Thursday 31st May 2007

Sunny, Patchy Cloud, Thundery Showers, Breezy S
An hour along the western edge of Cortonwood produced the following highlights ;
Birds - Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 ( site year tick ), Willow Tit 2+, Jay 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1
Butterflies - Large Skipper 1 ( first of the year ), Common Blues & several Whites
Odanata - Broad-bodied Chaser 1 female, Azure Damselflies - many ;

Large Skipper


Broad-bodied Chaser


Azure Damselflies




Volucella pellucens


I did have the intentions of a walk around the Gypsy Marsh this afternoon, but i ended up child minding, so the afternoon was spent at home. Nothing of interest from my garden, but i got some digiscoping practice in, in readiness for when that rarity turns up ( i can dream, can`t i ? ) ;

Woodpig




Starling - Juvvies








Year Lists update ;
Cortonwood Birds - 66
Butterflies - 18

Copyright Dean Stables

More of the Tawnies

4 Owlets on show this morning. Although they had their eyes closed, they could sense i was there ;











Although these birds ooze charisma, i`d much rather use macro rather than zoom. These pics don`t really do the birds justice.

Just like to welcome John Coldwell ( another Barnsley-ite ) to the world of blogging. His blog can be found at barnsleywildlife

Copyright Dean Stables

Rare Birds.....

.....who needs em, especially when you get the opportunity to see common ones at such close quarters. This ( grounded ) young Tawny Owl was 1 of 3 seen this morning. Only grabbed a couple of shots. Did`nt want to cause them any stress ;





Copyright Dean Stables

Tuesday 29th May 2007

Cloudy, Sunny Spells, Blustery W
Had an hour at the Old Moor RSPB this morning. Not much doing here. Plenty of Black-headed Gulls with chicks, a couple of Common Terns, Ringed Plover and a few Little Ringed Plover, but no pics of any of them ;

Lapwing ( digiscoped )




While i was there i added to my spelling mistake list. In every hide there is a YNU list of description bird species. You think an organisation like the Yorkshire Naturalist Union would at least get it right. Never known an e in Tawny before ;



Late afternoon, i had an hour around the Cortonwood area. No change here, but despite the blustery conditions i still managed a few pics ;

Small White


Common Blue






Speckled Wood


Pyrausta aurata


Burnet sp caterpillar - preparing to pupate


Common Vetch


Home alone tonight, the girls have travelled down to Lincolnshire this afternoon. My eldest daughter Storm is in the Pony Club under 10`s jumping team at Grantham tomorrow morning. Go for it GIRL !!!!!

Copyright Dean Stables

Sunday 27th May 2007

Overcast, Rain, Rain & more Rain, Light > Moderate N/NE
Spent the morning at home, where the boredom led me to digiscoping this Blackbird from the kitchen window ;







After dinner, i`d had enough of being house bound. So i decided to brave the weather and take a walk from Wentworth to my parents house at Rawmarsh. Did`nt get a lot for my troubles apart from a complete soaking. The Wentworth Lakes area could`nt produce anything better than a brood of 4 young Great Crested Grebes and a couple of plant species ;

Sulphur Cinquefoil ?


Guelder Rose


Yellow Rattle


After Wentworth, i had a quick look around Stubbin, where i could`nt find anything better than Dryads Saddle fungi and Foxgloves ;









Tomorrows weather`s supposed to be slightly better than it was today ( it can`t be any worse ). See what it`s like in the morning, till i decide what/where i`m doing/going.

Copyright Dean Stables

Saturday 26th May 2007

Sunny, Clouding over, Light NW
Had an hour around the Gypsy Marsh/Knollbeck area this morning. The best birds were 3 calling Water Rail & a calling Cuckoo.
The best of the Inverts were a female Broad-bodied Chaser & my first Four-spotted Chasers ( 2 ) of the year. Despite chasing the Chasers around for about 20 mins, i could`nt manage a shot at them. The same could`nt be said for this Mother Shipton ;





Also plenty of Marsh Orchids & Bladder Campion ;











Not a great deal from my garden during the rest of the day, apart from loads of juvvy Starlings ;



Copyright Dean Stables

Friday 25th May 2007

It`s been one of the days, where i could`nt get motivated at all. Just could`nt be arsed to do anything. Even taking a couple of pics felt like a chore. Not that there was a lot to photograph today ;


Malachius bipustulatus


Coprinus sp


Hemerocallis ( Day Lily ) - Golden Chimes

Never mind, tomorrow`s another day and only 28 sleeps to our annual holiday. Hopefully this will recharge my batteries.

Copyright Dean Stables

Year Ticks Galore!!

