Ewden valley 18/7/22. D Nichols, S Green.

Breezy with shade at the lodge but still too hot for the birds with Buzzards nowhere to be seen. Pair of Red Kites the only larger raptors with Kestrels the most numerous with 6+. Hobbys 3+ with a juv/imm hawking White Carr, Peregrine 1. Golden Plover 2, Stonechat 6, Swift c 6, Meadow Pipit c 20. Stoat 1 on track briefly.

Wintersett - Hottest Day 18.07.2022

The hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures over 30 degrees centigrade by late afternoon!

Anglers CP:

Oystercatcher 1. Green Sandpiper 1.  Common Sandpiper 1.  

Little Ringed Plover 1.  Lapwing 36.  Hobby 1.

Common Tern 2 adults, each with a juvenile.

Tufted Duck 1 very small young. 

Wintersett Res:

Black-necked Grebe 1 in summer plumage.

Lepidoptera at ACP:

Small Skipper 2.  Brimstone 1 male. 

Wintersett + Ringing + Insects 17.07.2022

 Anglers CP:

Common Tern 3 adults + 2 juveniles flew south.

2 Red Kites flew low, north at 08.48hrs.  Tufted Duck 1 female with 7 small young. 

Wintersett Res:

Black-necked Grebe 1 adult.

Ringing:

89 birds were ringed at Wintersett Res this morning.

Highlights were:

31 Chiffchaff,   6 Willow Warbler,   11 Blackcap,  8 Reed Warbler,  

5 Sedge Warbler,  2 juvenile male Cetti's Warbler,   1 Goldcrest,

1 Treecreeper and  4 Reed Bunting.

Insects:

Rutpela maculata 1 ACP hill + 2 Willow Wood WRes.. 

Agapanthia villosoiridescens 1 on Dam Wall, WRes..

Carlton Marsh

A butterfly count today produced 15 species that included 4 Red Admiral, 14 Peacock, 12 S. Tortoiseshell, 13 Comma, 1 Purple Hairstreak, 16 Speckled Wood, 125 Meadow Brown, 72 Ringlet, 112 Gatekeeper, 8 Large Skipper, 58 Small Skipper, 1 Holly Blue and 19 Large White (Chris Parkin).  

Broomhead Hall, Ewden Heights 11/7/22

I thought you might like to see a small sample of the 61 macro moths moths caught earlier in the week there. 

Polar Hawk Moth

Scarce Silver Y

Coronet

Pine Hawk Moth

Green Arches

Northern Eggar

Carlton Marsh

The adult Med Gull was on the wader scrape from 07.30hrs (JP/ K. Bannister) and was still there until 10.32hrs, but had left by mid-day. An adult Common Gull was the first since March.

Storrs Mill Bridge to Ardsley Viaduct  on the River Dearne
Grey Wagtail, Cormorant, Green Woodpecker and buzzard.

17 species of butterfly included 33 Purple Hairstreak, 4 Holly Blue, 3 Small Copper, 6 Red Admiral, 12 Peacock, 62 S. Tortoiseshell, 45 Large White and 41 Comma. Also Ruby-tailed Wasp and Roesel's Bush Cricket (Chris Parkin)

Wintersett + Insects 16.07.2022

 Anglers CP:

2 Redshank were in the shallows.  Common Sandpiper 1. 

Wigeon 1 male.  Oystercatcher 2.

Wintersett Res:

Grey Heron 3.   Pochard 5.  Little Grebe 1.  

Goldeneye 1 female + 1 female on Anglers CP

Lepidoptera at Anglers CP.

Essex Skipper 1.   Small Skipper 2.  Ringlet 1. 

A pheromone lure, that has been in Pete Smith's freezer for 13 years!!, 

 attracted a Six-belted Clearwing Moth within five minutes!! 

Six-belted Clearwing moth  Anglers CP 16.07.2022  Pete Smith

Coleoptera:

Rutpela Maculata 1.  

Odonata:

A Southern Hawker was found dead on Botany Road. 

A Ruddy Darter was in the north east corner WRes. 

Reptiles:  

A Red-eared Terrapin  and a Yellow-bellied Slider were basking  in the north east corner. 

