Patient Perseverance.

On Monday, a couple of hours patient perseverance at Grisedale Brook from Grisedale Bridge downstream to Holme Wood, eventually resulted in finding 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Something of a disappointment, as I had seen 12 GRD here on 14 June 2023, and by coincidence the same number of 12 the previous year on 11 July 2022.

Not part of any Odonata strategy that I'm aware of, but this one was well camouflaged as it set down on the stone. 

Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Mike Atkinson.

Not only did Mike Atkinson find the first GRD of the year at Birk Bank on 9 June, he found this one freshly emerged and drying out....Great stuff Mike.

It was another of those days that started off in fine style for me, when I got out of the car to be greeted by a pair of Stonechat on gorse by the side of the road. I've seen Stonechat here last year, and as I recall, also the year before. It was interesting to see a continuous stream of at least 60 Carrion Crow flying north over Harrisend. Also on Grisedale Brook, 2 Grey Wagtail and a Large Red Damselfly, with butterflies represented by  2 Small Heath and a Speckled Wood.

I looked in on Catshaw Pond to find a male Emperor Dragonfly, and saw a Broad-bodied Chaser too brief and distant to sex. With Ian Mitchell's Emperor Dragonfly at Birk Bank 6 June, this is the second one found in Bowland and is a species regarded as 'remaining absent in the uplands', though this reference is 9 years out of date!

On to Hawthornthwaite, where in little more than an hour I found 8 Stonechat, having my records to read possibly 4 breeding pairs here in 2024, though this lacks evidence of young.

 
                 

But having seen a female leaving the ground nest whilst its mate was close by, I took the opportunity to record the male which, having perceived danger at my presence, was alarm calling whilst on guard duty.                     

I found 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly here, and made a count of only 8 Sand Martin and 3 Meadow Pipit, with another 4 Small Heath making my total of seven butterflies on the day.

Swifts.

We had the pleasure of up to 30 Swift over our house in Bowerham yesterday evening at 9.00pm, also c.20 Swift in the Fairfield colony on Monday evening.

Bombus monticola.

Bilberry Bumblebee Harrisend 25 June. Ian Mitchell.  

A visit to Harrisend yesterday paid off handsomely with Bilberry Bumblebee seen, also Stonechat as in my header image. Thanks Ian, your records and pictures are much appreciated.

Dragons In The Night!

Drawing the curtains on the patio, I was amazed to see a dragonfly patrolling the garden in the near dark of 10.15pm. It spent several minutes here, but the best I could get on the creature as it darted around the garden, was that it was dark in colour. In the end I was convinced we had a visit by a male Common Darter....Impressed!