Wycolle

Since it was a warm bank holiday we decided to spend the morning at Wycolle, since we had not been for a little while. To say that the wildlife was limited would be an understatement, with birds limited to swallows, magpie and robin. We did get a resonable view of a kestrel as we were leaving too.

We did, however, have a little more luck with butterflies, still in short supply for species, but those species there more than made up for it with numbers, particularly green veined whites, which were out in force. Other species included peacock and small tortoiseshell, as well as one Comma which was sunning itself as we arrived.

-Comma

-Green Veined White

Soil Hell-Back Again

The weather was nice, today I once more made the ascent up the hill, to see if I could actually track down any birds. I managed a few, which is an improvement on Tuesday. Before I even reached the hill I spotted this lovely female wheatear on the wall along the side of the road. It was not a particularly flighty bird, as wheatears often are so I managed a few reasonable photos to record the fact that there were actually birds there today.

-Wheatear

But it was not the only bird, oh no! On the hill there were many meadow pipits and skylarks, a magpie, trios of woodpigeons and pheasants, which jumped out of the long grass at three different intervals and gave me 3 metaphorical heart attacks. There was a large flock of around 20-30 starlings on the mast and as I was leaving were washing themselves in the pool nearest to the mast.

Butterflies were a little down on Tuesday, there remained peacocks, whites and small tortoiseshells but only one small copper and the most abundant butterfly were meadow browns, most of which looked like they had seen better days; tattered wings and faded colouring.

-Small Tortoiseshell

Where the hill exceeded itself was in the dragonfly department, once more, with a record of 3 species! The most common of these was Common Hawker, of which there were at least four, possibly even 5, some having fights but each seemed to have its own pool, whereas on tuesday they had both been on the largest pool.

The top dog as it were on the main pool was quite keen on hovering for a few seconds at each spot, so I made the attempt to try and photograph it in flight. I have a couple of resonable efforts, but whenever it clouded over all dragonflies vanished, so I was eager to have a look round before the cloud became more frequent, for that reason, and the fact that the dragonfly moved and photographing flying dragonflies is hard, these were the only photos I managed that were any good.

-Common Hawker

As I said, I moved on from the main pool to the other pools, where today there were dragonflies. The two male black darters from tuesday had moved to another pool, or possibly a different pair, and here there was no common hawker so they were easier to approach. I got some decent photos of them, a soil hill record shot.

-Black Darter

I made my way round the other pools and found only common hawkers on others beside the 2 main pools. Therefore I returned here when the sun came back out and spotted 2 male Common Darters, which is a new record for me at this site. Having said that, until tuesday I had never seen a dragonfly here, so its not saying much. These darters were not keen to land, as darters often are, so I only got a record shot of it one flight.

-Common Darter

I made my way back to the black darter pond but the sun had gone in and they were not there. There was however, my first female dragonfly of the site, a female common hawker which was ovipositing in the pond, indicating that there is obviously a population here, and this is not some freak event of individuals been blown in.

-Female Common Hawker

So another exciting installment of events on the hill, which has once more excelled itself.

Garden Caterpillars and Sparrowhawk

So since today was so nice I headed out into the garden to photograph the caterpillars that have been the scourge of my mums plants. On the pond we have a very obviously moth caterpillar which is eating the reeds. I do not understand how they are going to work this, because the more of their plant they eat, the smaller their island is going to become...

...we shall see

-Moth Caterpillar

We do however have some more familiar and identifiable caterpillars in the shape of these young large white caterpillars. There were at least 2 broods on this plant alone judging by age, and round the front there is another brood, so this species is seemingly doing well this year.

-Large White Caterpillar

Just as I was taking these photos, our female sparrowhawk flew over being mobbed by around 20-30 swallows. There was some serious mobbing going on, which is probably why it flew over without making a stop.

Soil Hill

It was a pleasant enough afternoon so I decided to wander up to soil hill to see what was going on. The warm air temperature had brought out the butterflies in force. On the way up I found Small Copper, and various whites. Once at the top I also found Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Meadow Brown bringing me up to a reasonable butterfly total for the walk.

