Carlton Marsh

 An immature Little Ringed Plover was on the wader scrape this morning (JP).

Wintersett 30.06.2021

Anglers CP:

Redshank 1.   Oystercatcher 1 large young.  

Cold Hiendley Res: 

Great Crested Grebe  4 very small young.    

Goldeneye 1 female + 1 female Wintersett Res..

Carlton Marsh

The highlights of today were Peregrine over the hide, 1 Oystercatcher SW after circling the scrape at 11.20hrs, Buzzard, 2 Kestrels, Kingfisher, 1m Teal, a fledged juv. Great Spot Woodpecker, Willow Tit (around the first seat on the embankment), 2 Treecreepers, Collared Dove north (its scarce here) and a singing Garden Warbler.

Insects included 3m Emperor Dragonfly, 1 Brown Hawker,  3 Four Spot Chaser, 2m Black-tailed Skimmer, 2m Banded Demoiselle, 4 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Skipper, 12 Ringlet, 1 Small Heath and a Latticed Moth (R. Laverack/L & Corrall/CG).

Wintersett 29.06.2021

 Anglers CP: 

A Redshank and a Little Ringed Plover were in the shallows. 

6 Egyptian Geese,  presumably the ones seen at Wombwell Ings at 06.40hrs dropped in early morning.

Oystercatcher 4 adults + 1 large young.  A Curlew flew over at 11.05hrs. 

Pochard 1 female.     Mallard young 7 (from 8). 

Lepidoptera:  

White-letter Hairstreak 2  at Botany Farm.

 Odonata:

Red-eyed Damselfly 3 males on lily pads, Botany Bay.

An Emperor dragonfly was in the meadow at Anglers CP.

 

6 Egyptian Geese on the shallows Anglers CP  29.06.2021  ASmith 

 

Later, the 6 Egyptian Geese flew around and dropped back into Anglers CP shallows at 10.05hrs. 

29.06.2021   ASmith

                                            Redshank    Anglers CP  29.06.2021    SDenny 

                                  Emperor dragonfly hiding in the meadow 29.06.2021 SDenny

Barnsley Swift Group- any takers?

 Good Evening, 

Over the past few months I have received a number of calls and texts/emails from residents in Barnsley asking for advice about swifts , what boxes to use, what calls to play etc. They have generally found us on social media (Wakefield & District Swift Group on Facebook). If fact a gent in Royston asked for a free box and I sadly had to say no, which is a massive shame....... 

There is clearly quite a few swift enthusiasts in Barnsley and a unified group would really help raise awareness (with non birders/local government), help lobby local developers and Berneslei/ Barnsley council to protect and make provision for these birds. 

Just to give you an idea of what we have done in Wakefield:

• Group formed in 2019 by myself , Francis Hickenbottom and Elizabeth Jackson
• 1st year we used social media (facebook and twitter) to build audience and awareness. 
• 2nd year we raised £670 from pin badge sales and fitted 27 new nests 
• give advise and recommendations 
• we are currently pushing Wakefield Council very hard to change local planning framework for swift bricks in new builds
• we are consulting on planning applications from the big housing developers 
• we have also been in discussions with WDH and now have a agreement to work together and cut entrance holes on soffits for swifts when estates are re-roofed. 
• We have also joined the SLN (swift local network) , this is over 90 national swift groups which all share ideas / best practice etc. 

If anyone would like a project, I would be happy to help you get setup and guide you etc. it would take about 3 people initially. please contact me - wakefieldswifts@gmail.com or 07780 998554 

Chris Swaine 

Wintersett 28.06.2021

Anglers CP: 

Redshank 1.  A Curlew flew over.   Green Woodpecker 1.

Teal 4 in.   Common Tern 6 + 4 Wintersett Res.

44 Lapwing and and an adult Little Ringed Plover were on the shallows. 

A 1st summer  Common Gull was in field next to the car park. 

