Carlton Marsh

The Common Tern spent most of the morning and afternoon fishing on the scrapes. 2 broods of very small young Gadwall, 6 on the scrape & 6 on the wader scrape, Kingfisher (scrape), Dabchick (w. scrape). A pair of Jackdaws were safeguarding at least 1 juvenile in the car park

Insects abounded despite the cool breeze. 2 Painted Lady, 7 Red Admiral, 6 S. Tortoiseshell, 19 Meadow Brown, 1 Ringlet, 6 Speckled Wood, 3 Large Skipper, 2 Small Heath, 4 Common Blue, 1 Small Copper. There were 5m 2f Broad-bodied Chasers on the western meadow ponds and a possible Brown Haweker near the hide.  Also 2m 1f Banded Agrion and 5 Burnet Companion moths.

The Hornet Mimic  Hoverfly (Velucella zonaria) and the rare Chrysotoxum festivum or vernale was resting on a bramble leaf.

                                        Common Tern (CG)

                       juvenile Jackdaw (CG) Note the blue eye colour

    Chrysotoxum festivum/vernale (Hooh-barred Spearhorn) C. Parkin

                  Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) C. Parkin
 

Carlton Marsh

Common Tern, Garden Warbler, Yellow Wagtail and Oystercatcher were the best for today (K. Bannister/A. Corrall/M. White/J. Finnerty).

Reed Warblers are fledgeing now as shown in the photographs below. 

                                        Being fed by the adult

                   Common Tern (Harold Heath & Clive Mitchell)

Carlton Marsh

The Common Tern visited the scrape again this morning and a Little Ringed Plover was on the wader scrape.

The Yellow Wagtail was displaying over the potato field and a Garden Warbler sang near the Scots Pines on the embankment.

A Tawny Owl with an owlet was in a Sycamore tree. 4 Song Thrushes sang, Great Spot Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, and 2 Buzzards.

Insects included 1m BB Chaser and 1 Ringlet (K. Bannister/L & A Corrall/CG). 

Carlton Marsh

Today's highlights included Little Egret, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Starlings, 9 LBB Gulls, 2 Yellow Buntings, 4 Skylarks, and a male Yellow Wagtail, the first this year, in a nearby potato field. 

Also 1 meadow Brown and 2 Small Heath (A. Corrall/M. White/CG). 

And an adult Fox with a cub 

Cudworth & South Kirkby Industrial Park

Cudworth

A Current Clearwing moth was found in Chris Parkin's allotment without the use of a pheromone lure!

Current Clearwing (CP)

South Kirkby

My first Marbled Whites of the year, 5 Painted Lady, 7 Meadow Brown, 1 Ringlet, 19 Large Skipper, 26 Small Heath, 31 Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue, 4 Small Copper, 2 Brimstone, 1 BB Chaser, 1 Emperor and some Peacock larvae (Chis Parkin).

Carlton Marsh & Woolley

Carlton Marsh

A Common Tern was present first thing this morning again and a fresh dead Shrew was found on the embankment (. K, Bannister). 

 

Common Shrew (KB)

Woolley

Buzzard, Kestrel and 12 House Martins. 

Insects included 1 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 2 Dingy Skipper, 15 Common Blue, 10 Small Blue, 14 Small Heath, Shaded Broad Bar moth, 2m 1f Banded Agrion.

Common Spotted Orchid is flowering (Chris Parkin). 

Carlton Marsh

A Common Tern was fishing over the scrape at 07.47hrs and an Oystercatcher was present (K. Bannister).

By late morning both had left. However, the Common Tern returned to the scrape at 12.25hrs and continued to dive for fish alighting at times on a wooden post. A juvenile Heron pushed it off much to the annoyance of the Tern, which then began to dive bomb the Heron for superiority of the perching post. The pester power of the Tern won out. It was still feeding when I left at 13.10hrs. On returning to the wader scrape the Oystercatcher returned by 13.20hrs. (CG).