-Small Copper

-Small Tortoiseshell

-Green Veined White

It was at the main pond on the track that I got my biggest shock of the day. As I approached I noticed two large black insects hovering next to the side and immediately recognised them as black darters, which I was not expecting. They were then joined by a large but very fresh male Common Hawker which was hunting the ponds edge. I had not expected any dragonflies up here, and these were the first I have ever seen, so to find 2 species was something of a pleasant surprise.

-Male Common Hawker

-Male Black Darter (1 of 2)

As for birds, the main group of wildlife I had expected to see, they were sadly very lacking, reduced to flushed skylarks and meadow pipits that refused to stick around. I only managed to find one Meadow Pipit which did not fly away.

-Meadow Pipit

On the way down though I spotted a very large group of starlings that moved around landing on the pylons that were up there.

-Starlings

On the whole it was a very good trip, and found some lovely wildlife, even if it was lacking a little on the bird front.

Burnsall Bridge

Today we went to Burnsall Bridge, and from there we decided to walk up to Grassington along the riverside. It was pretty void of wildlife in all fairness. There were only a couple of grey wagtails, which were mere flybys. We spotted 3 mandarin females, or eclipse males sheltering in the shade, but that aside there was not much.

-Mandarin Ducks

There were quite a few insects around, including a Banded Demoiselle at the weir before Grassington, which is a species I have never seen here before. I thought I had taken some photos, but they could not be located, so maybe I didn't.

There were quite a few butterflies there too, mainly whites but also a small skipper, which may also be a first for this walk for us.

-Small Skipper

-Small White

So today's walk was wildlife void even by its often low standards, but it was pleasant enough and there were the odd bits...

Sizewell 2013

Once more, as last year, I was not on this holiday for wildlife but they can hardly be ignored:

Day 1
Travelling down we had an absolute shocker with the trains, but on the way I spotted a little egret hunting in a lake next to the train tracks

Day 2
Walking over to play sport we had to walk past the horrible stagnant pool in case of fire. Hunting it was an Emperor Dragonfly, as well as a Common Darter. In the pond there were still plenty of Palmate newts, one of which I caught to show the people I was with

Day 3
This was the boating lake trip day and I found a few common emerald damselflies as well as some black tailed skimmers

Day 6
Doing water sports and, no joke, we were surrounded by dragonflies litterally hundreds all over the place, all Southern Hawkers. I have no idea what caused there to be so many, but there was clearly enough food to support them

Oats Royd

Sunny but humid, headed down to Oats Royd to see how things had changed during my absence. Change no.1 there were a lot more Skippers, both large and small as there were none when I had come before the holiday.

-Small Skipper

Change no.2, there was actually a dragonfly, and a new species at this site for me: Common Darter

-Common Darter

There continued to be lots of damselflies: Common Blue, Blue Tailed and Large red

-Large Red Damselfly

Walking around the pools I found no less than 4 Brown Hawkers, including one ovipositing, not a species I am overly familiar with.

-Brown Hawker

Some things don't change though, such as the presence of nice moths, like the Antler Moth

-Antler Moth

I also found this wasp very loudly chewing up an old reed stem

-Wasp

Dorset Holiday-Number Crunching

Bird Species:
Target Number: 50; Revised to 75:
Common Buzzard, Swallow, Robin, Blackbird, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Carrion Crow, Linnet, Stonechat, Dartford Warbler, Woodpigeon, Chiff Chaff, Mallard, Mute Swan, Reed Warbler, Yellowhammer, House Sparrow, Oystercatcher, Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Jay, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Swift, House Martin, Treecreeper, Green Woodpecker, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Curlew, Shelduck, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Wren, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Skylark, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, Raven, Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Tufted Duck, Lapwing, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Canada Geese, Graylag Geese, Bullfinch, Pied Wagtail, Rook, Tree Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Feral Pigeon, Collard Dove, Nightjar, Gadwall, Egyptian Geese, Mandarin, Sedge Warbler, Magpie, Blackcap, Red Kite, Willow Warbler
Actual Total: 74 Species 