4 Mallard Broods:-  8 small young west bank +  4 fledged + 4 fledged + 4 fledged.

Moorhouse Lane Pond:

Pochard 1 male.  

Ewden valley 27/6/21.

Very cool northerly breeze not helping the birding here. Similar day to last Sunday with nothing new. Smaller movement of Swifts n with c 85. Regular sightings of Hobby with 2 seen together but possibly 4. C Buzzard 6, Raven 6, LBB Gull 5 n, Ring Ouzel 4, Stonechats hard to miss with 3 family parties seen. 3 Golden Plovers showing well on stone walls, Oystercatcher 1 towards broomhead res., 2 chipping Snipe, Lapwing flock c 21, Grey Heron at the lodge flew towards broomhead. Meadow Pipit c 20, Swallow 1 blogging at the lodge could be a late breeder, Jay 1. 1 Mountain Hare showed well on the track.

Carlton Marsh

 c26 Cormorants NE at 06.50hrs beat the previous maximum of 22 on 28/11/98 (Keith Bannister) and a large American crayfish was seen on the dike (Val Roebuck Dootson).

Wintersett 27.06.2021

 Anglers CP: 

A flock of  27 Cormorants flew  north west at 06.57hrs.    Lapwing 7 in and 12 flew north west.

Common Scoter 1 drake.   Little Ringed Plover 1 adult. 

Black-headed Gull young:  A total of 9.   3 +  3 on raft  + 3 on island. 

Cold Hiendley Res:

Gadwall  4 medium young. 

Carlton Marsh Saturday 26th June

 6 new Gadwall young, Buzzard with prey, Great Spot Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Garden Warbler, 1 Cormorant and a Moorhen with 3 young.

13 species of butterfly,  2 Comma from  a new brood, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Red Admiral, 9 S. Tortoiseshell, 18 Meadow Brown, 12 Ringlet, 10 Speckled Wood, 6 Large Skipper, 2 Dingy Skipper, 1 Small Skipper,. 6 Small Heath, 2 Small White and 1 GV White.

Moths included 1 Blackneck, 3 Shaded Broad Bar and a 6 Spot Burnet. Also of note Scorpion Fly (Panorpa germanica) Chris Parkin.

Wintersett 26.06.2021

 Anglers CP:

Little Ringed Plover 2.    Common Tern 5 + 6 Wintersett Res.. 

 Oystercatcher 1 large young + 2 large young Walton Hall.

Wintersett Res:

Goldeneye 1 female + another female on Cold Hiendley Res..

Odonata:

Red-eyed Damselfly 3 males on Botany Bay Water Lily leaves. 

A Ruddy Darter and a  Brown Hawker at Moorhouse Lane Pond.

Ruddy Darter   Moorhouse Lane Pond   SDenny   26.06.2021

Carlton Marsh

Today's sightings included 1 Willow Tit (SE3709) on the embankment towards the wader scrape, Kingfisher, Great Spot Woodpecker, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, c40 House Martins, c25 Swifts, 2 Teal, 7 Tufted Ducks, 2 juv Reed Warblers, 6 singing Reed Buntings, 55 BH Gull + 1juv and 3 LBB Gulls (L & A Corrall & D.M. Smith).

Wintersett 25.06.2021

 Anglers CP:   

A Little Ringed Plover was on the shallows and another was on the boathouse slipway, Wintersett Res..

Common Tern 2 + 6 Wintersett Res..  Oystercatcher 4 adults + 1 large young.   Sand Martin 100.

 Mallard young:   7 very small (new),  +  Wintersett Res. - 2 very small young at boathouse + 3 small young south east corner (from 7?) 

Wintersett Res:

Cormorant 1 + 1 Cold Hiendley Res..   Mallard 42.  

Cold Hiendley Village:

Greenfinch, 1 male at Rose Cottage.

Wintersett 24.06.2021

 Wintersett Res:

Common Scoter 2 males.    Curlew 6 flew west.   Willow Tit 1 south west corner. 

