Rufford Gulls - 2nd August 2026

 Yesterday, I had a quick 45 minute visit to Rufford. Gull numbers had increased to c.40 Black-headed Gulls, and included the first juveniles of the year (4).6 ringed gulls were seen, including some that I've not had there for quite some time.

258A was one such bird. First ringed in February 2020, this bird has been a regular visitor to Rufford, but yesterday's sighting was my first since January 2026. So far, there haven't been any summer sightings.

258A

273A was ringed, as a juvenile bird in November 2021, and , again, has been a regular winter visitor to Rufford. This sighting was my first since 3rd January 2026. Again, no summer sightings.

273A

207C was ringed on 22nd December 2022, as an adult, and has been reported an amazing 47 times at Rufford. This was my second sighting this season.

207C

258C was ringed on 3rd December 2023, as a juvenile, and has been seen 30 times at Rufford. This is my first sighting since 17th January 2026. Again, no summer sightings.

258C

255F was ringed 30th November 2024, as a juvenile. Yesterday's sighting was only my 5th sighting since ringing, and my first since September 2025. Presumably, it pops into Rufford when it first arrives back, and then overwinters elsewhere. No summer sightings.

255F

2V03 was ringed on 18th January 2025, as an age 5, i.e. born on 2024. Yesterday's sighting was my first of the season, and only the fourth since ringing. I last saw this bird on 2nd September 2025. Again, presumably a bird that overwinters elsewhere. No summer sightings yet. 

2V03

Year List and Mediterranean Gull

 Last week, whilst in Wales, Jayne and I added another two species to the "Year List", and saw a fantastic looking juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

The two new species were: Water Rail (174), with one seen feeding along the edge of the reeds in the wetlands between Malltreath and Pen Cob car park and Chough (175) that was seen at RSPB South Stack.

Chough C8

The last bird of interest in Wales, was a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, that we spotted whilst walking along the coastal path at Benllech. Here are a few pictures, taken whilst the bird was preening.

Mediterranean Gull

Red Squirrels!

 One species that we love to see is the Red Squirrel. Obviously, we don't get them in Derbyshire anymore, but, whilst in Anglesey, Jayne and I have managed to see them in a couple of spots around the island. 

The first spot, Llyn Parc Mawr, is a car park on the Newborough National Nature Reserve. This site was just a 10 minute drive away from our holiday home, so we popped across on our first night. We arrived at about 6.30pm, and, within two  minutes were watching the first of 3 squirrels, taking advantage of the feeding stations there.

The second site, The Dingle or Nant y Pandy, in Llangefni, was a little further afield, and the squirrels were again quite easy to see, as they are often fed by visitors. We had great views of at least 3 different squirrels.

Whilst here, we also saw a Painted Lady, a male Banded Demoiselle and a single Myathropa florea hoverfly.

Bodnant Gardens - 27th July 2026

 On Monday, Jayne and I stopped off at the National Trust's Bodnant Gardens, on route to Anglesey.

We had a walk around the site, and noted a few nice butterflies, including two new for the year: Clouded Yellow and Common Blue Butterfly.

Clouded Yellow (over exposed!!!)

Common Blue Butterfly (female)

We also spotted 6+ Painted Ladies, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and Green-veined Whites.

Dragonflies were also seen, including Common Darter, Golden-ringed Dragonfly (both new for the year), Migrant Hawker, Emperor (2 males and a couple of ovipositing females), Common Blue and Azure Damselflies.

Emperor

Yorkshire Sculpture Park - 24th July 2026

 Jayne and I had a walk around YSP today, and added a new species for the year, saw 3 ringed Mute Swans and managed a beautiful picture of a Brown Hawker.

The "year tick" was a single Spotted Flycatcher (173). This is a new species for us at this site. Unfortunately, no photo, as it flew away as soon as we spotted it!

The three ringed swans were 31Y3, 9Y63 and 6Y97. They all appeared to see last year's youngsters (aged 5), and will all have been ringed by Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Hospital. 

6Y63

9Y63

31Y3

Brown and Migrant Hawkers were everywhere, along with a couple of Emperor dragonflies. One of the Brown Hawkers posed nicely for a photo on some sycamore keys.

Brown Hawker

Seven Hours at Linacre!

 Yesterday (19th), I had a couple of visits to Linacre. The first, from 06.00 - 09.30, was a ringing session, with 3 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group, whilst the second from 14.00 - 17.30, was a solo walk, looking for insects and carrying out this month's WeBS walk.

