woods, Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata) in Gull Pool Woods, Brown Roll-rim (Paxillus involutus) in Gull Pool Woods, 12 Collared Earthstars (Geastrum triplex), and Purplepore Bracket (Trichaptum abietinum) in Gull Pool Woods.

Seen again were Snowy Waxcap, Butter Waxcap, Blackening Waxcap, Witch's Butter, Blusher, Sulphur Tuft, Candlesnuff, Hoof Fungus, Turkeytail and Hairy Curtain Crust,

The Tapioca Slime Mould (Brefeldia maxima) was in Gull Pool Wood.

On Newchurch Common am & pm, sunnier and warmer in the afternoon.

A Wood Mouse ran across the path near Big Pool Island Cut, possibly my first of the year on patch!

A Migrant Hawker and 2 Common Darters were east of Big Pool.

 A Dance Fly species Hybos culciformis was near Big Pool.

A red-letter day (literally!!) for fungi as I found my first ever Scarlet Waxcap anywhere, and the bonus was it was on my Local Patch! This beautiful small vibrant red waxcap was in the area that I have found the other 4 species of waxcap on my patch, known by patch watchers as 'Waxcap Corner'!! Other new fungi were Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda), White Dunce Cap (Conocybe apala) and Brownedge Bonnet (Mycena olivceomarginata). Ones seen before this year were Frosty Bonnet (Mycena adscendens) and Blackening Waxcaps (all gone over).

Common Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina) was seen near Big Pool too, possibly the first noted record this year.

A cracking afternoon on my Newchurch Patch, all around the Big Pool area. Sunny and warm.

Just four butterfly species, Small White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood and 3 Commas.

A few odonata with 4 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Brown Hawkers including a female ovipositing, 3 Common Darters and 3 Common Blue Damselflies.

A Nettle Tap Moth was photographed.

A great find was Ivy Bee, a patch first and a species I had been looking for for ages. Both males and females were feeding on Ivy on Nova Scotia Lane near Dairy Farm. Also on the Ivy were at least 30 Tapered Droneflies, 5 Batman Hoverflies, 3 Syrphus hoverflies (probably S.ribesii) and over 20 Honey Bees. A Platycheirus albimanus (Whitefooted) Hoverfly was north of Big Pool.

It was a fungus fest too with lots of new species for patch and others just new for the year. Brand new were False Death Cap (Amanita citrina), Girdled Webcap (Cortinarius trivialis), Powderpuff Bracket (Postia pttchogaster), Blue Roundhead (Stropharia caerulea), Tuberous Polypore (Polyporus tuberasta), Inocybe flocculosa, and Wood Pinkgill (Enteloma rhodopolium) But I may have had the latter species before. New for the year were Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), Inocybe geophylla, Frosty Bonnet (Mycena adscendens), Poison Pie (Hebeloma crustuliniforme) and Bolete Eater (Hypomyces chrysospermus).

On my Newchurch Patch pm, all on Shemmy Moss, very warm and sunny.

There were 3 Common Lizards basking and a Common Toad was also seen.

There were four butterflies of three species, 2 Red Admirals, a Speckled Wood and a Small White.

Even more impressive was a count of 91 dragonflies of 7 species! These were 2(1m) Common Hawkers, 2m Southern Hawkers, 2 Brown Hawkers, 5 Migrant Hawkers, 1m Ruddy Darter, 15 Black Darters (inc. 3 pairs in cop, 2 of which were ovipositing), and an amazing 64 Common Darters (inc 4 pairs ovipositing)!

Two moths were noted, a Silver Y and a Nettle Tap.

Lots of hoverflies were on the wing and those noted included Sericomyia silentis, Eristalis tenax (Common Dronefly) and Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Hoverfly).

A final instar Green Shieldbug Nymph was seen as well as an Awkward Clusterfly.

Two Four-spotted Orb-weaver Spiders were on Shemmy Moss, their stronghold.

A new fungus, almost certainly Common Cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca) was seen, 2 fruiting bodies being on the edge of the mosses.

A few late records for my Newchurch Common Patch for 31st August 2024:

A late ID, due to it being a difficult species was a new moth for my patch, Blastobasis adustella (Common Masoner) near the main track between the pools. Also here was a Dingy Footman moth.

The plants Musk-Mallow (new for the year) and Tansy were in flower in the Big Pool SW Corner Glade.

Both am and pm on my Newchurch Common Patch, sunny and dry.

A Stoat was seen just off patch near Nunsmere.

An amazing 8 Common Lizards were basking in one small area on Shemmy Moss.

