That's quite funny David, I had to laugh at that. The Tick is visible on its head in the 1st photo so judge for yourself if it looks good for a 'year' Tick. Could even be a site Tick, or I might just leave it as a County Tick (or Out of County Tick in this case).
I was getting worried about Simon when he was holding the matches and was giggling excitedly, No seriously the matches thing is a delicate procedure (that doesn't actually burn the animal ... it's the heat that should release the Tick's mouth parts) and No Moles would've been harmed in the production of our forum post.
Luckily the Tick bailed.

On reading a little, burning a Tick is still a common method of removal apparently and yes there are studies showing it could be a poor method of doing so in certain circumstances and for good reasons eg. regurgitation by the Tick, so maybe I could've been wrong to think of using this method, but without a pair of tweezers or a Tick twister tool then I was gonna try and help that Mole, and besides, the suggested method of pulling from near the mouth parts actually a lot of the time will leave the mouthparts in, you are then required to remove them as you would a splinter in the skin.
That Mole was squirming and ready to motor after it had a good drink and there's no way I could've asked it to sit still while I faffed about in dense Mole fur to remove microscopic mouth parts!

I'll give you that one David, just Tick it!

It wasn't one of those "Year Ticks" I've been reading so much about on this forum, was it?

Another great day at Newchurch Common and surrounds.

Highlight was a female Downy Emerald dragonfly that I found settled on bracken (pictures). It stayed long enough for me to digiscope it, very unusual for this species which seemingly never settles!! 8 species of odonata, the main one other than the Downy Emerald was my first Common Darter of the year, a teneral individual on Shemmy Moss, other noteworthy ones being Southern Hawker and Brown Hawker. 8 species of butterfly too including my first Small Tortoiseshell for ages and Gatekeepers and Small Skippers again.

Also seen was a Black & Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Rutpela maculata.

The video of my Humminbird Hawkmoth from yesterday is on my Facebook newsfeed for anyone who wants to see it

 

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 9th of July 2017 10:12:56 PM

A day out with Paul Hill looking for insects on Newchurch Common today, we try to get a few in every year! Today really came up trumps too even though it was never sunny, but always warm.

New butterflies for the year were seen in the shape of Small Skipper and Gatekeeper. Also seen Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Comma and Peacock. New odonata for the year were Black Darter (pictured), Southern Hawker and Emerald Damselfly. Also seen were Emperor Dragonfly and  Red-eyed, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies. Moths seen were Dingy Shell (new for patch) and Common Carpet. Other insects noted included Red-tailed, Tree and Buff/White-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee and Swollen-thighed Beetle as well as lots of Scorpion Flies. Hoverflies (Paul's speciality) included Eristalis pertinax, Eristalis horticola, Leucozona lucorum, Sphaerophoria scripta, Volucella bombylans and Volucella pellucens.

Away from the insects major highlights were a Water Shrew, a Common Lizard and a Common Carp of over 15lbs landed by an angler friend.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 7th of July 2017 10:45:36 PM

A couple of locations in Cheshire were covered today, neither were worked extensively but a few noteworthy sightings were made.

The first site was a private forestry site which I was taken onto by a friend who has access there through his work. The site is being managed for wildlife and our target was White-letter Hairstreaks in the elms. Unfortunately most of the native elms had succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease and the replacement Wych Elms and hybrid Elms were not large enough yet, with the resuly being no hairstreaks. They were seen at this site last year so hopes are that they will cling on somehow. However I did see my first Gatekeeper butterfly sunning on brambles as well as other species on the wing including Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral and Comma. Dragonfly ponds were created here last year and so are in their infancy. But they are attracting colonist species like Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser, we saw 2 males of each species. Lots of Common Blue damselflies were here too.

With the weather being so good I popped over to Newchurch Common too but added very little. Speckled Woods were seen as well as Large White butterflies. Here too Ringlets were seen. A Brown Hawker was still near Big Pool. A Pellucid Fly hoverfly was photographed.

 

Mark Jarrett wrote:

---

Doc, last summer Butterfly Conservation ran one of their field trips to the Leftwich site, for the White-letter Hairstreaks, so looks like it has been an established spot for some time, which is great news.

---

 Yes it is a known site. I mentioned it to Paul Hill at the pub & he's known it for a long time apparently. Rupert the Cheshire Butterfly Recorder lives in a house overlooking the elms, so they get checked out very, very regularly! I just hadn't heard about it until this year

At Haydn's Pool - near Neumann's Flash, Northwich - yesterday, there were Red Admiral, Green veined White, Speckled Wood, Comma and Meadow Brown butterflies and two Brown Hawkers.

Today at the Dragonfly Pond at Anderton, there were Common Blue & Blue tailed Damselflies, Bown Hawker & Emperor Dragonflies. Also around were Green veined White, Comma, Large Skipper and Gatekeeper butterflies.

Doc, last summer Butterfly Conservation ran one of their field trips to the Leftwich site, for the White-letter Hairstreaks, so looks like it has been an established spot for some time, which is great news.