Perfect conditions ( cloudy & humid ) overnight for mothing produced 12 firsts of the year - Eulia ministrana, Spruce Carpet, Water Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Mottled Pug, Peppered Moth, Clay Triple-lines, Scorched Wing, Flame, Small Square-spot, Chinese Character & Poplar Hawkmoth.
The ones i managed to photograph ( along with Pebble Hook-tip ) were ;

Eulia ministrana


Water Carpet


Clay Triple-lines


Scorched Wing


Pebble Hook-tip


Chinese Character


Poplar Hawkmoth


Peppered Moth




Moth Year List - 104

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 23rd May 2007

Sunny, Light W/SW
My MV trap at the Wombwell garden produced another 4 moth year ticks - Tinea trinotella, Pebble Hook-tip, Broken-barred Carpet & Clouded Silver ;

Broken-barred Carpet


Clouded Silver


The best of the rest was this White Ermine ;



This afternoon i dropped some plants off at a friends garden in Wath upon Dearne and found another ( moth ) first of the year ;

Freyer`s Pug


Moth Year List - 92

Copyright Dean Stables

Tuesday 22nd May 2007

Sunny, Patchy Cloud, Light W
The Wombwell garden produced 4 moth year ticks this morning with - Heart and Dart, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Common Wainscot & Setaceous Hebrew Character ;

Heart and Dart


Rustic Shoulder-knot


Common Wainscot


No sign of any Tawny Owl chicks this morning but i did hear an adult calling from the adjacent woodland.
The walk home along the western edge of Cortonwood ( again ) produced a further 2 moth year ticks with - Nemophora degeerella & Ancylis badiana. Also my first longhorn beetle of the year, Agapanthea villosoviridescens. This is a fascinating beetle, with a name as long as its antennae ;

Nemophora degeerella


Agapanthea Villosovirdescens




Silver-ground Carpet




Common Blue ( female )








Moth Year List - 87

Copyright Dean Stables

Monday 21st May 2007

Hazy Sunshine, Variable Cloud, Light E
Went to the Wombwell garden to put my MV trap up in readiness for tonights mothing. The only highlight from here was a Tawny Owl chick, cheekily peering out of the nest box. Try and get some pics when it/they leave the nest box completely.
Walked home along the western edge of Cortonwood, where i added 3 more moths to the year list ( all micro`s ) : Nettle-tap, Grapholita compositella & Celypha lacunana. Also had my first Broad-bodied Chasers ( 2 females ) of the year + several other Inverts ;

Broad-bodied Chaser




Azure Damselfly ( female - blue form )




male


Speckled Wood


Brown Argus


Moth Year List - 81

Copyright Dean Stables

Stubbin 20th May 2007

Patchy Cloud, Light SW
An hour around this area of Rawmarsh this afternoon produced another 2 moth year ticks - Treble Bar & Cinnabar ;

Treble Bar




Cinnabar


Also good numbers of Dingy Skipper, Common Blue & Small Heath butterflies ;

Dingy Skipper


( more ) Common Blues




Moth Year List - 78

Copyright Dean Stables

Cortonwood 20th May 2007

Sunny, Light SW


Trans-Pennine Trail

Quite a good hour spent here this morning. A Common Tern heading SW was a patch year tick. A look on the lake did`nt produce anything new, apart from the pair of Mute Swans have hatched 7 cygnets. Excellent news after failing last year.
On the moth front, i did really well with 7 year ticks - Aethes smeathmanniana, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grapholita lunulana, Elachista argentella, Timothy Tortrix, Small Yellow Underwing & Silver Y. No pics of these but i did get a couple of butterflies ;

Common Blue








Brown Argus


Also loads of Damselflies about - Azure, Common Blue & Blue-tailed, but no sign as yet of their larger cousins.

Year Lists update ;
Cortonwood ( birds ) - 66
Moths - 76

Copyright Dean Stables

Gawdy

Elephant Hawkmoths ;







Not made it onto the year list, cos they were commercially reared.

Copyright Dean Stables

Saturday 19th May 2007

Sunny, Blustery W/SW
Had an hour around the Gypsy Marsh / Knollbeck area this morning, where the main highlight was my first Wall butterfly of the year. As always this species proved very difficult to approach, so no pics of that one!! ;

Common Blue








Dog Rose


Silverweed


Snapdragon


Common Broomrape




Butterfly Year List - 17

New Hobby

This is a bit distant from my usual interests, but having been out with Mike Richardson & John Law on a few occasions now, i could`nt help picking up on their conversations about spelling mistakes.
Anyway, here`s my first contribution. Photographed on the Dearne Valley Parkway by the Hemingfield roundabout yesterday. Looks like somebody else also noticed it ;

Common Blue

My first of the year from Cortonwood this morning. Very difficult to photograph in todays blustery conditions ;







Also added another 2 moths to the year list, with Pyrausta aurata & Silver-ground Carpet. Unfortunately no pics of these 2.

