Blustery afternoon on path to Greenside, mostly blue sky. Despite the wind a some butterflies: peacocks, painted lady, red admiral & a few speckled woods. Goldfinch in the meadowsweet. A raven circled high in the blue. The news reported less speckled woods this year, but I’ve seem more than ever.
#silentsunday
Greenside morning, brighter than expected. Sunshine brought out the butterflies. Mostly Painted Ladies with a lot of Speckled Woods. One very battered Small Tortoiseshell.
Near the reservoir a flock of about 50 or so mixed goldfinch & linnets, seemed to be feeding among the seeded rose-bay willow herb and meadowsweet. Most headed for the power lines when we passed. Quite a few common darters.
Out to Greenside this morning, warm, close and sometimes sunny. Butterflies: Green-veined Whites, several spotted woods, peacocks, small tortoiseshells & painted ladies on thistles.
I rather like this odd view of a painted lady. few more photos on flickr. My Butterflies by month continues to grow.
A lot of white butterflies (mostly green-veined, large & small) out & about on Friday. Some flightily red admirals too.
Later, beside the track an excited green-veined white butterfly fluttering amount the leaves. Underneath a leaf a small white hanging upside down. Misplaced affection?
Short walk to Greenside reservoir this morning. Warm, mostly sunny. Lots of butterflies around.
I’d guess I saw over 200 ringlets; a lot of painted ladies & meadow browns. A few common blues & red admirals ,one small tortoiseshell & a white of some sort. A few fritillaries bright orange and zooming around, never posing. I saw one I’d never seen before. It look to me, after consulting my book & the web, like a small skipper. According to the same research this doesn’t seem to be where they are expected? Unfortunately my camera threw an error while I was trying to get a different angle.
Walked the Jaw – Greenside loop this morning. Small tortoiseshell & a few orange tips. Lots of birds singing. Cuckoos calling. Cuckoo flowers out & hawthorn quite green now. On the hill: stonechat, larks, a wheatear moving along the path in front. Meadow pipet, a reed bunting. A couple of ravens over the Greenside path.
I had left my camera’s SD card in the reader so missed a couple of opportunities.
Took the short walk to Greenside reservoir this morning. Lots of spring happening, bird song, especially chiffchaff & willow warbler. Heard blackcaps (confirmed with merlin) and finally saw some. A cuckoo calling, the first this year. A few butterflies around including one small tortoiseshell.
Rather a blurry photo, but the first peacock butterfly of the year for me. Saw quite a few on the Greenside Reservoir track this afternoon. A warm day, bumble bees flying.
A bright almost spring like afternoon at Greenside. First toad of the year, unfortunately squashed by a motorbike on the footpath. A couple of ravens with big crusts of picnic bread by the reservoir.
