Happy 2022 to all my readers lets hope its a great Nature Year
January (Week 1 – 4)
Well the year started off on a slow start with just picking up on common bird species Blackbird, Blue Tit, Crow etc. It wasn’t till week 2 that things picked up slightly with a flock of about 30 Siskin made an appearance. Also of note this week was a single Treecreeper, a pair of Nuthatch, and Coal Tit around the feeders and a noisy Wren
Week 4 was fruitful with lots of Black headed Gulls, a single Great Spotted Woodpecker flying thru, a couple of Common Buzzard were seen, and Woodpigeon finally being seen. Also of note was a single Treecreeper still around and the Jackdaw roost was still in good numbers.
Bird List : Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Crow, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie, Nuthatch, Siskin, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren (17)
February (Week 5 – 8)
Start of the month was favourable with decent weather which resulted in seeing a Grey Wagtail along the brook, a Grey Heron was seen flying thru over the top car park and a Tawny Owl was calling early one morning in the top car park.
Mid month saw me on two weeks of late shifts, so was unable to venture out and we also had three storms come thru Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, causing minor tree damage around the back, one branch blocking the footpath.
Last week of February saw me out again, after the storms and finding a mixed flock of Blue, Great and Long tailed Tits along with a decent size flock of Siskin.
Looking forward to March now and hopefully the start of the insect season
Bird List : Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Crow, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Jackdaw, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Robin, Siskin, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren (14) (YTD 21) Species List 2022 HERE
March (Week 9 – 13)
All the action this month was started mainly from week 10 with the arrival of the first spring migrant, namely the Chiffchaff. Its arrival in week 10, brings it in 2 to 3 week earlier than average over the last 10 years, an early record and the earliest over those 10 years. Over highlights was the sighting of 7 Whooper Swans, going over early morning on the 21st, a first site record bringing the bird species to 68. Common Buzzards were out mainly during the warm weather in the second half of the month and a pair of Canada Geese went thru early morning on the 28th, scarce visitor here. The Great Spotted Woodpecker was still drumming during the month and the Nuthatch was very vocal.
Other highlights for the month was the arrival of the first Butterflies of the season with Comma and Small Tortoiseshell being the ones seen in week 12.
Bird List:- Blackbird, Black headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carriion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coal tit, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Jackdaw, Magpie, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Robin, Treecreeper, Whooper Swan (NFS), Wren (21) (YTD 27)
April (Week 14 – 17)
Butterfly highlights this month were Comma, Green veined White, Orange tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, and Speckled Wood
Bird highlights this month was the arrival of a couple of Blackcaps back on site and along with a close by Treecreeper near the top car park, the Great Spotted Woodpecker could still be heard drumming on occasion, and the Nuthatch was still busy being noisy.
Other highlights were the noticeable appearance of a few hoverflies with Helophilus pendulus being noted
Bird List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch,Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Magpie, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren (18) (YTD 30)
Butterfly List: Comma, Green veined White, Orange tip, Peacock, Small Tortiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood (7)
May (Week 18 – 21)
Due to Holidays and work shifts very little was covered this month but I did have a few highlights for the month. Week 18 had a fly over Greenfinch (scarce on site), a fly thru Brimstone Butterfly and a Common Whitethroat was heard and located on site.
Then it was all week 21, on the 23rd a Blackcap was seen around the feeders, the 24th a Silver Ground Carpet Moth was found along with a single Large Red Damselfly. The 25th brought in Swifts thru the site, a Azure Damselfly was found in windy conditions along with a Nettle Weevil in the same location, but the star of the month goes to my favourite Longhorn Beetle, found on the car on the 19th of the month, the Golden bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle
Bird List : Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Robin, Song Thrush, Swift, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren (17) (YTD 32)
Butterfly List : Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood (7) (YTD 8)
Dragonfly List : Azure Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly (2)
June (Week 22 – 26)
A good month, the weather held which gave out some new Butterflies for the year, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Ringlet, and Small Copper, now await Small Skipper. A Emperor Dragonfly flew thru mid-month but didn’t hang around.
A new moth species was found, this being a Marbled White Spot, other moths for the month included Narrow Bordered Five Spotted Burnet Moths and the Yellow Barred Longhorn Moth which started appearing towards the end of the month.
Bird highlights included a brief Willow Warbler but wasn’t located, the Common Whitethroat was seen on food runs into one of the large bramble patches, so breeding has taken place. A few Swifts were seen going thru on a few dates and a Great Tit was seen entering the old Great Spotted Woodpecker nest hole with food. A Common Buzzard was seen going thru the nearby field, low and being chased off by a Rook
Bird List (67) : Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Nuthatch, Robin, Rook, Swift, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren (18) (YTD 34)
Butterfly List (21) : Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Orange tip, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Copper, Small White, Speckled Wood (9) (YTD 14)
Moths List (46) : Marbled White Spot, Narrow Bordered Five Spotted Burnet Moth, Silver ground Carpet, Yellow barred Longhorn Moth
Dragonfly List (10) : Emperor Dragonfly (YTD 3)
July (Week 27 – 30)
A hot month with the temperatures hitting the high 30° on 2 days (18th/19th), it was mainly an insect month as the birds went quiet.
It was nice to still see Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff about but the month went to insects.
A few moth species mainly Narrow bordered Five Spot Burnet, also seen were Six Spot Burnet Moths, Riband Wave and Shaded Broad Bars.
