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(Species lists below)

Six members met at the car park just west of Ousegill Bridge, Bransdale at 10am to look for moorland birds. The weather was perfect, the earlier low cloud having lifted, to give glorious sunshine. We set off west to the sound of a sky lark along with plenty of curlews, the latter remaining a constant throughout the outing.

The walk took us along the footpath over the moor and down through farmland, crossing the narrow wood containing plenty of oak. We headed north through patches of marshland which had plenty of marsh thistle. Not yet fully in flower, but what should still have been a real haven for butterflies, we observed very few: a green-veined white amongst one or two other whites. It was here we observed a herring gull with one juvenile. Above the plantation up on the horizon to the west were three common buzzards. We also had a golden plover fly north over the moor, having previously heard just a single call from one. We also surprisingly had a good number of chickweed wintergreen here. We spooted a few moths including this Smokey Wave.

Herring gull

Smokey Wave moth

Tom then surprised the group by revealing a large pond in the dale bottom. The sun had brought out teens of common blue damselflies along with a few large reds, a four-spot chaser and an emperor. A male reed bunting was also flitting about at the far end with both willow warbler and chaffinch singing. We also noticed some “tent caterpillars” (probably an ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.) and some plant galls on bird cherry leaves. A tentative id on these is the gall mite Phyllocoptes eupadi.

Caterpillars in web nest, probably ermine moth Yponomeuta sp.

Gall on bird cherry leaf, probably Phyllocoptes eupadi

Chickweed wintergreen

Small copper butterfly on marsh thistle

A short break was had as we met the road and we then headed south along the road before crossing the moor east down to Ouse gill. It was a real surprise to see cow-wheat on the moor here. A pair of ring ouzels were seen north of Ousegill bridge and a female was sitting on four eggs just north of the bridge. At the bridge we finally got to see and hear a male whinchat up on the east side. A swallow was nesting along the tunnel under the bridge which was unusual. Always worth a loiter as three linnets flew by, a male ring ouzel sang from a tree and finally a male stonechat perched high on a tree as we were ready to depart up the road to the car park.

Small heath was the most common butterfly with upwards of twenty being seen and at least five small copper.

Spot the ouzel... singing male in rowan

Birds

Canada geese, Herring and black headed gull, Goldfinch, Wren, Long tailed tit, Willow warbler, Robin, Chaffinch, Siskin, Wood pigeon, Buzzard, Green woodpecker, Pheasant, Curlew, Golden plover, Lapwing, Ring ouzel, Whinchat, Stonechat, Linnet, Red grouse, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Buzzard, Swallow, Mistle thrush, Blackbird, Snipe, Blue tit, Great tit, Grey wagtail, House sparrow, Tree sparrow.

Moths

Silver-ground Carpet
Common Carpet
Smokey Wave
Larvae of ermine moth species in web nest

Butterflies

Green-veined white
Small copper
Small heath
Un ID white

Plants of interest

Chickweed wintergreen
Climbing corydalis
Cow-wheat
Hare’s tail
Bird cherry with galls on leaf, probably Phyllocoptes eupadi.