26/5/24 midday

A single Painted Lady seen in the same area as the one last week
Also 5 Small Heath and a couple of distant whites were the only butterflies seen in an hours visit.

25/6/23 from 6.30 to 8am

75+ Ringlet
20+ Meadow Brown
c15 Large Skipper
5 Small Skipper
1 Small Heath
2 Comma
1 Small Tortoiseshell
Still 100s of NB 5 Spot Burnet, there were 1000s last weekend
No Common Blues seen today but there were 50+ on 11th June with around 40 Small Heath on the same day.
2 Emperor and lots of Common Blue Damselflies also a small dark looking Dragonfly seen briefly on the mound.
There were 7 Four-spotted Chasers on the 14th and 4 Emperors on the 16th with 1 seen ovipositing.

The Spider pictured in the previous post is a Gorse Orbweb of the 'delta' form but apparently not a typical pattern, thanks to BAS for their help with this.

27/5/23 from noon for about an hour

Moss Lane Pool
2 Broad-bodied Chaser
2 Four-spotted Chaser
50+ Common Blue Damselfly

Butterflies still low numbers and variety
11 Small Heath
2 Large White
1 Speckled Wood
1 Small Tortoiseshell
A few smaller Whites seen at a distance

7/6/2022

Fairly slow on the invert front up to now but picking up with plenty of various Bees around this morning.

Frustratingly saw what looked like a clear winged moth in flight but lost it when it landed, I didn't see it again.

Common Blue Butterflies seem to be in best numbers for quite a few years, at least 8 seen this morning on a fairly early visit.
Small Heath are doing better each year, I counted 10 on Saturday, a few were out early this morning.
There were a few Green-veined White on Saturday during a later visit up to 11am.
Also the odd Speckled Wood being seen.

The only odonata I've seen so far were all on 17 May and then only 3 or 4 Common Blue Damselflies.

Moss Lane Pool has 100s of toad tadpoles atm.

Karen Foulkes wrote:

---

With Mike Chorley today

A good number of insects and some interesting flora.

Butterflies included 70+ Meadow Brown
c40 Ringlet
At least 20 Skippers with both Small and Large seen
3 Large White
Speckled Wood
c10 Small Heath
2 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Red Admiral
2 Five-spot Burnet
Cinnabar moth caterpillars on the Ragwort

Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies were distributed in good numbers around the mound, Sheldon Pool and Moss Lane Pools. Dragonflies were represented by Brown Hawker, Emperor and Four-spotted Chaser.

Soldier Beetles were high in number and impossible to count and at least four Seven-spot Ladybirds were present.

A toadlet was also near Sheldon Pool

A single Bee Orchid was on the mound but was well past its best and a more distant orchid could only be identified as either Marsh or Common Spotted Orchid.

---

Oops! We forgot the Gatekeepers

9/7/21 Some sightings from around the mound over the last month.

Butterflies have been notably low in numbers so far, Ringlet have recently bucked this trend with probably 50+ today, the first were seen on 28/6.
c10 Meadow Brown today, first time in double figures today, usually the most abundant species at this time of year. First noted on 19/6.
Some other of todays sightings.
5 Small Tortoiseshell.
2 Small Heath, these have been seen on all recent visits with maximum of 8 on 2 occasions, seem to be doing well this year.
c10 Small Skipper, Large Skipper have been around since middle of June but non noted today.
Previous sightings of Speckled Wood, Comma, Large White, Small White and Common Blue, these have seen a dramatic decline in numbers over the last couple of years, they were the most abundant species in mid to late June, highest count this year was 3 on 23/6.
The 5 Spot Burnet Moths have also emerged in low numbers this year, thinly spread whereas previously there would be masses gathering on suitable flowers.

Odonata
First Dragonflies were 2 Emperor on 14/6, up to 4 males have been on Moss Lane pool regularly, ovipositing females seen 5 times with two there on one occasion. A Little Grebe was seen to take one of these females and consume it.
1 Broad Bodied Chaser on 19/6.
2 Four-spotted Chaser have been around MLP since 15/6.
1 very brief blue type Hawker remained un ID'd on 19/6.
2 female and 1 male Black-tailed Skimmer have been seen on different dates the first being on 23/6, the latest today.
Today 2 Brown Hawker were the first ones this year.
Damselflies are represented by Common Blue and Blue-tailed, out in decent numbers today, can be seen anywhere around the mound.

100s of Toadlets were seen getting ready to leave MLP on 19/6. Some stragglers remained until this week.
Also 1 deceased Common Shrew on 23/6.

Late morning, conditions generally cool, but with sunny intervals

Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper on the wing, but my favourite was a Latticed Heath Moth

Also lots of Soldier Beetles

Very hot today, I think it was too hot for a lot of the butterflies

Two Ringlet
15 Meadow Brown
2 Small Tortoiseshell
At least 30 Skippers on the wing, those I saw resting were predominantly Small Skippers
Lots of Five-spot Burnets

On Sheldon Pool there was an Emperor Dragonfly
Also lots of Common Blue Damselflies - too many to count as they were flying above the water in huge numbers
A Blue-tailed Damselfly was on the mound, although I suspect there were probably more on the pool
I also saw a green Lacewing

I was hoping to look for Grass Vetchling today, but I didn't get far enough out to the areas where I saw them last year.
I was particularly pleased though to find at least 34 stalks of Bee Orchid near Sheldon Pool

29/5/20 Late post from an afternoon visit yesterday.

It will be interesting to see what the butterfly numbers will be like this year with the very wet and mild winter followed by this extremely dry and sunny spring. The area is free draining so the ground is bone dry with the result that the grasses and flowering shrubs are struggling to grow at the moment.

Not much about yesterday but looking at my past records I don't usually start recording insects until around the second week in June.

