Nice to see my first Purple Hairstreak also a nice Small Copper Butterfly at Elton Reservoir today 28th August 2021

Cheers Steven



-- Edited by Steven Higginbottom on Saturday 28th of August 2021 09:25:45 PM

Sunday 07:00-09:20am butterflies seen whilst walking around included , Meadow Brown, Comma , Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Green veined white and Skipper. Cheers Steven

This morning 30/6/19 walk around highlights.
10+ Ringlet Butterflies.
2 Painted Lady Butterflies.
3 Small Copper Butterflies.
6 Meadow Brown Butterflies.
1 Burnet Moth.

Cheers Steven

-- Edited by Steven Higginbottom on Sunday 30th of June 2019 08:47:54 PM

Could this be a Water Shrew Paul. Its fur looks quite dark - maybe after a swim? On the other hand maybe just a tatty Common Shrew with its fur matted and darkened by dew. You need a expert
Cheers John

Facebook Bury Wildlife & Greenbelt Defenders, a loose group of naturalists and farmers concentrating currently on Elton Reservoir Basin, have been organising clean up parties. Please join the page and follow us for news and opportunities relating to practical work and site defence.

 

Dave Bentley

Great spread of the not so common in GM Common Cornsalad at Daisy Field and what appears to be a very rare in GM Yellow Flowered Strawberry Duchesnea indica good patch growing totally wild at a spot in Bury. According to NBN records for south lancs vice County appears near the coast. Overlooked by self having walked past it oblivious for several years.

Bit of a Shufty found Narrow leaved Pea, Musk Mallow, and Fennel going over but still present. Also found Chicory, Corn Marigold, Cornflower, Wild Carrot all in flower. Also found Bohemian Knotweed which is a Frankenstein hybrid of Japanese Knotweed and Giant Knotweed.

On dam

Gypsywort, lots of Skullcap, Water Peper, Triffid Bur Marigold, Marsh Woundwort, Hart Tongue Fern, Wall Rue, Silver Weed, Hoary Ragwort, Celery Leaved Buttercup, Common St Johnswort, Bittersweet, and Wall Lettuce

Went around to ID as many things as possible. Covered most of the area but did not get to Lower Hinds and Radcliffe Marl Pit ponds near the Cemmy. Overcast so perhaps most noticeable was the absence of many things. Only 5 Butterflies, 2 Speckled Wood 2 Large Skipper, and a Green Veined White, Total absence of Dragonflies. Just two Damsels Azure and Common Blue. Quite few Bees but very lethargic Red Tailed Bees Buff Tailed Bee among others. No Communal Wasp just a two Ichneumon parasitic ones, Few moths Agriphila tristella Grass Moth, Zygaena trifolii (Five-Spot Burnet ), Depressaria daucella moth caterpiller on Hemlock Water Dropwort, Cataclysta lemnata duckweed moth, Several spiders Argyroneta aquatica, water spider in the Canal Lives and hunts under water, Cucumber Spider, Pirate otter-spider Canal lives on water surface. Only one Ladybird the awful Harlequin, Hardly any beetles, Two Mammals ,Several Hoverflies Marmalade Hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus, The footballer helophilus pendulus, Cheilosia illustrata A furry bumblebee mimic, Syritta pipiensc , Xylota segni. Some good true bugs very vibrant Cercopis vulnerata Red-and-black Froghopper, Green Shield Bug, Deraeocoris flavilinea , Grypocoris stysi. Only one amphibian common Newt, lots of flies and Caddis Fly cases made from weed, sand, and one from small Planorbis Ramshorn shells anunderwater Swan Mussel, Back Swimmer, LesserWaterBoatman, Water Cricket .

Plants the more interesting Corn Flower, Corn Cockle, Corm Marigold, monkey Flower, Skullcap, Bog Bean, Tansy, Fringed Water Lilly White Water Lilly, Skunk Cabbage, Water Forgetmenot, Curled Pondweed, Lesser Spearwort, Lesser Stitchwort, Water Mint, Yellow Loosestrife, Common Comfrey, Figwort, Water Figwort, Water Soldier, Honeysuckle, Pignut, Salad Burnet, Hairy Tare, Dyers Greenwood, Southern Marsh Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid White and Red Campion, Hedge woundwort Enchanter Nightshade, Ramsons, Alternate Leaved Golden Saxifrage, Lord and Ladies, Narrow Leaved Pea, Fringecups, Orange Hawkweed, Siberian Iris, Water Cress, Purple Loosestriffe, Dotted Loosestrife, Fennel, Poppy, Ornamental PoppyHemlock Water Dropwort Gipsywort, Bilberry, Marsh Cinquefoil, Water Plantain, Yellow Rattle, Ivy Leaved Toadflax, Creeping Jenny, Oxeye Daisy, Tufted Vetch, Goatsbeard, Ragged Robin and lots more some in flower others not.

