Out-of-county (other wildlife)

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

RE: Out-of-county (other wildlife)

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Others will have had earlier, but, had my first butterfly of the year yesterday, just at the edge of my Newchurch Common Patch by Sandy Lane, a male Brimstone. Then got home & a 7-Spot Ladybird was on Carys's car, great to be back into insect recording again smile

steven burke · Status: Offline

whilst at old colwyn, wales, when searching through the scoter flock I picked up a grey seal close in & it had a fish in its mouth I first thought it was a plaice as it was flat but it turned out to be a ray as it had a long thin tail, the seal was struggling with it & also had to deal with the gulls that were hanging around but it did manage to rip a piece of it & eat it then the gulls tried to get the rest of it but the seal grabbed it back & disappeared under water, I didn't see it again & was great to watch biggrin

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Speckled Wood on Turton Golf Course this morning.

Also a couple of patches of Sneezewort in flower on the course + a Red Clover.

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Broadhead Valley :-
1 Common Darter
1 Silver Y

David Lumb · Status: Offline

1 Common Darter & 1 Red Admiral at Wickenlow Hill Farm pond, Edgworth.

David Lumb · Status: Offline

1 Common Darter at Entwistle Reservoir

1 Small Tortoiseshell + 1 Red Admiral between King Bill on Chapeltown Road and Turton Golf Course

John Williams · Status: Offline

Risley Moss (13.00-15.00)

Black Darter dragonflies in abundance, landing on people as well as vegetation etc. Plenty of Common Darters around too.

3 Red Admiral and 1 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.

The brambles were teeming with ladybirds, wasps, bluebottles etc, but with seemingly few small birds around to feed on them.

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Turton Golf Course :-
3 Red Admirals
3 Speckled Woods

1 Common Hawker

John Williams · Status: Offline

Hilbre 14.30-18.00

A steady passage of Red Admiral butterflies throughout.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Spurn
Sunday 27th and Monday 28th September

4 Mammal species seen including...
-numerous Grey seal
-numerous Harbour Porpoise including possible small pod as 3 or 4 dorsal fins seen together.
-also of note Chris may have spotted a spray from a Whale's blowhole but I didn't see it myself.
-1 Common Lizard ran across canal path
-lots of Dragonfly about, surprised we didn't see a late Hobby taking advantage of the bounty

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Spurn 27/09/2015

Red Admiral 1
Brimstone 1
Large White 2
Speckled Wood several

but mainly

Migrant Hawker - lots biggrin

. There were a dozen in the air together around the Crown and Anchor car park as we passed by on the way to the Arctic Warbler.
Also good numbers of teneral darters - probably Common

Grey Seal very close in near the Bluebell Cafe

David Lumb · Status: Offline

A black Rabbit with a couple of other Rabbits in Broadhead Valley. Also a couple of Grey Squirrels. Last week I saw a Fox up here.

Silver Y on Turton Golf Course.

steven burke · Status: Offline

Leighton moss.

2 otters seen today from the new causeway hide smile

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Red Admiral at Wayoh
Small White at Entwistle
Peacock at Crowthorn
Speckled Wood at Sandy Bank (Plantation Road)
Painted Lady on field as I headed for Edgworth village

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Only a Peacock, a Gatekeeper, a few Black Darters, & a Brown Hawker seen up the Broadhead Valley in the strong wind.

Finally managed to get through the Himalayan Balsam, now it is dying, to the lodge at the top end of Little Wayoh.
2 Common Hawkers
2 Common Darters
A pair of not sure dragonflies. Photo e-mailed to Steve White for identification.