The ringing session was quite a quiet affair, with just 9 birds ringed. Happily, 8 of the 9 birds were juveniles, i.e. born this year, but the low number was quite disappointing, given the time of year. Hopefully, numbers will pick up, as the summer progresses. Bird caught were (new/retrap): Blackcap 1/0 (juvenile), Chiffchaff 4/0 (all juveniles), Robin 1/0 (juvenile), Blue Tit 1/0 (juvenile) and Bullfinch 2/0 (1 adult - born last year, and 1 juvenile).

By the afternoon, the temperature had risen to 22 degrees, so I went back down for a walk around the site. As you can see from the picture below, the bottom reservoir is currently nearly dry. It has been drained as maintenance work is being carried out on the overflow. As a result there were few birds there, but the exposed mud could bring in some waders perhaps.

Bottom reservoir

Waterbirds see were: Mallard (42 - 40 adults and 2 juveniles), Tufted Duck (24 - all adults), Mandarin Duck (17 - all adults), Coot (1 adult), Moorhen (3 adults), Grey Heron (1), Great-crested Grebe (3 adults - no juveniles this year), Herring Gull (1 adult), Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 adults and 1 juvenile),and, the best of all, a juvenile Common Sandpiper!

Whilst on site, I also spent a lot of time (!) looking at the amazing number of butterflies and other insects present. Very conservative estimates of species seen are: Meadow Brown (50+), Gatekeeper (9), Speckled Wood (3), Comma (2), Painted Lady (6 - 5 very fresh looking individuals and 1 very tatty one!), Holly Blue (4), Green-veined White (2), Large White (1), Peacock (3), Small Skipper (1), Silver Y (1), Shaded Broad-bar (1 in the ringing site), Brown Hawker (2), Common Blue Damselfly (100+, including ovipositing pairs), Blue-tailed Damselfly (1 male), Migrant Hawker (6), Volucella inanis (2), Volucella pullecens (3), Myathropa florea (1) and Eristalis sp!

Migrant Hawker

Common Blue Damselfly

Volucella inanis

Rufford - 18th July 2026

 I had a few hours free this afternoon, so I had my second visit of the "autumn" to Rufford CP. The number of Black-headed Gulls had increased to c.25, and I managed to see 3 ringed gulls.

The 3 birds seen were: 200H (2nd sighting this winter), 206A (1st sighting since 3rd January 2026) and 207C (1st sighting since 17th February). 

200H (losing the brown hood)

206A (full hood)

207C (fullish hood)

Other birds seen were: c45 Greylag Geese, c20 Canada Geese, Kingfisher (1 heard), 4 House Martins and 7 Mute Swans ( all un ringed, and looked like last year's birds).

It was quite overcast, so only managed to see 1 male Blue-tailed Damselfly (my first here) and 1 Red Admiral.

Red-veined Darter - at last!!!

 Earlier in the year, I blogged about a possible sighting of a Red-veined Darter, seen as RSPB Frampton Marsh. Unfortunately, at the time, the individual didn't stay in sight long enough to clinch the id. Likewise, I had a single dragonfly in Menorca a few years ago, but again, I couldn't be 100% clear on identification. 

After a significant influx into the UK this year, a very good number of Red-veined Darters were seen at a site, Waverley Lakes/Lagoons, in South Yorkshire, just half an hour from home. I popped across last week, but didn't manage to find any. Another report came in yesterday of 30+ individuals (including pairs in tandem and ovipositing), so, this afternoon, I drove across again, and, after 20 minutes I eventually managed to find, and photograph my first confirmed sighting!

Red-veined Darter (male)

These photos were the best I could do, as they are extremely flighty and hard to pin down. Luckily, though, I managed to see to get a shot of the red veins, and the yellow pterostigma, complete with an obvious black border. The blue lower half of eye can also just be seen. I'll pop back again this summer, and hopefully get a few better shots.

Other species seen were: Small Red-eyed Damselflies (ovipositing), Blue-tailed Damselflies (in tandem) and Black-tailed Skimmer (10+ individuals, including this pair "in cop").

Black-tailed Skimmer

Welcome back 200H

 After school today, Jayne and I had our first visit of the "autumn/winter" period to Rufford. The temperature was a scorching 32 degrees, so it didn't feel very autumnal (!), but we did spot 10 Black-headed Gulls, including our first ringed gull of the season, 200H (looking very smart in full breeding plumage).

