Looking back at 2025

The end of another year – where does the time go! It has to be said this was not a vintage year for birds in the parish. I only recorded 95 species, my lowest ever total and no new species for the village. In particular, there was a very poor wader passage and a poor diversity of wildfowl in both winter periods. Pick of the birds was my second Great White Egret.

On the breeding front it was a particularly poor for Tree Sparrows which is disappointing as they seemed to have started to recover in recent years, it was also not a vintage year for warblers with only tiny numbers of Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. I also didn’t record a single Barn Owl. On a more positive note it was one of the best years I can remember for both Grey Partridge and Yellow Wagtail.

The other notable event was the regular occurrence of Pinkfooted Geese in the second winter period, this seems to reflect a long-term change with many more wintering in this part of North Yorkshire now. Most were skeins of varying size flying over…

but also included a flock of 34 in the foggy fields at the end of Langlands…

Moths on the other hand provided lots of interest. I finally succumbed to buying my first moth trap and, although rather late in the season when I got it, turned up some nice species with  25 additions to the parish list (which I desperately need to update in this blog!)

Just a selection from the year…

Light emerald

Poplar Hawkmoth

Coxcomb Prominent

Antler

Spectacle

Merveille du Jour

Beautiful Hooktip

Small Bloodvein

Rosy Rustic

I didn’t even need my moth trap for some with a first record of Narrow-bordered Five Spot ….

and an unexpected Beautiful Plume in the living room in December…

Great year for butterflies too with the hot dry weather of early summer leading to good numbers of most species with the highest ever counts of Large Skipper (including a count of 17 along a short stretch of the How Beck) and quite outstanding numbers of whites seen.

Large Skipper

Brimstone

Brown Argus

Small & Green-veined Whites

The only species that put on a poorer show was Purple Hairstreak with very few seen in the oak avenue along Greenhills Lane (although it’s not impossible I was just too late in looking for them in this strange year). However, I did find Purple Hairstreaks at the opposite end of the parish with small numbers on the Thrintoft path.

In contrast, despite the fine weather, it was a rather poor year for dragonflies. The ‘highlights’ were sightings of Ruddy Darter again after the first village record in 2024 and more sightings of Broad-bodied Chaser, another recent arrival.

There is still a trickle of plants too being added to the village list with four new species this year. On the botanical front I have also hopefully helped preserve a small, productive patch of marshy ground after speaking with the sympathetic landowner.

So here’s to a nature rich 2026…

October 2025

Given how poor my 2025 village bird list is then October helped a little with four new species for the year.

Best ‘new’ bird was a Great White Egret, with one along the river on the 11th. This was only the third village record, but it continues my pitiable photographs of this species…

the second new sighting was an easy one. we were sitting having tea when Sandra said “Look, swans!” and a fine flock of 18 Whoopers flew low east over the garden. A few moments later I got a text from a villager saying they had just heard some loud bird calls over their house, it would have been frustrating if I had had that call and not seen them…

The third was a small skein of Canada Geese flying over the river. They used to nest in the village but now, unless a group drops onto floodwater, they are mainly seen as occasional flyovers.

The final addition was Siskin with two birds in with a flock of Goldfinches feeding on Alders in the Magic Garden. These little finches are surprisingly uncommon in the village but we usually get the odd wintering bird or a spring migrant briefly stopping to feed in the garden.

Autumn/Winter arrivals were also noticeable with around 15 Goldcrests heard or seen between the pub and the end of Manor Lane on the 20th. After the surprising September record the first Redwings were heard passing over on the 14^th and there was a small arrival of Fieldfares from the 18th.

Other sightings in October included a long-staying Common Sandpiper on the river and only the second Little Grebe of the year.

I also had the moth trap out a few times in the month, numbers have dropped off dramatically but still a few interesting finds with three new species for the village list, Narrow-winged Grey, Black Rustic and  December Moth…

A couple of my favourite moths too with Green-brindled Crescent…

And probably the brightest Merveille du Jour I have ever seen…

I’ll finish with an obliging Roe Deer I spotted on the river bank just below Morton bridge…

September 2025

September at last saw a couple of new birds for the year. The first of these was Common Sandpiper, with a bird by Big Bend on the river on the 14^th. More surprising were two more near First Bend on the same day…

The other addition was a small flock of Redpoll over Jim & Sue’s garden and I had a single flyover in the Magic Garden.

Not much else to report on the bird front although the wagtails made the most of the mid-month floods with four Grey Wagtail and at least 35 Pied feeding on the floating flood debris…

The floods were surprisingly high and for the first time my normal river loop was blocked by floodwater…

and I ended up battling up a hawthorn bank and climbing gingerly over a barbed wire fence. The only recompense was I flushed two Red-legged Partridge in a field here, the first I have had south of the main road in many years.