1 Red Admiral on the way up to Wayoh Fold, and another by the reservoir.

2 Green-veined Whites & a Wall at the reservoir.

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Excellent morning around Broadhead Valley :-
44 Black Darters seen along the tracks, must be many more on the fields
5 Common Darters
1 Common Hawker
24 Green-veined Whites
1 very fresh looking Painted Lady
4 Small Tortoiseshells
2 Small Coppers
3 Gatekeepers
1 Wall
1 Large Yellow Underwing

Elsewhere only a few butterflies seen including :-
2 Peacocks (with a Common Hawker) close to Turton Tower
1 Speckled Wood in Hazelhurst Wood

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Only a couple of Butterflies seen around Wayoh, Green-veined White & Gatekeeper.

Small Copper was seen as I headed up the hill towards Wayoh Fold.

Broadhead Valley much better :-
50+ Green-veined Whites
1 Large White
1 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Meadow Browns
1 Gatekeeper

1 Common Hawker
17 Black Darters
4 Common Darters
A blood-red darter flew past me looking like a Ruddy Darter, but probably one of the darker, richer versions of Common Darter. It did not land so unable to be sure which one.

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Went on a bat walk at Leighton Moss yesterday; great fun, with soprano pipistrelle the most common, quite a few common pipistrelle, too, and also one or two Brandt's/whiskered.
Stoat giving great views near the visitor centre.

Not many butterflies, with peacock the most obvious, of those about, with a couple of speckled wood, too.

A few common darter and brown hawkers, and a single common blue damselfly.

-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Sunday 30th of August 2015 03:58:32 PM

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Broadhead Valley :-
70+ Green-veined Whites
1 Small Tortoiseshell
7 Gatekeepers
6 Meadow Browns

1 Common Hawker
1 Brown Hawker
4 Common Darters
2 Black Darters

Wayoh :-
A few Gatekeepers only around the reservoir
Almost finished today's trip when an Emperor dragonfly flew past me. A first for me at Wayoh, although I have seen them on ponds nearby.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Brampton.
Common Hawker at least 1 - identified as Bee-eater prey item

Common Darter - 3 pairs mating on pool on the route to the viewpoint, several other singletons.
Peacock Butterfly
Small Tortoiseshell
Small Skipper
Large White
White-letter Hairstreak (1)

Foulshaw Moss
Black Darter -lots
Common Darter - slightly fewer biggrin

Blue-tailed Damselfly
Emerald Damselfly
Common Lizard - at least 4 adults (including one sloughing its' skin) and around 30 younger ones all enjoying the warmth of the boardwalks
Probable Hornet

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Anglesey; Rhosneigr and South Stack:

Butterflies:

Large white
Small white
Meadow brown
Gatekeeper
Wall brown (the first I've seen in years)
Common blue
Peacock
Small tortoiseshell

Common blue damselfly (only a couple, and other than an unidentified dragonfly - a darter of some stripe, I think - the only odonata I saw)

Common lizard

Rabbit
Common pipistrelle
Soprano pipistrelle
Harbour porpoise smile

-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 14th of August 2015 08:52:23 PM

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Wayoh & Broadhead Valley.

Lots of butterflies but not many species.
Small Skippers, Green-veined Whites, just one Large White, Small Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers.

Brown Hawkers, Common Darters.
Broadhead Valley normally a good area for Black Darters but none today.

Azure, Common Blue, & Blue-tailed damselflies.

David Lumb · Status: Offline

Turton Golf Course this morning :-

60+ Gatekeeper
15 Meadow Brown
9 Small Skipper
1 Large Skipper
4 Green-veined White
8 Small Tortoiseshell

2 Brown Hawker
A few Blue-tailed damselflies

Silver Y
Straw Dot

1 Grey Squirrel

Same species of butterflies (except Large Skipper) around Clough House farmland

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Hilbre Island (Sunday 2/08/15)

-Harbour Porpoise - 2 swam by, quite distant
-Grey Seal - plenty around, mainly floating, relaxing

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Other sightings from RSPB Blacktoft yesterday.