A Tawny Owl sang at mid-day from the school pond area. 

Carlton Marsh

On the wader scrape today adult Spoonbill at 07.42hrs (Keith.Bannister). This only the second record of it here and the first to come down and feed. It moved on at 08.30hrs (Amy Lomas). 

Spoonbill photos taken by Amy Lomas 

Also 1 LRP, 2 Lapwings, 12 Canada Geese and c20 Gadwall.

Littleworth Park - Monk Bretton

2 Meadow Brown, 4 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 14 Speckled Wood, 9 Large Skipper, 43 Common Blue,  61 Small Heath, 3 Brown Argus, and 4 Small Copper. Plus 15 Burnet Companion moths (C. Parkin).

Cudworth/New Park Springs/Carlton Marsh

Last nights moths in Chris Parkin's Cudworth garden.

                                              Poplar Hawk

                                                Gold Spot

 

New Park Springs, Grimethorpe

 A site not well watched for insects. The highlights today included 4 Painted Lady, 5 Large Skipper, 73 Common Blue, 64 Small Heath, 1 Dingy Skipper, 4 Emperor Dragonfly and 23

Burnet Companion moths.

Also c12 Skylarks and a Buzzard. Flowers included Southern Marsh and Bee Orchids (C. Parkin)   

 

Carlton Marsh 

1 LRP displaying 05.30hrs (K. Bannister) and 2 Oystercatchers were present at 13.5hrs (CG) 

Carlton Marsh

2 Little Ringed Plovers were on the wader scrape at 05.30hrs (K. Bannister).

Insects mostly on the western meadow included 26 Common Blue, 2m Orange-tip, 5 Speckled Wood, 7 Small Copper, 1 Brown Argus, 2 Large Skipper, 2 Dingy Skipper, 3 Red Admiral, 10 Painted Lady.

4 Silver Y moths, 13 Yellow Shell, Cinnabar, 35 Burnet Companion moths.

3 Banded Agrion, 5 (2m) Broad-bodied Chaser,  Emperor and a Squash Bug (C. Parkin/CG).

Cudworth Common & Woolley

A European Quail heard very briefly this afternoon was confirmed this evening. However, it only sang intermittently from a field of Barley or an adjacent Bean field at the back of the Pinfold Hotel, and then later near the flashes on the Common. They are very good at throwing their voice a fair distance, so patience will be required to hear it (CG).

Woolley 

Only 12 Small Blue due to a lack of their food plant Kidney Vetch. 5 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 3 Large Skipper, 2 Dingy Skipper, 41 Common Blue, 24 Small Heath, 1 Brown Argus, 1 Holly Blue and 4 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh & Storrs Mill

 Carlton Marsh

 Photographs sent in by Harold Heath & Simon Cox. 

                                    Chiffchaff (Clive Mitchell) 

                                           Tawny Owl (Simon Cox)

 

Whitethroat (Clive Mitchell)

Storrs Mill 

Painted Lady 1, loads of Banded Agrion and a Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle.

 

               Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium mordax) CG
  

South Kirkby Industrial Park

2 Adult Mute Swans with 6 cygnets, Kestrel Heron, 5 Pied Wagtails.

Insects included 16 Painted Lady, 32 Small Heath, 10 Dingy Skipper, 112 Common Blue, 5 Brown Argus, 2 Large Skipper, 4 Small Copper, 4 Brimstone and 2 Orange-tip.

Also 1m Banded Agrion, 2 B.B. Chaser, 4 Four Spot Chaser and a Green Shield Bug (Chris Parkin). 

Littleworth Park - Monk Bretton

14 species of butterfly included 1 Large Skipper, 7 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 67 Small Heath, 89 Common Blue, 5 Holly Blue, 1 Brown Argus, and 6 Small Copper.

