Haslingden's Top O'th Slate Nature Site: Crossbills & Wheatear

Monday, 1 September 2008

Crossbills & Wheatear

0700-0830hrs - Again a typical gloomy fogged out autuminal early morning with vis down to 100 yards at times (click here). Nothing much going through:

Birds: Crossbill (2) paired and went local to Duckworth Clough Plantings. Pied Wagtail (1)S, Meadow Pipit (22) 17 blogging and then W & 6S, Robin (1) young still in juvenile plumage, Kestrel (1) probably local. Wheatear (1) on wall within 100 yards of Panopticon .... It is also now confirmed that per Saturday's indications - 95% of the Higher Lane Swallows have now left...

1300-1430hrs

Birds: Meadow Pipit (1) straight through S. Goldfinch (2) probably local, Linnet (2)

Insects: Small Tortoiseshell B (1) near Kirkhill Tollbar House. Green Veined White B (1).

Flora-Fungi. Vermillion Waxcap (Hygrocybe miniata) in field Kirkhill (click to see photo), (2) A 4" approx dia White Fungi Not identified yet (click here to see photo) (3) Small Brown Mushroom - Nr. Panopticon Not identified yet (click here to see photo)

Flora: Today I found what I think are 2 separate plants of Japanese Knotweed (click here to see photo)

Top O'th Slate is a reclaimed quarry and brickworks and in more recent years it was a Rossendale Borough Council Tip area. Today it sites the Panopticon (Halo) and a delightful nature walk amongst its shrub habitat. There are several breeding birds some of which have included the Grasshopper Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. Including many of the more common species like the Chaffinch, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Tit species.

Eleven species of Butterfly have been recorded which includes the Speckled Wood, Painted Lady, Small Copper, Small Heath, Small & Large Skippers and in 2007 the first record here of the Gatekeeper was a most welcome addition. We also have the more common species like the Peacock, Red Admiral and Small Tortoishell.

Top O'th' Slate is also very rich in flora, which include the very rare Greater Periwinkle, Ragged Robin, Meadow & Bloody Cranesbill, Common Spotted Orchid, and lots lots more. Most are being recorded, though some are still awaiting identification from the many photos I have taken. We have also lost a few species on account of the recent reclamation work.

I do have some earlier topography photos of the area which at present have still not been indexed, but they do show some of the area before and after, and also the areas where the Quarry Caves are (now covered over), to view the photos, please click here...

Vismig = visible migration of birds, and from late August to about the middle of October, I do counts of moving birds which are going overhead on a North - South passage, and sometimes we also get the East - West passage with lots of large Chaffinch or Brambling parties. We get lots of varied species here, which include Pink Footed Goose, Goosander, Snow Bunting and even the rare Lapland Bunting, Crossbill, Siskin, Fieldfare, Redwing, Skylark and many, many more, but in particular it is superb for the upland moorland birds, especially Meadow Pipits, and we can count thousands of this particular species on some mornings.

All recent photographs on this site have been taken within the confines of the Top O'th' Slate area. The majority are by yours truly Bryan Yorke on my Fuji Finepix A204, up until the end of December 2008, but since January 2009, I have used a bridge camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, and I would also like to thank Arlene Harris, Charles Payne, and Douglas Newton for their kind photo contributions. Thanks also to Douglas Newton and Mike Valentine for help with identifications...

Total Breeding Bird species (17)

Willow Warbler (3 to 4 pairs), Linnet (1 pair), Grasshopper Warbler (1980s,1990s nowadays not present), Whitethroat (2 pairs), Blackcap (1 pair), Meadow Pipit (1 pair), Blackbird (probably 4 pairs), Swallows (1 pair with 2 broods) on Higher Lane, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Common Partridge (up until approx 2006), possibly Common Pheasant, Lapwing (2007 only).

Visiting and Fly Pass Birds species (16) and in preparation:Mallard, Common Buzzard, Common Snipe, Curlew, Jay, Pink Footed Goose, Green Sandpiper, Red Kite, Whimbrel, Reed Bunting, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Stonechat, Yellowhammer, House Martin, Swift

Total Butterfly species (15)

Small Heath, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell, Small Copper, Peacock, Large White, Green Veined White, Wall Brown, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood. Click on highlighted species to see large photo

Total Moth species (71)

