The Naturalists' Notebook

A rewarding visit to the extensive disused limestone quarries a short distance above Minera. The wooded lower slopes had numerous common twayblade, a good cluster of broad-leaved  helleborine and a meadow full of meadow browns, ringlets and common spotted orchids. The lower overgrown quarry was rich in c.s. orchids, pyramidal orchids and at least 2 dozen fragrant orchids – a nice surprise, as was a sprinkling of mossy saxifrage along a water course. Small pools held a golden-ringed dragonfly and a broad-bodied chaser. Graylings were on the bare rocks whereas the areas of grass, birdsfoot trefoil and wild thyme had impressive numbers of small heaths. This was against a background of loud peregrines.

Ichneumon Wasp Rhyssa persuasoria

Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii

Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata

Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides

Terry Williams was kind enough to take Dave Bryant and me back to Hay Bridge Reserve with some great sightings as always! Birds Of Prey included a displaying Osprey, a Honey Buzzard and the cutest Tawny Owl fledgling 🙂 A couple of female Ichneumon Wasps Rhyssa persuasoria with enormously long ovipositors were hanging around a woodpile probably looking for Wood Wasp larvae on which they paratisize. Longhorn micromoths Nemophora degeerella were dancing in the dappled sunlight of the woodland which also held Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Marsh Tit and Bullfinch. A Bird Cherry that I identified by its blossom on the last visit had a number of larval tents of the Bird Cherry Ermine Moth Yponomeuta evonymella although few caterpillars were present. Female Nursery Web Spiders Pisaura mirabilis were guarding their silken tents in the bracken. Black Beck Tarn was Odonata heaven with Common Blue, Azure, Large Red and a couple of Emerald Damselflies, Four-spotted Chasers, a pair of Emperor Dragonflies and an egg-laying Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

Out on the mosses (which were as dry as a bone with the drought) were further Golden-ringed Damselflies and Beautiful Demoiselles were flitting along Rusland Pool which also held a sorry sight of a dead Red deer fawn laying half submerged in the mud. Aquatic Plants were represented by Water Plantain and Water Forget-me-not. Birdlife included Lesser Whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher and families of Robin and Willow Warbler with young.  Plants on the mosses included a nice specimen of Heath-spotted Orchid, Lousewort that was past its prime and the aromatic shrub Bog Myrtle. A few Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were joined by Large Skippers and a single rather shabby looking Small Copper.

A very noisy place on the lagoon behind the steep shingle bank what with 1600 pairs of sandwich terns, 100 pairs of common terns and some 40 pairs of arctic terns – a constant relay of birds – all incoming with fish, mostly sand eels. A marvellous place for the photographer. Along the shoreline numerous moon jellyfish and a few large lion’s mane jellies.

Very warm, sunny day proved excellent for butterflies on a circuit of the Marine  Drive – large numbers of silver-studded blues, impressive numbers of graylings on the hot rocks, 7-8 small pearl-borded fritillaries, several large skippers,ringlet, red admiral, ringlet, small tortoiseshell, wall brown and speckled wood. Interesting plants were slender St. John’s, fairy flax, pyramidal orchid, rock whitebeam and juniper. Another visit 2 days later had a family of choughs feeding in the steep turf above the seabird cliffs near the lighthouse, gannets diving close inshore and a pair of peregrines causing great commotion amongst the kittiwakes.

Limestone Cliffs on the Great Orme

Silver Studded Blue Female

Grayling

Lady’s Bedstraw

View from the Great Orme overlooking Llandudno Bay towards the Little Orme

A much needed day off work! visiting the Great Orme at Llandudno with Dave Bryant and Dave Hardy. Scorching hot day, highlights included: cackling Fulmars on the cliff ledges, nesting Guillemots and Razorbills, Peregrine gliding along the cliff face, Choughs, Ravens, Rock Pipits. Gazzilions of Silver Studded Blues, Graylings sunning themselves on the rocks and plenty of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries feeding on Wild Thyme and Devil’s Bit Scabious. Ruby-tailed Wasps were investigating the dry stone wall along the Marine Drive toll road probably looking for the nests of Mason Bees that it paratisizes. Plants included Wild Privet, Bloody Cranesbill, Lady’s Bedstraw, Common Rock-rose, Bugle, Wild Clary, Vervain, Dropwort, Strawberry Tree, Common Spotted Orchid and Pyramidal Orchid. Those past their best included Stinking Iris, Nottingham Catchfly and Ivy Broomrape.

White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis pair mating

White Satin Moth Caterpillar

White Satin Moth female laying eggs

Southern Marsh–orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Early Marsh–orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata