I Narrowly Miss a Drenching at Covenham Reservoir

 Not having seen wall brown butterflies for several years and inspired by the report of a friend who had seen 11, I set off on a warm, but blustery afternoon for a walk around Covenham Reservoir.  Wind was not to be my main worry as the showery forecast appeared to be coming true as looming in the north west were battalions of storm clouds.  Fortunately the main squadrons passed by just to the north shedding their cargo of rain as they went.  As well as being the harbinger of squalls and showers the north westerly winds provided amazingly clear and and sharp atmospheric conditions, the world seemingly freshly painted.  Views from high up on the reservoir walls were expansive; out to the coast and inland to the Lincolnshire Wolds with familiar Stock Furlong Wood prominent on the western skyline.  The rich orange and green-grey lichens were an absolute picture while, on the steep reservoir banks, drifts of rich, buttery birdsfoot trefoil were busy with feeding bees.  Gulls were hanging in the strong wind and gangs of swifts flew, screeching overhead.  I recorded 19 bird species, but my main aim of the afternoon was to look for butterflies.  I was delighted to find 4 wall browns but they were challenging to photograph to say the least.  I also found 11 common blue butterflies, easier to photograph and just as pleasing as I had not seen so many for a few years.  I had begun to think of them as uncommon blues.  One each of large white, small white and male orange tip put in appearances whilst 3 painted lady's graced my afternoon.  I managed the complete circuit without a drop of rain.

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Common Blue

Common Blue

Common Blue

Common Blue

Approaching Storm

Approaching Storm

Approaching Storm

Grey and orange Xanthoria lichens

Grey and orange Xanthoria lichens

Great Crested Grebe

Painted Lady

Wall Brown

Wall Brown

New For Year Butterflies on the Patch

 It was a largely overcast but warm day (21C) as I set off for a walk around my local patch.  My route took in Gooseman's Field first followed by the Woodland Burial Ground and then out through the cemetery looking for white helleborine orchids.  I was surprised at the lack of tortoiseshell, peacocks and white butterflies but put this down to the overcast blustery conditions.  However, as there were plenty of others on the wing, perhaps the first brood butterflies of these species have come to the end of their life cycle.  We have to remember that the adult stage is the shortest period in their life cycle.  I was delighted, though, to find my first small heaths and common blue of the year: 6 small heaths and 1 common blue.  I also found one each of green-veined white, speckled wood and holly blue as well one each of silver Y and silver ground carpet moths.  On the bird front it was good to find quite a few whitethroats singing their scratchy song as well as a few linnets.  No skylarks, though, but perhaps that is because I can't hear them so well nowadays.  I saw only one swallow and no other hirundines. Apart from the two new for year butterflies the other highlight was to find four white helleborines.  These rare orchids are classed as vulnerable and in Britain confined to the south of England.  That begs the question as to why they flower here every year, sometimes in large numbers.  The only reasons that I can think of are that they were carried in as seed on someone's shoes or, less likely given their status, from flowers placed on a grave.  Typical of the species they grow in the heavy shade of trees and their flowers are a greenish cream rather than bright white. I did take some photographs but only had the long lens and used it on the wrong setting. Doh!!  In view of this the next day I went back with the macro lens and also to make a more thorough search during which I eventually found 14 flower spikes.

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Silver ground carpet moth

Small Heath

White Helleborine

White Helleborine

White Helleborine

Lake District, May, Day 7

A splendid morning greeted us for our last day, although it was to become very humid and finish with a storm again later.  Tired after our recent days of exertion, we had a lazy morning and lunch at the van before heading off to Silverdale, yet again, and a very pleasant walk along the beach that Heather had discovered with Linda the day before.  We then continued on to Warton Crags that we had been told about as a good site for butterflies.  The old quarry was impressive with vertiginous limestone walls, alive with the sociable calls of jackdaws.  I also heard ravens cronking but couldn't see them; apparently they breed here.  In the short time at our disposal I wandered up the path to the top of the quarry.  Although only here for a short time, there were quite a few butterflies about.  Sadly pearly bordered fritillaries were not in evidence but I did see orange tip, brimstone, red admiral, dingy skipper and common blue.  Early purple orchids were growing well and I was pleased to see plenty of birds foot trefoil and some rockrose.  This site certainly calls for more exploration.  A quick call in to the hide at Condor Green on the way to Thomas's for a last fish and chips before he moves to Sheffield, rewarded me with avocet with chicks and common terns already on nests.  Both canada geese and greylags had large goslings.  By now it was grey and beginning to rain.  When we got back to the site there had been a drenching storm but we were rewarded with a sudden and brief stunning sunset painting the lowering storm clouds a vivid orange.  An excellent final day.  Tomorrow is all about packing and getting off, never a favourite occupation, although we only have to drive to Blackpool to stay with friends for a couple of nights. 

