On Newchurch Common early afternoon.

Shaggy Scalycap fungi were a new find, near Big Pool. Again lots of Fly Agarics were seen including lots of new ones. Wood Pinkgill fungi were near Big Pool too. Inocybe geophylla and Blushing Brackets were seen again.

A morning walk on patch at Newchurch Common only produced 1 new fungus species, Scurfy Twiglet, by Big Pool. The ivy on Novia Scotia Lane was alive with wasps and hoverflies.

Nearby at Foxwist Green in the horse paddocks where my wife's horse is were over 100 Butter Waxcap fungi, a superb display. A Red Admiral was also here.

A morning walk on Newchurch Common, dry and warm.

Four Smooth Newts were seen at Gull Pool.

Butterflies seen were 6 Commas and 2 Red Admirals.

Odonata sightings were 6 Black Darters including 2 pairs ovipositing and 4 Common Darters including 1 pair ovipositing.

At least 10 Hornets were seen across the whole site. A f.Melanostoma scalare hoverfly was photographed. The ichneumon Itoplectis maculator was seen.

The spiders Metellina segmentata, Nursery Web Spider, Garden Cross Orbweaver and Four-spotted Orbweaver were all seen.

Fungi seen included a Fly Agaric, Common Bonnets, Common Stump Brittlegills, a new flush of Blackening Waxcaps, Petticoat Mottlegills, Scurfy Deceivers, Earthfans, Common Earthballs, Turkeytails, Petticoat Mottlegill, Hairy Curtain Crust and Tawny Grisettes. The slime mould Red Rasperry Slime Mould was seen in Gull Pool Wood.

Back on Newchurch Common, mainly over on the mosslands and the walk  over and back! Sunny intervals.

A Common Lizard was basking in the sunshine on Shemmy Moss. Great Crested Newts, Smooth Newts and a Common Toad were all seen too.

Only 4 butterfly species were seen; Comma, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Large White.

The best dragonfly was an old Black Darter on Shemmy Moss, whilst nearby a Southern Hawker and a couple of Common Darters were seen.

It was a good spider day with lots of Four-spotted Orb-weavers and Garden Cross Orb-weavers seen. There were also loads of Hammock Web Spiders (Linyphia triangularis).

The hoverfly Sericomyia silentis was photographed.

Another huge growth of Tawny Grisette fungi has happened along with Scurfy Deceivers and hundreds of Common Earthballs. A few old Blushers were also found as well as a nice Blackfoot Polypore and an Earth Fan (Thelephora terrestris). The very alien looking slime mould Stemonitis fusca was new for me and for patch.

A plant I saw first for this year on holiday was seen today on patch for the first time this year too, Black Nightshade, near Small Pool.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Monday 18th of September 2023 10:11:01 AM

St Marys Rd Penketh

Small Copper Butterfly feeding on various flowers in our front garden was only second time I have seen this species here in 35 years.

Doc Brewster wrote:

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Out & about am on Newchurch Common Patch, sunny and warm.

Two species of reptile with the biggest female Grass Snake yet, at least 3 feet long and with a good girth. Also seen were 3 Common Lizards.

Three species of amphibian with the best being a Great Crested Newt along with 3 Smooth Newts and 3 Common Toads.

The best butterflies were 3 Holly Blues, otherwise quite quiet.

My first male Black Darter of the year was nice, otherwise odonata highlights were a male Emperor and a Southern Hawker.

A Red-banded Sand Wasp was photographed on Shemmy Moss. Also at least 12 Pterostichus vernalis carabid beetles were together under a log in the damp edges of Gull Pool with 2 Devils Coach-horse beetles nearby. A Green Tiger Beetle was still on Shemmy Moss.

A really nice find was a large Leopard Slug in Gull Pool Wood.

Fungi seen included a lovely Petticoat Mottlegill by Shemmy Moss, Fenugreek Milkcap still on the mosses, and in Gull Pool Wood Lemon Disco, Beefsteak Fungus, Jelly Rot, Turkeytail, Bay Bolete, Tawny Grisette and Sulphur Tuft.

