6th August 2023

I managed to add three new species to my parish year list in July, Tawny Owl, Hobby (flying over the Bottom Fields in Ainderby) and Greenshank. The latter bird was only picked up as I photographed a group of six Little Egrets and spotted the ‘shank swimming across the river in the corner of the picture.

Today I walked with Sam along the river, given the recent rains it was, unsurprisingly, quiet with no mud edge to attract waders. We did count at least six Little Egrets along the way, though, and then on Big Bend I spotted a couple of young Yellow Wagtail. Another two flew up on to the fence line and then I spotted another on the gate…

As I walked closer to get a better shot a group came up out of the stubble and we counted a remarkable 21 birds, by some way the best ever count in the parish. I assume these were migrants rather than local but but they were mainly young birds which was encouraging.

Otherwise, it was insects providing most of the interest. My first Migrant Hawker of the year was down Warlaby Lane…

And I had two Purple Hairstreaks on Vicarage Lane, the first time I have ever seen them away from their stronghold on Greenhills Lane.

One of the local farmers has planted an area of rough grazing with wildflowers and I did the Big Butterfly Count there the other evening. I had a good count of 44 Large Whites, 10 Small Whites, three Green-veined Whites, Red Admiral, three Speckled Woods and three Silver-Y moths.

The moth highlight was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden, this might be the first time I have seen one ‘perched’!

I also photographed a leafcutter bee species, Megachile ligniseca …

This was the first record for North-west Yorkshire (VC65) as was the Psychocephala rufipes fly I included in my last post. This is undoubtedly more to do with lack of observers in this very under-watched Vice-county than actual rarity but it’s still nice to add something to the record books…