Totally amazed to see a Clouded Yellow butterfly at the reservoirs today (mid-morning). It was feeding at every yellow flower it could find, so didn't stay still for long, but was in the general area for over 20 minutes. Totally out of the blue, it was only my second ever for the county, and more than 25 years since the last!! Also 1 red admiral and 1-2 small whites.
Today's butterflies were as follows:- c12 Meadow Brown, 3 ringlet, 3 large skipper and 2 small tortoiseshell. Also a couple of 5-spot burnet, which I would expect to be broad-bordered. Most interesting was the presence of a number of common blue damselflies. I cannot remember seeing one here before, and in the absence of another body of water close by, I would think in all probability that they emerged from the reservoir. There is a very high chance that these are the first odonata to ever successfully breed on site, at least in modern times (unless anyone knows differently). Low water levels in the last 12 months, and the total lack of freezing weather will have been all that was needed for them to breed. I expect others to follow.
P.S. I have just seen a post from 2020 regarding a single teneral damselfly on site. On its own, it is easier to dismiss as a wanderer, but could still have been the first.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 30th of June 2022 09:24:13 PM
A Painted Lady was on the outside of North Bank of no1 reser. There were quite a few around South West Cornwall last week so perhaps a mini influx under way.
On Wednesday before 7:30am there were 4 Black-tailed Skimmers (1 fem, 3 male) along the east side No1. Also 2 Meadow Brown, 1 Small Tortoiseshell and an unidentified Skipper.
This morning before 9:00am 1 Black-tailed Skimmer 3 Small Tortoiseshell 1 Red Admiral 2 Meadow Brown 1 Small White and what I thought was a Comma until it landed briefly next to a Small Tortoiseshell, I didn't get the ragged look of a Comma so could only assume it was a fritillary, on probability likely to have been a Dark Green. One that got away. Also a smart looking Hoverfly landed on my tripod, turned out to be Chrysotoxum bicinctum.
I counted at least 15 White butterflies, most of which appeared to be Large White 2 Small Tortoiseshell At least 5 Soldier Beetles along the slope of the north bank of number 1 A teneral Blue-tailed Damselfly - this is the first Odonata species I recall seeing at Audenshaw!
Queen White-tailed Bumblebee prospecting along the walkway between No's 1 and 3
2 Bumblebees collecting pollen from the willows on the east side of No 1. Couldn't quite see enough in the scope to pin them down to White- or Buff-tailed.
Close, out-in-the-open views of a weasel on the inside stone bank of No. 1 reservoir this morning. Brilliant to see it slipping in and out of the gaps in the stone blocks.
A few year ticks to go with a Manchester birding tick today
Male Orange Tip near the power station Small tortoiseshell and a couple of fighting whites on the eastern side of Number One Seven Spot Ladybird on the path there Forget-me-not in bloom along the path behind the bus shelter.
Amazing numbers of bats this evening, (probably pipistrelle), at least 30 as a conservative estimate along just 2 banks of No1. Possibility of treble figures across the whole site if those numbers were replicated along the other banks.
Not to clever with fungus, nearest I can find is Birch polypore. Each were about 10 to 12 inches across, it was the size that drew my attention to them.
Remarkable record of a wall brown this morning (in dull conditions at 15 degrees) along the east wall of No. 2. Surely the first here for many a long year?
Myself and the two other site regulars were surprised to see as we left the site , a bat flying around the Northern perimeter of the site in broad daylight.
Hi Peter, I live less than half a mile away from the Res's, some of which is in Denton and Bats are a regular sighting near us for as long as I can remember. I suppose you get the odd one up there but a good sighting nonetheless. I had a Pipistrelle (not sure which of the 2?) a couple years back flying right next to me near the central well, I posted it at the time. It was struggling against the ferocious winds but if it had only flown a little bit lower than the embankment it would've met hardly any wind resistance at all, such is the meteorological phenomenon at Audenshaw Res!
Myself and the two other site regulars were surprised to see as we left the site , a bat flying around the Northern perimeter of the site in broad daylight.