The plant Selfheal was also seen.

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 The Fungus Blackfoot Polypore was also in Gull Pool Wood on 17th August. A Roesel's Bush Cricket was seen north of Big Pool on August 24th.

Out & about am on Newchurch Common Patch, sunny and warm.

Two species of reptile with the biggest female Grass Snake yet, at least 3 feet long and with a good girth. Also seen were 3 Common Lizards.

Three species of amphibian with the best being a Great Crested Newt along with 3 Smooth Newts and 3 Common Toads.

The best butterflies were 3 Holly Blues, otherwise quite quiet.

My first male Black Darter of the year was nice, otherwise odonata highlights were a male Emperor and a Southern Hawker.

A Red-banded Sand Wasp was photographed on Shemmy Moss. Also at least 12 Pterostichus vernalis carabid beetles were together under a log in the damp edges of Gull Pool with 2 Devils Coach-horse beetles nearby. A Green Tiger Beetle was still on Shemmy Moss.

A really nice find was a large Leopard Slug in Gull Pool Wood.

Fungi seen included a lovely Petticoat Mottlegill by Shemmy Moss, Fenugreek Milkcap still on the mosses, and in Gull Pool Wood Lemon Disco, Beefsteak Fungus, Jelly Rot, Turkeytail, Bay Bolete, Tawny Grisette and Sulphur Tuft.

The plant Selfheal was also seen.

An afternoon walk in very hot sun on Newchurch Common.

Only 8 butterfly species, best of which was 2 Holly Blues.

The best odonata sighting was a male Migrant Hawker N.of Big Pool, the first I've managed to photograph this year.

A queen Common Black Ant (Lasius niger) was photographed in the Big Pool meadows.

My first August walk on my Newchurch patch this morning and managed to do it in the dry despite impending rain in the forecast.

A new beetle was added to my list, the carabid Pterostichus diligens, a small damp habitat species found by Gull Pool.

Plants identified included four in the 'beetle belt' planted by the farmer in the former setaside field. These were Field Pansy, Cornflower, Crown Daisy and Redshank, nice to see.

It was an excellent walk for fungi. First seen was The Blusher near Big Pool. These were seen over a large area but nearly all had gone over. Another very abundant fungus was Tawny Grisette, especially in Gull Pool Wood.  Two bolete species were found, Red Cracking Bolete near Big Pool and Bay Bolete in Gull Pool Wood. Also in Gull Pool Wood were lots of Scurfy Deceivers, a tiny clump of Glistening Inkcaps, a small patch of Goblet Parachutes, swarms of Common Earthballs and Hairy Curtain Crust.

A couple of patches of the very photogenic Red Raspberry Slime Mould were found and pictures duly taken!

A morning on Newchurch Common with mate Paul Hill for inverts, warm and got a bit of sun!

A Common Lizard was seen at the edge of Shemmy Moss near the Whitegate Way.

No new butterflies or odonata, but of note a male Holly Blue by Shemmy Moss and 2 Black Darters on Shemmy Moss, the latter are in short supply so far this year. My first Dingy Footman moth on patch was by Shemmy Moss.

A Red Banded Sand Wasp was on Shemmy Moss. A Helophilus pendulus was photographed near Big Pool, where 3 Phasia hemiptera tachinid flies were seen, including my first female.

A Cereal Leaf Beetle was on Newchurch Common and a Hairy Shieldbug was on Shemmy Moss.

Both Bog Bush Cricket (4) and Mottled Grasshopper (1) were on Shemmy Moss.

Had a superb morning walk covering a large area of my Newchurch Common Patch this morning with an invert specialist researcher from the BBC Natural History Unit, Bristol! With overcast weather some things were not in the numbers that I have had recently but it was still a great tour that I think showed off my patch at it's best!

The undoubted highlights were 2 Grass Snakes and a Common Lizard.

