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