1 - Red Fox patrolling perimeter of reedbeds
Few Common Rabbit around
...and a Grey Squirrel trying to climb a bus shelter near Steve's house (technically in-county)

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 27th of July 2015 07:02:19 PM

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Leighton Moss, Myer Allotments butterfly reserve and surrounds:

Common blue damselfly (Myer Allotments)
Blue-tailed damselfly (saltmarshes area)
Brown hawker (several, at Myer Allotments)
Broad-bodied chaser (Myer allotment)
Black-tailed skimmer (Leighton Moss)
One of the hawker species; migrant, I think.

Meadow brown (loads)
Speckled wood
Gatekeeper
Large white
Ringlet
Comma
Large skipper
Small skipper
Red admiral

Some nice hoverflies and solitary bees, too, but I couldn't identify them to species

Weasel scampered across the path in front of me by the level crossing
Brown rat at the feeders
A very flat mole

Froglet

John Williams · Status: Offline

Appleton Reservoir

Numerous Common Blue Damselflies & 2 Blue Tailed Damselflies along the overgrown West bank, also 1 Silver Ground Carpet Moth.

1 Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly along the "Delamere Way" footpath just South of the reservoir.

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Cornwall from Saturday 30th May to Friday 5th June

-Red Fox - few seen crossing country lanes, 1 assumed cub (fairly small) just sat upright in the road near The Lizard and just watched me drive passed, and another seen at Jericho Farm probably thinking it had a chance of taking a large Gull.

-Eurasian Otter - 1 seen briefly at Long Rock Pool near Marazion as it emerged right near a surprised Mute Swan.

-Grey Seal - singles seen at Porthgwarra 3x, Sennon Cove and Cot Valley.

-Harbour Porpoise - 1 seen briefly from the Scillonian III crossing

-Common Dolphin (Short-beaked Common Dolphin) - 1 seen from Scillonian just relaxing upright with head and beak out of the water as we sailed by

-Common Rabbit - lots seen in a variety of places

-Bats - plenty seen mainly on walking down for a pint and on way back up the country lane. Not 100% on species but we saw a few Pipistrelle which quite easily could've been Soprano's, and we saw a few slightly larger Bats which again I can only speculate are most likely to be one of the Horseshoe Bats as the local disused tin mines now provide one of the country's stronghold areas for both the Lesser and Greater.

Cheers
Rob

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Other wildlife from my Scotland trip:

Possil Marsh

Female common blue damselfly, the first damselfly I've seen this year.
Orange tip, small white, green-veined white (I'm sure I saw green veins on the under-wings of one, but it's hard to tell, sometimes!), peacock, small tortoiseshell butterflies.

Insh Marshes / Kingussie

Rabbit
Red squirrel
Stoat (being seen off by the combined efforts of three lapwing)

Four-spotted chaser (first dragonfly of the year)
Common blue damselfly
Dor beetle
Red velvet mite
Orange tip, small white butterflies
Various bees and solitary wasps.

-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 29th of May 2015 02:50:00 PM

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

Hi Rob

The quotation you've taken explains the lower number of nests by saying "due to falling stocks of mussels and particularly predation by foxes". Seems clear to me, resident foxes have affected Eider breeding numbers, in concert with depleted mussel stocks in Morecambe Bay. Should have said foxes were partly responsible? Mainly responsible?

My main point was that according to this article Foxes aren't apparently regarded as rare on the island any more and as a result they have impacted the Eiders.

It is interesting that a Gull will either eat or incubate Eider eggs depending on their instinct at a point in their own breeding cycle. Amazing the way these species co-exist, even accepting the lower numbers, there were still hundreds of pairs of birds all jumbled together, it's an amazing place

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Simon Gough wrote:

Foxes are resident according to the internet, they are responsible for the population of breeding Eiders having fallen by 80% in the last 20 years:

http://www.cumbria-wildlife.org.uk/eider.html

It states "it is thought" that the recent decline in Eider "NESTS" on Walney is due falling Mussel stocks (Eiders preferring younger Mussels) and by Fox predation.
It also states that if feeding conditions are poor, which it sounds they are, then they just don't attempt to breed or fail to complete the breeding cycle.
The large Gull species are all predatory so will always take eggs and ducklings if readily available, and I suspect they have had an effect on the situation too!
That article also mentions what I said in my post about the Gulls sometimes incubating Eider eggs.
Cheers

