Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

An excellent counts of 67 Jackdaws were at Caldene Fields yesterday included in this total were adults and juvs.  This illustrates how well this species is doing as on the 23/2/1981 I recorded a single Jackdaws in the fields and described the sightings as ” An excellent sighting!”

Mr Kisby told me that he had seen a Red kite flying over Oakenshaw on the 23/6/14 which is an excellent sighting. ( lucky devil…)

The Heart and Dart moth is doing very well at the moment. I caught 25 my second highest total to date at Caldene Fields last night.

Herring Gulls again were flying and calling over Caldene Fields this morning but due to the strong sunlight and how high up the birds were flying I couldn’t get a count…..  A singing male Common Whitethroat was again at Toad Holes Beck but no sign of breeding activity.  A pair of Meadow Browns were at Raw Nook NR and I caught a Map-winged Swift moth last night which could have come from nearby Raw Nook NR.

Meadow Brown

Had my first sighting of a male Common Blue butterfly at Raw Nook NR this morning.  Incidentally this is my earliest  record for the species.

Common Blue

Found what I thought was a new Ladybird today also at Raw Nook NR…….but it turn out to be a Harlequin Ladybird just about to have dinner……

Harlequin Ladybird well established now in our area

What was pleasing to see is the return of the Northern Marsh Orchid at Toad Holes Beck with 2 been found.  They were not there last year and probably flourished due to the wet weather.

One of the two Northern Marsh Orchids at Toad Holes Beck

Whilst down at Raw Nook Nr this morning I came across a female Broad-bodied Chaser warming herself up in the sunshine and what a beauty!

The species has bred before in our area so fingers crossed she finds a male……

This morning an unprecedented 17 Herring Gulls moved south over Caldene Fields in a single party which was very unusual……  Also yesterday another unprecedented moment happened at Raw Nook NR pond there were excellent numbers of mating Azure damselflies I estimated at least 100 pairs !

At least one pair of Song Thrush have bred at Toad Holes Beck with 2 juvs seen with an adult.  Strangely single male Common Whitethroats were again at Raw Nook NR and Toad Holes Beck yet no females noted.

For me a first brood male Green-veined white seen at Caldene Fields is not a common sighting

I have decided this year to start to record Bees, Ladybirds and Hoverflies in addition to the other species frequenting our recording area.  The reason for this is to try and establish what species at breeding and visiting as well as their status in our recording area.  It will be a big  task especially when time is limited but hopefully an enjoyable one…….

Anyway this morning I photographed a bee that look quite distinctive and it turned out to be a Tree Bumblebee.  The species was first found in the UK in 2001, but is now found throughout the UK after expanding north. It’s status is described as Common.

There was not many moths to identify this morning apart from these two handsome fellows…

Two male Buff Ermine

Yesterday four adult Herring gulls circled Caldene Fields mid afternoon which was unusual.

Found a new moth a Pebble Hook-tip last night at Caldene Fields.  The concern, well to me at first it had a look of a Dusky Hook-tip which is very rare and I don’t think it has ever been recorded in Yorkshire…..  But as my heart rate started to decrease I realised it was just a Pebble Hook-tip.  But still a new site tick makes up for been brought back down to earth……

Pebble Hook-tip a site first!

I have always wanted to be more knowledgeable about what species of bees frequent our recording area but my bee ID skills I have to rate as below average….  But today I thought I would make a start and managed to ID 3 species……I THINK! these were the Red-tailed bumblebee, Early bumblebee and the Buff tailed bumblebee.  ANY BEE EXPERTS OUT THERE, I WOULD BE HAPPY FOR ANY HELP OR SEND PHOTHS FOR ID……

Also of interest were 4 Orange Tip butterflies, first fair count of the species whereas Vic who watches the Tong area told me that Orange Tips have been very common there.

  Red tailed bumblebee

Early bumblebee

Buff tailed bumblebee

A pair of Wrens were feeding juvs at Raw Nook NR, A family party of Long Tailed Tits were at Toad Holes Beck and a female Great Tit was feeding young at Caldene Fields.

Had a rather big surprise in the moth trap last night when a Poplar Hawkmoth arrived…..  In fact it was a good night for moths as 8 different species were caught.  Also at over the fields late afternoon a Common Buzzard flew N/W chased by 2 Carrion Crows….

I have noticed that there were, as yet not that many House Martins in at the moment around our recording area.  However, today 57 were feeding over Toad Holes beck and gradually moving west, which is a good count.

Been a bit late this year with the moth trap as last night was the first time I have used it this year.  So I must admit I was a bit excited this morning to see if anything had been caught.  The trap revealed 3 species the Small Square-Spot, Flame Shoulder and Shuttle-shaped Dart.

Flame Shoulder one of the first moths to be caught, identified and released at Caldene Fields in 2014