Burton Wetlands RSPB

Odonata :

1 Broad Bodied Chaser, 2 Brown Hawkers and 1f Blue Tailed Damselfly.

Several Common Darter were seen plus a few large hawkers that I failed to ID.

Butterflies :

6 Comma, 4 Red Admirals, 4 Large Skipper, 3 Gatekeeper, 2 Small Tortoiseshell and numerous Meadow Browns.

1 Pygmy Shrew seen foraging near the Marsh Covert Hide.

Lawrence Hindley wrote:

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Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

 

Lawrence Hindley wrote:

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A jaunt up to Morecombe bay for Butterflies yesterday.

Heysham Moss

4 Large Heath (seen near cotton grass off a path)
Speckled wood
many Large Skipper
Red Admiral
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Small Tortoiseshell

---

 Great to read about the large heaths seen at Heysham as I read the entire colony was thought to have been wiped out by a fire in April. Did you see the evidence of that?

---

 

Hi Andy
Your are correct about the fire damage as I saw quite a bit of the heather had been destroyed by fire. However it seemed to be growing through again. We had been searching for an hour before we found an area with some cotton grass which had all four Large heaths we saw. Once this area was found they appeared in quick succession so I would say that in this area the colony was OK. Considering that it was four individuals seen in about a twenty minute period I would guess that there were a fair number on the wing. Lets hope that the damage has not affected the colony too much and they recover.

Thanks
Lawrence

---

Good news indeed, Lawrence. God knows we need as much as we can get.

Andy

Wierd day on my Newchurch Common patch as it was dull and overcast, even raining at times but it was so humid that it turned out to be a cracking day for invertebrates!!

First of all the vertebrates though. I had two Common Lizards on Abbot's Moss and a Smooth Newt on Newchurch Common near Small Pool. An unwelcome sighting of a feral cat on the mosses too, the first I've ever seen here & miles away from the nearest human habitation.

I had a lifer beetle in the shape of a Ten-spot Ladybird, found by Shemmy Moss amongst a big hatch of over 50 Seven-spot Ladybirds and one Harlequin. Another nice find was a Green Shieldbug nymph (prob 2nd instar). A 'creche' of about 12 Common Earwigs was also found. Another nice invert was a massive female Nursery Web Spider, defending her spiderlings in a conical tent web (picture).

Butterflies included my first Ringlet of the year, lots of Meadow Browns, and a few of each of Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Comma. Moths included a Silver-Y, a Brown China-mark and a Shaded Broad-bar of the 'orange' form. Marmalade Hover Fly, Drone Fly and Pellucid Hoverfly were amongst the hoverfly species seen. Just Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies on the wing to represent the odonata.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 27th of June 2017 10:59:54 PM

21st June 2017:

30 plus Banded Demoiselle damselflies along side of River Usk in Brecon Beacons (Wales)

Delamere Forest (NE section) and along the "Delamere Way" path from Norley.

1 Gatekeeper butterfly was seen on brambles in Norley, whilst there were plenty of Meadow Browns in the wildflower meadows there.

No butterflies were seen in the forest itself, but singles of Yellow Shell and Mottled Beauty moths were found, and by one of the small peat bogs a single male Large Red Damselfly.

A red-letter day for patch at Newchurch Common as I added a new mammal to my list there - Stoat I had stopped on the track by Abbot's Moss when an adult Stoat popped out of the undergrowth in front of me. It jinked towards me for a couple of feet, then realised I was there and changed direction with a kink of its body and bounded back into the grass, the black tip of its tail being the last thing to disappear! This was all only about 12 feet away and a real privilege to see. My only other sighting of note was, unusually, another mammal in the shape of a juvenile Bank Vole.

Lawrence Hindley wrote:

---

A jaunt up to Morecombe bay for Butterflies yesterday.

Heysham Moss

4 Large Heath (seen near cotton grass off a path)
Speckled wood
many Large Skipper
Red Admiral
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Small Tortoiseshell

Warton Crag

7 Small Pearl Bordered fritillary (met a couple of students from Lancaster University studying the population and they have logged 200+ individuals so far since first emergence)
1 Brimstone
4 Northern Brown Argus
Speckled wood
Large Skipper
Red Admiral
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Small Tortoiseshell
Small White
3 Chimney Sweeper moths

---

 Great to read about the large heaths seen at Heysham as I read the entire colony was thought to have been wiped out by a fire in April. Did you see the evidence of that?

Moore NR (17.30-20.15)

1 Ringlet butterfly on the tall grass/hogweed near the feeding station. 2 Speckled Wood butterfllies in the nearby copse.

1 Comma and 3 Meadow Brown butterflies, plus 2 Common Blue Damselflies were by Birchwood Pool.

Red Admiral butterflies were in abundance, and seen throughout the reserve.

-- Edited by John Williams on Tuesday 20th of June 2017 09:18:06 PM

A walk in the sun on my Newchurch Common patch was almost too hot for insects today

Downy Emerald dragonflies were on Gull Pool (2) and Sandiway Big Pool (1). An Emperor was on Small Pool, first here this year and 10 Four-spotted Chasers were crowded over quickly shrinking peat pools on Abbot's Moss. A 7-spotted Ladybird was my first here this year, after seeing hundreds of adult & larval Harlequins so far! Only new butterfly were 2 Commas, the first I've seen for ages here.