Carlton Marsh

 An adult Med Gull was on the wader scrape at 08.40hrs (JP). Kingfisher and Cetti's called and 6 Mistle Thrush were on a nearby pasture (K. Bannister).

This evening Little Grebe with 2 very small young and 17 LBB Gulls.

2 Purple Hairstreak were flying around the top of an Oak.

An Humming Bird Hawk Moth was in Les Corrall's Low Cudworth garden on Tuesday 12th.

Wintersett + Ringing 15.07.2022

 Anglers CP:

A Dunlin was on the shallows  this morning.

82 Birds were ringed today:  Pete Smith

Highlights were:

13 Willow Warbler,  16 Chiffchaff,  7 Blackcap,  9 Garden Warbler, 

3 Whitethroat,   a juvenile Cetti's Warbler,  17 Goldfinch,  1 Reed Bunting,  

1 Linnet,  and a juvenile Willow Tit!

15/7/22 Underbank and Midhope Res

Midhope Res - juv Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, 6 juv Lapwing, 4 House Martin, 4 Swift, 4 Tufted Duck, 6 ad Little Grebe, 2 Buzzard

Underbank Res - ad Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpiper

Ewden valley 14/7/22.

Cool at times in a shocking nw wind. Very good day for falcons but not much else. Hobby, thought to be 3 with 2 together at times. Peregrine 1, with it or another later. Merlin 1 bombing a few times, Kestrels 6 +. Red Kite 2, C Buzzard 1 very scarce. Raven 1 pair, Stonechat 1 imm, Swift 3. Brown Hare 2 at stone circle end of valley and a Mole here on the track briefly.

Wintersett 14.07.2022

 Anglers CP:

 An adult Mediterranean Gull flew north at 08.37hrs.  

3 Black-tailed Godwits, in summer plumage, were on the shallows 

A Common Sandpiper dropped in this morning,

Wigeon 1 male.   Canada X Greylag Goose 1.

Wintersett Res: 

A Tufted Duck, with 5 very small young,  moved them over the dam wall to Cold Hiendley Res.

Goldeneye 2 females.

Midhope res. 13/7/22.

Hagg bridge - Family party of Spotted Flycatchers this aft, 2 juv Grey Wagtail, c 5 Siskin.

Wintersett + Insects 13.07.2022

Anglers CP:

Wigeon 1 male.  Oystercatcher 1.  

Cold Hiendley Res:

Pochard 2 males in wing moult.  

Shoveler 1 young.  Gadwall 1 large young.

Mallard young - 2 small/medium + 2 large.

Lepidoptera:

A Holly Blue was in the Willow Wood.   A Ringlet was in Haw Park Wood.

A Small Tortoiseshell was on the west bank WRes.

Odonata:

A Southern Hawker was in Haw Park Wood.

Wintersett 12.07.2022

 Wintersett Res:

Goldeneye 2 females.   The Oystercatcher family of 2 adults + 1 young.  

Common Tern 6.  Cormorant 2.  

The remains of a Banded Demoiselle were on the path in the south west corner.

Anglers CP:

Wigeon 1 male.  Little Ringed Plover 1 juvenile.  

Botany Bay:

Greenfinch 3.  

Odonata:

Four-spotted Chaser 1 WRes.

Lepidoptera:

A Ringlet was on the north bank WRes.  

Photos

 

Photos to go with previous post.

 

Spot Fly success

 Family party of half a dozen spot fly, maybe even 2 families in private garden west of town.  Successful nesting in this garden every year for at least last ten years.

Wintersett 11.07.2022

Anglers CP:

Oystercatcher 1.  Common Sandpiper 2.  Grey Wagtail 1.  Wigeon 1 male.

Mallard Young - 3 + 1 small/medium off north bank.

Wintersett Village:

Little Owl 1.

Lepidoptera:

 Small Skipper 1.  Ringlet 1.  Purple Hairstreak 1. Brimstone 1 male.

Carlton Marsh

The 2 Whooper Swans are still present. 2 Little Egrets were also on the scrape and a Coal Tit sang. Only 1 Common tern was reported today.

c6 Emperor and at least 2 Brown Hawker dragonflies were flying in front of the hide. 

The Willow Tit 'Back from the Brink' display board was vandalised last night.

Four of the 6 Common Terns that visited last week (JP)