Carlton Marsh

Today's highlights were 2 Common Terns (1 juv being fed) from 07.10hrs until mid-day. They chased off a Herring Gull and a LBB Gull, but they were continually harassed by a Black Headed Gull all morning. 

                                Adult Common Tern (J. Finch)

                               Juvenile Common Tern (CG).

A Dunlin still in summer plumage was on the wader scrape at 07.30hrs but that was chased off by a Black Headed Gull (Keith Bannister/John Finch).

Also present 3 Lapwings, Kingfisher and a juv. Sparrowhawk was calling. (CG)

A common Sandpiper was on the wader scrape this evening (Dave Standish).

Insects included the first proof of breeding of Small Red-eyed Damselfly when a female was seen on the dike ovipositing in tandem with a male. 2 Ruddy Darter males, Southern Hawker, 

7 Gatekeeper, 7 Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady, 7 Common Blue, and c50 Meadow Brown. 

 

                       male & female Small Red-eyed Damselflies (CG)

Cudworth

A Humming Bird Hawk Moth was feeding in Chris Parkin's Barnsley Road garden. 

South Kirkby Industrial Park

20 species of butterfly today included 3 male Silver Washed Fritillary, 5 Painted Lady, 1 Dingy Skipper, 102 Common Blue, 17 Brown Argus, 13 Small Heath, 1m Brimstone and 12 |Small Copper (Chris Parkin). 

                         Silver Washed Fritillary (C. Parkin)

Carlton Marsh & Littleworth Park

Coal Tit, Great Spot Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard.

Along with 2 Ruddy Darter, 3 southern Hawker, 8 Brown Hawker, 3 Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Les & Andrew Corrall).

Littleworth Park-Monk Bretton 

18 species of butterfly included a phenomenal 232 Common Blue, 43 Brown Argus, 9 Painted Lady, 314 Meadow Brown, 175 Gatekeeper, 12 Small Heath and 21 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh

 Our wildlife group were busy again this morning strimming the path verges etc. We were joined by young Rueben, who is on school holiday at the moment.

A walk around with Gary Haywood produced a Grey Wagtail, Water Rail, and Buzzard.

Butterflies included 1 Holly Blue, 6 Common Blue, 4 Painted Lady and several Red Admirals.

Wharnecliffe Woodmoor

The derelict pit site is a haven for butteflies that included 23 Painted Lady, 21 Red Admiral, 13 Peacock, 5 Comma, 26 Common Blue, 4 Holly Blue, and 5 Brown Argus.

 

A Mink ran accross the railway line towards Carlton Marsh (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh 20/7/26 & 21/7/26

Monday 20/7/26

Great Spot Woodpecker, Goldcrest, 2 Teal, 5 Mistle Thrush.

Also 1 Small Heath, 4 Holly Blue, and 2 Migrant Hawkers (K. Bannister/L & A Corrall). 

Tuesday 21/7/26 

Kingfisher, Little Grebe 1adult 1 juv. 52 B H Gull, 3 LBB Gulls, one tried to take a mallard chick, and a Common Tern at 06.50hrs (K. Bannister) 

Insects included Holly Blue, 7 Common Blue, 1 Purple Hairstreak and 5 Painted Lady.

1m Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 2m 1f Ruddy Darter, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, 1m Banded Agrion and 2 Brown Hawker.

Carlton Marsh Update

32 Mallard, the males in 'eclipse', and the family of Tufted Duck. 

An additional 18 species of butterfly that included 12 Painted Lady, 34 Red Admiral, 28 Peacock, 15 Comma, 388 Meadow Brown, 206 Gatekeeper, 37 Common Blue, 6 Holly Blue, 8 Brown Argus, 12 Small Copper, 18 Large White and 108 unidentified White species.

Also 3 Ruddy Darter (Chris Parkin). 

Carlton Marsh

A male Silver Washed Fritillary was found on the embankment today by long time Carlton Martian - Peter Senior. This is only our 2nd record of it and the first since July 2021!

