Monthly Archives: August 2024

Another day at Old Moor, looking once again for Dragonflies and Damselflies. On arriving and walking to the entrance, I was greeted by a Common Darter in the car park, I also found a Common Green Shieldbug, a Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly, and also a Chrysotoxum bicinctum Hoverfly.

Around the Visitor Centre Pond were Brown Hawker, and a Mint Moth. I then moved on to the stepping stones ponds were more Common and Ruddy Darters could be found, alas there was nothing new to be found, so I moved on to the top pond, over the bridge, where they only new thing I found for the day was Common Blue Damselflies and a Field Grasshopper.

After the dinner break, I called back in via the visitor centre pond again, were things seemed to have picked up a bit, with Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker, Ruddy and Common Darters, Blue tailed Damselfly and a Brown China Mark Moth all put in an appearance.

Things went quiet on the Green Lane Loop, but on hearing a Greenshank calling, I called in at the East Pool Hide, where at last there seemed to be a few waders coming thru, with a couple of Dunlins, six Black tailed Godwits, three Greenshank, sixteen(16) Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwings, Black headed Gulls, Canada and Greylag Geese, Avocet, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail and Coots of course

Bird List : Avocet, Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Canada Goose, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Lesser Black backed Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Ringed Plover,

Dragonfly List : Blue tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Red eyed Damselfly, Southern Hawker

Mint Moth

Field Grasshopper

Common Wasp

Migrant Hawker

Green veined White Butterfly

Dunnock

Green Sandpiper

Let’s make the most of it whilst the sunshine’s, however there was a little chill in the air today and the occasional cloud cover, but it was good to be out hunting again, for Dragonflies.

Nothing to write home about on the Visitor Centre pond, with only the occasional Blue tailed Damselfly and Leaf Beetle. Around at the stepping stones ponds were Ruddy and Common Darters, with many covering the paths. There was also a couple of Migrant Hawkers occasionally, very little else on at the top pond either. The Toyota pond, I found Red eyed Damselflies only, no Small Red eyed Damselflies.

On then to the Green Lane Loop, where more Common Darters, Emperors, Migrant Hawkers and Brown Hawker. I called in at the Wath Ings hide again, here there were the Spoonbills again, 12 birds today, along with Lapwings, Grey Heron, Shoveler, Mallard and Green Sandpiper. Moving on then to next door and the East Pool hide, here there were two Wood Sandpipers and three Common Snipe.

I decided on a change today, as there wasn’t many insects about, so I called in at the Wader Scrape hide, hanging out here were a young Avocet, Canada Geese, Black headed Gulls, Lesser Black back Gulls, Cormorants and Greylag Geese.

A quiet day on the insect front toady, but it was good to see two Wood Sandpipers

Bird List ; Avocet, Black headed Gull, Canada Goose, Green Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Snipe, Spoonbill, Wood Sandpiper

Dragonfly List ; Blue tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Darter, Emperor, Migrant Hawker, Red eyed Damselfly, Ruddy Darter

Grey Heron

Common Darter

Sunny once again, forecast was for a very warm day, being in the high 20°, so I had to make the most of it and headed down to Old Moor, my new favourite patch.

Walking thru the car park, I came across a male Black tailed Skimmer, a great start, hopefully a sign of what was to come. The visitor center pond held very little, no Emeralds only a few Blue tailed Damselflies, I did see a few eluvia’s, so I felt something new was on the wing. Onto the stepping stones ponds , making my way carefully, has not to tread on the various Ruddy and Common Darter’s about hanging out on the pathways. At the pond there were more Ruddy Darter and Common Darter, but there was something new in the air, they were definitely Hawker species, and a couple looked like Migrant Hawkers, but there was also a Southern Hawker coming in occasionally, but the Migrants soon gave chase and soon saw it off the pond, a nice surprise today here was a lovely Male Banded Demoiselle, which landed, for a short while.

At the Upper Bridge Pond were a few Common Blue Damselflies, along with Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker. The Toyota pond held the usual Red eyed Damselflies and Small Red eyed Damselflies.

After dinner I hit the Green Lane Loop again, down here were Emperor Dragonflies, Black tailed Skimmers ♂♀, a Four Spotted Chaser and a few Ruddy and Common Darter’s. I then decided on another visit to the visitor centre pond were at last we found a couple of Willow Emerald Damselflies, along with Migrant Hawker was another new for the year, and 14 species today and now 19 species for Old Moor, only Black Darter to find, emm!

Dragonfly/Damselfly List ; Banded Demoiselle, Black tailed Skimmer, Blue tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Darter, Emperor, Four Spotted Chaser, Migrant Hawker, Red eyed Damselfly, Ruddy Darter, Small Red eyed Damselfly, Southern Hawker, Willow Emerald Damselfly (14)

Black tailed Skimmer

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Down at Old Moor again, a bit, overcast and windy, so I wasn’t expectant for seeing many Dragonflies today.

I was on the usual route taking in the visitor centre pond first, this had the usual Blue tailed Damselflies on with a nice surprise today as the Small Red eyed Damselflies were also on here, the firt time I’ve seen on this pond.

Around at the stepping stones pond were a few Ruddy Darters about along with a few Common Darters. So it was over the bridge and on to the top pond Common Blue Damselflies were hanging out, there was nothing flying over the pond today, but I did find a egg laying female Brown Hawker, I spent sometime here, watching and taking photos.

On at the Toyota Pond the only Damselflies I found were the Red eyed Damselflies, so I moved onto the Green Lane Loop, on the way I found a few Myathropa florea Hoverflies (Batman Hoverfly) there seemed to be a few about today, I also found a Volucella inanis Hoverfly, a big hoverfly, lovely to see. On the Green Lane was a egg laying Emperor Dragonfly, I was finding little else along here today, so I took a seat, I was soon joined by a few ‘Common Wasps’ gnawing gently at the wooden bench, along with the wasps was a Large Marsh Horsefly [Tabanus autumnalis] .

Not a good count today, hitting only eight species, the weather had a hand in it today

Dragonflies/Damselflies : Blue tailed Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Common Blue Damselfly, Common Darter, Emperor, Red eyed Damselfly, Ruddy Darter, Small Red eyed Damselfly

Brown Hawker ♀

Common Wasp

Large Marsh Horsefly

Volucella inanis Hoverfly

Common Darter

Emperor Dragonfly