First photo of the season

200H

200H was first ringed, at Center Parcs, 2km away, as an adult, on 15th November 2025. This bird was seen five times over the winter, until my last sighting, at Rufford, on 17th February 2026. Unfortunately, there are no summer records yet, so we can't say where this bird breeds. Hopefully, it'll hang around for the full winter.

We only had a quick visit tonight, but we also recorded 4 Mute Swans, 6 House Martins, 3 Swallows and a Kingfisher (heard).

RSPB Old Moor Insects - 5th July 2026

 On Saturday, Jayne and I drove across to RSPB Old Moor in the search of a new insect for the region, Norfolk Hawker. Unfortunately, we didn't find them (3 had been reported), but instead we managed to see a few other nice species.

The first one we saw was a Puss Moth caterpillar. I've had this species in the garden ( as an adult moth), but had never seen a caterpillar before. As you can see, the caterpillar is quite a sight!

Puss Moth

The other species seen were Ruddy Darter and Gatekeeper.

Ruddy Darter

Gatekeeper

Linacre Ringing and a new Moth!

 This morning I was down at Linacre, with 3 other members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group, for our first mist netting session since 2nd May 2026. Although it was quite quiet, with just 10 birds of 5 species, ringed, it was great to be back, and also resulted in the first juveniles of the year, 3 retraps of birds ringed previously and a new moth species for the site!

First up, the ringed birds (new/retrap): Blackcap 2/1 - the two new birds were this year's juveniles, whilst the retrap was a male bird ringed, at Linacre, as a juvenile, on 23rd August 2025, and presumably back, as a nesting bird this year (!) I wonder where it spent its first winter - Spain, Northern Africa?, Chiffchaff 2/0 - both new birds were juvenile birds, Blue Tit 1/2 - a new adult bird and two retraps, both ringed at Linacre, on 26th April and 13th July 2025 respectively, Wren 1/0 - a juvenile bird and Robin 1/0 - a 1 year old bird (age 5). Other birds seen/heard on site were Swift (5 overhead), Willow Warbler (1 singing), Garden Warbler (1 singing), Woodpigeon (dozens in the fields), Nuthatch (heard) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (heard).

Away from the birds, we also spotted a few insects: Common Blue Damselfly (1 male), Latticed Heath (1), Red Admiral (1), Cinnabar Moth (1), Painted Lady (1), Ringlet (1), Meadow Brown (1), Small White (1) and, best of all, a new moth species; Clouded Border! Details of this moth can be found on Butterfly Conservation's website  here and its status in Derbyshire here.

Clouded Border

Fledgling Blackcap

 It isn't often that I do a post for one species, but last night, whilst out  looking for a Lesser Emperor dragonfly at Pebley Pond (no luck!!), Jayne and I came upon this fledgling Blackcap.

Blackcap

I say we found it, rather it found us! It appeared out of the bushes, as we were walking along, and perched 1m away, looking rather confused. We were, obviously, the first humans it had ever seen, and it just didn't know what to. It was only the calling adult, that eventually had it hopping back into the undergrowth. Good luck little one.

Whilst there, we also saw a single Emperor dragonfly, 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 10s of Common Blue Damselflies, c4 Ringlet butterflies, 10 Meadow Browns and c4 Large Skippers.

Linacre Lifer!

 I didn't really think that this weekend could get any better, after yesterday's lifer. But, this afternoon, after having spent time celebrating Father's Day, I went down to Linacre for just over an hour (3pm - 4.15pm) and discovered a new species of dragonfly for the site!

The dragonfly in question was a male Black-tailed Skimmer. It isn't an uncommon species, being widespread across Derbyshire, but, as I mentioned, this was my first record for the site. The individual was a "mature" male, as seen by the yellow markings down its thorax, and was found, basking in the 24 degree heat, on the stones of the bottom reservoir. Now I just need to find a female and prove breeding!!

Black-tailed Skimmer

Other insects seen were: Common Blue Damselfly (20+, including pairs in tandem), Blue-tailed Damselfly (1 male), 1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, Meadow Browns (10+), Ringlets (2), 1 Great Pied Hoverfly, a Eupeodus sp Hoverfly (identified as E. corrallae by ObsIdentify), 1 Silver Y moth and several species of bumblebee (Red-tailed, Common Carder and White/Buff-tailed).