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

Foxes are resident according to the internet, they are responsible for the population of breeding Eiders having fallen by 80% in the last 20 years:

http://www.cumbria-wildlife.org.uk/eider.html

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

24/05/15
South Walney (Walney Island)

Grey Seal - 4 swimming in the high tide as it came in
Harbour/Common Seal - 1 lay on the beach at low tide
Harbour Porpoise - 2
Common Rabbit - a few around

One local birder reported he'd seen a Red Fox recently (a rare sighting for South Walney so we were told), and a Badger was reported on the latest sightings board

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

Woolsten Eyes:
Common Solomon's-seal, prefers calcareous soil and scarce in Cheshire (or maybe Lancs. not quite sure where
the botanical border is in this area).

-- Edited by Tony Darby on Friday 8th of May 2015 07:12:46 PM

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Permalink

Rob Creek wrote:

Jonathan Platt wrote:

Worth keeping an eye out by Tim Jackson hide, there was a Stoat in partial ermine pelage when I was up there last week.

...a good sighting that Jonathan, I've seen one myself in that state (although not at L.Moss) and it is simply because the moult from full Ermine to familiar brown is alot slower in Spring than the reverse moult in Autumn due to the longer Photoperiod at this time of year.

I think it may be a little more complicated than that Rob. As I understand it temperature at the time of moult determines the extent of white in a Stoat's coat. Cool temps = less melanin produced = white coat. Fur is replaced unevenly during autumn moult, therefore varying temps can result in piedball individuals. White winter coats are also thought to be hereditary, and females are more likely to moult to ermine than males.

May be better to PM on this issue Rob, my fault for mentioning mammals on a birding forum!

...thanks for your reply Jonathan and I may as well comment seeing as though Mike Chorley has also shown some interest.
Yeah the Photoperiodism is the trigger for a lot of changes in wildlife behaviour, including heavy influences in Birds and Mammals, and the temperature factor you mentioned is one of the big ones that is linked in with the Photoperiod. May have something to do with the increased daylight hours allowing for more influence from the Sun's heat.
Photoperiod combined with temperature changes as well as affecting changes in fur colour, also triggers Bird plumage changes, Bird song frequency, sexual behaviour and organs, migratiion, hibernation and a whole host of things.

And the hereditary factor you mentioned...well I didn't know about the higher likelihood of females to turn Ermine. How interesting. But I do know there have been studies that showed Stoats from a warmer climate when put in a colder climate or freezing conditions tended to stay in the brown fur state, whereas localised native Stoats turned white. The same (but in reverse) was true for colder climate Stoats put into warmer climes.
One other thing that may be of interest is that those populations in Northern colder climates tend to have high survival rates due to them changing to Ermine (better camouflage makes for less predation and makes it easier hunting prey) and those genes are passed on increasing that factor. I don't know if the same is true in the reverse situation?
Many thanks
Rob

__________________

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

Burton Mere RSPB

Since the RSPB opened up the far side (east) of the reserve, it's been worth the long walk round just to see if any interesting plants turn up. I've not managed
to find anything too exciting so far apart from Greater Burnet-saxifrage, but Bristly Oxtongue was a decent find today. It's been recorded before on the Wirral,
but still a first for me.

-- Edited by Tony Darby on Sunday 24th of August 2014 06:13:42 PM

Dave Tennant · Status: Offline

visited an old badger sett on monday that i have watched for a few years , a family of foxes have moved into part of the sett and are feeding well. the remains of 3 pheasants scattered about the entrance.

Roger Baker 3 · Status: Offline

Rodent ??? Come on now Ian ...... since when did we have meat eating rodents ?

I like the "pointed hooter" description though ....... never read that one in the id guide books !

Water Shrews are unusual amongst mammals in the fact that they have poisonous saliva which assists in subduing its prey. The poison is strong enough to bring a human out in a nasty little rash.
Ouch !!

Roger.

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Thursday 16th of August 2012 07:57:54 AM

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Thursday 16th of August 2012 02:09:35 PM

Ian Boote · Status: Offline

Had a trip to Windskill Stones and Malham Cove in Yorkshire. This is a curious terrian of limestone pavement, bare rocks with lots of crevices or Grykes.
Theories state it was created by glacier movement scraping any soil away, and historical deforesting. Much was destroyed for gardens (at least half of Windskill) but much remains .

Some nice sights wodland plants that survive deforesting- Herb Robert, Dogs Mercury seen in the grykes, ferns such as spleenwort hart tongue fern, lime loving plants small scabious eyebright, limestone bedstraw, sandwort, horseshoe vetch, kidney vetch carlene thistle and alpine type plants several of which are unique and difficult to iD but also include biting stonecrop.

Long walk up Malham Cove 400 steps is worth the climb. Peregrines are on the cliffs and RSPB are in attendance with scopes. In the stream beds of watercress, betony, and meadow sweet.

Best sighting was a water shrew bold as brass black rodent, white belly, pointed hooter walking past 5 metres away before going for a dip into the stream. They apparentky like running water and water cress beds where they feed on small invertebrates.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Originally posted by Ian Boote today:

160 species at plant at ainsdale which forms part of the Sefton Coast.

meadow sweet
Yarrow
Sea storks bill
Yellow rattle
Carlene thistle
intermediate winter green
Wild asparagus
Wild parsnip
Rest harrow
Milkwort
Sea mayweed
Sea spurge
Harebell
Sea centuary
Common centuary
Rose bay willowherb
Large flowerd evening primrose
Grass of Panasis
Ladies bedstraw
Lesser spearwort
Water Mint
Purple Lossestrife
Creeping buttercup
Blue fleabane
Commom fleabane
Eyebright
Pennywort
Birds foot trefoil
Wood sage gone over
Great mullion 8 ft tall
Portland spurge
Kidney vetch
Red clover
White clover
Alsike clover
Sea rocket
Sand Pansy
Field gentian
Honey suckle

vic chatterton · Status: Offline

Not been in the quarries for a few years but Bee Orchids used to be in decent numbers in both quarries and Autumn Gentian in considerable numbers in Miller's Dale.

Ian Boote · Status: Offline

Derbyshire dales-Millers Dale above the trail and accessed from it up near vertical paths are two SSSIs Millers Dale Quarry and Preistcliffe Lees. The size of three football pitches. Calcerous as in the white peak one in unimproved grass land with old leadworkings and the other the floor of an old quarry. Both sites are a breathtaking carpet of colour and some rare things Frog Orchid Tway Blade Bee and Fragrent Orchids are reported in good number. I only found Fragrent but a little late. Grass of Parnasus lovely big white flowers just comming through. Leadwort one of few plants that can live and flower on lead mine spoil tips. Moonwort Wild Thyme Marjoram and much more. Lots of Butterflies though seen more species in the past and lots of bugs. One of the best spots in Derbyshire for plants 52 seen today but many more reported. Sightings.