Odonata included 3(1m) Black Darters, 2 Migrant Hawkers (Shemmy Moss), a Common Darter, a Ruddy Darter (Gull Pool), Emerald Damselflies and Common Blue Damselflies.

The most significant moth find was a huge Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar. This was in it's final stage and looking to burrow underground to pupate. At least 3 Nettle Tap moths were seen.

Red Pea Galls were on small oaks by Shemmy Moss, seen for the first time ever these are the galls of the Red Pea Gall Wasp Cynips divisa. A Leafcutter Bee photographed on Shemmy Moss is likely to be Megachile versicolor. The Hornets nest is still active with over 100 Hornets seen. At least 10 Sericomyia silentis hoverflies were on Shemmy Moss. There were 6 Xylota segnis hoverflies on Big Pool Island Cut meadow.

Around 25 Dock Bugs were seen and 1 Hairy Shieldbug was photographed.

A Bog Bush Cricket showed well on Shemmy Moss.

A Four-spotted Orb-weaver was on Shemmy Moss.

A good fungus day with 25 Tawny Grisettes found, and 2 Blushers were in the same area of Gull Pool Wood. A cluster of 65 Glistening Inkcaps were also in Gull Pool Wood with around 8 Artist's Bracket fungi also here. Coral Brittlegill was in Gull Pool Wood. Variable Oysterling was near Big Pool Island Cut. Birch Woodwart was also in Gull Pool Wood.

Plants seen included Small Stinging Nettle (Urtica urens) in the former leek field and Crimson Clover in the Beetle Bank near the Pine Belt. Enchanters Nightshade was seen near the Pine Belt.

On the Shemmy Moss section of my Newchurch Patch this morning. Dry and warm.

Just 2 butterflies. a Red Admiral and a Meadow Brown.

Better for odonata. For dragonflies a male Common Hawker (the heathland specialist) was seen plus a female Emperor,  Brown Hawker, 8 Black Darters with 2 pairs 'in cop' of which  was ovipositing and 11 Common Darters with 4 pairs 'in cop' of which all 4 were ovipositing. Just a Common Blue Damselfly was seen.

Two moth species were noted, the first was new for the year and a heath specialist micromoth species Phiaris schulziana also known as the Large Marble (pictured). This species was last noted in August 2020. A Silver Y was also seen.

There were 2 Hornets quartering the moss looking for prey. At least 3 male Ashy Mining Bees were seen. At least 18 Helophilus pendulus hoverflies were seen as well as 10 Sericomyia silentis.

A Green Tiger Beetle was still present as was a Bog Bush Cricket. Common Field Grasshopper was also seen whilst still searching, without luck, for Mottled Grasshopper.

A bob onto Newchurch Common and just non animal reports to be honest.

A group of 3 Field Mushrooms in the Big Pool North Meadow were the first of the year.

Water Mint was by Small Pool and Common Vetch subspecies segetalis was in the beetle bank near the Pine Belt.

Andy I also live in Appleton, we have had a few bats over our garden (5 mins walk from Red Lane) that we noticed in the very early morning (4-5am)  but had also noticed the lack of them generally and much much scarcer than previous years when they were common. There were normally also some around the carpark of the Baptist Church when on an evening stroll but I haven't been there that much this summer so not noticed. There are definitely less wasps, bees, butterflies, moths around us too though, I hope it is an anomaly due to the weather this year and not the new trend :(

Warrington South: neither ourselves or a few neighbours have seen any bats around here this year (bottom end Stockton Heath / Bridgewater Canal / Appleton up to the Reservoir). Used to get regular bats. Not even had wasps this year or the regular bees.

A shortish morning walk on the Shemmy Moss part of my Newchurch Patch. Bright and warm. Nice to bump into Dave, a member of these forums, and to have a chat.

There were 3 Common Lizards basking together, nice to see. Also a few small Common Frogs and Common Toads.

Just a few odonata seen, a Common Hawker, 4 Brown Hawkers, a Migrant Hawker, a Common Darter and 6 Black Darters.

For moths a Dingy Footman was seen as well as a Common Carpet.

A large number of the hoverfly Helophilus pendulus were seen as well as several Sericomyia silentis.

A new species ever on patch was a scentless plant bug (related to shield bugs) Rhopalus subrufus, one of only 4 species in this family in the UK. A Dock Bug was also seen.

A Common Horsefly was again photographed after she tried her luck with me, after my blood but I caught her before she managed it!

Again Bog Bush Cricket was seen.