Storrs Mill to Ardsley Viaduct 17/7/26

20 species of butterfly included a Silver Washed Fritillary on a Buddlea, 4 Purple Hairstreak, 10 Painted Lady, 63 Red Admiral, 42 Peacock, 88 Speckled Wood, 3 Brown Argus, and 8 Small Copper. Also Ruddy Darter male and 18 Banded Agrion (Chris Parkin).

Littleworth Park - Monk Bretton 16/7/26

Excellent counts of butterflies included 8 Painted Lady, 5 Red Admiral, 676 Meadow Brown, 455 Gatekeeper, 173 Common Blue, 32 Brown Argus and 3 Holly Blue. A total of 1,600 of 17 species.

Also of note here Emperor Dragonfly and the Hornet Mimic (Volucella zonaria) (Chris Parkin). 

South Kirkby Industrial Park

Butterflies included 15 Painted Lady, 9 Red Admiral, 26 Peacock, 465 Gatekeeper, 86 Common Blue, 22 Brown Argus and 10 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh

A Little Egret spent the day on the wader scrape and a Peregrine was seen there early morning (Neil Lunn).

Later a Goldcrest, 2 LBB Gulls, and a Yellow Wagtail with food.

Also 3m Black-tailed Skimmers, 1m Red-eyed Damselfly, 3 Painted Ladies, 3 Red Admirals and a report of a Grayling butterfly (Andrew Corrall/Melvyn White/CG).

Carlton Marsh

Yellow Wagtail, Oystercatcher, 2 Lapwing, 1 LBB Gull, juv. Buzzard calling to adults.

Insects included 2m Small Red - eyed Damselfly, Emperor, Brown Hawker, 3m Ruddy Darter, 2m Broad-bodied Chaser, 2m black tailed Skimmer, 1m Common Darter, 1 Four Spot Chaser, 2 Red Admiral, 1 Comma, 6 Gatekeeper, 60 Ringlet, c60 Meadow Brown.

                                 Ruddy Darter

 Cudworth Station 

3 Painted Lady, 37 Red Admiral, 135 Peacock, 9 Comma, 2 Holly Blue,  

 

Carlton 4 & 5 old pit yard 

12 Painted Lady, 31 Red admiral, 109 Peacock, 2 Holly Blue, 18 Large White (C. Parkin)

Carlton Marsh and Cudworth Common

7 Little Egrets were on the wader scrape at 06.51hrs (Neil Lunn), but all had left by 07.30hrs (K. Bannister).

A Yellow Wagtail was still in the potato field and a Common Tern was feeding on the scrape (K. Bannister). 

Cudworth Common 

A Green Sandpiper was feeding on the flashes there (Mick Jones). 

Carlton Marsh & Edderthorpe Flash

Our wonderful wildlife group were busy strimming part of the embankment path and the ringing rides this morning.

While doing that a Water Rail called and 2 Yellow Wagtails were seen in a nearby potato field.

Also of note 3m Small Red-eyed Damselflies and a male and female Ruddy Darter were amongst the many dragons and damsels on show. (CG/K. Bannister).

 

Soldier Beetles

Meanwhile an Osprey was picked up at 22.00hrs last night (8/7) over Edderthorpe Flash by Mick Jones. This after one was seen flushing most of the waders on the Flash on Monday morning (6/7) (Per Alan Stonier).

Cudworth 

A Humming bird Hawk Moth was seen in  Chris Parkin's garden today. 

Carlton Marsh & Storrs Mill Monday 6/7/26

Carlton Marsh

2 Great Spot Woodpecker, Water Rail, 2 Oystercatcher, Kingfisher and Sedge Warbler.

At least 6 Purple Hairstreaks were flying around the tops of Oak last evening (CG).

 

                                            Sedge Warbler (CG)
 

Storrs Mill to Ardsley Viaduct

Red-legged Partridge,  Kingfisher, 2 Grey Wagtail, Blackcap with 5 young. 

Also 17 species of butterfly, 5 Painted Lady, 102 Red Admiral, 116 Peacock, 28 Comma, 41 Speckled Wood, 7 Holly Blue,5m Brimstone, 105 Gatekeeper, c100 Banded Agrion (Chris Parkin).

