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JUNE 2006 Diary and News from Chasewater
 and Cuckoo Bank

All the latest sightings, news and photos from Chasewater, Cuckoo Bank, Clayhanger/Ryders Mere
and surrounding areas.   All records are welcome, please send them to Graham at chasewater.org.uk  (substitute @ for at) and jpeg your photos and Zip them - OR submit your records via Chasewater Chat FORUM
May 2006
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2006

Sightings/News

Photos
30 June

2 Common Terns.

Swag: 78 Tufted Ducks, 4 Ruddies (3 drakes), 1 Gadwall.

Slurry Pool: 2 Tufted Ducks.

Gull Roost:  an hour before sunset. 55 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-back (GE). 
29 June

4 Common Terns, 1 pair of Great Crested Grebes with 3 downy young in north-west bay.

North Shore: 2 Lapwings, 2-3 juvenile Stonechats, 1 Emperor Dragonfly.

Swag: 64 Tufted Ducks, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Gadwall, 60 Mallard.

Slurry Pool: 1 pair Mute Swans with 3 young cygnets, 4 Tufted Ducks, several Reed Warblers, 2 Stonechats – female and juvenile, 2 Lapwings (GE). 2 Sedge warblers (GR). 
28 June Swag: Mute Swans still with 3 cygnets, 47 Tufted Ducks, 4 drake Ruddy Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 1 Kingfisher (GE).
27 June

1 Common Tern.

Swag: 33 Tufted Ducks + 2 by dam, 2 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Gadwall, 1 Kingfisher (GE). 
26 June

1 Little Ringed Plover (GR).

3 Common Terns, 32 Canada Geese (GE). 
25 June

11 Common Terns, 1 Kestrel.

Anglesey Basin: Highest ever numbers of Banded Demoiselle damselflies with around 20 males in flight at any one time with 2-3 of the far more secretive females being chased over the water. Many Common Blue and a few Blue-tailed damsels. 1 male Emperor and 1 Black-tailed Skimmer. 1 Common Tern fishing along the canal.

Swag: 17 Tufted, 2 Ruddy Ducks and 1 Gadwall (GE).  

Banded Demoiselle on Lemon-scented Fern (GE).

24  June

North Shore: 1 pair of Stonechats with two juveniles (IW, N, PS, GR). This is the first proven breeding since 1975. Their behaviour this spring has suggested that this would be their second brood but as far as I know their first brood failed to fledge (GE).

1 drake Common Scoter (present till dusk), 1 Redshank, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 8 Common Terns.

Swag: 1 Kingfisher, 5 drake Ruddy Ducks, 28 Tufted Ducks (25 drakes), 1 Gadwall.

Gull Roost: 35 Black-headed Gulls including the first juvenile of the year, 1 first summer Common Gull, 8 Lesser Black-backs (GE).

 

              Drake Common Scoter (GE).

Moth Trapping on dam(SK041074): 1 White Plume, 1 Brown China-mark, 4 Small Magpies, 2 Pebble Hook-tips, 1 Buff Arches, 2 Clouded Borders, 1 Latticed Heath, 5 Brown Silver-lines, 3 Common White Waves, 5 Common Waves, 1 Light Emerald, 1 Grass Wave, 3 Eyed Hawkmoths, 1 Poplar Hawkmoth, 3 Elephant Hawkmoths, 2 Buff-tips, 1 Buff Ermine, 1 Cinnabar, 22 Heart and Darts, 1 Turnip Moth, 4 Flames, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 1 Setaceous Hebrew Character, 5 Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 1 Bird’s wing, 1 Uncertain, 5 Spectacles, 2 Snouts (GE).


 
23 June

Swag: 3 Common Terns, 4 Black-headed Gulls, 23 Tufted Ducks (21 drakes), 3 drake Ruddy Ducks, 1 Gadwall.

