Marbled Whites and Ruddy Darters.

It was 5.30 as Roger and I drew into the bottom car park at Red Hill on a beautiful morning with the sun just rising and mist still lying in the valley of the River Bain.  Things initially looked bleak as there were no marbled Whites on the side of the hill where Roger had found them on his previous visit.  We soon found plenty though on the main meadow, climbing up the grass stems as the sun rose higher in the sky.  Once at the top of the grass the insects would wait until the sun warmed them up before opening their wings, resting to warm a little more and then flying off.  There had been a heavy dew and the butterflies were sparking with drops of moisture, brilliant.
We soon both had plenty of images and it was time to head off to Saltfleetby on the coast to look for darters.

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By the time we arrived at the Rimac entrance to Saltfleetby/Theddlethorpe reserve on the coast, the sun was up and it was hot.  We first explored by the near pond where we found marsh helleborine as well as the plentiful marsh and pyramidal orchids, and then walked around the reserve.  As the day warmed further four spotted chasers began to fly and then the darters.  Although we hoped to find both ruddy and common only ruddy darters were present and they proved challenging to photograph.  Small skippers were plentiful and we were well pleased to photograph a pair of ringlets mating.  Later in the day there were also good numbers of ruddys mating on the wing.
Again it was an excellent day.

Ringlets

Ringlets

Common Darter female

Common Darter female

Common Darter female

Common Darter female

Common Darter male

Mating common darters

Common Darter female

Common Darter female

Common Darter female

Small Heath

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

Marsh Helleborine

Marsh Helleborine

Pyramidal Orchid

Rest Harrow

Viper's Bugloss

Viper's Bugloss

Emeralds and Large Heaths at Crowle Moor

No mosquito bites and no ticks!!  This must be a record for a trip to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve of Crowle Moor, part of the Humberhead Peatlands and the largest area of raised bog in Lowland England.  The area was much wetter this year and last year than in previous years as the water table has been raised.  In fact an area of birch woodland has died, presumably because it is now flooded.  Roger and I had gone to Crowle in the hope of finding black darter dragonflies but they have yet to emerge.  It is also the only Lincolnshire site for the attractive large heath butterfly and so it was pleasing to see these in large numbers all around the reserve.  Although we didn't find black darters, both ruddy and common darters were beginning to emerge.  We also saw a single female southern hawker as well as good numbers of four spotted chasers, now coming to the end of their life span.  Other butterflies on the wing were ringlet, meadow brown and very large numbers of one of my favourites: the large skipper.  I especially like the under wing of these insects.

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Common Darter

Drinker Moth Catterpillar

Female Emerald Damselfly

Male Emerald Damselfly

Male Emerald Damselfly

Newly emerged Emerald

Himalayan Balsam

Large Heath

Large Heath

Large Heath

Large Heath

Large Heath

Large Heath

Large Red Damselfly

Large Red Damselfly

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Ruddy Darter