Another late Dragon

Resting in hedge, Moorland Hawker

On a dull day this week , I found this in a  hedge well away from Patterson’s lake.

 

Canoe birding paddle on lough oughter

cavan lakes have lots of shoreline and scrub

Recent paddle on the lakes from carrawtraw got the following bird list.

Sand martins.   ;  Nesting in masonry under Carratraw bridge
House Martin
Swallow
Meadow pipit   ;singing outside center
Pied Wagtail   ; feeding on grass outside center  
4 Hooded crows ; possibly this years young
10 (Approx) Lapwing   ;migratory ( finished breeding elsewhere )
3 young great crested grebes  and two adults
chaffinch
greenfinch
heron  1 young  and1 adult
coot probably about 4
9 mute swans non breeding adults
little grebe
dunnock
reed bunting
sedge warbler
water rail
4 buzzard ; likely to have been newly fledged young and adults.

 

Next Paddle is on 15th  August see ecotrails  

 

 

Grasshoppers

This is not a part of the world you would associate with grasshoppers ( too wet) but they are singing away on the farm notably in the areas that have not been “improved”, and get no fertiliser. I also had a grasshopper warbler on the farm this week  which I don’t think breeds on the farm although we do have suitable habitat. Will have to get up early next year in May or June to double check. I only got them in one tetrad  of the eight I did a timed Tetrad in this 10km square last year for the Atlas, but obviously there could be some breeding not too far away.

Grasshopper photographed in July, co. Cavan

 

Butterfly survey and watching dragons

I walk a set route round the farm every week in order to do a butterfly  survey. The results will go to the Biodiversity Data Center in Waterford. As July comes to an end the number of ringlets is going down and the green veined whites seem to be at a peak. It also allows me to notice the dragonflies each week. The amber winged hawkers have been out for a couple of weeks now. These are some of the biggest dragonflies in the district and easily identified by their brown wings. I was able to confirm that we have the hairy dragonfly on the farm  this spring which delighted me. Today was the first time I noticed a darter on the farm this year . Probably a common darter but I got only a brief glance and there did not seem to be many yet.

mating pair of amber winged hawker Co. Cavan

 

Pond dipping for discovery days at Bear Essentials

young smooth newt

The weather has been very unpredictable and showery in July, here in  County Cavan. I have run several discovery workshops for children and young people at the Silver bear center in Bawnboy. Fortunately, despite the weather , the pond creatures have provided lots of interest. The workshop for children with autism was a learning experience for me and very enjoyable.  

great diving beetle

 

More Damsels

lake near keshcarrigan home to irish damselfly

Leitrim is a stronghold of this unusual damselfly, Coenagrion lunulatum which is also found in Finland but rare in the rest of western europe 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

male and female banded jewelwing

 

These damsels out now like slow moving rivers such as the Cullies river which also has kingfishers breeding 

 

coenagrion puella seems to be the most common damsel on our farm at the moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Pondipping

head and legs of caddis fly larvae

caddis case made of pieces of plant material

diving beetle , killeshandra

Mayfly larvae

dragonfly nymph possibly 4 spot chaser

Four spotted Chaser

 Had a marvellous time last week  pond dipping with children from Mullagh National school. The teachers were excellent at organizing the event the children interested and well behaved. Every one had a great time.

water snails in May

Mullagh lake has problems and had a strong algal bloom  last week however we managed to find lots of rams horn snails, freshwater shrimps, hoglice, damselfly larvae, caddis fly larvae, midge larvae , water boatmen, mayfly larvae ( small numbers) water scorpion and great diving beetle.

Warm weather brought out the damselflies on our own lake and bog.

 I was delighted to watch four- spotted chasers (Libellula quadrimaculata )egg laying and various chases and courtships. Also present was another type probably( Brachytron pratense) or hairy dragonfly.

 

Two different species above

 

spying on wildlife

I was out counting ducks ,swans ,geese and waders this week for the wetland bird survey. I use a telescope which makes the whole thing a lot more enjoyable. With a telescope I can see birds instead of black dots on the water. Since a lot of what I’m looking at gets shot at they don’t let you get too near. The animals are definately thinking of spring and reproduction. The great crested grebes were displaying despite the fact that they don’t have their summer plumage and stuck together the way male and female canines do, were a pair of foxes who looked very feed up with each other. I was spying on all this from the other side of the lake.