Plants
Wild marjoram, millers dale preistcliff
Toadflax trackbed
Harebell everywhere
Fragrent orchid millers dale
Eyebright millers dale preistcliff
Lesser knapweed everywhere
Perforate st johnwort trackbed
Valerian trackbed
Meadow sweet everywhere
Nipplewort millers dale
Goldenrod miller dale
Selfheal everywhere
Red clover everywhere
White clover everywhere
Yarrow everywhere
Yellow rattle millers dale preistcliffe
Mousse eared hawkweed millers dale preistcliffe
Bush vetch tackbed
Tufted vetch trackbed
Fairy flax millers dale preistcliffe
Tormentil millers dale preistcliffe
Ladies bedstraw millers dale preistcliffe
Birds foot trefoil millers dale preistcliffe
Greater burnet millers dale preistcliffe
Small scabious millers dale preistcliffe
Field scabious millers dale preistcliffe
Devils bit scabious millers dale preistcliffe
Grass of parnascuis millers dale preistcliffe
Ox eye daisy millers dale preistcliffe
Wild strawberry millers dale
Wild thyme millers dale preistcliffe
Upright hedge parsley millers dale preistcliffe
Marsh thistle preistcliffe
Spear thistle millers dale preistcliffe
Creeping thistle millers dale preistcliffe
Pignut
Wood speedwell preistcliffe
Wood aven preistcliffe
Hemp nettlel trackbed
Dogs mercury preistcliffe
Kidney vetch preistcliffe
Cowslip preistcliffe
hares foot clover preistcliffe
Meadow cranesbill preistcliffe
Wood sorrel preistcliffe
Leadwort preistcliffe
Alsike clover poss preistcliffe
Mountain pansy preistcliffe
Milkwort preistcliffe
Common sorrel preistcliffe
Ladies mantel preistcliffe
Dark mullian track bed

Birds
Green woodpecker heard
Kestrel
Willowwarbler
Meadow pipits
Perregrine
Swallows
House matins
Nuthatch
Pheasant

Butterflies
Small Heath Preistcliffe
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
Large white
Small TT Shell
Green Veined White
Ringlet everywhere
large skipper Preistcliffe
Common blue Preistcliffe
Five spot burnet Preistcliffe
Poss riband wave moth Preistcliffe
Speckled wood trackbed

beetles
Silpha atrata black snail beetle Millers Dale
Rove beetle Platydracus stercorarius Preistcliffe
Red soldier beetle everywhere
Oedemera lurida

Hoveflies All Trackbed
Rhingia campestris
Helophilus pendulus
Eristalis pertinax
Eristalis arbustorum
Leucozona glaucia
Syrphus ribesii
Leucozona later aria
Plagiognathus arbustorum

Tenthredo species sawfly
Common Carder Bee

Slender-footed Robberfly - Leptarthrus brevirostris pretty sure track bed
Scorpion Fly - Panorpa communis

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Hi Joe

Re. Arnside Knott

Get the OS Explorer map for the S Lakes. Just keep walking up and up from the station and I presume there are signs. When you reach the track to the NT car park there is a big open area w Highland Cattle to the left. At the top area of bracken by the stone wall is the best place for High Brown. Further up on the left beyond the cattle grid the stony slope has Dark Green Fritillary (tatty now) and Grayling. The very top in long grass S of the trig point for Scotch Argus. Woods apparently hold Purple Hairstreak in the oaks. Loads of other sps. all over

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Sunday 5th of August 2012 11:06:49 AM

Steve Christmas · Status: Offline

Recorded the hoverfly Leucozona laternaria at White Coppice on 21st July, a first for me.

Joe Wynn · Status: Offline

Tim Wilcox wrote:

Yesterday at Arnside Knott 10.30-4.00

Scotch Argus 10+ - freshly hatched males cruising for females through the grass near the trig point and photographed mating by some other butterfly watchers I bumped into
High Brown Fritillary 10 or so seen attempting to mate too
Dark Green Fritillary 50+ mostly looking a bit ragged now
Painted Lady 1
Large White 1
Small White 1
many other whites not ID'd
Small Skipper 10
Small Heath 1
Common Blue just 1 seen by me
Speckled Wood 2
Grayling 30+
Small Tortoiseshell just 1
Meadow Brown 100s
Gatekeeper 6

Witherslack Hall 4.50-6.10

Ringlet 2
Large Skipper 2
Dark Green Fritillary 1
No Silver-washed Fritillary unfortunately

16 species for the day

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 28th of July 2012 12:20:32 PM

Hi Tim,
I've never been to Arnside before but reading that report has tempted me into a visit. Is there anywhere specific to go on the Knott to look for the butterflies or are they all over? I'm on the train so would be getting off in Arnside and walking, would I just walk along the front and up onto the knott? High Brown would be a new one for me, but they'd all be new in front of the lens for me so that list has made me very envious!