lots to ID and will update withtotal later

3 Tortoiseshell out today with plenty off Early Mining Bee Andrena haemorrhoa, several bumble bee queens but did not settle to ID common newt, red ant, ground bugs Scolopostethus cf. thomsoni, and poss Scolopostethus cf. affinis both common, in flower Germander speedwell, Lesser celandine, lots of coltsfoot.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 8th of April 2013 07:04:35 AM

Few bits

four small smooth newts, nice rove beetle pretty sure Quedius levicollis Hinds Mill Area Elton, common flower bug, harvest man Nemastoma bimaculatum, spring tail Pogonognathellus longicornis under pond weed on the shore and a plume moth which looks like Emmelina monodactyla.

Yesterday, from top of dip with Ian Peters and Simon Johnson saw female Roe Deer and 2 youngsters.
Cheers Ian

PM Spen Moor SBI
Comma, Gatekeeper, large & Small skipper, Small TT Shell, Large White Green Viened White Meadow Brown and cinnabar Moth caterpiller
common Hawker around pond 2, Common Darter , Blue tailed Damsel, Chloromyia formosa soldier fly , Poecilobothrus nobilitatus dance fly, Neuroctena anilis fly

Plant Bugs
Lygocoris pabulinus Common Green Capsid, curious looking Heterotoma planicornis, Plagiognathus arbustorum, Apolygus lucorum on tansy , Liocoris tripustulatus, Apolygus spinolae and Deraeocoris ruber.

Rhagonycha fulva and Cantharis nigra soldier beetles

Common pond scater in a wheel rut puddle near pond two

Summer is here

Dip roe deer common darter meadow brown common newt

hinds
teazel creeping jenny, musk mallow, narrow leaved pea, ribbed melliot, large flowered evening primrose, tutusan, imperforate st johns wort, dotted and yellow loosestrife wild fennel hedge woundwort hairy tare

spenmoor
speckled wood, small TT shell, four barred major soldier fly, Volucella bombylans var. plumata bee mimic hoverfly

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Sunday 15th of July 2012 11:57:23 PM

from lastr weekend Hare
This weekend
Rhadinoceraea micans Iris Sawfly and Aphthona nonstriata Iris Flea Beetle found on Flag Iris in a pond lots of these
Nettle Weevil - Phyllobius pomaceus
nettle weevil Nedyus quadrimaculatus
green shield bug adult
Empis livida - snipe fly
good day for cuckoo bees- Nomada flava, Nomada goodeniana, Sphecodes monilicornis
Hoverfly Pied Hoverfly - Scaeva pyrastri thought by some to be migrants, Baccha elongata - elongated hoverfly, Xylota segnis
Red Damseld flies at least two Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Ichneumon suspiciosus - wasp
Sawfly Aglaostigma spp maybe A. fulvipes
Common Carder Bumblebee - Bombus pascuorum
Phantom Craneflies genus Ptychoptera

in flower shiny leaved cranesbill, bogbean, flag iris, lesser stitchwort, sunspurge, bush vetch, garlic mustard, wild garlic, cow parsley

late report from weekend

Ground Beetle
clivinia fosser ainsworth lodges 14/04/12
Nebria brevicolis r ainsworth lodges 14/04/12
agonum muelleri ainsworth 14/04/12
Black Clock Beetle - Pterostichus madidus buckley fold 14/04/12

Sap beetle Epuraea melanocephala on hawthorn railway elton 15/04/12

Hover Fly Syrphus ribesii hinds 14/04/12

Sawfly Hoplocampa genus hinds on willow 15/04/12

Butterfly speckled wood

water cricket nymph doffer fold stream

Great Crested Newt found by accident under a rock long way from known breeding areas rock quickly replaced as offence to disturb this species.