Dragonfly and Damselfly Species:
Target Number: 20; Revised to 25:
Dragonfly:
Broad Bodied Chaser, Four Spot Chaser, Keeled Skimmer, Black Tailed Skimmer, Downy Emerald*, Common Darter, Black Darter, Ruddy Darter, Hairy Dragonfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-Ringed Dragonfly, Southern Hawker, Common Hawker, Brown Hawker,
Damselfly:
Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Southern Damselfly*, Blue Tailed Damselfly, Scarce Blue Tailed Damselfly*, Red Eyed Damselfly, Small Red Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle
Actual Total: 24 Species 

Butterfly Species:
Target Number: 30; Revised to 25
Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Common Blue, Silver Studded Blue, Little Blue*, Gatekeeper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Marbled White, Large White, Small White, Green Veined White, Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Silver Washed Fritilary*
Actual Total: 22 Species

Mammal Species
No Target (Humans are Excluded)
Sika Deer*, Roe Deer, Rabbit, Bat Sp., Grey Squirrel,
Actual Total: 5 Species

Reptile Species:
No Target:
Smooth Snake*, Grass Snake, Sand Lizard*, Common Lizard, Slow Worm
Actual Total: 5 Species 

Moth Species:
No Target (Only Obvious Moths Identified and Included):
Ghost Swift*, Buff Tip*, 6-Spot Burnet Moth, Cinnabar Moth, Large Emerald Moth, Pebble Hooktip*, Peppered Moth*, Common Footman, Buff Arches*, Scarlet Tiger*, Golden Y Moth,

Things That Have Bitten Me:
Target Number: Ideally None:
Mallard, Moorhen, Midge, Mosquito, Cleg Fly, Ladybird Larva
Actual Total: 6 Species

Dorset Holiday-Day 13: Stowe NT

The weather had been pretty incredible all week, but now we had to go home in it, which was less than ideal. We picked our destination prior to our departure this time so we would not end up just doing the job lot in one go. Our destination was Stowe NT, which we had been to before, no we hadn't, Yes we had kind of place. We had been before-Described on this website as 'A random national trust place in the middle of nowhere after the most boring journey in history'. 

Our journey to Stowe was pretty uneventful except that traffic was horrendous and progress was slow, but we made it there for lunch. On the road we saw Common Buzzard, to be expected and also Red Kite, a new bird for the holiday.

The weather was still incredible when we got to Stowe but that meant plenty of insects. My mum and dad got a lift down on the golf cart minibus service, but I said I would walk down to make space on the bus for others. The way down went through some woods, where I saw Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, 3 very familiar species over the holiday. On the bird front I spotted a Whitethroat singing in the bushes next to the field.

I made my way into the site. Apparently I should have been seen by the gate wardens who check your tickets, but I had no ticket and could not get in without my parents, who had already gone in. But nobody stopped me so I guess that all went well

I first went to the pond directly in front of me. A long lawn led down to it, and I was eager to see what I could find. No sooner did I arrived than did I find Black Tailed Skimmers, Azure Damselflies but also Red Eyed Damselflies, which made up for me missing them yesterday. I immediately took photos of them even though they were not in the best position due to my lack of photos from my previous encounters with them.

-Red Eyed Damselfly

There was one Broad Bodied Chaser among the Black Tailed Skimmers and it kept giving the latter a hard time flushing them from the perches on the waters edge. It only stopped a few times and then it chose perches which were not ideal for my camera.

-Broad Bodied Chaser

My attention was drawn back to the Red Eyed Damselflies, mainly because their eyes made them more striking that most damselflies. They kept perching but not where I really wanted them. One did perch on one of the emergent branches but it was still a little too far away for me to really get to grips with it.

-Red Eyed Damselfly

I mentioned the Black Tailed Skimmers, but they tended to perch on rocks and then not stay there very long, mainly due to the attentions of others of their species and the Broad Bodied Chaser. I did however find one or two who perched with the intention to stay perched so I could get a few photos.

