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BEES visit Dealburn road wildlife site…

Yes on the 20th of June 10 BEES descended on the Dealburn Road wildlife site where I am monitoring and recording the flora and fauna.

BEES are the Bradford Environmental Education Service and we met up at the entrance to the site.  What was nice for me was that many of them had never visited the site before.  But one did know the site well and that was my friend Joan Dobson who with her excellent botanical knowledge is helping me create a plant and grasses species list for the site.

Possibly the main reason the group had wanted to visit the site was to see the Bee Orchids which I discovered last year.  However, whilst one of the group found a single Bee Orchid just off the main pathway there were no Bee Orchids at the location I had found them last year.  Oh dear I thought!

However, after frequently stopping to admire the Small Heath, Common Blue, Ringlet and Meadow Brown butterflies we found ourselves on the main tract back to Dealburn Road.

When suddenly one of the group shouted ‘I’ve another found a Bee Orchid’  then another, and another.  The final count was 14…and all in a different location…Brilliant

As well as updating my our records I submitted the update to the West Yorkshire Ecology Service

 

Conservation day and updates…

Yes it was a work day on Saturday for our group the Low Moor & Oakenshaw Conservation Group.  The session in the main was to try and keep the Japanese Knot weed at Toad Holes Beck at bay as well as clearing Bramble and Nettle from encroaching onto the footpaths.

There was only one winner with this ‘ Very ‘ small Knot weed…

Today I visiting Dealburn Woodland site at Low Moor with friends from BEES.  We found an excellent count of 14 Bee Orchids…(last years count was 6).  And interestingly all were found in a different location within the site.

Also a minimum count of 5 Small Heath and 3 Common Blues were observed.

Small Heath

Common Blue

Just like the old days…

Yes it was just like the old days this morning at Caldene Fields with a Skylark in full song for about an hour. Sadly as I expected it couldn’t find a mate and drifted south.  Whereas, say twenty years ago the species was a regular breeding bird.

On a better note I found a beautiful Lime Hawkmoth at Caldene fields my second record of the at the site

Common Whitethroat and one of those Aw! moments…

Pleased to see that the Common Whitethroat appears to doing OK with a pair now established at Toad Holes Beck and 2 further pairs at Dealburn Road Woodland site.  Also at the former site Song Thrush is on the up with 2 pairs and at least one pair has bred.

Juvenile Song Thrush ( note golden-buff tips forming a wing-bar )

 

Now the Aw! moment..

Mallard with her 10 chicks at Toad Holes Beck.

 

A nice surprise this morning…

Yes found a Sedge Warbler in song at Toad Holes Beck this morning.  I stayed well away from the area as I believe that one day this species may breed at the site.

Yesterday I did some bird survey work at the Dealburn Road Woodland site (formerly the old Low Moor tip) and found another Lesser Whitethroat in song which is good news.

Sightings update…

Sighting updates:

Sunday 7th of May: Nearby Odsal Wood: A male Lesser Whitethroat in song + a single Woodcock.  Nearby Dealburn Road woodland site: 4 Common Whitethroat + 2 Green Vein Whites + 1 Male Orange Tip butterfly.

Sunday 7th of May: Curlew flew N over Caldene Fields + 17 Swift also N + 1 Common Whitethroat Toad Holes Beck.

Wednesday 10th of May: Toad Holes Beck a pair of Common Whitethroat

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