Plume moth amblyptilia acanthadactyla

Large yellow underwing noctua pronuba

Orange ladybird

Light Arches apamea lithoxylaea

Snout hypena proboscidalis

Pick of the bunch from the moth trap above.

Prescot reservoirs,
Pretty quiet again today but managed a photo of this swallow and common blue.

Prescot reservoirs,
A Dunlin in summer plumage was a returning wader, probably a failed breeder was on the causeway today. BH also had 2 ringed plover earlier in the day. About 20 herring gull today and only 3 lesser black backs. 6 great crested grebe, 1 cormorant, 25 tufted duck, a pair of ruddy duck,1 buzzard, 2 shellduck with 12 shellducklings,50 canada geese with 14 goslings.

some of the moths in the trap last night below,

Purple Clay Diarsia brunnea

Heart and dart Agrotis exclamationis

Pyralidae scoparia ?

Green oak tortix viridana

pseudargyrotoza conwagana

Light Emerald campaea margaritata

Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica

Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica

2 Light Emerald and 1 Ingrailed Clay in the garden last night.

Sidings Lane CP,
I had a great night out last night getting stung by millions of midges and moquitos. It was my first moth trapping night and it was really brilliant. Dave Owen from Sankey valley C.P. and Ray Banks were the excellent hosts aswell as our moth experts. It opens your eyes to the so many different moths we have flying at night. From I D ing the really dull browny grey jobs to the multi coloured moths it was a very interesting night. My favourite moth of the night was the Scorchwing which looks just as its name suggests. I just might be getting a moth trap soon so watch this space.

Moore Nature reserve,
I thought I might try here today for a bit of birdwatching. Lots of lesser black backs on the tip and on birch pool. Oystercatchers with 2 chicks, little grebe with 2 chicks, 1 pochard, and 1 juvenile black headed gull.

3 brimstones
small white
large white
peacock
spleckled wood

brown silver-line moth

In my garden today a hummingbird hawkmoth

Prescot Reservoirs,
Very quiet on the birding front again today.2 buzzards, 2 kestrel, 20 tufted duck, 2 shellduck with 12 shellducklings, 20 canada with 5 goslings 2 great crested grebe and a pair of ruddy duck.

Odonata today included,
1 Black tailed skimmer m
5 broad bodied chasers 3f 2m
1 emperor m
3 newly emerged common darters
Common blue damselfly
azure damselfly

2 painted lady
lots common blues
small white

silver y moth
cinnabar moth

Sutton Manor, St Helens

Yellowhammer
reed warbler
whitethroat
reedbuntings
Linnet

Large red damselfly,
Azure damselfly
Common blue damsel
Emperor male
3 broad bodied chasers
6 four spotted chasers

Large skipper
Small skipper
painted lady
meadow brown

Latticed heath moth
five spotted burnet
Silver y

Lots of Bee Orchids.

Sutton Manor,St Helens

3 four spotted chasers
2 braod bodied chasers
2 azure damselfly

3 meadow browns
4 large skippers
3 narrow- bordered five- spot burnet

Prescot reservoirs,
RED-VEINED DARTER today on the new pond which was only created last year after some building work at the reservoirs. I found it on sunday morning but misidentified it on brief views as a common darter. After talking to Colin Davies and Ray Banks and the recent influx of red- veined darters across the country I thought I had better go and see if I could get a better view and some decent photos. This morning was cloudy and breezy and not good for dragonfly watching but again I had brief views of it and when it did appear the broad bodied chasers chased it off! About 4.00pm this afternoon it brightened up considerably and I decided to go back and have another look. After an hour or so it appeared again and convieniently perched on a small stalk at the muddy edge to the pond and I managed to confirm the ID and get some decent photos. Job done and a first for St helens in the bag.

Also today
Emperor dragonfly
3 Broad bodied Chasers
3 Common blue damselfly
Black tailed Skimmer seen by Colin Davies

2 Red Admirals
Lots of Painted lady

Prescot Reservoirs,
2 common terns again today. 3 shellduck,12 shellducklings, 27 tufted duck,1 great crested grebe,1 buzzard, 1 kestrel.

Butterflies and dragonflies

4 male 2 female broad bodied chasers.1 pair seen mating in flight.
1 common darter
1 blue tailed damselfly
2 common blue damselfly
All dragonflies and damselflies seen on new pond.

2 painted lady
lots of common blues
1 specled wood
4 large white

Sankey valley,
Banded Demoiselle is a damselfly that I have never seen before, not that I have seen many different damselflies before. Colin Davies reported seeing some at mucky mountains in the sankey valley during the week so off I went today to have a look. The wind was quite strong today and I did not see any damselflies here but Colin had mentioned that some where showing at Havana flashes. They were showing brilliantly here just below the bridge and what beautiful creatures they are. In the strong sunshine thier metalic greenyblue colour glistened as they fluttered about. I had 5 of them here but I met Ray Banks who said he had a least 30 along the stream further up. This is a rare damselfly in St Helens with only a handful of previous records. I also had blue tailed damselfly from the bridge.

Prescot Reservoirs,

A quick visit Early morning produced a couple of common terns. The shellducklings are down to 11 now.

Prescot reservoirs,
The common tern colony has now increased to 3 today. They were landing on beagle 2 in the middle of no4 reservoir and did attempt to mate on there. They stayed for a couple of hours then flew off N E. probably going to Eccleston mere.
The 14 shellduck ducklings are still doing well as are the 6 canada and 2 greylag gooslings.
There must have been a hatch of flys as 16 black headed gulls were doing there best to imatate marsh terns picking them off the surface.
After yesterdays encounter with the sparrowhawk, a house martin landed on the perimeter fence no more than 6 yards away. After taking its picture I then walked passed it to within 2 yards and it stayed where it was totally unperturbed. Nice.

Lacewing CanonA95

House martin Canon A95