During the last few months I have noticed a welcome upsurge in local and non local people visiting Raw Nook NR. In addition some have been interested in our wildlife and have stopped for a chat.
I have been asked some really interesting questions like… What’s the red and black moths ( Burnet moths ) that I keep seeing flying in the meadow? Is there bats in this area? and What’s that dark brown butterfly with little circles on it’s wings ( Ringlet). And Oh! what’s happened to the pond? ( probable leak)
This interest is great to see and long may it continue.
I had a lovely sight yesterday when a female Southern Hawker dragonfly emerged from the pond and settled on a nearby plant to dry. It stay still in the sunshine for about an hour before flying off over Caldene fields.
I’m a firm believer in the saying ” Each to their own” and my knowledge of botany is well…OK. However, when I heard some of my botany friends were thinking of doing some survey work at Low Moor Banks…I thought excellent knowing them they will increase the species list for the site.
The weather however, was not kind as it was cool and dull. But the most important issue of the day was that social distancing was maintained throughout.
Joan and Alice two experts enjoying the day…
We had only moved a few metres when the very knowledgeable Joan Dobson stated ” Martyn…we’ve found some Wall Barley Hordeum murinum it’s not on the original list” Then other new species kept coming…as my smile got bigger and bigger!
Sadly there were few butterflies of moths about due to the dull weather but the odd Narrow bordered five spot Burnet moth did make a guest appearance.
Around about 13.00 we decided to call it a day and Joan told me that she would send me the data of any new species that had been found. And talking of finding things NO ORCHIDS had been found.
BUT!!! around about 18.00 I received a phone call from my good friend Joan. ” Iv’e got some good news!..One of the ladies actually decided to stay on a bit and found two rather wet Bee Orchids and a single Common!
Brilliant news…They were found from the main path by taking the first right and they were somewhere off that path….A big thank you to J for her diligent work.
But first some interesting news on the Bee Orchids. Sadly still none at Low Moor Banks but I received an interesting email from Shaun who visited Otley wetland a regular site for the Bee Orchid. Shaun explained plenty of Common orchids but surprisingly no Bee Orchids could be found. I just wonder if that hot period of weather we had in spring has affected the orchids?
Anyway show stopper one is the Lime Hawk moth that appeared in my garden today..
Second was from Sue and Geoff ( AKA The Plant finders ! The Early Purple Orchid ) Well they visited Low Moor Banks again and found a Dark Mullien Verbascum nigrum which is a site first. Thanks again.
Interesting fact…Raw Nook NR has two Dark Mulliens and is not that far from LMB…I wonder if the winds have help the species to get a foot hold at the site.
Yesterday despite the rain showers I once again visited Low Moor Banks on the Bee Orchid treasure hunt. And once again I failed to find a single orchid. Interestingly last years Bee Orchid area has seen a fairly large encroachment of Ribbed Melilot – Melilotus officinalis. Now whether this has some affect on the orchds..I’m not too such. However, the areas without Melilot still have no orchids…so my thinking maybe totally wrong…
However, on a brighter note..the Narrow bordered 5 spot Burnet moth is having a bumper year at the site…with hundreds seen. Although I could only find a few Six spot Burnet moths.
Whilst I thought the uncommon ( In Bradford) Lesser Whitethroat has not bred at the site this year, now I’m not too sure. As I was looking for the orchid near to last years nest site a male sang briefly before diving for cover….So!…
Since the 20th of June I have been looking for the Bee Orchids and the Six-belted clearwing moth at Low Moor Banks.
No look with the Bee Orchid but I did find a single SB clearwing moth and another Long winged conehead nymph (Left) in a different location within the site. This is the second nymph I have found of this rare breeding Bush-cricket which is rapidly moving north.
I also found at least 100+ Narrow bordered 5 spot Burnet moths.
When there are so many males on the wing females can be mated as soon as they leave the cocoon like this pair ( Left).
OK! but what about the Bee orchids?
Well I recently met a couple of knowledgeable naturalists Sue and Geoff at T B beck and drew their attention to the orchids and wildlife at Low Moor Banks.
I then received some brilliant news from Sue who told me: ” We toured the poor grass area where you recommended..(lots of clumps of Lady’s Mantle there) , where we saw quite a bit of Melilot, But no Bee Orchids. However, we found a single Early purpleorchid…..Which is a site first!
There was a Common Spotted in front and a huge Early Purple behind which was going over. We saw them from the footpath to the left , above the bank of trees and way down to Oakenshaw park. The flowers were growing in quite lush vegetation on the right of that path.”