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Silverdale, Post Office Lots behind the cottages

Thrift or sea pink, Silverdale

Brimstone

Rockrose

Sunset Ashes Lane

Sunset Ashes Lane

Lake District, May, Day 6

The weather forecast was correct this morning, we awoke to grey skies and rain.  It was to be hoped that it would continue to be correct and clear up later.  We drove to the Eric Morecambe car park at Leighton Moss through continuing rain to meet up with my brother and his wife.  While Peter and I headed for the hides Heather and Linda set out to walk across the marsh to Silverdale.  We began in the Tim Allen Hide before moving on to the Eric Morecambe Hide.  Things could hardly be described as quiet but the number of species present was low.  The number of birds was high, though, as the 1000+ black-headed gulls were busy with nesting and the noise from the colony was deafeningly raucous.  Most were sitting on eggs but some had young chicks.  Avocet were nesting amongst them and were gamely sitting on eggs.  Sadly when the chicks hatch they make a handy snack for the adult gulls.  We were delighted to find a lone mediterranean gull among the black-headed.  What a handsome bird it was with its black head coming down the neck rather than the chocolate brown cap of the black-headed.  It had a startling white eye ring and a heavier more crimson coloured bill.  We were surprised to meet Heather and Linda when we returned to the Tim Allen Hide; their walk to Silverdale was thwarted by the high tide.  They were drenched from the rain, though.  Sheltering in the hide, we had lunch and drove round to Silverdale to walk to the Lots to see the green-winged orchids.  We then walked down to Jenny Brown's Point checking out Jack Scout for more orchids on the way.  By now the clouds had cleared and temperatures soared to 18C becoming very humid in the process.  Returning to the cars we drove back down to the main reserve for a final bit of bird watching, amused by the potted ladies slipper in the garden.  We enjoyed excellent views of marsh harrier and were amused by the great black-backed gull that seems to have taken up residence on the platform recently constructed for osprey..  A rumble of thunder heralded threatening clouds and the beginning of the promised storm.  We made a tactical withdrawal managing not to get too wet and then headed for the excellent Strickland Arms for our evening meal.  A great end to a smashing day.

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Avocet

Avocet

Avocet

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Lake Distict, May, Day 5

Expecting an inclement day, we were pleased when we woke to a dry, if dull, morning.  As the day went on it became more and more pleasant and even hot later.  Pack up made and rucksacks packed we set off for one of our favourite walks:  down into the valley to Bowston, along the river Kent to Stavely and then back home over the fields.  Today, however, as last May we left the river to climb up the valley side to walk through Dorothy Farrar Spring wood as it is one of the finest bluebell woods around. As we wandered through Rather Heath Woods, adjacent to the site we delighted in the display of bluebells here, their heady, hyacinth scent filling the air.  I was also delighted to hear a pied flycatcher singing and realised that we had heard one the day before as we left Gait Barrows.  Chiffchaff and blackcap were also singing in the wood.  We crossed under the busy Windermere road and then strolled down the green lane to Bowston Farm where we watched swallows, sitting on the telephone lines and flying in and out of an outbuilding to see to their nests.  Further down, at Bowston Bridge, I was thrilled to see a large group of house martins busy with their under-eave nests and my first swifts of the year.  Sitting by the river eating our pack up we started to note down all the flowers we had been seeing; on this day we found 34 species in flower.  We crossed the river into Beckmickle Ing Woods spotting dipper and grey wagtail before climbing the steep road up to Dorothy Farrar Spring Wood.  Noticeable here was the tree destruction caused by last autumn's storm winds.  Although the bluebells in Rather Heath Plantation were in their prime we felt that those here were past their best.  They were set off perfectly, though, by wild garlic or ramsons, with its strong aroma that gives it its name, and also greater stitchwort.  Leaving the wood and dropping to the road we walked first along the lane and then down fields into Stavely  where the pot of tea and cheese scone in Wilf's were well-received.  I went out to the terrace above the mill race where dippers were feeding chicks back in April, but today there was no sign of them.  Hopefully the brood fledged successfully.  By the time we had walked up out of the valley and across the fields to the caravan, I was well ready for the cold pint outside the van in the, by now, hot sun. 

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