-Black Tailed Skimmer

I left this section of the main lake and headed towards the smaller secondary lake than this main lake flowed into. The secondary lake was more wooded and there was less aquatic vegetation, especially water lilies. Where there was a break in the waterside trees there were a few Azure, Common Blue and more Red Eyed Damselfly, including a few in tandem.

-Red Eyed Damselfly

-Red Eyed Damselfly

I continued my walk and at the far end of the lake I saw a Great Crested Grebe which was quite close and started fishing. But when I looked at the photos afterwards I saw that it had not caught a fish but a crayfish, and quite a big one at that. 

-Great Crested Grebe

At this end of the lake the woods dissapeared and there were more damselflies, including red eyed in a position where I really get photos with all aspects. I took loads of photos but the light has restricted the impact of the eyes in the photos below.

-Red Eyed Damselfly

I continued round the far side of the lake where there was more woodland and here there were a few more birds, like Robin, Blackbird and a female Blackcap which flew across the path and into the trees between the path and the lake. There was also a Brown Hawker hunting this section of the grounds.

-Female Blackbird

Back out on the lake and it appeared that the grebe had followed me. I watched it as it seemed to be striking a threat pose, with its head close to the water, but after that it just sat up and then dived, so I don't really know why it had struck such a position.

-Great Crested Grebe

I found my parents at the top corner of the first main lake and there we watched some more Red Eyed Damselflies, including a pair in tandem.

-Red Eyed Damselfly

We were just setting off to leave and me and my dad spotted at the same time a Grass Snake swimming across the lake. It was a fair old size too but it was the yellow marks behind the head that really gave it away. It was only the 2nd of this species I have ever seen, so I was very excited. It was also the fifth reptile species of the holiday, when really I would have considered myself lucky to get one.

It swum off onto an island in the middle of the lake, swimming between the lily pads which looked rather striking.

-Grass Snake

I then followed my family as they made their way up through some of the smaller pools. Here there were still good numbers of Azure, Common Blue and Red Eyed Damselfly. I also spotted a Banded Demoiselle but it did not choose to land and so it did not take long for me to loose.

On the Dragonfly front there were a couple of female Ruddy Darters, due to the extensive black on the underside and black legs.

-Female Ruddy Darter

I then decided to go and finish my circuit round the main lake. The section I had not been to had good vegetation along the banks but no trees. This made it difficult to get to the waterside, but meant that there were good numbers of dragon and damselflies.

On the dragonfly front there were Four Spot Chaser, and Emperor Dragonfly, one of which took a Large White Butterfly from the air. There was also another of the small hawkers that I was sure were very late hairy dragonflies, but I needed one to land to take a photo so that I could confirm or dis confirm this theory.

It did not land and as such I had to try and take some sort of photo in the air. Below is my best effort, rubbish I know but the dragonfly would dissapear for a good 5 mins at a time and then re-appear at some random spot. I would say though that even though the photo is rubbish it seems to support the idea that it was a Hairy Dragonfly, so I will go with it.

-Hairy Dragonfly

I continued my circuit over the bridge, where there was a Black Tailed Skimmer on one of the posts. It was on the dark side of the post though so no great photos. On the far bank I spotted a Green Woodpecker and some crabby Canada Geese.

I made my way back to where I had started and there found my family again and also thought I saw a grass snake dissapear under the bank, but I could not re-locate it. On the bank the broad bodied chaser seemed to have left so the Black Tailed Skimmers had been left in peace so I took some photos of them perched on their rocks.

-Black Tailed Skimmer

After that my dad and I went for a wander along the bank of the lake and my dad spotted a Pike in the water. We headed off towards where the Canada geese had been but the only thing we saw this time was a juvenile Green Woodpecker chasing the adult bird around, not that we saw much of the adult bird but the juvenile seemed keen to give quite good views of itself.

-Green Woodpecker

And so that was that, the last wildlife act of our holiday down south. Its been a good holiday, but on the way home nothing happened, so here ends my narrative about it...