1 Common Tern flew south along the Anglesey Branch canal in Brownhills.

Kingswood: 2 Common Terns, 1 Sparrowhawk (GE). 
22 June

1 Kestrel.

Swag: 7 Tufted Ducks, 3 Ruddy Ducks (2 drakes) + 1 drake near pier, 1 Gadwall (GE). 
21 June

6 Common Terns, 1 Sparrowhawk

Swag: 13 Tufted Ducks (11 Drakes), 1 Gadwall, 69 Mallard, 1 drake Ruddy (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Hobby, 1 Buzzard, 2 Grasshopper Warblers (IW). 
20 June 2 Common Terns (GE).
19 June

2 Common Terns, south shore Swans still with 5 cygnets.

Swag: 12 Tufted Ducks (9 drakes), 1 Gadwall, 3 drake Ruddy Ducks (GE). 
18 June

1 Common Tern.

Swag: 13 drake Tufted, 3 Ruddy Ducks (2 drakes), 1 Gadwall, pair of Swans with 3 cygnets (GE) 
17 June

2 Oystercatchers calling in the early hours (PW).

1 Buzzard, 2 Common Terns (GE).

Anglesey Basin: 3 Banded Demoiselles, several Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damsels, 2 Four-spotted Chasers, 1 male Emperor. 5 Hard Ferns, one patch of Lemon-scented Fern (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: 1 pair Tufted with 9 ducklings (GR).

               Banded Demoiselle (GE)

     

Moth Trapping on the dam (SK041074): Map-winged Swift, Eyed Hawkmoth, Pebble Hook-tip, Purple Bar, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Light Emerald, Spectacle, The Flame, Flame Shoulder, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown Silver-line, Buff Ermine, White Ermine, Cinnabar, Brimstone Moth, many Heart and Darts (GE).

 

           Eyed Hawkmoth (GE)

 

Spectacle (GE)

Everywhere I go I get the feeling that faces are being made at me (GE)
16 June

2 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Terns (GR, PW).

Swag: 21 Tufted Ducks (20 drakes), 1 Gadwall, 3 Ruddies. Swans now only have 3 cygnets (GE).

Kingswood: 4 Common Terns prospecting the island in the small pool. 1-2 pairs Lapwings, 2 Stock Doves (GE). 		 Moth Trapping at the Sailing Heath (SK038078): 1 Peach Blossom, Light Emerald, Green Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Buff Ermine, Ingrailed Clay, several Brown Silver-lines (NS, GE, TW, PW).
15 June

2 Common Terns feeding 2 chicks (GR).

2 Oystercatchers, 4 Common Terns (PW).

Swag: 13 drake Tufted Ducks, 1 Gadwall (GE).

Cuckoo Bank: Hobby over Silver Birch plantation, 3 family parties Whitethroat, 2 family parties Stonechat, singing Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Grey partridge calling.

Along main track 2 Painted Ladies, 1 Clouded Yellow, Wall Brown, Speckled wood, Red Admiral, Peacock, Green-veined White. Red deer with fawn and 10 Smooth Newts (IW). 
Wed
14 June

 

3 Oystercatchers on raft, 1 Common Tern.

Swag: 1 Gadwall, a pair Ruddy Ducks, 8 drake Tufted Ducks (+ a pair on south shore boating pool) (GE).
Tues
13 June

 

2 Common Terns, 1 pair of Swans with 5 cygnets and a pair of Canada Geese with 5 goslings., 200 Starlings.

Swag: 2 drake Gadwall, 8 Tufted Ducks (7 drakes) 1 pair Swans with 5 cygnets (GE).
Mon
12 June		 Several Daubentons and Pipistrelle type bats over the water and dam before midnight (GE).
Sunday
11 June

 

 

 

North Shore: 1 pair of Stonechats, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Painted Ladies, 1 Black-tailed Skimmer

Chasetown Brook Pool: 1 Four-spotted Chaser, several Azure and Large Red Damsels, 1-2 Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damsels, 1 Willow Tit singing.

