Botanising on the Great Orme

Another great day on the Orme with plenty of nice flowers, butterflies and birds. Birds included the usual sea birds plus 18 choughs, while representing the butterflies were silver-studded blue and dark green fritillary.

The above plant is tall sea-lavander, a Great Orme speciality and this is the only specimen I've ever seen. Good of it to pose in front of the pier for the photo.

Another rarity, this is rock whitebeam.

The approach of winter

A ridiculously early female goldeneye was on Pennington flash this morning with about 40 tufted ducks, along with four Pochard, three males and a female. I don't normally expect goldeneye until about November!

The approach of autumn

Black-necked grebes have been appearing at Pennington flash this week, up to five common sandpipers have been present and 13 common terns, but no juveniles with them so far. Two Egyptian geese are on the flash, two curlew flew over today and a juvenile redshank is on the spit.

Hummingbird hawk-moth

It's always exciting to see a hummingbird hawk-moth in the garden, but usually they're gone before I can even attempt a photo let alone a video. Fortunately this one today stayed around these flowers for 10 minutes.

Ringed greylag, Pennington Flash

A greylag with a metal ring with the number 529244 has been outside Horrock's hide for the past few days. It was ringed as adult on 22nd June 2024 at High Cunsey, Windermere.

Also yesterday a female type garganey was in the bay off the main car park. It flew almost as soon as I saw it and headed south over the trees.

On the stock pool, Bickershaw

Photo: Small red-eyed damselfly.

I spent much of the afternoon at the stock pool at Bickershaw today and recorded a respectable 14 species, including at least 50 small red-eyed damselflies where just yesterday I didn't see any. Also here today at least two Norfolk hawkers.

This is a red-eyed damselfly, note the subtle differences between it and the small red-eyed above, e.g. this damselfly has no antehumeral stripes and compare the extent of the blue at the tip of the tail.

Small red-eyed damselflies and more Norfolk hawkers, Bickershaw

It's taken a lot of searching over the past week but finally I found a few small red-eyed damselflies at Bickershaw today. This is a species which I first saw at Cambourne pond in Sankey Valley, St Helens last year, and shortly after on the canal at Pennington Flash, so it was only a matter of time before I found them at Bickershaw, but even so it's always good to find the first. Just like the damselflies at Cambourne pond, todays small red-eyed were landing on algae not on lily pads.

I continued to the stock pond adjacent to Diggle Flash and was amazed to find at least four Norfolk hawkers. This is the first time that I have seen Norfolk hawker on this pond.

No sign of any lesser emperors which is what I really wanted since there are a few in the country at the moment, but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow for another look.

Keeled skimmers, why Bickershaw?

The hot weather this week has made for some great dragonfly hunting at Bickershaw, though I tend to go in the morning at the moment and avoid the severe heat of the afternoon. Hot, literally, on the heels of last weeks' Norfolk hawkers, the past couple of days have seen the even more remarkable emergence of keeled skimmers.

Remarkable because in the north of it's range this is a species mainly associated with upland peat bogs. How it comes to be here, apparently breeding at an old industrial site in the lowlands, complete with slag heaps is a mystery. Following my discovery of these dragonflies here last year, the Lancashire and Greater Manchester (VC59 & VC60) dragonfly recorder Steve White commented: 

"The keeled Skimmers are amazing. I know of only one other record in GM. Several years ago in the West Pennines. Well established in Lancs but confined to a quite small area of Bowland and showing no signs of range expansion. So all previous VC59 & 60 records have been in the uplands." I believe that there is also one record from the Sefton Coast.

Photo: female keeled skimmer.

The "Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe" gives the habitat requirements as follows: Running waters such as streams and ditches. In north of range [inc. UK] mainly runnels in boggy areas [acidic, peat]. 

Photo: teneral male keeled skimmer.

Given that last years records were only the second for Greater Manchester it seems very unlikely that these are simply individuals dispersing from breeding sites in the uplands, especially since there is only one known (small) site in Lancashire and that's miles away in Bowland. What are the odds of the insect appearing by chance at Bickershaw again this year? 

Last year I saw a male and female in tandem and then today I saw a newly emerged teneral male. Unlikely as it may seem, the species is obviously breeding at Bickershaw. 

More black-necked grebes on Pennington flash

It's been a great year for black-necked grebes at Pennington flash, and there were another four adults this morning just off the spit. 

Western Reef Heron in the shadow of Conwy castle

Continuing it's tour of the castles of North Wales, the western reef heron showed nicely on the Conwy estuary today, though nowhere near as close as when it was at Caernarfon. It had a nice little fly around the castle before dropping down on the other side of the bridge.

I call myself a selective twitcher. What I mean by that is, I'll go for the right bird in the right location.  An adult dark morph western reef heron with breeding plumes in Caernarfon harbour ticks all of the boxes so I went. An adult dark morph western reef heron with breeding plumes on the Conwy estuary ticks all of the boxes so I went. This is the reason why I go twice or even three times to see the same bird. I'm going for the experience not just to see the bird. I love the scenery of these places, the dramatic castles, the history, the beautiful countryside, the sea air, the ice cream and the supporting cast of birds and other wildlife, in fact a combination of everything, it's just a great day out. If it was a white morph western reef heron or a juvenile I might not be so keen. If it was on the other side of the country I probably wouldn't go.

An adult dark morph western reef heron with breeding plumes at Hilbre Island really would be something special, so if it turns up there I'll be over in a shot.....

Juvenile black-necked grebes at Pennington Flash

The occurrence of juvenile black-necked grebes at the Flash seems to get earlier and earlier. My previous earliest juvenile here was 29th June and at the time I commented that was three weeks earlier than my previous best. Also today two Egyptian geese on the spit, great white egret and seven common terns.

Great white egret.