The highlights in September included two cracking additions
to the parish moth list. Unfortunately, neither were in my moth trap…
The first was a superb Striped Hawk-moth that Peter caught.
He then did the double with a cracking Clifden Nonpareil a fortnight
later…
This is a species which has been moving north and does now
occasionally breed in the county but most Yorkshire records are migrants and still
a real star find up here.
Green with envy but great to be able to see and photograph both of these amazing
insects.
Still plenty of butterflies around too including Holly Blues
through to the month end which is the latest I have seen them in the village…
On the bird front there were too additions to the parish year list. The first was a cracking male Merlin which shot through low over the garden after circling high with two Kestrels. This was a day of heavy southward movement of Skylarks over the village so I imagine this bird had followed them down off the high ground?
The second addition was this young Stonechat in the Bottom
Fields in Ainderby…
Still a very uncommon bird in the village but Yorkshire numbers are on the rise...
On the river I found yet another Great White Egret…
And the same day I had three Green Sandpipers…
And no less than five Grey Wagtails…
Other signs of Autumn too with Paul finding a Wheatear at Ladyfield and the first Pinkfooted Geese over the village on the rather early date of 12th September.
All in all, an interesting
month for nature.