Many thanks,
Joe

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Prees Heath, south of Whitchurch Shrops Sunday 29 July c.3.30 - 5.30pm sun came out
Excellent large site managed by Butterfly Conservation

Silver-studded Blue around 20 with males cruising for females around clumps of wild mint and fighting vigorously. This is their only stronghold outside the South except for N Wales sites at South Stack and the Orme.
Small Copper 4
Small Heath 6
Green-veined White 1
Meadow Brown 100s
Gatekeeper 50+
Small Tortoiseshell 1

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Yesterday at Arnside Knott 10.30-4.00

Scotch Argus 10+ - freshly hatched males cruising for females through the grass near the trig point and photographed mating by some other butterfly watchers I bumped into
High Brown Fritillary 10 or so seen attempting to mate too
Dark Green Fritillary 50+ mostly looking a bit ragged now
Painted Lady 1
Large White 1
Small White 1
many other whites not ID'd
Small Skipper 10
Small Heath 1
Common Blue just 1 seen by me
Speckled Wood 2
Grayling 30+
Small Tortoiseshell just 1
Meadow Brown 100s
Gatekeeper 6

Witherslack Hall 4.50-6.10

Ringlet 2
Large Skipper 2
Dark Green Fritillary 1
No Silver-washed Fritillary unfortunately

16 species for the day

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 28th of July 2012 12:20:32 PM

John Rayner · Status: Offline

Post transferred to this more appropriate thread.

Fermyn Wood, Northants, 23rd July 2012 (09.30 - 14.00)

The incessant rain has caused a rather late emergence of Purple Emperors this year. Today at Fermyn and Souther Woods there was a minimum of 26 with many on the ground (max 4 males together), perching on hats and boots, drinking from sweaty palms and generally putting on quite a show before many thousands of pounds-worth of camera equipment (There must have been over 30 cars parked).

A total of 13 butterfly species were seen with White-letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary the best of the rest.

Cheers, John

Henry Cook · Status: Offline

26/07/2012 - Fermyn, Lady and Souther Woods, Northamptonshire:

Thanks to some useful info from John Rayner I headed down to these ancient woods with Mike Duckham. Butterflies were the main draw, including the stunning and sizeable Purple Emperor:

3 Purple Emperors - numbers lower now but some colourful males still coming down to the tracks in Souther Wood
12 White Admirals - good numbers in Fermyn Wood
1 Silver-washed Fritillary - a fly-by only
1 White-letter Hairstreak - great views on an elm
2 Purple Hairstreaks - brief views around canopy of an oak
2 Commas
5 Large Skippers
2 Small Skippers
3 Speckled Woods
2 Red Admirals
10+ Large Whites
1 Green-veined White
3 Gatekeepers
20+ Meadow Browns
30+ Ringlets

Some good flowers and plants present including:

Hawkweed Ox-tongue, Greater Burnet-saxifrage, Upright Hedge-parsley, Smooth Tare, Yellow Rattle, Fairy Flax, Agrimony, Marsh Hawk's-beard, Water Figwort, Field Bindweed, Black Bryony, Musk Mallow, Common Centaury, Angelica, Hoary Ragwort, Scarlet Pimpernel, Common Marsh-bedstraw, Hemlock, Blue Fleabane, Wild Mignonette, Aspen, White Poplar and Crab Apple.

Other stuff:

Hornet, Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Common Darter Dragonfly, Brown Hawker Dragonfly and Azure Damselfly.