 

Carlton Marsh (Tuesday 7th July) 

2 Oystercatcher, Grey Partridge (old pit yard), Coal Tit and a pair of Yellow Wagtails with at least 1 young. Also 2 Holly Blue, Humming Bird Hawk Moth and Six Spot Burnet moth(M. Littlewood/M. White/A. Corrall).

 

Upper Cudworth

A Red Kite was circling over Pontefract Road this afternoon (Jim Finnerty). 

 

Low Cudworth 

Last night's moths in my garden included 11 Elephant Hawk. Poplar Grey, Dusky Sallow, Cloaked Minor, Ruby Tiger, Small Dotted Buff, White Satin and Broad-bodied Yellow Underwing (CG).

                                 Broad-bodied yellow Underwing

                                                Elephant Hawk Moth

                                                    Poplar Grey

                                                       White Satin

Carlton Marsh

A Little Ringed Plover visited the wader scrape this afternoon and a maturing owlet was 'branching' not far from the hide (D. Standish).

Insects included 3 Painted Lady, 2 Holly Blue, 6 Gatekeeper, 1m 1f Ruddy Darter, 3 Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 2 Common Blue Damselfly, 2m 1f Broad-bodied Chaser, 1m Banded Agrion, 1m Black-tailed Skimmer and loads of Emperor and Emerald Damselflies (CG)..

Carlton Marsh

A Goldcrest, Dabchick, a family of Tufted Ducks, 2 Mute Swans and a Kingfisher were on show today.

Also present 1 Holly Blue, 4 Red Admiral, and a male Ruddy Darter. (L & A Corrall). 

Carlton Marsh & Storrs Mill

Today was perfect weather for judging day for the Yorkshire in Bloom competition. Russ Boland, Joe Birch and Cliff gave Beatrice Myers a tour around part of the reserve including the wildflower meadow. We will have to wait until September to find out what award the reserve will be awarded. Yo can never be sure of the outcome, but Beatrice did say she loved the wild flower meadow.

The following photos were supplied by Simon Cox & Claire Griffiths 

f

From left Jo Birch, Cliff, Russ, Beatrice

Storrs Mill

2 Kingfishers, 2 Grey Wagtails, 16 House Martins,  and a Song Thrush feeding young. Butterflies included 23 Red Admiral, 5 Peacock, and 20 Comma (Chris Parkin). 

Carlton Marsh

Our wildlife group were busy mowing, strimming and painting this morning

Today's sightings included Kingfisher, 2f Tufted Duck with 9 very small young, Coal Tit and Great Spot Woodpecker (L A Corrall).

A survey of all 3 meadows and the embankment produced 2 Painted Lady, 8 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock (new brood), 8 Small Tort., 18 Comma, 410 Meadow Brown, 136 Ringlet, 15 Gatekeeper, 24 Large Skipper, 104 Small Skipper, 2 Small Heath, 2 Holly Blue, 4 Large White and 59 unidentified White species. 

On the scrape 10 Emperor, 4 Black-tailed Skimmer (C. Parkin).

In addition Oystercatcher, 1m Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 2 Brown Hawker, c20 Emerald, Damselfly, 1f Broad-bodied Chaser. 

Not forgetting a cracking Scarlet Tiger moth that alighted on a Hogweed leaf right in front of us. The latter being a new species for the reserve! (CG/Helen Todd).

Oystercatcher (CG)

 Photos supplied by Helen Todd 

                                      Small Red - eyed Damselfly

                                        Common Blue Damselfly (CG)

                                   Scarlet Tiger moth
 

Carlton Marsh

On the scrapes today 3 Lapwing, Kingfisher, Moorhen with 3 very small young, Little Grebe, 2 LBB Gull and 2 female Tufted Ducks with 9 young.

Also present Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, 2 juvenile Great Spot Woodpeckers, at least 3m Cetti's Warblers.

Insects included 2 Painted Lady, 1 Red admiral, 4m Small Red -eyed Damselfly, on the dike (near hide), 1m Ruddy Darter, 1 Brown Hawker, 1m Black-tailed Skimmer, 2 Four Spot Chaser, lots of Emperor and Emerald Damselfy (L & A Corrall/CG).

Cudworth

A Humming Bird Hawk Moth was feeding on jasmine in Geoff Miller's garden and 2 Holly Blue were in my garden.