Sunday, June 17, 2018

πŸ“– #38 ~ Weekly Update

After Monday's excellent visits to Glapthorn and Barnack Hills nature reserves the remainder of the week has been spent locally, with several year-ticks to mention. Monday's glorious blue skies were actually the best weatherwise, with the rest of week being dominated by the resurgence of the jet stream and of course ‘Storm Hector’, which thankfully wasn't too disruptive for us.

☁️ 15C Tuesday 12th June 2018 ~ Taskers Meadow and Stockton Cutting

A later start this morning heading over to Taskers Meadow and Stockton Cutting. A generally overcast visit with occasional brightness but it did produce a couple of year-first butterflies: Marbled White and Ringlet. Other year-firsts for Odanata and Orchids included three White-legged Damselfly and Bee Orchid. The meadow is also a great place to find Butterfly Orchids and there were still several showing very well.

Marbled White 

Ringlet 
White-legged Damselfly 
Bee Orchid 
⛅14C Wednesday/Friday 13th/15th June 2018 ~ Ryton Wood & Brandon Marsh

It was a bit blustery at Ryton Wood on Wednesday with intermittent sunshine but the brightness managed to bring out several emerging White Admirals. Also of note during my stay a single Wood White and Roe Deer

Newly emerged and Year-First White Admiral
Roe Deer at Ryton Wood
Another event which occurred was distinctly confusing. At first what I believed to be a Willow Warbler suddenly switched to the song of a Chiffchaff! Apparently, this is not such a rare event as you would imagine but it was another first for me ~ Related Article HERE

The view that greeted me from the Car Park at Brandon Marsh
I spent my whole visit to Brandon Marsh on Friday around the Tip, River Meadow, Farm Field and Top Reedbed area, with the large fire just across the river at the scrapyard a major disruption. It was no surprise, therefore, with acrid smoke and ash blowing constantly across the reserve, even blocking out the sun on occasions that things were pretty slow.

Red Admiral

Large Skipper
Best of visit Hobby, Small Heath (4), Large Skipper (2), Red Admiral (1), Speckled Wood (8), my first Brandon Bee Orchid and plenty of Chimney Sweep moths during the brief time I spent on River Meadow.