A Common Lizard skittering over the sphagnum moss on Abbot's Moss was a nice sighting

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 18th of June 2017 10:27:57 PM

Lathkill Dale (Derbyshire)

6 Red Admiral, 1 Common Blue, 2 Gatekeeper, 1 Large Skipper and lots of Speckled Wood butterflies. 1 Clouded Magpie moth alongside the path in the woodland.

-- Edited by John Williams on Sunday 18th of June 2017 01:49:17 PM

Andy Bissitt wrote:

 

---

By the way, I take it from a previous post of yours that the downy emerald site has restricted access? Shame if that is the case, although I know they don't really sit still for close-up views.

---

Gull Pool which they are mainly on is totally private, but because it has a wide sphagnum margin you can't get to the water if you trespass in anyway. The little inlet below a bench on Whitegate Way is by far the best viewing point & is outside the fence so spot on, the water comes right to the fence there. They never settle anyway, that species are a pain, you need to get them just after emergence & that's just luck. I did get one on Thursday near Sandiway Small Pool perched up in the morning but had no camera! No access problems as it was the track that runs above Small Pool between it and Gull Pool. This ride is a traditional perching up ride & I have pictures from other years of them perching here, so worth a try. Another was over Small Pool and another over Big Pool. They do hover stationary for long periods so DSLR and Bridge Camera shots would be q.easy (not digiscoping though  ). Hope this helps, good luck if you go 

Doc Brewster wrote:

---

Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

One swollen-thighed beetle was first I've seen in the region (first away from Suffolk actually).

---

 I get lots of Swollen-thighed Beetles on my Newchurch Patch, Andy, mainly on the adjacent mosslands, I mentioned them in this thread and think I may have posted a pic in an earlier post of here, or not!!

---

Hi Doc,

I'm a Greater Manc resident, so I really meant that I've never seen one therein rather than Cheshire. I always appreciate anything 'different'. By the way, I take it from a previous post of yours that the downy emerald site has restricted access? Shame if that is the case, although I know they don't really sit still for close-up views.

Cheers,

 

 

Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

One swollen-thighed beetle was first I've seen in the region (first away from Suffolk actually).

---

 I get lots of Swollen-thighed Beetles on my Newchurch Patch, Andy, mainly on the adjacent mosslands, I mentioned them in this thread and think I may have posted a pic in an earlier post of here, or not!!

An excelent day for insects at my Newchurch Common patch today, even though it wasn't wall to wall sunshine but rather was light cloud and sunny intervals.

A few firsts for 2017 today including my first Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly near Big Pool as well as a Broad-bodied Chaser in the same area. An Emperor Dragonfly on Gull Pool was a first for the year for me and in the same area up to 4 Downy Emeralds and two Four-spotted Chasers were seen. Gull Pool hosted Large Red Damselfly whilst Newchurch Common had Red-eyed and Azure Damselflies. Common Blue Damselflies were at both sites as were Blue-tailed Damselfies. A lessc ommon form of Blue-tailed Damselfly (with no blue tail!!) was photographed - form rufescens obsoleta, see picture, sometimes this can be harder than birding!

My first Large Skippers and first Meadow Browns of 2017 were near Big Pool with Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Green-veined White all on the wing. A new moth for site was a Green Oak Tortrix, Yellow Shell, Silver-ground Carpet, Straw Dot and Nettle Tap all also seen. Bee mimic hoverflies Volucella pellucens and V.bombylans were seen, you would swear the latter (variation plumata) was a bumblebee! The soldier beetle Cantharis nigra was a colourful addition and the cranefly Tipula fascipennis was also seen.

When birding is quiet then having other things to look at can brighten up the walk, but like I say it aint easy sometimes as insects have forms that mimic other insects regularly!

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Wednesday 14th of June 2017 09:29:04 PM

Woolston Eyes No3 Bed (14.30-17.30)

Silver Ground Carpet and Common Carpet moths were abundant in the tall vegetation along the paths.

A couple of Grey Squirrels clung onto to the seed feeders throughout.

Great morning on my Newchurch Common Patch:

New Butterfly for the year here - Common Blue, also Red Admiral, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Large White and Small White.

Moths - Cinnabar, Common Heath, Brown Silver-line.

New Damselfly for the year here - Blue-tailed Damsel, also Red-eyed, Large Red, Common Blue and Azure Damselflies. Downy Emerald and Four-spotted Chaser Dragonflies.

Other insects - Wall Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus parietum), Click Beetle (Athous bicolor), Soldier Beetle (Cantharis rustica), Garden Chafer, Alder Leaf Beetles & lots of adult & larval Harlequin Ladybirds.

Neumanns Flash (Early evening)

1 Fox on Neumanns, whilst there was another on Dairy House Meadow, both large adults.

The foxes appeared to have an abundance of prey, with masses of rabbits, and not a single buzzard to compete with.