28/06/18 - Mammal sightings

Over the last month we’ve been seeing plenty of mammals using the Ings meadows, as well as the reserve area more widely with good numbers of Brown Hares present, and the ever-present Roe Deer including the first fawn of the year at Wheldrake Ings. More unusual on the Ings has been four sightings of up to three Fallow Deer at Bank Island – this species is more usually found on Skipwith Common NNR and around the woodlands between Crockey Hill and Wheldrake, with them rarely venturing towards the Ings. Fallow Deer are usually quite scarce visitors onto the Ings, with just a couple of records annually, usually preferring the larger local woodlands such Wheldrake Woods, Skipwith Common and the Escrick Park Estate. From the cover of these woodlands they can be seen venturing onto nearby fields to graze. However, over the last two months up to three individuals have been seen regularly in the Bank Island area – feeding in the meadows, wandering through the shallow flooding and even down the public footpath towards Wheldrake Ings and Thicket Priory, including one brave individual in the reserve base garden. Fallow Deer are larger and usually lighter in colour than the more resident Roe Deer, and have rather distinctive white spots and unlike the Roe Deer’s characteristically ‘all white’ tail the Fallow Deer have black and white tails. Many thanks to local birder Duncan Bye for sending us his super photograph taken recently at Bank Island.

Along with the Fallow Deer, we have also had a sighting of a Badger in broad daylight running the whole length of the meadow at Wheldrake Ings – unusual in both location and time of day, whilst local birder and wildlife photographer Terry Weston has been watching a family of Fox cubs,  photographed below in the Kexby area – fortunately for us (or at least our breeding waders) not on the reserve.

It’s not just our breeding birds which appear to have had a good season, no doubt benefiting from the more favourable weather conditions of late than previous years, Brown Hares in particular seem to have favoured well. We commented on the relatively good numbers present earlier in the year, but recently we’ve also seen several young Hares (Leverets), including this one photographed by Duncan Bye at Wheldrake Ings as it ran along the permissive footpath towards him. Many thanks to everyone like Duncan who has kept to the permissive footpaths around the reserve this summer, along with our breeding waders it is likely Brown Hares have benefited too from the lack of disturbance, especially from keeping dogs on leads around the Ings. Many of our wildlife species are facing tough times in the wider countryside and in many parts of the country, so it’s key we do what we can to help them flourish here on our own patch, and for everyone to enjoy. Many thanks to everyone for the co-operation. 

20/06/18 - Moth trapping on the NNR

Over the last few weeks we’ve been continuing to run our moth trap at the NNR base at Bank Island on as many suitable nights as possible. The moths are attracted to a mercury vapour bulb, before dropping down into a collecting bucket, and then into egg boxes where they will then spend the night before being released, unharmed, in the morning. This long-term monitoring of our local moth populations is invaluable data which helps build up a national picture, when combined with the records of thousands of other moth recorders in the country. We’ve had some really attractive and wonderfully named moths in the trap recently – Burnished Brass (pictured below), Small Magpie and Beautiful Golden Y, along with Flame, Mother of Pearl, Heart and Dart, Bright-line Brown-eye and Treble Lines. 

Whilst some species are much rarer than they were, several species have also arrived and become widespread and common over that time. As mentioned in an earlier post, you don’t need a proper or expensive trap to survey moths in your garden – just a light source and white sheet on the ground will do, and don’t forgot to let us know what you find or send your records into the county moth recorder to help monitor population trends going forward. It’s been a good year so far for many species, including the various hawk-moths that have been frequenting our light traps on the reserve. The Poplar Hawk-moth is perhaps the commonest of our hawk-moths in the UK, and has a distinct posture when seen at rest, with the hindwings held forward of the forewings and the abdomen curved upwards at the rear. If disturbed it can flash the hindwings, which have a contrasting rufous red patch, normally hidden to alarm and discourage potential predators. The adult moths don’t feed during their relatively short time on the wing, and the caterpillars feed not only on Poplar as their name suggests but also Aspen and Willow. Interestingly the females are attracted to light earlier in the night, often before midnight, with the males later, after midnight, and in greater numbers. 

An equally stunning species, although much less caught, is the Eyed Hawk-Moth, pictured below. Having overwintered as shiny black/brown pupae, either below or near Willow or Apple Trees (the larval foodplant), the adults, which do not feed, can be seen on the wing from May to July. The pink hindwings are decorated with black and blue ‘eyes’, making them look rather striking and beautiful, however they are in fact a really clever disguise used to flash at and put off would be predators like birds. 

The Poplar Hawk-moth might be more common, but the most caught hawk-moth in our trap this year has been the fantastic Elephant Hawk-moth, with 38 recently in just a single catch. This stunning pink and olive-green moth (pictured below), is on the wing from May to early August and gets its name from the caterpillar, which is said to look like an elephant’s trunk. That, combined with the two large ‘eye-like’ markings behind the head also give the caterpillar, which can reach up to 85mm in size, an even larger ‘animal-like’ appearance to startle potential predators. The larvae of the moth can be found wherever Rosebay Willowherb is found, and as such the moth can be attracted to light in a range of habitats such as rough grassland, waste ground, hedgerows, heathland, woodland rides and gardens. Although looking like some exotic rarity, it is in fact a rather common moth, well distributed throughout England and Wales, and is yet another species slowly spreading northwards. Let us know if you come across any adults, or more likely caterpillars wandering in your garden, and feel free to post any sightings and photographs on our page, thank you.