I found a Golden bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle on the 12th, hoverflies started to appear in good numbers with Myathropa florea, Volucella pelucens, Cheilosia illustrata, Episyrphus balteatus and Leucozona glaucia.
However the month as to go to a new butterfly species for the site (Also a first for Yorkshire for me), found on the hottest day of the year (19th) a single Purple Hairstreak, took me by surprise sat on nettles low down in the shade, which proved difficult to get a photo of. Gatekeepers are a plenty and seem to be having a good year, Meadow Brown and Ringlets now dropping in numbers, Small and Large Skippers still about but no Small Copper or Common Blue
No Dragonflies seen this month
Bird List (67) : Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Jay, Nuthatch, Robin, Stock Dove, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren (13) (YTD 36)
Butterfly List (22) : Gatekeeper, Green veined White, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Purple Hairstreak, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Small White, Speckled Wood (10) (YTD 17)
Moths List (46) : Brimstone, Narrow bordered Five Spot Burnet, Riband Wave, Shaded Broad Bar, Six Spot Burnet Moth (5)
August (Week 31 – 35)
The month got off to a great start with various insects seen, Butterflies, Dragonflies and Hoverflies all having a part, as the month went on however things started to drop away.
Stating with the Butterfly highlights, in the first part of the Month inc. Small Copper, Small Skipper, Red Admiral, Gatekeepers, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Green veined White, Holly Blue with the Purple Hairstreak being re-found on the 3rd in one of the Oak trees, with a Common Blue found on the 11th. In the latter half of the month there only appeared to be the whites hanging on, mainly Green veined White along with plenty of fresh Speckled Woods. I did see a Skipper species on the 16th but didn’t pin it down to a species.
Dragonflies put in an appearance with Southern Hawkers about but only in the first half of the month. Common Darter or what I thought was one was seen on the 4th with it finally giving itself up on the 24th. A species which hasn’t been seen since 2016, so good to see, with some decent photos.
Hoverflies this month included the beauty that is Volucella inanis on the 2nd, other highlights were Episyrphus balteatus, Eristalis horticola, Eristalis nemorum, Eristalis tenax, Leucozona glaucia.
Birds highlights this month included a large flock of House Martins going thru on the 17th, with a Green Woodpecker seen on going thru the car park on the 10th. Other bird highlights were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, and Robin.
Other wildlife highlights were a Ichneumon wasp, Udea lateris Moth, Straw Dot Moths and a 22 spot ladybird.
Bird List (67) : Blackbird, Bullfinch, Crow, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, House Martin, Magpie, Nuthatch, Robin, Woodpigeon (10) (YTD 38)
Butterfly List (22) : Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green veined White, Holly Blue, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Purple hairstreak, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Speckled Wood (11) (YTD 19)
Moths List (46) : Straw Dot, Udea lateris
Dragonfly List (10) : Common Darter
September (Week 36 – 39)
Not a lot happened for me in September due to holidays and shifts. The woods have now gone quiet with only a few species seen or heard Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Robin and Woodpigeon the only ones I picked up on.
Insects have nearly all gone with a few seen on sunnier days, I managed to find a Sphaerophoria scripta hoverfly and a few Straw Dot Moths.
Tallies remaining the same
October (Week 40 – 43)
Bird highlights this month included a Raven going thru on week 41 along with a couple of Common Buzzards hanging around. Other birds of note were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Grey Heron and a flock of 15 Redwing (Wk43).
Insects were few and far between, I did manage to track down a lovely Forest Shieldbug (Wk40) along with a Ichneumonidae Wasp, and a Notostira elongata Bug.
Bird List: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Jay, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Raven, Redwing, Robin, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon (14) (YTD 40)
Forest Shieldbug
November (Week 44 – 47)
Due to shifts and bad weather nothing was recorded this period
December (Week 48 – 52)
The period started well (week 48) with 12 bird species recorded, the Redwings were notable along with a large number of Blackbirds. A single Kestrel was seen briefly, Tawny Owl calling in the top car park early mornings, a Grey Heron was heard calling flying over the top car park late evening, however the bird of note on week 48 was a Kingfisher flying along the nearby brook, a welcome sighting the last being in 2015
The second half of December produced a good flock of Siskins (c15), good to see these back for the winter period, and back in the usual trees. A Common Buzzard was a new bird for the month, heard first then seen . Redwing, Blackbird numbers were still up, consuming the local berries. A few Jays were seen and heard
My last week at work for the year produced the usual Woodpigeons, Jackdaws and Crows. The berry crop was rapidly going down with Blackbirds, Redwings, Song Thrush’s and even Magpies all taking turns, a Common Buzzard was seen again over the top carpark, and finally a Fieldfare and a Sparrowhawk brought the year to a close.
Bird List: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Crow, Chaffinch, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Long tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Pheasant, Redwing, Robin, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl, Woodpigeon (25) (YTD 44)
Summary of 2022
Birds Species 44 (67) 65.7% , the highlights being Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, and Whooper Swans
Butterfly Species 19 (22) 86.4% , the highlight being the Purple Hairstreak
Dragonfly Species 4 (10) 40% , highlight Common Darter
Hoverflies Species 5 (28) 17.8% , highlight being Volucella inanis
Moth Species 8 (46) 17.4% , highlight being Marbled White Spot being a new one
Longhorn Beetles 1 (5) 20% , only the Golden bloomed Grey Longhorn
Shieldbug Species 2 (7) 28.6% , Common Green and Forest
Huddsbirder 