Also 1m Emperor dragonfly, 1 Broad-bodied Chaser, 18 Burnet Companion and 10 Mother Shipton Moths. And the Common Malachite Beetle (Malachius bipustulus)

 

 Red Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis) (C. Parkin)

Cudworth Moths & Carlton Marsh & Thurlstone

Last night's moths in my Cudworth garden included 2 Buff Tip, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, 3 Lime Hawk, 1 Elephant Hawk, Sallow Kitten, Lesser Swallow Tailed  and Clouded Border. 

                                                 Buff Tip 

                                             Lesser Swallow Tailed

                                                               Lime Hawk

 

 Orange Footman

Elephant Hawk Moth
 

Carlton Marsh

Single Painted Lady and Hairy Dragonfly  (K. Bannister/CG).

 

Thurlstone 

9 Wall Brown, 4 Painted Lady, 3 Small Copper,4 Hummingbird Hawk moth, Oak Eggar moth larvae, Green Tiger Beetle.

 

Carlecoates

Single Green Hairstreak and Painted Lady, c30 Common Heath moths and loads of tadpoles (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh

On the hottest May Day ever 32c most of our observers kept in doors, including me. However, Harold Heath and Clive Mitchell nipped down, saw the Red Fox and and photographed this lovely Damselfly.

 

Azure Damselfly (HH/CM)

 

Carlton Marsh Update 24/5/26

A Barn Owl was hunting the field on Royston Road at 21.15hrs last seen heading towards the reserve. 

Single Pipistrelle and Noctule Bats flew over the scrape at dusk and Tawny Owls called after dark during a moth session.

Using the M V lamp with Chris Parkin 15 species of macros caught up to midnight that included Green Silver Lines, May Highflyer, 6 Pale Tussock, Knot Grass, Rustic Shoulder Knot, White-pinion Spotted and Scalloped Hazel.

6 Micros were also identified. 

                                     Green Sliver Lines

                                       Knot Grass
 

                                               May Highflyer

Rustic Shoulder Knot

                                              Pale Tussock

Carlton Marsh

A Barn Owl was hunting nearby at 08.00hrs (JP).

Other wildlife today included 2 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock, 5 Speckled Wood, 3 Dingy Skipper, 1 Small Heath, 17 Common Blue, 2 Holly Blue, 8 Small Copper, 1m Brimstone, 5 Orange-tip, 6 Large White, 38 White species.

Also 1 Banded Agrion, 1 Emerald Damsel, 2 Broad - bodied Chaser, 40 Azure Damsel, 44 Burnet Companion, 2 Yellow Shell, 2 Mother Shipton and 6 Silver Y moths.

Fox and Rabbit was also seen (Chris Parkin). 

Carlton Marsh & South Kirkby

Carlton Marsh

2 Grey Partridges (K. Bannister). 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwings, a Little Ringed Plover and a Re-legged Partridge were on the wader scrape this morning (JP).

Also present on the other scrapes 2 Tufted Ducks, a Drake Teal, 8 Greylags and 30+ Canada geese.

A fresh dead Common Shrew (KB).

 

                                 Salsify (K. Bannister)

 

Insects on the Western Meadow included 13 Burnet Companion moths, 2 Common Blue, 3 Small Copper, 1m Brimstone, 1m Orange-tip and this year's first Four Spot Chaser (CG).

South Kirkby industrial estate

2 Mute Swans, 4 Buzzards, 1 Grey Partrige, 7 Pied Wagtails and a Mistle Thrush. 

Also 8 Brown Argus, 4 Painted L:ady, 54 Common Blue, 27 Dingy Skipper, 12 Brimstone (6f), 2 Broad - bodied Chaser, 4 Four Spotted Chaser, £ Yellow Shell and 2 Latticed Heath moths.

Flowers included Bee Orchid and Southern Marsh Orchids (Chris Parkin). 

Cudworth Moths

It was a good night last night with temperatures not falling below 12c. The most colourful and interesting are featured below.

                                           Figure of 80

                                               Lime Hawk Moth

                                             Maiden's Blush

                                             The Seraphim

                                              Spruce Carpet