I only checked the birds on the bottom reservoir, and recorded: Mallard (1 female with 7 new ducklings, plus several moulting adults), Mandarin Duck (3 birds, all moulting), Moorhen (2 adults), Tufted Duck (9 males and 1 female - no ducklings), Great-crested Grebe (2 adults) and 1 Stock Dove (drinking from the reservoir). A single Garden Warbler was heard singing (and identified via Merlin app) in the ringing site.

WESTERN REEF HERON!

 News of a first for Britain broke a couple of weeks ago, in the form of a dark-phase Western Reef Heron ssp gularis (172nd bird for the year, my 306th British species and my 522nd species for my World List - not that anyone's counting!!)! At first, the bird was in and around Caernarfon, but then it disappeared for a couple of days, before turning up again around RSPB Conwy/ Conwy Castle. 

Conwy Castle (and the W R Heron, I promise!)

Today, I decided to go across, and see if I could catch up with it. Setting off from home at 5.40am, I arrived on site, in glorious sunshine, at 8.10am, and managed to see the bird straight away, feeding on the estuary, about 500m away. I enjoyed great views for about an hour, before it flew off, up the estuary. A lovely bird, in a fantastic setting!

Western Reef Heron

Nightjars, Woodcock, White Stork and a Peregrine!

 The four birds in today's title were all seen in the last 24 hours in my home county of Derbyshire!

The first bird, Nightjar (170), was seen last night. Unfortunately, it was quite cool and breezy, but we (Jayne and I) did manage to see and hear 2-3 birds. Whilst out and about, we also saw 5-6 Woodcock, a singing Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Song Thrush, Garden Warbler and Blackbird.

The next two species, White Stork (171) and Peregrine Falcon, were seen today. The White Stork, an unringed bird, was found, this week, in Hatton, near Derby. We drove across this morning, and were very lucky to get great views (c.50m away), as it fed in a farmer's field.

White Stork

The Peregrine Falcon was seen later in the day.

Peregrine Falcon

Linacre Nestboxes 2026 - The results are in!

Since the end of April, several members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group have been monitoring the nestboxes at Linacre, for the BTO's Nest Record Scheme We have been doing this since 2012, and this weekend was the last visit of the season.

The first birds of the season were ringed on 16th May, and the last were ringed on 30th May. This year's totals were: Blue Tit (161 birds from 20 broods), Great Tit (56 birds from 11 broods), Pied Flycatcher (8 chicks from1 brood), Robin (1 brood of 5 birds) and  Mandarin Duck (2 adult birds; 1 new female and a female first ringed in 2024). A female Garden Warbler, with a brood patch, was also caught at the start of May. Now that the nestboxes are all completed, our attention will turn to the breeding warblers on site. Hopefully, the season will be good and we'll get lots of youngest to monitor and ring.

Whilst walking around the site, we often see other birds, including this fabulous Great-crested Grebe that was seen, resting in amongst the Amphibious Bistort, yesterday morning.

Great Crested Grebe

RSPB Frampton Marsh - 31st May 2026

 Today, Jayne and I had a trip across to RSPB Frampton Marsh. We had a great walk around the reserve, adding three new species to the Year List, and were also, very pleased to see a lot of young birds running around the reserve and adults with beaks full of insects.

Firstly, the year ticks: Little Gull (167), a first summer bird seen flying over the Reedbed Lagoon, Corn Bunting (168; 1, possibly two singing birds) and Black-winged Stilt (169) - 1 of 2 birds present.

Black-winged Stilt

Other birds seen were: Green Woodpecker (1 seen by the carpark, Spoonbill (3), Cuckoo (1 heard), Mute Swan (a pair with 7 cygnets and another 12 non-breeding birds), Greylag, Egyptian and Canada Geese,  Mallard, Gadwall (adults and 1 brood of ducklings), Shoveler (adults and ducklings), Shelduck, Redshank, Avocet, Lapwing (all with young), Black-headed Gulls (chicks), Great-crested Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Reed, Cetti's and Sedge Warblers, Linnet, Blue and Great Tits, Reed Bunting (carrying food) and  Yellow Wagtail (1 adult and 1 juvenile on the reserve, and 1 adult on the road in).

Reed Bunting

Lapwing

Gadwall and ducklings

Avocet and chick (1 of 3)

Insects seen were: Painted Lady (20+), Common Blue Butterfly, Large Skipper, Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Migrant Hawker (2). 2 Red-veined Darters had been reported on site yesterday. We saw a single red darter, but, annoyingly, we weren't able to see it face on, or get a photograph, before it flew off!!! The one that got away?

Painted Lady