Chat Moss including Little Woolden Moss

Clouded yellow butterfly

Clouded yellows are migrant butterflies which arrive here from May onwards. They appear in small numbers most years, but occasionally turn up en masse, known as 'Clouded yellow years'.

Clouded yellow butterflies cannot survive the winter in the UK, but this one is enjoying a late burst of sunshine at Chat Moss this month. If the winter stays temperate enough, migrants can become residents. Identified by their bright yellowy-orange upperwing surfaces, which are lined with broad, dark edges, and a yellowy-green underside. Dave Steel, regular visitor and birder, photographed this one resting with its wings closed. You can see two silver-white spots on the hindwings in this pose.

Meadow Pipit

Dave Steel also spotted this lovely meadow pipit on his visit to Chat Moss this month. In the autumn and winter, it moves out of upland areas to lowlands where it gathers in small flocks and can be found on farmland and saltmarshes.

Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Mere Sands Wood

Robin

Michaela shared her sighting of a robin sat on a fence post at Mere Sands Wood. A picture of tranquillity, the robin looks out over the reserve, possibly contemplating his Christmas card list. Adults have red breasts, whereas young robins are mottled gold and brown, and do not have a red breast.

Robin nests often crop up in the oddest of places, like plant pots, old wellies and shelves, but ivy and other shrubs are their natural choice.

Common green shieldbug 

Green shieldbugs are a delight to spot, and are around between May and November. Once restricted to Southern England, they have been moving northwards and are now widespread. It can be found in all kinds of habitats from gardens to farms. Michaela took a stunning close-up of this one with her macro lens on her most recent visit to Mere Sands Wood. 

Lunt Meadows

Common darter dragonfly

Darters are a common dragonfly, breeding in all sorts of waterbodies from ponds and ditches, to rivers and lakes. As their name suggests, they dart forward suddenly from a hovering position to catch insects. They then take their catch to a favoured perch to eat it. Usually on the wing between July and October, they can arrive as early as May, and linger as late as December, depending on the climate. Another striking and skilled close-up photograph from Michaela Moville. Thank you for sharing! 

Brockholes

Kingfisher

Always an exciting and stunning sight, Craig Smith captured a photo of this vibrant kingfisher sat on a tree branch at Brockholes, awaiting it's prey. Thankfully, kingfishers are listed as 'Green' under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). They are also protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. They can be vulnerable to hard winters though, making it all the more important that birds like this one can take shelter and find food at our nature reserves.

Have you ever seen one? Try out the Kingfisher Trail this autumn; a scenic 14-mile route connecting the rural West Pennine Moors to the urban centres of Bolton, Bury and Salford.

Bank Vole

This little cutie was spotted peeping out of a bank at Brockholes by one of our friends at North Lancs Wildlife Group. 

Bank voles are common and can be identified by its rich, chestnut-brown back, and white underbelly. It is richer in colour than the similar field vole, and has a longer tail. They eat fruit, nuts and small insects, but are particularly keen on hazelnuts and blackberries. They can produce three to four litters of young a year and do not hibernate, as you would expect.

Hobby

A gorgeous bird of prey, hobbies are falcons and are smaller than the kestrel! In flight, they appear 'swift-like' in shape, and are summer migrants to the UK. You can see them hunting across grasslands and moorlands at the moment, feeding as much as possible before they migrate to Africa for winter. Thanks to regular visitor Craig Smith for sharing these breath-taking photos of a hobby catching it's dinner on the wing at Brockholes.

They can be identified by their slate-grey above and pale below, with black streaks on the belly and brick-red 'trousers'. It has a white throat and cheeks, dark moustache and mask.