Back to reality

Following the wonderful trip to Bulgaria last week it was back to reality with a thump as I ventured up to Dean Clough for the first time in a couple of weeks.  All the passage migrants had moved on as expected. While I was a way Janet Davie had a cuckoo by Upper Dean Clough but I wasn't to be so lucky.

The visit had two purposes - to check for Stonechat and to see if there were any odonata. I was pleased to see the male Stonechat by the upper res and I am hoping that this is a breeding pair.  It was with the female up a few weeks ago but has been missing on my previous few visits. The usual common resident bird species were present and its always nice to have a Redpoll flying around and one duly did while I was looking at damselflies by the waters edge. A Linnet flew over calling too.

I counted 10 blue-tailed damselflies and one large red (my second large red of the day having had one in the garden earlier).

There was an an abundance of white butterflies which were predominantly green-veined with at least 50 and probably over 100 around the reservoirs.  There were also 10+ Orange tips and a Red Admiral.

Hopefully this spell of fine warm weather will continue to produce good conditions for invertebrates.

A quick check of Parsonage on the way home and there is a growing area of stony mud around the upper res - it may turn something up.  Resident wise a pair of coot had four chicks. A pair of tufted duck didn't have any.

Blue-tailed damselfy, Upper Dean Clough

Stonechat 1m
Kestrel 3
Great spotted Woodpecker 1
LBB Gull 23+
Black-headed gull
Herring gull 5+
Reed Bunting
Meadow Pipit
Skylark
Linnet
Redpoll
Coot
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Canada Goose
Great-crested Grebe
Woodpigeon
Swallow
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Grey Heron


Odonata
Blue tailed damselfly 10 UDC
Large red damselfly 1 UDC

Lepidoptera
50+ Green-veined White
10+ Orange tip
1 Red Admiral

Dean Clough and Parsonage June

 Odonata are now in evidence at Dean Clough.


03 June
Common Blue damselfly -Enallagma cyathigerum 10+
Four-spotted Chaser - Libellula quadrimaculatta 2 min. This is a new site record according to the Lancashire dragonfly atlas -surely a case of under-recording rather than recent colonisation.

On June 1st a Wall Brown was on the path by the gorse bush above the upper res.  There are still plenty of green-veined white and Orange tip on the wing.

Bird wise. The Stonechat pair were around the upper res on the 1st but with no confirmed evidence of breeding yet.  An adult and two juvenille Grey Wagtail were on Dean Brook. Green Woodpecker was also in Dean Brook wood.

A Little ringed plover was on Upper Parsonage on the 3rd June, where there is now plenty of exposed mud due to the prolonged dry spell.

Common Blue damselfly -Enallagma cyathigerum, Upper Dean Clough

Four-spotted Chaser - Libellula quadrimaculatta, Upper Dean Clough Reservoir

Wall Brown, Dean Clough

Stonechat female

Stonechat male

Dean Clough Glaucous Gull

An early morning visit to Dean Clough  on the 7th turned up this 2nd calendar year Glaucous gull which was the only gull on the water.  It was a bit too distant for a decent photograph but this record shot isn't too bad. Still a few Wheatear's around but no sign for several weeks of any Stonechat.

Glaucous Gull - 2nd calendar year

On the 9th there five Wheatear around the track north of Dean Clough lower res, and a few Redpoll were heard. One alighted briefly allowing a nice photo.  There were up to five singing male Reed Buntings, three singing Skylark and the usual numbers of Meadow Pipits. No Grasshopper Warblers heard or seen yet.

Persistent disturbance by dogs is likely to mean there will be no breeding waterbirds at Dean Clough this year (not counting the Dippers that have bred on Dean Brook). The Great Crested Grebes were down to one pair today.

Redpoll

 

Meadow Pipit

 

Wheatear