Goldeneye 1 female and 1 female Cold Hiendley Res..

Anglers CP:

Little Ringed Plover 1. Common Tern 3.   Oystercatcher 4 adults + 1 large young. 

Cold Hiendley Res:

Cormorant 1. 

Littleworth Park - Monk Bretton

1 Small Skipper, 19 Large Skipper, 24 Meadow Brown, 16 Ringlet, 94 Small Heath, 29 Common Blue and 1 Small Copper (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh 

It was quiet this afternoon 3 Grey Heron, 2 LBB Gulls, 25 BH Gulls with 1 immature, male Kestrel and all the usual warblers. 3 male Banded Demoiselles were on the dike near the hide (Gary Standish).

Wintersett + a 1st for the area. 23.06.2021

 Botany Bay:

A Curlew flew over calling.

Wintersett Res:

Goldeneye 1 female.

 Anglers CP:

Orchidaceae:  2 Pyramidal orchids,  Anacamptis pyramidalis,  were found today.  This is a new species for the area.   (PS/AS)

Pyramidal Orchids  Anacamptis pyramidalis  Anglers CP  ASmith

1st record for the area 

Lepidoptera:

Ringlet 2   Anglers CP.

Odonata:

Red-eyed Damselfly 15   Botany Bay.  

Wintersett 22.06.2021

 Anglers CP:

Common Tern 5.  Gadwall 11. 

Wintersett Res: 

Goldeneye 1 female.

 Cold Hiendley Res:

Gadwall 4 small young

Lepidoptera:

Small Heath 1  Anglers CP. 

Insects: 

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was a treat  at Wintersett Res,  this afternoon,  with Red-eyed Damselfly and  4 Spotted pot Chaser as back up.  Follow link for photos

https://twitter.com/StevieD131/status/1407398002864623630

South Kirkby Reclamation

Today's insect count provided the year's first 2 Marbled White and 8 Ringlet. Also present 1 Painted Lady, 10 S. Tortoiseshell, 26 Meadow Brown, 12 Large Skipper, 3 Dingy Skipper, 2 Brown Argus, 16 Common Blue, and 23 Small Heath. 

Moths flushed were Common Wainscot, Blackneck, Latticed Heath and 8 Shaded Broad Bar. Also of note Common Darter, a Scorpion Fly and a Grass Snake (Chris Parkin).

Carlton Marsh

2 Sand Martins and a fresh dead Mole (Keith Bannister).

Carlton Marsh

Bird sightings today included a Common Sandpiper, 20 House Martins, 1 Sand Martin, Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Buzzards, one with prey (L & A Corrall).

This hoverfly from yesterday is thought to be Syrphus torvus (J. D. Coldwell)

Ferrymoor Flash

3 Grey Herons, Gadwall with 5 young, Mallard with 11 young, 52 Canada Geese, 33 Greylags, Coot with 5 young and 2 Swallows (CG).

Wintersett 21.06.2021

Anglers CP:

Lapwing 26 on the shallows.   Oystercatcher  6 adults.  

Wintersett Res:

Common Tern 4.   A drake Pochard flew over.

Cold Hiendley Res: 

Goldeneye 1 female. 

Lepidoptera: 

A Large Skipper was seen at Anglers CP: 

Mirid Bug:   Grypocoris stysi seen at Wintersett Res..   

 Many thanks to Mike Denton for identification.

 i 

 Grypocoris stysi   Wintersett Res.  ASmith

A conspicuous bug found widely throughout the UK, usually on nettles in woodland, and sometimes umbellifers and white bryony. The adults and larvae feed on both flower heads as well as small invertebrates such as aphids.

The chequered pattern of light yellow-white areas and striking orange-yellow cuneus make confusion with other species unlikely.

Eggs hatch in May and nymphs become adult in June and July, rarely surviving much beyond August. Length 6-8 mm.

Follow Link for more images.  
https://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Miridae/grypocoris_stysi.htm