Sunny Bank as you enter foot path into dip is a good spot for mining bees and lurking cuckoo bees who follow the mining bees into burrows and lay their eggs. Very active.
Andrena cineraria grey nining bee dip 14/04/12
tawney mining bee dip 16/04/14
Cuckoo bee Sphecodes monilicornis dip 16/04/12
Cuckoo bee Nomada goodeniana dip 16/04/12

Last twp days
Rather large fox rather short distance site supressed as they are shot around here.
Owl midge
lots of true bugs
Anthocoris sarothamni Plant bug on Broom
Stenodema laevigata rather pretty brown bug 4 found two locations ID lack of spur on rear leg and pitted protonum
Common Flower Bug - Anthocoris nemorum
Birch Catkin Bug - Kleidocerys resedae


two crab spiders
xysticus cristatus
xysticus poss erraticus


beetles tiny
Protapion genus weevil in grass 2mm
genus Epuraea orange beetle two different types
flea beetle so called as they jump
Altica genus poss lythri visable by its slightly larger size, maybe brighter blue colour, and by size of the elytra, which are somewhat widened towards the posterior
Longitarsus genus poss luridus found in grass three of

and first hoverfly but two fast to id

in flower
colts foot
thale cress
rape
blackthorn
daffodill

First wolf spider seen look like pirata latitans
spider pachygnatha degeeri buckley fold hunts in rubble
Ground Bug Scolopostethus cf. affinis crow tree farm seen before in this area.
Green Springtail - Isotoma viridis buckley fold
gedis wasp doffer fold flightless parasitic wasp that hunts its host. About 40 species in UK but very difficult to nail beyong genus, This one was paying attention to snails and was orange and black. Very small 3mm
Weevil Dorytomus taeniatus found on willow withins under bark another found on willow end of canal

Despite the frost snow quite a lot about

Ground Beetles
Stream bank alpha ocys harpaloides, Paranchus albipes,
Under Logs Nebria brevicollis, Anchomenus dorsalis bright green beetle site of buckley fold
at least two of each species
harvest man and spiders doffer fold buckley fold areas
Paroligolophus agrestis, bolyphantes luteolus, neriene clathrata
common newt canal side

and just had Ground Bug Anthocoris cf. confusus lowercroft res ainsworth kindly confirmed few records GMC on NBN though that does not mean it isn't common.

In the quick visit today
At the end of the canal in the trees bordering Hinds
alder leaf beetle agelastica alni and another Dromius quadrimaculatus ground beetle woken in a branch crucks
Old Hall two Common House-spider - Tegenaria domestica under a brick

And in a Document Store in an Old Cotton Mill in Radclife

Pholcus phalangioides other names Daddy Long Leg Spider and Celler Spider easily recognized by small body and long legs first pair five and half times the length of its body. Lives in Buildings and has a variety of hunting techniques taping on other webs then ambushing other spiders as they appear, or just hunting most other insects in the house including when starving hungary its own species

first real visit of 2012
In flower gorse dandelion yarrow five plants Railway Daffs coming through
Jelly ear and Velvet shank fungi Canal
Erigone arctica money soider Amaurobius similis funnel weaver spider found under bark Hinds
Some bembidon genus ground beetles very small three under a rock Buckley Fold
Atrecus affinis - Rove Beetle found under bark dip where it inhabits not reported in GM before but common several
Spring Tails Entomobrya nivalis and Entomobrya intermedia are two closely related species and some experts think the same quite a lot of these either or both found very small under bark dip.
I noticed tiny black specks moving under bark Globular springtail Sminthurinus niger, these are about 0.6mm long and resemble full stops moving about very active Collembola. Common but not recorded in GM I think.
usual wood lice millipedes
Dead Rat Grey Squirrel
more to come from here and other sites in bury in 2012

Common Pygmy Woodlouse - Trichoniscus pusillus agg
Common Shiny Woodlouse - Oniscus asellus
Woodlouse Porcellio spinicornis
Amaurobius fenestralis very pretty spider found in a log alpha
eyed Flat-backed Millipede Nanogona polydesmoides ID by round plates near legs fairly common in UK but restricted to UK and Scandanavia only. alpha
Ground Bug Drymus sylvaticus id from other two in genus by general lighter colour and a dark elongate rectangular mark by the apex of the clavus. Not reported in GM before according NBN
and two escapee peacocks in my back garden on return

With all the bird excitement it was tempting to focus on that. Im glad I didnt found a few bits but best
2 Spot Ladybird - Adalia bipunctata (sexpustulata form) four red spots on black wing cases. Landed on dam. Can be seen up to November and is thought to be being persecuted by the harlequin ladybird.

Ground bug Scolopostethus affinis lives on nettles or leaf litter found earlier in year near Crow tree but again found today west of Crow Tree Farm in leaves not reported in GMC before on NBN website. overlooked