We had at least 4 Small Copper butterflies as well as a Holly Blue near Big Pool. Very few odonata but all my common damselflies as usual.

Both Six-spot and Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets were seen.

The hoverfly Sericomyia silentis was seen for probably the first time in 2023.

Orthoptera were good with a Roesel's Bush Cricket in Big Pool Meadow, a Bog Bush Cricket on Shemmy Moss, and Common Field, Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers all north of Big Pool.

A new species for 2023 was a Gorse Shield Bug nymph. A Wasps nest was very active in the north meadows.

Fungi found included Polyporus tuberasta and Rootlet Brittlestem (Psathyrella microrhiza).

On Newchurch Common am, fine at first so a few inverts! All Big Pool area.

In Island Cut a small Pike hung just underneath the waters surface.

I saw 14 species of butterfly, namely Purple Hairstreak, Essex Skipper, Small Skipper, Small Copper, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper.

My first Migrant Hawker dragonfly was seen with 3 Brown Hawkers and the usual damselflies. A new wasp was added: Saxon Wasp. Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebees were again seen in good numbers. A sawfly larva was seen but unidentifiable! The hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum was one not seen that often amongst lots of other common species.

 

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 18th of July 2023 08:38:51 AM

A very short walk pm on Newchurch Common added nothing new.

Butterflies seen were 3 Essex Skippers, 3 Small Skippers, Comma, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small White, Large White and Green-veined White.

Nothing new in the odonata or orthoptera families, but 2 Roesel's Bush Crickets were found.

Common Carpet, Six-spot Burnet, Silver Y and Shaded Broad-bar moths were seen.

A Syrhus ribesii hoverfly was seen.

 

Another morning on my Newchurch Patch, very early and then cut short by rain after it had started sunny.

A Grass Snake was on Shemmy Moss.

A insect lifer on patch was a female Mottled Grasshopper on Shemmy Moss, the 7th orthopteran of 2023 on patch. A single female Bog Bush Cricket was seen,

A nice fly species Poecilobothrus nobilitatus was seen with several individuals on oaks near the Whitegate Way near Gull Pool.

Fungi recorded were Red Cracking Bolete (Boletus chrysenteron) on Shemmy Moss, Russet Toughshank (Gymnopus dryphilus) also on Shemmy Moss and Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) predictably on Shemmy Moss!

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Monday 10th of July 2023 05:43:09 PM

Fiddlers Ferry Marina
Relatively decent numbers of butterflies on wing, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Comma, Ringlet

A morning on Newchurch Common after rescuing a Mute Swan from a main road!!

The most amazing find was a Muntjac Deer skull on Shemmy Moss!! These deer are in Cheshire but I never expected to find evidence on my patch.

A few butterflies were around, most notable was a count of 10 Red Admirals, others seen were as usual!

A nice male Southern Hawker was on the Whitegate Way above Gull Pool.

If ID is confirmed I had a new bee - Short-fringed Mining Bee, on Shemmy Moss. An Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp was seen nearby as was a Ferruginous Bee-grabber (Sicus ferrugineus) a conopid fly. The bee-mimic hoverfly Eristalis intricaria was photographed on Shemmy Moss. Oak 'Apple' which is the gall of the wasp Andricus kollari was seen on several oaks.

A patch tick was a 10-Spot Ladybird, seen near Small Pool. A Phylonetta impressa spider was in gorse on Shemmy Moss, and was also new for patch.

Another new species was Hairy Snail (Trochulus hispidus), and they really are hairy, near Small Pool.

Several new fungi were seen, firstly Tawny Grisette (Amanita fulva) in Gull Pool Wood, then Common Puffball on Shemmy Moss were Common Fieldcap (Agrocybe pediades) was also seen. Finally a Bay Bolete was seen by the Whitegate Way near Gull Pool.

A good morning walk on Newchurch Common again. Sunny and hot but surprisingly blustery at times!

