Wednesday 17 August 2022

Looks like the Black Darter didn't fly away

A fresh NE breeze till evening, then shifted to NW. Cloudy with sunny spells 

South shore (MD)
A check in the morning at low water
Wheatear 3 (1 + 2 along foreshore)
Male Wheatear, still looking striking 
Linnet 3 following the 2 Wheatear along foreshore and kidding themselves that they were "seeing them off".
Rock Pipit 2 (a brief evening check found 7 squabbling along Red Nab)
Mediterranean gulls 13 resting on the waterline on beach next to wooden jetty. All adult or 3rd calendar year 

The only insect I saw come in off the sea was a Small Tortoiseshell 

Nature Park 
Not so many large butterflies on the Buddleia but still a reasonable variety around
Meadow Brown 
Gatekeeper
Red Admiral 
Common Blue
Small White 
Speckled Wood
Small Tortoiseshell 

Migrant Hawker 5 all flying around below the small anemometer 
(An evening check found none)

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)
I just paid a short visit mainly to check for the Purple Hairstreak (no sign) and to complete a thorough check of the area where the Black Darter was yesterday. And I found at least one today.
This is the area where the Black Darter(s) were seen yesterday and today
To the left of the trees on the left is the low meadow and to the right of the picture 
is the Tim Butler pond

A female Black Darter was located on two occasions in this area, both times I managed not to disturb it, but they were probably the same insect and likely the same as yesterday as all were of a similar aged colouration. I have not pre sized these shots so you'll need to open them to see the detail clearly.
First sighting 
Second sighting 
She wasn't flying away here, she just had a flutter around and landed
back in the same spot. Fortunately I had already set the focus.

Incidentally, there were a couple of areas of flattened grass in the same area, where Roe Deer have spent the night. One particularly large one was below the largest tree on the left, in the picture above.
Area below the largest tree, flattened by resting Roe Deer (plural)

Other Dragonflies, just Emperor and Common Darter
Butterflies as the Nature Park but also, Brimstone 1, Large White 1, Painted Lady 1.
Wildfowl as yesterday plus 1 Coot

Goldfinch 57 adult and juveniles, flew from this tree, in the old horse paddock. They didn't seem to be feeding, just preening. Not a great clip (need more practice with my new camera!), and I've had to mute it as a jack hammer was in the background.