Report from John Clegg
Six members travelled out by bus from Liverpool and were joined at Haskayne by a further five. On a sunny and warm day the walk started off with a Buzzard flying high, with a large number of Swallows over the fields. Yellowhammer were singing in the fields and we finally saw one at the lunch stop among the wildflower meadow of Haskayne Cutting LNR. There was an abundance of butterflies there, too.
After lunch Sid found he had been sitting on a nest of Yellow Meadow Ants! Just as the group was leaving the cutting Chris Butterworth spotted a female Southern Hawker laying eggs into a small pool.
We continued along the Leeds-Liverpool canal, where there was a large number of young Mallard. A high point was a good close view of a Banded Demoiselle.
Seen on the day:
Birds (25 species). Wood Pigeon, Swallow, House Martin, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Kestrel, Robin, Greenfinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Dunnock, Yellowhammer, Heron, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Buzzard, Collared Dove, Starling, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Magpie, Blackbird, Black-headed Gull and Hobby.
Butterflies (15 species). Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma, Painted Lady, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White and Small Copper.
Dragonflies and Damselflies (5 species). Banded Demoiselle, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Red Darter, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker.