Mandy Bannon sent this message by email:
Mike took this photograph of a writhing bundle of big orange caterpillars – yesterday ( July 11th) on Pony Wood – Aldcliffe Rd path. It was about 5 yards down from the bend where the bench is (on Flora field side of the path). If you zoom in, you’ll see above the caterpillar masse is a fine cobwebby structure that they appeared to be leaving.
Do you know what they might be?
Whilst “helping” with the meadow surgery on July 2nd we spotted a sparrow hawk carrying prey along the hedge (Big Meadow and Hay Meadow), an overflying curlew and heard a song thrush at the bottom of an Aldcliffe Rd garden There were numerous meadow browns and a silver y moth
Three baby swallows, waiting to be fed, by the hedge along the Long Pads
One got lucky.
From Mandy:
Yesterday (Sunday June 14th) Mike was surprised by a male(?) roe deer (with small antlers) running towards him down the Pony Wood Path (Mike was at the Longpads gate). The deer veered away from him as soon as he saw Mike and jumped over the fence , running across Flora Field. This was at 2.45pm! It’s good to know the path is being used by a variety of wildlife!
And from me a song thrush , swallows and house martins in Flora Field and a tortoiseshell butterfly, a wasps nest and numerous yellow ladybirds on the beetle bank.
Sue
Fraser reported seeing 2 hare in West Field today and friends had seen two going away from West Field over the Drumlin a few days ago. Also we spotted a large and smaller hare ( a young one?) in the maize field by the cycle track this morning. I don’t know the extent of their territory.
Over the past few days we have seen meadow pipits, mistle thrush and one hare in Flora Field and 5 or 6 oyster catchers in West Field.
Whilst checking out a flock of small birds feeding in the margin- a mix of chaffinch and linnet I spotted a tree creeper in Pony Wood
We saw our first linnets of the winter today, a small flock of maybe 8 or 9, feeding in the margin.
The hay in Carr House Meadow and The Hay Meadow has been cut and baled ahead of the rains this weekend.
Over the weekend of June 28th – 30th Justine Patton from Lancaster University set moth traps in Upper Sowerholme and The Orchard. These are the species found:
28/06/2019 – Dusking and light traps ( The Orchard)
Single dotted wave, Willow beauty, Brimstone, Swallow-tailed, Large yellow underwing, Hedya pruniana, Bactra lancealana, White ermine, Small Fan-footed wave, Agapeta hamana, Riband wave, Silver y, Freyer’s pug, Agonopterix nervosa, Depressaria radiella, Anthophila fabriciana, Common marbled carpet, White plume, Uncertain, Green carpet, Ghost moth, Aphomia sociella, Snout, Flame, Currant pug, Barred yellow, Double Square-spot, Heart and dart, Buff ermine, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Scoparia ambigualis, Celypha lacunana.
29/06/2019 – 125W MV Robinson trap ( Upper Sowerholme)
Straw dot, Willow beauty, Riband wave, Brimstone, Common white wave, Currant pug, Chrysoteuchia culmella, Clouded border, Map-winged swift, Rustic, Dog’s tooth, Double Square-spot, Lychnis, Buff tip, Flame shoulder, Green pug, Dark arches, Buff ermine, Light arches, Gold spot, Setaceous Hebrew character, Epiphyas postvittana, Bright-line brown-eye, Broom moth, Plutella xylostella, Coleophora trifolii, Aphomia sociella, Agriphila latistria, Agriphila tristella, Mompha ochraceella, Bactra lancealana, Celypha lacunana, Eyed hawk moth, Middle-barred minor, Common wainscot, Beautiful golden y, Scoparia ambigualis, Large yellow underwing, Elephant hawk moth, Phycitodes binaevella, Uncertain, Ingrailed clay, Dot moth, Crambus perlella, Notocelia uddmanniana, Common carpet, Single-dotted wave, Flame, Oblique carpet, Purple clay, Smoky wainscot, Light emerald, Agriphila straminella, Limnaecia phragmitella.