Two butterfly species were the stars. First I had my first Purple Hairstreak for 2023 in the canopy of an oak just inside the entrance barrier. Then up in the north meadow by Big Pool I finally found an Essex Skipper after checking numerous skipper up to that point. Other species seen were Large Skipper (1), Small Skipper (12), Small Tortoiseshell (2), Comma (10), Red Admiral (3), Large White (1), Small White(2), Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Ringlet (4) and Gatekeeper (5). So with 13 species it was my best butterfly day of the year!

Just  odonata species though, but in a relatively small area. The dragonflies seen were Brown Hawker (12), Four-spotted Chaser (2) and Common Darter (2), and damselflies seen were Common Blue, Blue-tailed, Azure and Large Red-eyed.

A good moth day too with my first Six-spot Burnet of 2023, in north meadow. Also here were a Blackneck and 5 Silver Y moths. Nearby by Big Pool a Yellow Shell and 2 Cinnabars were seen with at least 60 Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort in north meadow.

A Green Dock Beetle and a Green Shieldbug were new for the year and were both on the east side of Big Pool.

Scattered widespread across my recording area at the moment are small groups of the fungus Pale Brittlestem.

A good and a bad day on my Newchurch Common Patch. Good because of the sightings, bad as I accidentally deleted all my photos bar one and couldn't recover them.

A Grass Snake was seen really well on Shemmy Moss.

Butterflies seen were as usual : Comma, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Small White, Small Skipper and Large Skipper.

Odonata were : m.Emperor, Brown Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser, and the 5 common damselflies.

A fabulous new moth was seen for the year, Beautiful Yellow Underwing, but all photos lost. Two other moths were new, both micros and both by the main track, Pammene regiana and Pammene aurana. Also seen were Common White Wave and Silver Y, both on Shemmy Moss.

A Gwynne's Mining Bee was by Shemmy Moss as was a Lassioglossum sp.

A Turnip Sawfly was a nice find. A couple of Harlequin Ladybird larvae were seen near the main track. A Cucumber Spider was by the Whitegate Way.

Bittersweet was recorded and a nice find was a corner of the nurseries planted with wild flowers, including Cornflowers and poppies.

 

 

A morning on Newchurch, initially sunny then coming on to drizzle, but always warm. A fantastic day for invertebrates.

First though vertebrates! There were Common Toadlets all over the paths around Big Pool, at least 20 were seen but the area must hold hundreds at least.

The first 5 Small Skippers of the year were found along with 3 Large Skippers. Also seen were 3 Red Admirals, 2 Speckled Woods and at least 20 Ringlets and 20 Meadow Browns.

Odonata were reasonably represented with 1 Downy Emerald, 3m Black-tailed Skimmers, 6 Brown Hawkers, and Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed and Large Red-eyed Damselflies.

A really good moth day with a Patch and Cheshire lifer in the shape of 2 Black-necked Moths (a Cheshire scarcity) in the meadow north of Big Pool as well as 2 patch yearticks; a Blood Vein and a Shaded Broad-bar. Also here were 3 Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets, the first Cinnabar caterpillars of the year as well as adults, a Silver Y moth, whilst a Common Wave was between Big Pool and the Pine Belt.

At least 15 Roesel's Bush Crickets were found, mostly adults now and including the macropterous form diluta which is long-winged and forms only 1% of the normal population. Also seen, and new for the year were Meadow Grasshoppers and again Common Green Grasshoppers.

A new species of beetle was the Welsh Chafer, with dozens seen around gorse bushes north of Big Pool. A Furrow Orb-weaver Spider (Larinioides cornutus) was seen with a web containing damselflies and well as a food store with lots more.

A Black Millipede was photographed near Big Pool.A Burdock leaf near the main track entrance was riddled with the leafmines of the fly Phytomyza lappae, looking very artistic indeed!

A morning on Newchurch Common Patch today, this time centered around the mosslands area as well as the walk through the common to it. Hot sunshine again.