In terms of summer migrants all three hirundines were still feeding over the river at month end and both Chiffchaff and Willow warbler were present throughout the month. The last Yellow Wagtail was seen on 14^th September. ‘Winter’ visitors though were early with at least 40 Meadow Pipits present from mid-month and even a very early Redwing on the 28^th.

Otherwise, it has been moths which have provided the most interest with a particularly good night on the 19^th when I put the trap in Jim & Sue’s garden. 129 moths of 37 species is a good local haul for September and it included three new species for the village, all migrants, Rush Veneer, Rusty-dot Pearl And best of all Vestal…

There were only eight records of this beautiful little moth in the whole of Yorkshire last year.

A good supporting cast too including Beautiful Hook-tip…

And the stunning Merveille Du Jour…

August 2025

August produced the first indications of Autumn with a Green Sandpiper on the river on the 10th. Other waders on the move included Lapwings, with up to 30 birds seen flying over Morton, and small groups of Curlew with a maximum count of 32 birds by Morton Bridge. Seven Snipe along the river, including one group of five, was a good count by recent standards.

The other bird records of note were my first confirmed breeding of Grey Wagtail in the village, a total of 21 Grey Partridge along the Swale on the 23^rd and a very unseasonal Meadow Pipit by the river on the same day. Peter and Andy both saw Hobbies late in the month.

Despite the warm weather it’s not been a good year for dragonflies in the village but this Ruddy Darter was only my second record in the village…

And this beast of a Brown Hawker was in the Bottom Fields, I watched it hawking for midges and at one point it took one a couple of inches from my face…

Butterfly numbers continue to be good and this extended to the Wall Brown’s with more records this year than any I can ever remember before, and including at sites I have never recorded them before…

No Clouded Yellows yet but surely only a matter of time…

I'll finish with this lovely Poplar Hawkmoth photographed on our neighbour's fig tree..

July 2025

July proved to be a singularly uninspiring month for birds with the ‘highlight’ being at least two apparently territorial Yellow Wagtails in an area of the village I have never had them before. This continues a good year for the species.

Lepidoptera though continued to impress. Still excellent numbers of butterflies around. One large area of thistles in the bottom fields was absolutely rammed with insects. These were mainly whites, Meadow Browns and Peacocks but with good numbers of skippers and the first sightings this year of Small Copper…

And Brown Argus…

The argus is only the third village record of this species which is rapidly moving north.

The avenue of oaks along Greenhills Lane turned up Purple Hairstreak as usual…

Peter also added a new site for the hairstreak, in a large roadside oak at Warlaby.

I have also finally taken the plunge and bought a moth trap. I thought I would ease my way in at the start so set the trap in John & Sue’s little walled garden on a rather cool night. I ended up with 336 moths of 54 species, not quite the gentle introduction I was envisaging!

Highlight was probably Small Blood-vein...

This is a rather scarce insect in this part of Yorkshire and my friend John, who has been a fanatically active moth-er in one of the nearby villages for more than 20 years, has never seen the species

Other first records for Ainderby included Knot-grass, Golden-rod Pug, Brassy Y, Honeysuckle moth, Campion…

Bulrush Wainscot...

Perhaps surprisingly Dusky Sallow was also a first...

I didn’t even have to rely on the trap for some sightings with this lovely Ruby Tiger in our back lobby, just catching the late evening sun…

Despite the fine weather dragonflies haven’t been particularly in evidence so far but I did photograph this Broad-bodied Chaser at the top of Greenhills Lane…

Our first village record was only three years ago but it’s now the most regularly seen chaser species.

I should finish with a couple of other interesting flying objects over the village...

June 2025

June, not unexpectedly, proved a very quiet month for birds, the one ‘highlight’ was our only Cuckoo of the year, recorded by a dog walker near the river.

Butterflies on the other hand, in numbers at least, were quite exceptional. The area by the How Beck is looking superb with big stands of valerian and meadow-rue…

In a village with much lifeless arable prairie these little corners are all the more valuable. It was particularly good for skippers with a count of 14 Large Skippers, by some way the highest count I have ever had in the village…

I also added a new moth to the village list here, Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth…

Some more excellent butterfly counts yesterday (despite the strong winds) where, on the short walk between the Christmas trees and this unused field along Myer’s Lane…

I totalled up more than 200 Whites (about a third were Large Whites), 42 Meadow Browns, 22 Ringlets, 12 Red Admirals, 10 Small Tortoiseshell, eight Comma including this one showing why they are so named…  

And best of all, at least 12 White-letter Hairstreak. As my wife said, it was like something out of Thomas Hardy.

Walking this morning after some overnight rain I saw at least four groups of white butterflies ‘puddling’ for moisture including this group of 14…

I finished off an excellent lepidopteral weekend with a Meal Moth in our living room, a new species for the village (and one with surprisingly few records in this part of Yorkshire)…

Please ignore the cobwebs!!