Ruddy darter

Ruddy darter

Ruddy darter

Southern hawker

Migrant hawker

Bold Moss, St Helens,
I picked Chris Derrie up from prescot reservoirs and off we went in search of emerald damselflies at Bold Moss. I have never been to this site before so Chris could act as tour guide.
Fisrt we found a Migrant hawker hanging in a small Alder, good start. We then went up to the top ponds and on the way we saw willow tit but hearing it first. Plenty of emperors, Brown hawker, 4 spotted chasers, black tailed skimmers , common darters and blue damsels but no emeralds. We then walked around the other side and a southern hawker was hanging in a birch allowing very close approach. A good day so far. We then looked in a small opening in the vegatation onto the pond. I noticed a very red, blood red darter perched not very far away. I said to Chris that we had better check it for red veined or ruddy. We realised it was shorter in lenght, narrow waisted and the legs were totally black, no yellow on the sides of the thorax. It was a ruddy darter. A good day just got better. We never did see the emeralds but we will just have to come back another day.
An Argyresthia brockeella (Micro moth) was seen on a birch tree leaf.

Prescot reservoirs,
Gull numbers up today with 200 black headed gull, 200 lesser bb gul, 40 herring gull and 10 common gull. 80 tufted duck 5 great crested grebe, 10 barnacles 50 canada 2 buzards, 1 kestrel f, 4 stock dove and 2 common sands.
A southern hawker was present briefly at the new pond today. Also brown hawker, 2 black tailed skimmers m+f,2 broad bodied chasers m+f and 2 common darters. 10 common blue damselflies.

P.S. 1adult 1juv little grebe on Saturday

Sutton Manor,
This a great place for a stroll on a summers morning. Its not bad for the dragonflies and butterflies either.
3 male emperors
2 brown hawkers
2 4 spotted chasers
2 common darters
common blue damsel
azure damsel
blue tailed damsel

lots of gatekeepers
lots of meadow browns
small skipper
large skipper
green veined whites
large white

Shaded broad bar
silver y
pale bordered 5 spot burnet

Prescot Reservoirs,
The first returning snipe was back in the ranch pond today present with a common sand. 4 common sands were on the reserviors. A 1st summer mediterranean gull on the causeway seen by Billy Harrison early morning. This was also present on Thursday. An adult common tern flew in mid morning. A kingfisher flew right over our heads on the causeway, the blue and orange gleaming in the bright sunlight.
A juv sand martin was on the perimeter fence with 8 juv swallows. A mixed flock of 20 linnets 20 goldfinch and 6 greenfinch with many juvs amongst them was also on the fence.
The gull numbers are building up with 80 black headed, 8 common gull, 30 herring, and 60 lesser bb gull and 1 great bb gull.
A painted lady, a very big small tortoiseshell, lots of meadow browns, gatekeeper,4 green veined white, small skipper and a red admiral.
1 broad bodied chaser.

Conwy RSPB
A quick visit to conwy rspb today to see a first for Wales and myself. A Stilt sandpiper was showing extremely well from the visitors centre . This American calidrid was in first summer plumage.

Prescot reservoirs,
Only 2 common sandpipers today after yesterdays amazing 28. The 2 juvenile stonechats were still on the north fence by the ranch pond.7 oystercatchers were on the causeway.
Butterflies today included a Comma, gatekeeper, large skipper and meadow brown

22 of the 28 common sandpipers today

Prescot reservoirs,
An amazing arrival of returning common sandpipers. There were 28 present this morning around no3 and 4 reservoirs. Nearby at Eccleston mere an excellent 12 were present. 2 juvenile stonechats were new on the north fence.
Also today,
1 sand martin
50 swift
20 house martins
5 swallow
54 tufted duck and 2 ducklings
2 gadwall and 1 duckling
4 great crested grebe
30 coot
1 ruddy duck f
30 black headed gull and 1 juv
20lesser black backed
5 herring gull
1 redpoll
lots goldfinch with juvs
linnet.

1 emperor dragonfly, 2 broad bodied chaser m+f, 1 black tailed skimmer f, 1 common darter.

Female broad bodied chaser ovipositing in flight

Female black tailed skimmer

Cinnabar moth larvae on common ragwort

Prescot reservoirs,

Still pretty quiet on the birding front. Tufted duck have increased to 56 and the first 2 young tufted duck were noted. 4 gadwall ducklings with parents and now only 2 shellducklings left with parents. Coot numbers are rising with 20 birds now present. 1 female ruddy duck, 6 great crested grebes,10 barnacles, 50 canada. BH reported 1 ring plover this morning and several curlew and a common sand throghout the week. AS also reports a single crossbill over.

The first 2 gatekeepers of the year around no3 res. A silver y moth, red admiral, and large skipper in the meadow. 2 emperor dragonfly, 2 broad bodied chasers and 2 common blue damselflys on the new pond.

Some of the moths in the garden throughout the week.

Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata

Bright- line Brown- eye Lacanobia oleracea

Common white wave Cabera pusaria

Bird cherry ermine

yponomeuta euonymella

The Drinker Euthrix potatoria

Why the long face!

The Drinker Euthrix potatoria

The Drinker,
Now before you judge this little fella, he doesn't need to visit alcoholics anonymous as apparently its the larva that likes a little tipple of dewdrop in the morning. Nothing wrong with that.
This is by far my favourite moth that I have caught in the moth trap so far. What a beauty. I nearly didn't catch him though because I put the trap out at about 9.30pm and as I was going to bed at 11.00pm it was persistingly pissing down so I thought I had better bring the trap in and this was the only moth in there. Nice

female Bee moth aphomia sociella

male Bee moth aphomia sociella

common marbled carpet chloroclysta truncata

single dotted wave idaea dimidiata

Small magpie eurrhypara hortulata

In the garden trap this morning

Blood Vein timandra comae

Yellow Shell camptogramma bilineata bilineata

Gadwalls have been successful this year

Prescot Reservoirs,
Definitely a few more birds on show today. 6 feral barnacle geese, 50 canada geese 12 gooslings 1 greylag 1 goosling, 4 coot, 2 shellduck only 6 shellducklings now, 1 female Gadwall and 4 ducklings,35 tufted duck , a pair of ruddy duck, 4 great crested grebe,3 herons,3 buzzards , kestrel male,3 crows eating a young shellduck,4 jackdaw, 10 lapwing, 4 oystercatchers.
The gulls numbers are building up with 80 lesser black backs 20 herring gull and a couple of black headed.
In the meadow a male green woodpecker was calling 'yip yip' and it then flew along the plantation giving excellent views Also bullfinch calling, reed bunting male and 4 goldfinch over.

A couple of beautiful moths were just on the edge of the meadow. A 'Blood- vein' and a 'yellow shell' brightened up the day.
1 black tailed skimmer m, 1 broad bodied chaser m, 3 common darters juv/fem.

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