During early June several parties of young long tailed, great and blue tits were evidence of a reasonably successful breeding season.  But there were already 91 lapwings on the sand banks and these were probably failed breeders. One adult and five immature cormorants were also on the River.

The flower meadows were starting to look quite impressive with oxeye daisies in full flower and in another area there was a good display of ragged robin. Many orchids were opening: southern marsh orchids predominated but many are hybrids with common spotted orchid, which may also be found. By the end of June the orchids had increased to give us one of the best displays ever with over 250 orchids flowering but only about 15 bee orchids could be found.

 Marsh orchids made a fine display

A male large skipper, plus several green veined whites were present, although with the cold weather butterflies were few and far between and only the odd common blue was reported.

Towards the end of June the weather started to be more like summer with temperatures increasing: consequently more butterflies were seen, including over 100 meadow browns. The first gatekeepers were emerging. On the river 450 lapwings and 1 golden plover were counted on the sandbanks, together with the first of the returning curlew.

A large fox cub was seen on the 28^th June wandering around the scrape pool in broad daylight, seemingly without a care in the world. The shelduck pair and a couple of redshank did not seem too worried by its presence. The female peregrine, which attacked a feral pigeon right in front of hide at the scrape pool, gave the observers excellent views until the peregrine, almost on the pigeons tail, disappeared from view and we were not sure whether it made a kill or not.

The ranger had arranged a Bat and Moth event for the evening of the 12^th July. An interesting talk was given at the centre and later the visitors walked around the Pastures with several bat detectors, though with the windy conditions it was not the best night for either bats or moths. In the sheltered areas near the bird hide over 10 Pipistrelle bats were recorded.

The moth catchers had set at least 6 traps, using actinic and mercury vapour lights. Wine ropes were strung on the bushes. The catches were good considering the heavy but intermittent rain. The visitors enjoyed the evening. Large numbers of common moths like large yellow underwings were present, but the more spectacular Hawk-moths were few in number.

By the 14^th July there were over 400 lapwings using the sandbanks as a roost site and 9 cormorants were also fishing in the river just off the car park. We viewed one cormorant eating a large eel and it had great difficulty in swallowing its catch. In addition the first young black-headed gulls had come to the river with the adults and 4 common sandpipers were using the scrape pool, which was staring to dry up, exposing a lot of mud.

Towards the end of July the common sandpipers had increased to a maximum count of seven, feeding on the mud of the scrape pool. A couple of lucky observers saw the kingfisher in the Ditton brook

 Some rabbits had taken to lying stretched out on the dry mud.  A stoat was seen hunting them at the back of the scrape pool. The female peregrine was seen again several times hunting over the River and the marsh and a male sparrowhawk was seen on a number of occasions pursuing the tit flocks.

A brimstone butterfly was seen by the visitors centre and good numbers of meadow browns and gatekeepers were flying, together with a lot of green veined whites and the occasional small tortoiseshell.

On the 28^th July a male Purple hairstreak butterfly was found flying around an oak tree near the bird hide. This is the first one to be recorded at Pickerings Pasture.  On the 4^th August three Purple hairstreaks, including a female were found indicating that this species will probably breed here now. 

Over 20 peacock butterflies were seen though only one small tortoiseshell was present;  also a holly blue was observed on a couple of occasions flying in front of the bird hide.

 A male Blackcap was still to be heard singing in early August.  A migrant hawker dragonfly and a southern hawker dragonfly were both on the wing over the pasture edges.

With the high tides, water at last filled up the scrape pool, covering the muddy areas. Only two common sandpipers remained and some redshanks were still present, joined on at least one occasion by a green sandpiper. Out on the marsh large numbers of Canada geese, redshanks and oystercatchers, a few dunlin and at least 500 lapwings roosted out the high tides.

On the 5^th August a Raven was found feeding on the foreshore of the Mersey just off the car park: this bird was later seen up towards Ditton Brook.  Also on this date a juvenile Cuckoo was found near to the main orchid area, it was watched for some time moving amongst the bushes and occasionally being mobbed by small birds. Other migrants seen on this day, which probably came down during a heavy rain shower, included whitethroat, several blackcaps and at least 3 chiffchaffs.

Juvenile cuckoo 

The Cuckoo was seen again on the 7th perching on bushes and dropping down into the vegetation to catch caterpillars.

By mid month large numbers of Canada geese had returned to the marsh after moulting their flight feathers on the Frodsham and Ince Marshes. These birds are often seen flighting noisily onto the stubble fields to feed on the spilt grain.

A few warm days towards the end of the month saw common blue butterflies emerging: this was rather pleasing as only small numbers had been seen earlier in May and June. We assumed this was because of the poor weather experienced at the time.

Common Blue