A day of rarities, at least at a county level. Two of these were moths and were at least 5 Clouded Buffs and 1 Four-dotted Footman. Another patch speciality and Cheshire scarcity was seen in the form of at least 40 Grass Waves, a species already recorded this year but looking to be at peak numbers now. I also counted 10 Common Heath moths on Shemmy Moss and added the Grass Veneer (Crambus pascuella) for the year.

The final rarity was in the form of 12 Bog Bush Cricket nymphs. Inspired by my find of Roesel's Bush Cricket nymphs yesterday I decided to search much earlier than usual for Bog Bush Crickets and it came up trumps with the nymphs, when I usually only see the adults.

Again very few butterflies, 3 Red Admirals, several Speckled Woods and a Small White being the only ones seen.

Another Southern Hawker Dragonfly was seen, this time near Small Pool. Between the Whitegate Way and the mosses a Brown Hawker was seen. On the mosses I recorded a male Emperor and at least 20 Four-spotted Chasers. Common Blue, Azure and Large Red Damselflies were seen.

I photographed a new hoverfly for the patch by the main track, the European Dronefly (Eristalis arbustorum).

Gatewarth Penketh

First Meadow Browns of year out
Two Red Admirals
Red Campion, Ox Eye Daisies, Dog Roses and Foxgloves all flowering as Spring slips into Summer.
(Still absolutely no sign of various large scale projects restricting access to site ending, despite the numerous signs proclaiming "Spring 2023" as projected finishing time.)

Sunny all day at Newchurch Common.

Yesterdays odonata record only stood for a day as I had 12 species on patch today. The usual 5 common Damselflies were present plus 2m Black-tailed Skimmers, a fem Broad-bodied Chaser, a Downy Emerald, a Hairy Dragonfly, a Brown Hawker, a male & fem Emperor and 3 Four-spotted Chasers. The fem Emperor was seen ovipositing on Small Pool.

Butterflies were as yesterday with the addition of Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell. At least 3 Large Skippers were seen.

A new moth for the year was a pristine Narrow-bordered 5-Spot Burnet N.of Big Pool.

About 8 large (prob Mirror) Carp were rolling on the surface in courtship on Small Pool.

A Blindeyes Poppy was photographed near Big Pool.

An afternoon visit in hot sunshine.

More butterflies than of late with the first 4 Meadow Browns of the year, a Common Blue, 2 Speckled Woods, 2 Small Whites, a very tatty Comma and 2(1m) Brimstones.

The odonata list was much the same with 2 Downy Emeralds, a male Emperor, 3 Four-spotted Chasers, and the 5 common Damselflies.

A Sandy Carpet Moth was photographed.

A new bee was added : Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee, north of Big Pool.

Hoverflies included Pied Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri), Syrphus ribesii and Melangyna labiatarum.

The striking Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle (Rutpela maculata) was seen by the main track. A new weevil species, Polydrusus formosus, was seen near the main track too, near to a 2-spot Ladybird, 7-Spot Ladybird also being seen.

The Thick-headed Fly species Sicus ferrugineus was seen but was too quick to be photographed! A Scorpion Fly species Panorpa communis was again photographed.

White Campion is in flower everywhere at the moment looking superb.

Newchurch Common am, scorchio:

A real odonata day with 10 species; a first for anywhere in 2023 in the shape of a f/imm Black-tailed Skimmer (on Shemmy Moss), as well as a male Emperor, 3 Downy Emeralds, at least 6 Four-spotted Chasers, including in cop and ovipositing, a Hairy Dragonfly, 100+Large Red-eyed Damselflies, 1000+ Common Blue Damselflies, 25 Azure Damselflies, 40 Large Red Damselflies and 30 Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Again not many butterflies with a male Brimstone the pick of the bunch.

at least 12 Grass Wave Moths were seen on Shemmy Moss.

Nice to be able to show 2 visitors around again.

 

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 2nd of June 2023 07:49:24 PM