Whiteholme

Small Heath 4

3 Dragonflies. These were flying rapidly back and forth over a small pond. My photos might be too poor for id, but I think they are Broad-bodied Chasers. I think wing spots would be obvious on Four-spotted Chaser; the body looks broad; and the abdomen of the top insect looks blue (male). I'll be glad to know any thoughts.

Lee Mount - 24th June

 Two pretty special moths this morning

Beautiful Snout - hiding away in the Yew hedge

first here since June 2023 and only the 5th record here.

Light Knot-grass

2nd record here since one on 9th May 2020

Beacon Hill

Meadow Brown 14

Small Skipper 3 (1 on buttercup)

Also: Ringlet 3, Red Admiral 1

My garden (with apologies)

Lee Mount - 21st/ 22nd June

A new species for this site a Mottled Rustic, as far as I can tell. 

Also an almost annual returner, Varied Coronet given Sweet Williams as a host plant.

Mottled Rustic

Varied Coronet

Beacon Hill

Speckled Wood 1

Beacon Hill

Painted Lady 2. I like the white tips to the antennae

Blood Vein

 Disturbed whilst filming Yellow Rattle perhaps the noise got a little bit too much for it ?  Blood Vein  A species of Low Growing Plants such as Dock the Larval Food Plant and off course thats what Yellow Rattle creates by keeping the grass down hemiparasite on roots of Poaceae and Fabaceae 

https://youtu.be/RQm_RT6EWEI

Beacon Hill

Red Admiral 1

Wall Brown

WCBS Butterfly survey last Saturday with transects over part of Cold Edge and Ovenden Moor. 

Only produced 20 butterfly's despite the nice warm sunshine and ideal conditions late morning.

2 Small Tortoiseshell

11 Green-veined White

1 Large White

1 Red Admiral

2 Painted Lady

2 Small Heath

1 Wall Brown (was the highlight)

Wall Brown

Shibden Valley

Mint Moth, Pyrausta aurata

Striped Hawkmoth

                                                                                        

 An excellent end to May 2026  for migrant moths and Butterfly's in Calderdale , It all started with a Large Tortoiseshell at Whiteholme (MH ,CH) then a Gem at Barkisland which was the first since 1966 (Charlie and AA) and then a couple of Bordered Straw one at Clock face quarry and 1 at the petrol station at Shibden Park. Masses of Painted Lady's have been seen in Calderdale and Hummingbird Hawkmoths have also been seen in gardens throughout the area. Andy Greaves found a Striped Hawkmoth during the day in Sowerby Bridge whilst gardening at Trish's house the first since 1866 !!!!!!! . Then a Striped Hawkmoth (above)  in the trap at Hedge top lane ,  25 + Silver Y's , 3 Diamond backed Moths ,and 2 Small Mottled Willow's also . Martyn at Luddenden has had 3 /4 Small Mottled Willows........

Things to keep and eye out for...Eastern Bordered Straw  and  Small Black Arches 

Cold Edge

Green-veined White. From the lack of markings on the upperwing, I think this is a male

Wainstalls

 Red Admiral

Shiben Valley Survey

Shibden Valley Survey

Yesterday I commenced a  Botanical Walk Over of the Area around Shibden Estate and onward to the base of the Upper Valley. As I was carrying quite a bit of equipment i was not as mobile as I would like . However Records will now start to populate the recording platform  Yesterdays Leps Siting a Pair of Orange Tip Butterflies  and 29th May 26 Painted Lady. Historic Records are yet to be merged with Bird , Moth and other Entomology still to be addressed. Please circulate details to widen participation  and use the Link to Add your  sightings. All those participating will receive a PDF Report  including a report on the Local History Of Shibden Valley

https://irecord.org.uk/join/shibden-valley-survey--group-feet    Link To Survey

Shibden Valley Survey  ( Link To Survey) Please message me if you have any difficulty in setting up i- record - which will provide you with a Simple Recording Form to enter sitings.

i-Record

Shibden Valley Survey  ( Link To Survey)

Aims 

1. The Aim of the survey is to provide a comprehensive list of Biodiversity in the Valley encompassing all Taxa  ( Insects Hoverflies  Bees Butterflies and Moths Beetles etc) , Birds ,  Trees and Plants 

2. To widen participation You can enter a record onto the Valley Location using i-record . and a simple recording Form on the Project Link

3. Currently ,  all records being amassed can be viewed on the i-record platform to help assess the Health of the Valley

Upper Valley 

Focuing on the Source of Shibden Brook at Ford Hill onward Down the Valley to Stump Cross and Shiibden lake

Shibden Estate

Areas around and in the Shibden estate

Lower Valley

Onward to Brookfoot via Sunnyvale with particular attention to areas around Red beck etc. Red  Beck takes a meadering course onward from Walter Clough at Sunnyvale onward to Brookfoot where it will join the canal and River Calder, and may include some of the interesting entomology found in around Sunnyvale , The Magna Via ( Dark Lane)  and Beacon Hill

 

Cold Edge

Painted Lady feeding on clover. The white tips of the antennae are visible.

Shibden Valley

Large White 2

Cold Edge

Common Heath (?)

Also: Painted Lady 2

Shibden Valley

Mother Shipton moth 1.  Another Cinnabar

Shibden Valley

Cinnabar

Star of Bethlehem. Its flowers open fully only in the sun.

Ringstone Edge

Painted Lady 1