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