The end of spring ...

So another spring has come and gone and we haven't been on one birding twitch and yet I consider this spring to be one of my most productive natural history springs ever mostly down to flowers and insects and of course our pond and garden.  The blog has suffered photographically wise since Wayne got his new camera - the biggest mistake he has ever made and I have told him so! If anyone is thinking of digiscoping with the Panasonic gx8 don't - simply on image quality alone it is rubbish and a simple test against my iPhone was the final straw- so much so that last week Wayne flew off to Sulawesi in search of Wallace's Standardwing and took his old camera and left the new one here for me to sell.  However speaking of iPhones the image quality is fantastic and apart from the Israel post and White-billed Diver post every image on here this year has been taken with my iPhone.  Anyway back to this spring - our pond has been fantastic the Newts arrived back in December and have had a good breeding season so much so I had to make some egg laying plants for them out of freezer bags! 

  Other highlights in the garden as follows: Barn Owl hunting back of garden every night, 231 Soprano Pipistrelle Bats emerge each night from our very local roost, Tree Bumblebees nesting in bird box, Great Tits managed to get two chicks to fledge Great Spotted Woodpeckers took 4 chicks out of box, Song Thrush bred but Sparrowhawk chased one into patio door yesterday and then flew off with it, a rare Hedgehog visits most evenings, Hummingbird Hawkmoth on Valerian, pair of Bullfinch feeding two young daily.

We have had a mini heatwave last week which has been great for dragonflies and where in the past it would have been a rarity to see Emperor Dragonflies around Normanby I have had them at every pond in the vicinity, I have also had good numbers of Banded Demoiselles and Black-tailed Skimmers.  

Butterflies have been very scarce so far this year but we did find some Brimstone eggs shown below and then just a selection of various creatures seen over the last few weeks...

 
and a few Orange-tip butterflies

A very beautiful Hawthorn Shieldbug

An out of focus but I like it anyway Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Lots of Garden Chafers this spring

 
Ha now this could be quite a good beetle I found it locally but unfortunately the photo isn't good enough for the experts to identify it but it could be Panagaeus cruxmajor or  Panagaus bipustulatus still waiting for the verdict!

 Not sure what this is suggestions welcome

This large hoverfly is a Bumblebee mimic Eristalis Intricarius very deceptive

One of the Ichneumon Wasps maybe Dusona Falcator?

Harlequin larvae

Finally Ivy Broomrape, ten spikes at the bottom of the garden this year.

Go Ape

Last day to object today see previous post on how to do it!

My Go Ape objection

Here is my objection to Go Ape coming into Normanby Park - you too can click and object here 

http://www.planning.northlincs.gov.uk/api/Cached/PlanningWeb?ReqType=F&Refno=PA/2017/803

I wish to object for the following reasons:

