Monday 12 June 2023

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 12th June 2023

Date: 12th June 2023

Time: from 7:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 18°C to 20°C

After another trip away to Wales, it was time to resume local patch watching again.

Given the very warm and sunny weather, I decided to focus on the northern section of the site, particularly the small pond in the hope of seeing dragonflies and damselflies.

















I had an excellent visit which provided the following records:

Dragonflies: Emperor Dragonfly (1), Broad-bodied Chaser (1 male), Four-spotted Chaser (1 male)

Damselflies: Large Red Damselfly (a coupled/mating pair plus another male), Azure Damselfly (at least 20), Blue-tailed Damselfly (at least 20)

Butterflies: Common Blue (1 male), Holly Blue (2), Speckled Wood (1)

All of these species were new site records for 2023 other than Holly Blue and Speckled Wood which I had previously recorded.















Photo: Emperor Dragonfly

Photo: Emperor Dragonfly
















Photo: Four-spotted Chaser















Photo: Four-spotted Chaser

Photo: Four-spotted Chaser

Photo: Four-spotted Chaser















Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Azure Damselfly















Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Whilst at the pond, I had a totally unexpected encounter with a Red Fox which emerged from the bushes to take a drink at the water’s edge no more than 20 feet from me. Unfortunately, although I moved my camera up very slowly, it quickly turned round and bolted back into cover.

With regard to birds it was generally quiet in terms of the number of species that I recorded but I did see 4 fly-over “screaming” Swifts and a singing male Common Whitethroat. I also heard 2 singing male Blackcaps and 2 singing male Chiffchaffs. I saw a single Great Spotted Woodpecker and heard a calling Green Woodpecker.

Other interesting species seen included a Burnet Companion Moth (which I recognised following one seen last year at Noak Bridge Nature Reserve) and a Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider (identification kindly advised by Weed, one of the administrators of Noak Bridge Nature Reserve | Facebook).















Photo: Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider

Photo: Long-jawed Orb Weaver Spider

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):


Swift
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Starling
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Magpie

Red Fox
Grey Squirrel

Emperor Dragonfly
Broad-bodied Chaser
Four-spotted Chaser
Large Red Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly

Common Blue
Holly Blue
Speckled Wood

Site totals for 2023 to date (2022 totals in brackets):

Birds = 41  (45)
Mammals = 3  (5)
Butterflies = 8  (17)  
Dragonflies and damselflies = 6  (7)
Reptiles = 0  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 63
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 23
Dragonflies and damselflies = 10
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

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