Year Lists update ;
Butterflies - 16
Moths - 69

Copyright Dean Stables

Moth Boost

Ran my MV light at the Wombwell garden last night and had no less than 7 year ticks ;
Common Swift, Oak-tree Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scalloped Hazel, Oak Hook-tip, Alder Moth ( my first ever Yorkshire record ) & Green Silver-lines ;

Common Swift


Yellow-barred Brindle


Oak Hook-tip


Alder Moth




Green Silver-lines




+ my first photographed Brown Silver-line of the year ;



Moth Year List - 67

Copyright Dean Stables

Thursday 17th May 2007

Cloudy, Light Rain, Light W
On my way to the Wombwell garden this morning i found a Lime Hawkmoth on a bus shelter round the corner from my house. Then i found another at the Wombwell garden along with an Eyed Hawkmoth. 2 hawk year ticks in one morning, without the use of a trap. Yippeee!! ;

Eyed


Limes




Finally added Swift to this garden bird year list, with at least 6 birds over. Could`nt resist a close up of this Iris ;



After here, i dropped a few plants off at one of our friends at Wath upon Dearne. Where i found a Caper Spurge in full flower. She did`nt know what it was or where it had come from, but to me it was the best plant in her garden ;



Nothing new from my garden, with the best bird being a Common Tern heading W at 15.10.

Year Lists update ;
Wombwell Garden ( birds ) - 46
Moths - 60

Copyright Dean Stables

Wednesday 16th May 2007

Cloudy, Rain, Light W/SW
Did`nt bother with the moth trap last night due to the heavens opening prior to dusk. Still managed a moth year tick though today, with a Ruby Tiger at the Wombwell garden. The only other thing of interest from here was a White-pinion Spotted ;

Ruby Tiger




White-pinion Spotted


Do you know, i went all through the winter months without a hint of any seasonal illness`s. Now that we`re into late spring/early summer, i feel terrible today. A combination of not being able to feel warm & aching joints/bones can only mean the onset of a cold or flu. Ahh well!! won`t let it stop me from getting out.

Moth Year List - 58

Copyright Dean Stables

Tuesday 15th May 2007

Cloudy, Light S/SE
No sign of any Tawny Owl chicks exiting the nest box at the Wombwell garden, in fact no sign of anything else there this morning, apart from a couple of garden plants ;

Red Hot Poker




Clematis " Nelly Moser "




A walk along the western edge of Cortonwood did`nt produce anything new on the bird-front. Just the usual Warblers, Bullfinch & Willow Tit.
I did manage 2 moth year ticks though with - Crambus lathoniellus ( Grass Moth ) & Common Carpet.
+ a few pics ;


Geomotrid Larvae sp


Adella reaumurella


Dovesfoot Cranesbill


Wild Pansy

Moth Year List - 57

Think i`ll give the moth trap a go tonight. Nothing to loose!!

Copyright Dean Stables

Sunday 13th May 2007

Sunny becoming Cloudy, with Persistant Rain from early afternoon, Light SE > NE
Had to nip to Tesco`s in Wath for a few bits, so i thought i`d have a look around the Manvers Lake area. The main highlights from here were my first Reed Warblers ( 3 ) of the year, along with a couple of site year ticks - Swift, Swallow, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat.
+ a couple more flowering plants ;

Ragged Robin




Ox-eye Daisy


Yellow Flag


After i`d finished in Tesco, i walked home along the footpath from Wath > Brampton, where i added more firsts of the year, with 1 Cuckoo , 1 Brown Argus & Latticed Heath ( moth ). Both the Brown Argus & the Latticed Heath gave me the run around for a few minutes, but i managed to grab a single shot of both ;

Brown Argus




Latticed Heath ( what a stunner, who said moths are boring brown jobs )


yep!!, you`ve guessed it. A couple more plant pics ;

Goatsbeard


Smooth Hawk`s-beard


Year Lists updates ;
Local Area birds - 104
Manvers Lake birds - 53
Butterflies - 15
Moths - 55

Copyright Dean Stables

Millers Dale 12th May 2007

After we`d done at Wye Dale, we then moved onto nearby Millers Dale. No target species here, so we just had a walk along the dis-used railway line. This site also produced a few more plant lifers for me, with Corn Salad, Meadow Saxifrage, Mossy Saxifrage & Globe Flower ;

Corn Salad


Meadow Saxifrage




Mossy Saxifrage


Globe Flower




+ a couple of regular species & a few more pics ;

Jacobs Ladder


( white variety )


Common Hawkweed


Fungi sp


Lime residue ( on the ceiling of one of the Lime Kilns )


Plaited Door Snail ?




Also had my first Redstart ( calling ) of the year.

Edit - forgot to mention in the previous post, that while i was waiting for Mike & the others, i had a Common Tern flying SW over the garden.

Garden Bird Year List - 52

Copyright Dean Stables

Wye Dale 12th May 2007

Cloudy, Showers, Light W/SW
Got invited along with Mike Richardson, his wife Claire & John Law to Derbyshire in search of the plants Hutchinsia, Narrow-leaved Bittercress & Twisted Whitlow-grass. We found the former 2 but they were nowhere photogenic enough. I also saw another 2 firsts with Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage & Water Avens.
A few pics from this area ;





Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage


Water Avens




Liverwort