• A peaceful and historic woodland, a daily haven for people, will be damaged irreparably.
• Breeding bird survey - why has this not been carried out there are four red data birds breeding in the woodland currently  - Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch and Spotted Flycatcher, another two red data birds Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (was seen in the park last Saturday and although hasn’t bred in the last few years did always breed in this area of the wood) and Woodcock.  On the amber list there is Stock Dove and Tawny Owl which also both breed in the wood.  I can see from the Ecological Survey that a senior ecologist saw “a robin, crow and mallard” ! in two minutes I can identify 20 species of bird on call alone in the wood and have recorded at least 90 species of bird within the park. I can’t see that any assessment has been made on the impact of the development on woodland birds.
• Great Crested Newts, I accept there is no suitable breeding ponds within the park however there is a registered breeding site with 300 metres and the likelihood is that these newts will overwinter in the woodland. Due to enormous declines in range and abundance in the last century, the great crested newt is strictly protected by British and European law which makes it an offence to: kill, injure, capture or disturb them; damage or destroy their habitat; and to possess, sell or trade. This law refers to all great crested newt life stages, including eggs. 
• Bats - 9 species use the woodland for feeding and roosting you cannot convince me that the noise produced by people swinging through the trees will not deter the bats from roosting - Legislation dictates that any structure or place which bats use for shelter or protection are protected.  This legislation has been incorporated into planning policies and planning authorities have a legal obligation to consider whether bats are likely to be affected. If a bat survey demonstrates that development is likely to affect bat foraging linear features such as tree lines should be retained and compensatory planting considered.  A condition should be placed on the decision notice requiring the developer to apply for and obtain a European Protected Species License before work commences.
• At a meeting held in the park for parish councillors a number of Normanby residents expressed strong concerns over increased traffic and noise pointing out that the car park is often full at weekends now, however in Go Apes information leaflet to residents it states "Go Ape will create a very small increase in car journeys".  The council representative at the meeting also stated that "this will not be a big money earner for the council" which begs the question why then invite them in!
• Again the Council/Go Ape literature says up to 30 jobs will be created - in reality their Business Development Manager says there will be 2 full-time jobs and then part-time students will be used - presumably not on the living wage.
• Planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland and the loss of aged or veteran trees found outside ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss - I understand 8 mature trees are to be cut down, how can this be given that Normanby village is in a conservation zone?
• Water Shrew, Stoat, European Hare, Roe Deer, Wood Mouse, Yellow Necked Mouse, Muntjac, Grey Squirrel, Hedgehogs all use this woodland
• Lesser Stag Beetle locally rare in N Lincs is present in the wood
• How could the Council produce a booklet “Find North Lincolnshire” announcing “Coming Soon Go Ape” before the planning application had even gone in - is the decision cut and dried, is the Council corrupt!
• The site will be viewable from the main road running down the side of the park - how will cyclists be protected from car drivers distracted while looking at people swinging through the wood - at least two cars a year end up crashing through the wall and into the park now
• At least ten Normanby residents houses/gardens back onto the wood, these residents currently have to listen to the speedway throughout the season which is over a kilometre away, can they now be expected to listen to potential  Go Ape stag parties and corporate team building events and eight zip wires and their associated noise from Feb-Nov 8.00-21.00 every day?
• In my opinion the council are allowing private enterprise to capitalise on a public asset for a quick buck.
• Are we to accept the privatisation of public spaces and the actual privatisation of play for our children.
• It is my great hope that people will not be able to view two classes of children at play, segregated at the entrance by their parents’ incomes - can the average Scunthorpe family afford £25/£33 for one child or will it be children from outside the area who benefit
• Finally Normanby Hall Country Park has been an oasis offering a calm and tranquil area full of wildlife ideal for woodland walks and picnics it was never meant to be a theme park to back-up a cash strapped Council.

Normanby Enterprise Zone, Scunthorpe, N Lincs

Over the last few weeks I have been regularly visiting the area of ground behind Nisa off Moat Road on the Normanby Enterprise Zone.  I started going in early spring to watch the passage of Wheatears and had around 10 birds over a period of a couple of weeks and quickly realised what a brilliant area for wildlife this area is.  So in order to try and protect it from impending development I have decided to monitor, record and publicise everything I find there hopefully on a regular basis and encourage as many people as possible to go.  So without delay I would encourage everyone to go over the next few days/weeks to see the hundreds (yes I mean hundreds!) of Bee Orchids...

Park next to the cycle path on Moat Road and follow the path round to the escarpment ridge to see the Bee Orchids - on the way you will see masses of Marsh/Common-spotted hybrid Orchids including the biggest Orchid I have ever seen

Probably the most exciting find of all is this little fellow - I see him regularly on a tiny pond immediately next to the cycle path..

Water Voles are protected  - extract from GOV.UK

"The water vole is fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is a priority conservation species.

You’re breaking the law if you:

• intentionally capture, kill or injure water voles
• damage, destroy or block access to their places of shelter or protection (on purpose or by not taking enough care)
• disturb them in a place of shelter or protection (on purpose or by not taking enough care)
• possess, sell, control or transport live or dead water voles or parts of them (not water voles bred in captivity)

If you’re found guilty of an offence you could get an unlimited fine and up to 6 months in prison."

So maybe this little one might halt/stop any proposed development?

The bulk of the site is grassland/meadow and currently supports several pairs of breeding Skylark and Meadow Pipit.  The hedgerows are full of Whitethroats and Linnets whilst the scrubby areas have breeding Reed and Sedge Warblers.  Also there yesterday morning were Green Woodpecker, Cuckoo, Kestrel and 3 Buzzards - Marsh Harrier was using the area to hunt in early spring.  The site holds a number of ponds, this one is teaming with Smooth Newts and has breeding Broad-bodied and Four Spotted Chaser along with numerous Damselflies.  Plenty of butterflies on site too I recorded the following species last week; Wall, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Small Heath, Peacock, Tortoiseshell and Common Blue

Another interesting plant on site is Yellow Bartsia, a member of the Broomrape family and found on reclaimed heath pasture

Much of the grassland is covered in Birdsfoot Trefoil with 5 species of Bumblebee feeding and Five-Spot Burnet

So in brief a haven for wildlife and a site that would be great to preserve, where else in Scunthorpe can you see all this whist listening to the ever decreasing Cuckoo.  I have asked the council for a plan of the land to see which areas are under threat as I understand some of the area has been designated a local nature reserve.