Chimney Sweeper, Cinnabar, Snout, Latticed Heath, Ghost Moth, Swallowtailed, Smoky Wainscot, Gold Spot, Clouded Border, Clouded Bordered Brindle, Dark Arches, Antler, Purple Bar, Small Phoenix, True Lover's Knot, Hebrew Character, Herald, Iron Prominent, Mother of Pearl, Twin Spot Carpet, Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing, Grey Dagger, Clouded Drab, Common Quaker - photo 1, and photo 2 .Common Rustic, Phoenix, Small Phoenix, Marbled minor, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Autumnal Rustic, Common Marbled Carpet, Pink Barred Sallow, Pink Barred Sallow (very light version), Angle Shades, Flame Carpet, Rosy Rustic, Square Spot Rustic, Grey Pine Carpet, Willow Beauty, Rhopobota naevana, Acleris emargana, Ingrailed Clay, Light Emerald, Beautiful Golden Y, Brimstone, Clouded Border, Brindle (both forms), Coxcomb Prominent, Flame Shoulder, Peach Blossom, Small Magpie (micro), Straw Dot, Flame, Clouded Silver, Peppered Moth, Common White Wave, Plain Golden Y, Dusky Brocade, Scoparia ambiguallis, Scalloped Hazel, Glyphipterix impliciella (seen on hawthorn blossom), Marbled Minor type, Heart and Dart, Small Square Spot, Silver-Ground Carpet, Burnished Brass, Dark Spectacle, Crambus lathoniellus, Swammerdamia pyrella (possibly), Narrow-Bordered Five Spot Burnet, Brown Spot Pinion. White Ermin Moth Caterpillar

Other Insect species (15)

Yellow Ophion, St Marks Fly (Bibio marci) St Marks Fly (Bibio pomonae), Netalla testaceus, Picromerus bidens, Helophilus pendulus. Common Leafhopper (cream colour), Cantharis Livida, Dancing Fly (Empis tessalata), Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), Rhagonycha fulva, 7 Spot Ladybird, Black Bean Aphid, Cicadella Viridis (Turquoise Leafhopper), Drone Fly, Turquoise Weevil (Phyllobius pomaceus), Blue Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) click on highlighted species to see large photo

List of Flower species (103)

Hawthorn, Blue Bell, Harebell, Water Forget Me Not, Purple Bluebell (Italian Import), Yellow Poppy, Yellow Iris, Yellow Vetch, Common Poppy, Wild Daffodil, Autumn Gentian, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Bistort, Black Knapweed, Bloody Cranesbill, Bridewort (Spiraea salicifolia), Meadow Cranesbill, Broom, Butterbur, Changing Forgetmenot, Chicory (intro 2007), Common Comfrey, Common Nettle, Common Scurvygrass, Common Spotted Orchid, Cowslip, Common Nettle, Creeping Buttercup, Corn Marigold, Creeping Thistle, Crocus (Escape) a = Yellow Variety, b = White Variety. Dandelion, Dotted Loostrife (a) Flower, (b) Early, (c) Mature, Dropwort, Cuckoo Flower, Field Pansy, Foxglove, Foxglove (white), Feverfew, Garlic Mustard, Gorse, Greater Burdock, Greater Periwinkle, Hairy Bittercress, Heather, Hedge Bindweed, Hedge Woundwort, Herb Robert, Himalayan Balsam, Hogweed, Ivy, Jacobs Ladder, Japanese Knotweed, Knotgrass, Ladys Mantle, Large Bittercress, Large Flowered Evening Primrose (intro 2007), Lesser Celandine, Lesser Trefoil, Meadowsweet (intro 2007), Montbretia, Orange Poppy, Pansy (probably domestic escape), Perennial Cornflower, Pineapple Mayweed, Procumbent Pearlwort, Prickly Sow Thistle, Privet Bush, Purple Vetch, Ragged Robin, Ragwort, Red Bartsia, Red Campion, Redshank, Ribbed Melilot, Rosebay Willowherb, Scented Mayweed, Self Heal, Sneezewort, Sorrell, Sticky Mouse Ear, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Tormentil, Tufted Vetch, Vipers Bugloss (intro 2007), Weld (intro 2007), Welsh Red Poppy, White Campion (intro 2007), White Clover, Wild Strawberry, Wild Turnip, Woolley Thistle, Wild Yellow Poppy, Columbine (Red), Columbine (Pink), Columbine (Lilac), Yarrow, Great Willowherb, Broad-Leaved Willowherb, Meadow Foam, Teasel (intro 2007). Water Horsetail.

List of Fungi species (1) (In Preparation) Vermillion Waxcap (Hygrocybe miniata)

List of Lichen species (2) (In Preparation) 1. Xanthoria parietina photo 1 and photo 2. 2) Physcia tenella.

List of Tree species (4) (In Preparation). Hawthorn, Pedunculate Oak, Privet, Rowan.

Awaiting identification: 1.Unidentified Fern at TOS 200808 2. Large 4" White TOS 010908. 3. Brown Mushroom Nr. Panopticon. 4. Unknown Beetle via C Payne. 5. Lemon Coloured Lichen TOS 060309

Click on highlighted for short cut:

Billy Suets Song by Major David Halstead.

Cribden - Hill of Stags

Dr. Eugenie Cheesmond's Memorial Seat

NOTES ON HASLINGDEN PLASTIC BRICK COMPANY

NOTES ON THE OLD QUARRY AND ITS CAVES ,

PHOTOS OF DIRECTIONAL VIEWPOINT MAPS (FROM PANOPTICON VIEWPOINT) South click here, South East click here, West click here,

LEAFLET ON WALKS TO DUCKWORTH CLOUGH & TOP O'TH SLATE & HALO click here

ROSSENDALE SHOE TRAIL