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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> All other Greater Manchester wildlife sightings -> BICKERSHAW COUNTRY PARK (other wildlife)
Post Info TOPIC: BICKERSHAW COUNTRY PARK (other wildlife)
colin davies


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RE: BICKERSHAW COUNTRY PARK (other wildlife)
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Bickershaw produced the goods again today with at least three willow emerald damselflies, including a pair egg laying on willow. So far as I can tell, the first records for Greater Manchester.



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colin davies


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Dragonfly numbers much reduced from previous visits but still a few emperors about, plus brown, southern, migrant and probable common hawkers. Also singles of black-tailed skimmer and ovipositing female broad-bodied chaser.



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colin davies


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Amazingly another four keeled skimmers at Bickershaw Country Park today, with a male and female in the reedbed on Nevisons and two more males and possibly a female on the stream between New Water & Nevisons. The keeled skimmers from two weeks ago were only the 2nd record ever from Greater Manchester and only the 2nd ever in either Lancs or GM away from the uplands! No idea what's going on, but that's at least six individuals on site, even assuming that the two on Nevisons today are the same as those that were there two weeks ago! 



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colin davies


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Lots of dragonflies again at Bickershaw yesterday with the hightlight being a male black darter.



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Scott robinson


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Yeah amazing Colin, I've highlighted the ponds for you, they are obscured by flowers and plants just head off the new road and you'll see them. Cheers Scott.

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Scott robinson
colin davies


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Wow that's amazing! I wonder what's going on? I don't know Bickershaw all that well beyond Nevisons and New Water so not really sure where the the ponds are that you mentioned. 



-- Edited by colin davies on Friday 11th of July 2025 08:15:00 PM

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Scott robinson


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I've also had two Keeled Skimmers today in the ponds dug out by the new road, we gets lots on Mull but was a nice find today, lots of Gatekeeper on the wing, Small Skipper, Small Heath seen. Common Darter, Broad Bodied Chaser, Four spotted Chaser, lots of Damselflys about aswell. Single White Plume Moth and some lovely 6 Spot Burnets too.

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Scott robinson
colin davies


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With a sunny day forecast and temperatures due to reach the low 30's I decided to head to Bickershaw Country Park in the hope that I might see a few dragonflies and possibly reconnect with the recent Norfolk hawkers that were there in June. 

What I was certainly NOT expecting to find was a male keeled skimmer which performed well right in front of me. So far as I can tell this was only the 2nd or 3rd keeled skimmer ever in Greater Manchester. If that wasn't surprising enough, I was even more amazed when a female suddenly appeared from nowhere and the pair hooked up and proceeded to mate! 

This is a species of moorland and peat bogs and the closest breeding populations are in the Lake District where I have seen them previously. An unbelievable record.



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colin davies


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Incredible to spend the afternoon in the presence of at least 6 Norfolk hawkers at Bickershaw CP today. Is this a range expansion from Amberswood where they have been seen for at least the past 3 yrs or an influx from Europe due to the current weather systems? I'm not sure, but wow! Nice one for finding them Gordon.



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colin davies


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At least one Norfolk hawker still present yesterday afternoon in less than optimum conditions. Sadly I can't match Gordon's photos but still easily identifiable.

 

This species has been at Amberswood for at least the past three years and is probably breeding there. It would be great if this this is an expansion of the breeding range, though I suppose it could just be an invasion from elsewhere given the recent southerly airflow.

 

Got to be worth a second look at any large brown dragonflies elsewhere in the county during this period of warm sunny weather which is forecast over the next week or two.

 

Thanks to Gordon for the tip off.



-- Edited by colin davies on Monday 16th of June 2025 05:59:39 AM

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Gordon Newman


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Late news from Friday 13th June pm when at least a dozen Norfolk Hawkers were present on Nevison's Flash.

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David Hughes


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 Thanks for the input Roger,god bless the internet for her assistance ,wink



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Roger Baker 3


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Think it's a species of Ichneumonid Wasp .... notoriously difficult to id David ... 2500 species in UK alone .... give you something to do during dark winter nights.

Roger.

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David Hughes


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Can someone id this please, I'm not clued up with insects in general, thanks



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Lez Fairclough


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Didn't expect to see much in the way of fungi but the site was teeming with it especially around the young Silver Birch trees

next to New Water & growing out of the old mining rucks also. Identified species in picture order :-

Blackening Waxcap

Blushing Bracket

Common Earthball

Crimson Waxcap

Fly Agaric

Orange Birch Bolete

Pestle Puffball

Purple Brittlegill

Rosy Brittlegill

Scaly Tooth Fungus

plus a single male Common Darter dragonfly.

 



-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Thursday 27th of October 2022 11:00:33 PM

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