Butterflies seen
2 Small Heath
1 Small Skipper
4 Common Blue
3 Small White
1 Small Tortoiseshell

Odonata
1 Broad-bodied Chaser, imm.
probably 30+ Common Blue Damselfly
a few Blue-tailed Damselfly

8/9/19 some sightings from mid morning

5 Painted Lady
2 Small Tortoiseshell
c10 Large White
24 Common Blue
2 Speckled Wood

Odonata
3 Brown Hawker
2 Common Darter

A couple walking their dog told me they had photographed a Bee Orchid recently but description would indicate Man Orchid (mention of 2 arms and 2 legs). Interesting sighting either way.

23/7/19 Mid afternoon around the mound

Masses of butterflies
200+ Gatekeeper
100+ Meadow Brown
30+ Small Skipper
30+ Large White
5 Speckled Wood
2 Comma
4 Peacock
1 Red Admiral
1 Painted Lady
a few worn Ringlet

Odonata
4 Emperor
2 Brown Hawker
2 Four-spotted Chaser
1 Common Darter
1 female Banded Demoiselle
100s Common Blue Damselfly
a few Blue-tailed Damselfly

27/6/19 early afternoon around the mound

Butterflies
c20 Painted Lady
20+Common Blue
10+ Ringlet
5 Meadow Brown
4 Small Heath
20+ Large Skipper
A few Small Skipper
1 Comma
1 Red Admiral
1 Large White
1 Small White

Odonata
1 Emperor
1 Brown Hawker
1 unidentified Hawker type
Common Blue damselflies out in decent numbers

5/8/18 9:15 to 10:30am

Butterflies
2 Meadow Brown
2 Gatekeeper
5 Common Blue including a brown female
2 Small Copper having the most sustained squabble I have seen from 2 butterflies, carried on as I lost sight of them behind some trees.
2 Speckled Wood
10+ Large White

Only dragonfly seen was a Brown Hawker

7/7/2018 8:15 to 9:15 this morning.

Gatekeepers out in numbers today, probably more than 50.
30+ Meadow Brown.
couple of Ringlet.
couple of Small Skipper.
Small Tortoiseshell.
A few Large White.
1 Painted Lady.

A few Dragonfly on Moss Lane Pool.
3 Emperor, (+1 roaming the mound).
A few what looked like darters but bright light and distance made ID difficult, usually Common here.

11/6/2018 mid afternoon on the mound and back pools

5 Spot Burnet emerging in quite large numbers
Common Blue and Large Skipper were the most numerous butterfly, 10+ of each
3 Meadow Brown
2 Large White
3 Emperor Dragonfly
4 Broad-bodied Chaser
Small numbers of Common Blue Damselfly

This afternoon

Sheldon Pool

2 Common Blue
2 Speckled Wood
5 Common Blue Damselflies

Mound area

5 Meadow Brown
Small Skipper very worn
12+ Common Blue, most immaculate and mainly males
3 Speckled Wood

Back Pools

Emperor
Brown Hawker
3 Common Darter

c40 Gatekeeper around Sheldon Pool
1 Emperor dragonfly
1 Brown Hawker
Numerous Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies
10 Meadow Brown

Around the mound area

c30 Gatekeeper
Brown Hawker
Black-tailed Skimmer on the back pool
Blue-tailed Damselflies
Soldier Beetles
7-spotted Ladybird
Small Skipper
Latticed Heath

Teasel
White Campion
Rosebay Willowherb
Great Willowherb

A walk from the Leisure Park to Ashton Moss tram stop this afternoon. Quite breezy and occasionally more humid conditions when the sun appeared

27 Ringlets counted in the rough grassy areas. Probably more present and the highest number I have seen yet on Ashton Moss. Likely to have been more present on the mound. It has been great to see the spread of these around the county over recent years.
Small Skipper
Large Skipper
3 Common Blue
5-spot Burnet moths again abundant
Common Blue Damselflies mostly resting
One Blue-tailed Damselfly seen later near the Sheldon Arms I also found the first Alder Leaf Beetles I have seen in Tameside on Ashton Moss today.

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Sunday 25th of June 2017 06:20:22 PM



-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Sunday 25th of June 2017 09:51:33 PM

5/9/16 mid afternoon

1 Brown Hawker
3 Darter spec.
1 blue type damselfly
2 Meadow Brown
20+ Speckled Wood
4 Common Blue
1 Large White

27/7/2016 mid afternoon visit
Butterflies counted
65 Gatekeeper
25 Meadow Brown
c14 Green-veined White
c10 Large White
9 Small Skipper
1 Ringlet
1 Small Tortoiseshell
1 Red Admiral
Dragonflies
2 Common Darter
2 either Broad-bodied Chaser or Black-tailed Skimmer
3 Brown Hawker
2 Common Hawker
Damselflies
Many 10s probably 100s of Common Blue
A few Blue-tailed

30/10/2015 around midday

On the Mound
1 Darter type Dragonfly
3 Red Admiral
100s of what appeared to be Crane Fly but were about half the size of a Daddy Longlegs

Friday 25th September 2015, 1.15 - 1.45pm

A quick wander around the Mound

3 Common Blue butterflies (2m, 1f)
1 Brown Hawker
1 Blue type Hawker
1 Silver-Y moth

8/8/2015 8:00-9:15

Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers on the wing in large numbers early this morning.
Also 1 Red Admiral
couple of Skippers
2 Brown Hawkers.

Pretty poor for Dragonflies and Damselflies on here so far this summer.

Saturday 11th July 2015, 4.30pm

Moss Lane

Ringlet butterfly, continuing this species' march across GM
c20 Burnet moths, which didn't land to definitely ID, but more likely to be five, than six-spot, the latter not being common in GM
Weasel / Stoat crossed path