Church Street: 1 Broad-bodied Chaser, 1 Four-spotted Chaser, many Azure Damsels, several Large Red and Blue-tailed.

Swag: 5 Common Terns, 1 Gadwall, 22 Tufted Ducks (20 drakes) (GE).
Sat
10 June

 

 

 

Water is now being released into the canal and levels have dropped to 50 cm from yesterday’s 47 cm off maximum.

Clayhanger: 1 Grasshopper Warbler in the set aside by the football pitch (PJ)
 Moth Trapping on dam: Small Magpie, Blood-vein, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawkmoth, White Ermine, Buff Ermine, Turnip Moth, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Broom Moth, Common Wainscot, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Marbled Minor, Spectacle, (GE).
Fri
9 June

3 Common Terns

Swag: 29 Tufted Ducks (26 drakes), 3 Ruddy Ducks (2 drakes).
Thurs
8 June

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glorious day!

Water levels now starting to fall (47 cm off maximum).

3 Common Terns.

Swag: 28 Tufted Ducks (24 drakes), 1 Gadwall, 1 Ruddy, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Norton Bog/Slurry Pool: 2 pairs Lapwings, 3-4 singing Sedge Warblers, 10+ singing Reed Warblers, 1 Cuckoo, < 50 Four-spotted Chasers, 1 Black-tailed Skimmer, several Azure, Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Large Red Damsels and many newly emerged teneral specimens. < 50 Common Blue Butterflies, several Burnet Companions and 1 Cinnabar moth. 100+ Southern Marsh Orchids (GE).
Wed
7 June

2 Black Terns (PN)

4 Common Terns (GE).
Tues
6 June

 

1 Common Tern.

Swag: 2 adult Little Grebes, 5 Tufted (4 drakes), 1 pair Ruddy Ducks,  1 pair Swans with 5 cygnets (GE).
Mon
5 June

 

 

4 Common Terns.

Swag: 14 Tufted (13 drakes) 1 pair Ruddies, 1 Gadwall.

Church Street: 1 fox, several Rabbits

Plant Swag:
Sunday
4 June

 

 

2 Common Terns, 1 Kestrel (GE)

Swag: 40 Mallard, 9 drake Tufted, 1 pair Swans with 5 cygnets,

Plant Swag: I pair Mute Swans, 1 singing Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Jay. 2 Dingy Skippers, 6 Common Blues, 2 Small Heaths, 1 Burnet Companion moth, several Blue-tailed, 1-2 Common Blue and Large Red Damsels (GE).
Sat
3 June

 

 

 

 

 

6 Common Terns, 1 Buzzard

Swag: 9 Tufted, 1 pair Ruddies, 40 Mallard, 1 Gadwall, 1 Sparrowhawk.

Moth Trapping on dam: White-pinion Spotted, Silver-ground Carpet, White Ermine, Buff-tip, Peppered Moth, 2 x Rustic Shoulder-knot, Angle Shades, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Brown Silver-line, 2 x Common Swift,

Canal: Common Blues, Blue-tailed and Large Reds and 1 Four-spotted Chaser. Lemon Scented Fern, Hard Fern, Floating Water-plantain, 6 Green Hairstreaks.

Cuckoo Bank: 1 Cuckoo calling. Several Large Reds, Blue-tailed, Common Blues.
Frid
2 June

1 Oystercatcher, 3 Ruddy Ducks.
Pairs of Swans on Fly pool (6 cygnets), main pool (6 cygnets) and Swag (5 cygnets) (GR)

Church St: 1 Buzzard, sev Azures and Large Reds

5 Common Terns, 2 Buzzards (Jason and mum)
Thurs
1 June

3 Cormorants.

Jack’s Wood: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker nest (GR)

Night walk over the Eastern Heath produced 1 Fox, about 10 Pipistrelle types and 2 slightly larger bats (GE). Only 2 moths caught overnight in garden, one being a Scalloped Hazel (GE).