Perhaps a much 'duller' species compared with the stunning beauty of the hawk-moths above, another species caught recently is the Chinese Character which is beautiful in its own way (pictured below). Chinese Characters use visual mimicry to avoid being eaten when at rest - during the day they will sit with their wings held over their body, and combined with a white, brown and grey wing pattern they are well camouflaged and closely resemble a bird dropping! The caterpillars feed on Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Crab Apples, and they can be found in a range of habitats where those occur - hedgerows, scrub and open woodland as well as gardens. They will be on the wing from now onwards until September (with generations in April-June and July-September) – so get checking all those bird droppings – they might not be what they first appear!

30/05/18 - York Minster Peregrines

This morning we had the privilege of joining Jean on her visit to York Minster to ring this year’s brood of four healthy Peregrine chicks. Having been checked in by security and the Minsters own Police, and armed with our risk assessments and rings, we climbed the 130 steps up the spiral staircase inside the bell tower before moving over various ledges above the city streets below, where we had an amazing birds eye (Peregrines eye) view over the city. We quickly set about ringing the four chicks (two males and two females), and most importantly added darvics (orange colour-rings with three black letters), whilst the adults flew overhead keeping a beady eye on us. 

Hopefully these colour-rings will allow local birdwatchers and visitors alike to find about more about these amazing birds – how long they live, where they will disperse to and where they may set up a territory of their own. Great scientific data but also great to be able to further engage the Peregrines story with more visitors to York and the Minster. We are extremely lucky here in York to have world class-built heritage, such as the Minster and the Roman Walls, but also the internationally important Lower Derwent Valley which partly falls within the city boundaries at Wheldrake. What other city can boast such a claim, something we are working hard at to make these links and their benefits, more widely acknowledged. Many thanks as always to Jean for all her great work and for the help, interest and enthusiasm from the Minster staff.

22/05/18 - Invertebrate bonanza

Recently on Skipwith Common NNR, we have been treated to great views of Green Tigers Beetles, a species which inhabits the open heaths on the Common, usually appearing in April/May. They are a shiny little beetle, with iridescent green colouring and yellow spots making them fairly distinctive, however on closer inspection their large eyes and mandibles reveal a fearsome predator. Rather cunningly they make burrows which act as pitfall traps, where they lie in wait as other insects such as spiders and ants drop in. Look out for them on warm, sunny sites often with bare ground and little vegetation, the old walls around the bomb bay loop and the bare peat of the sheep tracks weaving through the heather can be good sites to spot them. 

Along with the Green Tiger Beetles, Skipwith Common has also been a good site for spotting other invertebrates lately. Last week the first Hawthorn Shield Bug of the year was seen, and rather unusually in flight, as it buzzed passed us on our way round the bomb bay loop, before crash landing onto the path. This species is one of the larger shield bugs, and could be confused by the similar Birch Shield Bug, however the latter being much smaller. After over-wintering, the adults emerge and mate in spring, with the larvae later appearing between May – October. As their name may suggest, the larvae feed primarily on hawthorn berries, however they can also be found on oak, hazel and birch trees. Always a pleasure to spot one. 

The first of our larger dragonflies has been on the wing over recent weeks – the Four-spotted Chaser, with a number of individuals reported from Skipwith Common NNR and around the pool at Wheldrake Ings. They are rather ‘bulky’ and medium sized with four dark spots on the wings - giving the species its name. They are often found on most still waters, preferring well vegetated margins where males will perch on vegetation spikes overlooking the water. They can be found throughout the valley, with individuals even seen on our small reserve base pond where they rest on the Yellow Flag Iris. They can also be very numerous on more acidic lakes and waterbodies and can be found around most of the ponds on Skipwith Common NNR, usually between late April to mid-September.  Now is a great time to start getting out and looking for them as they will soon be at their most numerous (June/July), and particularly fresh having just emerged from larvae that has been developing under the water’s surface.

As well as dragonflies last week we noticed a large emergence of butterflies in the fine weather, with a number of species recorded including several firsts for the year - a single Holly Blue, and several Large Whites and Speckled Woods, like the one pictured below, photographed recently on Skipwith Common NNR. This species has expanded its range in the local area dramatically over the last 20 years, having previously been quite a scarce and rather local butterfly in the area. Trends like these are picked up by the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, of which we undertake a weekly transect around the reserve base and riverside path between Bank Island and Wheldrake. Our team started with the first visits at the beginning of the month and recorded 24 butterflies of six species. 

Lastly, whilst putting up the remainder of the breeding bird signs, we came across the first Red-and-black Froghoppers of the year, brightening up a nettle patch in Ellerton, shortly followed by one in the NNR base garden – pictured below, with their vibrant colours they really are unmistakeable. They can be seen between April and August and are found in a range of habitats including grasslands, meadows, gardens and woodland. The adults (which can fly and also have the ability to jump up to 70cm with powerful back legs – hence the name ‘froghopper’) largely feed by sucking juices from grasses. As always when visiting the NNR please let us know of any wildlife you come across by using the log books provided, thank you.