A big thank you to Geoff and Sue for checking this area while silly me was checking the normal areas..lesson learnt!
But sadly as yet there appear to be no Bee Orchids at the site. But I will pay another visit in the near future.
Moths have been plenty full with the muggy still conditions and yesterday I recorded 36 different species at Caldene fields with 3 new species for our area. However, there was a couple of show stoppers…here’s one of them!
I have received a couple of emails stating that they had missed my radio interview about Raw Nook NR and my wildlife records has it was broadcast at a different time on BCB radio as I stated.
Not on for the lime light…but if anyone is fed up of watching there paint dry..ha.ha my interview starts around 13.25 on the time line.
Well lets start of with the one species that I cannot record…as it got away! well not literally.
On the 25/5 I was netting around the Oak tree at the top of Raw Nook NR when I found a rather strange caterpillar.
I realised it wasn’t a lepidoptera caterpillar so I took some photos and did some research.
And it turned out to be a Oak Sawfly – Periclista lineolata. A new species for our area. BUT it is mainly a southern species! So I sent my record off to IRecords and as I was aware there is a VERY similar Periclista species and because I didn’t have a photo of the ” the final anal segment ” hmm the record cannot be accepted. However, They did comment , ”an interesting sighting all the same. Ian Andrews YNU Symphyta Recorder”
On a better note I am learning about moth http://www.leafmines.co.uk/ and I found a mine in a Silver Birch leaf at RN.
I kept the leaf till the larva hatched and ID it as a Eriocrania salopilla Small Birch Purple which is a new fairly common micro moth for our area
Finally I received an email from Martin Bijl regarding my radio interview about how Raw Nook NR came about and my records ect. It is broadcast on BCB radio on 106.6fm – Tuesday 16th at 6pm and Wednesday 17th at 1330 .
After all these years at last I have bought myself a sweep net. So if you see a strange man swishing a net about in our recording area..well it’s me.
However, it’s bringing in rewards with various micro moths been caught and identified.
However, on 1/6 I caught my third record of the tiny Cream-spot Ladybird at Raw Nook NR whilst sweeping the grass at the bottom of an Elm tree.
I received another excellent report from Chris of two Red Kites seen again over Oakenshaw. This could suggest the the area between Oakenshaw and the Holme Wood areas could possibly be holding a breeding pair of Kites…
Yesterday I went to Low Moor Banks and there was good news and bad. First the bad, there was no sign again of the Lesser whitethroat and I feel the species sadly may not have bred this year. Three pairs of Common whitethroat were noted.
On a better note I found 16 Small Heath butterflies which is an excellent count for this not so common butterfly in south Bradford. In addition I found 4 male Common Blues which is an improvement on previous years
Received some excellent news for Chris at Oakenshaw who has been diligently been watching a pair of Kingfisher at Woodlands country park which appeared to have be mating. He stated they seem to fly in & out in the same general direction and head towards Oakenshaw beck.
Following further information that Chris had given about a Red Kite seen over Oakenshaw I was contacted by Amanda who told me that she had also seen a Red Kite in the Holmewood and Tyersal area which is well in the range of dare I dream it…A pair of Red Kites.
Thanks to Chris and Amanda for this information. Any further sighting especially if a pair is seen please let me know…Or better still ask it/them to fly over Low Moor..
I’ts been a bit of a busy week. On Tuesday at Raw Nook NR I met Martin Bijl radio presenter local BCB radio 106.6 FM who presents the Bradford Keeping it Green radio show . He wanted to interview me ( At a safe distance ) about how Raw Nook nature reserve has developed, how long I’d been involved in the site and the influence of my wildlife records.
Martin with his boom for social distancing. (left).
It was also a great opportunity to showcase our reserve and the excellent work the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is doing as well as our conservation group. He also interviewed people who were walking in the reserve. And what was pleasing was a lady who stated she had only discovered the site because of the lockdown…but thought it was ..Brilliant!…an oasis!
You may remember the recent Kingfisher sightings at Toad Holes Beck by Peter from Oakenshaw. Well there is further exciting news…in that he has now seen two birds at a pond in Oakenshaw. Now two birds in the middle of the breeding season ” Suggest ” possible breeding coupled with the fact we are now getting an increase in sighting at local ponds in spring and summer!.
Moths records are now starting to increase and this morning there was a lovely Peppered Moth in the trap..
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