Low Moor and Oakenshaw Wildlife

Found 3 Blue-tailed Damselfly my first of the year today and another first of the year were 3 Common Heath moths both at Raw Nook NR.  The Common Heaths are particularly pleasing as they were in the heather area we had cleared of Silver birch saplings last year……

There was a pair of Grey wagtails down at Toad Holes Beck and butterfly sightings included 2 Green-veined & 4 Small Whites and a pair of Speckled Wood post mating behaviour.

Male & Female Speckled Wood

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly

Just Look at my smart black bib…..

After the heavy rain this morning I thought I would leave it till mid afternoon to check on the patch!  Sadly no Whitethroat Sp were heard and the Sedge Warbler as expected appears to have moved on.  Keeping a close eye on a pair of Linnets that has been in and around Caldene Fields for a few days now.  The reason Linnets were regular breeders here but that was many years ago……

Found this Small White resting deep in a Nettle bed at Toad Holes Beck

Received some information from Vic a birder who watches the Tong area who stated that he had a Lesser Whitethroat on the 5/5.  It is interesting this morning at the eastern end of Toad Holes beck I found a Lesser Whitethroat.  As I have said before there is an Urban Migration route that runs basically north to north west through my recording area and it could well be that the Tong bird is making it’s way west along the route and is trying to find suitable habitat and a mate.

Also at Toad Holes Beck this morning was a Sedge warbler a bird that is a fairly regular spring passage bird.  Hopefully one year they might breed……….

A male Common Whitethroat was seen today at Raw Nook NR.  However, I hope I’m wrong but from the location I suspect the bird may be a passage bird and not looking to attract a mate. Two Swifts moved W over Caldene Fields and the pair of Tufted duck are still at Toad Holes Beck.  A Seven Spot Ladybird was seen at toad holes Beck.

An early start this morning at the Vismig point at Caldene Fields proved fruitful with a Swift flying S/W at 07.23.  Also moving were Swallows with 6 N/W & 7 LBB Gulls W + 3 N.  A skylark was in full song over the fields reminding me of days gone by when the species was a regular breeder.  Still no Common Whitethroats in at the moment which is starting to cause a concern….

A number of butterflies enjoyed the early morning sunshine with Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and Small whites recorded.

Speckled Wood feeding on Dandelion at Toad Holes Beck

Dappled shade at Raw Nook NR

This morning I thought I would try to find as many species as I could in our recording area.  The total was 34 different species.  The only unusual species was a pair of Tufted Duck at Toad Holes Beck which have probably come from nearby Harold Park lake to try to bred.  Additional  species I perhaps should have found included Swallow, Coal Tit, Canada Goose and Common Whitethroat.

Tufted Duck the only unexpected sighting today………..

There was a heavy ground frost first thing this morning which quickly disappeared with the rising temperature creating a magical effect at Toad Holes Beck.

Visible migration only produced 6 LBB Gulls moving N, a single Swallow N and strangely 3 single Mute swans which flew at distance to the E.

Spring butterflies included a single male Orange Tip, 2 Small Whites and a single Peacock all at Caldene fields

Thought I would do a bit of visible migration this morning mainly looking for Swallow and Martins despite the unfavourable N/E winds.  Only 9 Swallows flew to the N but what caught me out was a Redpoll Sp that flew again to the N giving a harsher call that the usual Lesser I pick up. Also of interest were 2 Sparrow Hawks seen displaying.

Not really in our recording area…..but fairly near… heard a Lesser Whitethroat in full song at Wyke Beck this afternoon.

Bird wise my records show that the first week of May is usually fairly good here with something of interest turning up.  But I got off to a bad start today in the fog and a slight N/E wind with nothing new of note and even the local Willow Warbler were have heartedly singing…..

There was one bright note…..the Coots at Toad Holes Beck have successfully bred