Mike's Natural Musings

Wednesday, 9 June 2021

A Visit to Seabird City

The roadside verges in the lane approaching Bempton looked stunning, being ablaze with campion, cow parsley, hogweed and hawthorn still in flower. The RSPB reserve was just as specacular; the meadows were a wash of pinks, whites and yellows and stirred the soul. Beyond this was the cacophony of sound from the nesting seabirds on the vertiginous cliffs and the sky swirled with birds about their business. Expecting, correctly, Bempton to be very busy in the middle of the day we had timed our arrival for 3.30 as the car park was emptying, having visited Hull to view a couple of galleries on the way. Bempton was everything we knew it would be and we topped off a perfect day with fish and chips in Bridlington.

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Fulmar

Gannet

Gannets

Gannet

Gannets

Guillemot

Herring Gull

Jackdaw

Kittiwake

Kittiwakes with egg

Kittiwake

Meadow pipit

Meadow Pipit

Puffin

Razorbill

Rock Doves

Tree Sparrow

Tuesday, 8 June 2021

Better Success on the Horsefield

It was a warm breezy day for my Horsefield walk today, but there was much more on the wing on the butterfly front.

Small White 9
Small Tortoiseshell 5
Mother Shipton's Moth 6
Yellow Shell Moth 1
Orange Tip Male 1
Small Heath 7
Common Blue 3
Small Copper 1
Painted Lady 1.

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Birdsfoot trefoil

Dog Rose

Small Copper

Small Heath

Monday, 7 June 2021

White Helleborines

They glowed white through the undergrowth; yes they were there again: White helleborines. These are a member of the orchid family and are widespread across Europe, but in the UK normally only found in the south of England so nobody is sure why we have them in our cemetery. They grow up to 60cm, are self pollinated and the flowers do not open fully and so the blunt yellow lip is rarely visible. The plants take at least eight years to develop from seed, and flowering can take an additional two to three years after that. I had been keeping an eye open for them for several weeks now and had begun to think that there weren't going to be any this year, when a week or so ago I found a couple of poor specimens. Out running in the cemetery yesterday, I decided to check to see whether these were worth photographing when I noticed two more much stronger plants. On going to photograph them this morning I found fifteen altogether, but there may be more as they are growing amongst a thick covering of cow parsley under trees.

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Thursday, 3 June 2021

New Territory on the Horsefield

After a cloudy, but warm, morning, the sky cleared to give sunny intervals, although with a cool breeze from the east. The may blossom and cow parsley are still in flower but the hogweed is just beginning to open and there are a few in flower. Everything is being telescoped together this year after the very cold and wet may. Last year there was a distinct succession of hawthorn, cow parsley and then hogweed. There were a few more butterflies today:

small white 11
small tortoiseshell 2
Red admiral (pristine) 1
Peacock 1
Orange tip, male 2

The meadow grasses are now growing up and beginning to look good and there are good patches of birds foot trefoil. The bee swarm has gone and by the hedge alongside the Parkway I found yellow rattle in flower. Red and white clover along with hawksbeard and hop trefoil were also flowering and I found 3 mother shiptons moths. On the way home walking across the slope of the first meadow above the woodland burial ground I found large swathes of birds foot trefoil in flower and lots of yellow rattle coming into flower. Birdsfoot trefoil is a food pland for common blues so fingers crossed there and yellow rattle is parasitic on grass roots and suppresses the tall rank grasses which encourages the growth of flowers, so necessary in a wild flower meadow. I also came across a patch of cowslips, a first for the Horsefield.

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Cowslips

Hogweed

Mother Shipton's Moth

Looking back to the houses across the rape

Yellow Rattle

Marsh Fritillaries at Chambers

As I pulled into the car park at Chambers Farm Wood in central Lincolnshire I found ex international athlete Adrian Royle looking for bugs. Sadly Adrian had to retire early from athletics due to calf and achilles injuries but many years later he is now a fine athletics photographer and 'bug' expert who regards Chambers as his 'office'! Consequently it was a pleasure to spend the morning with him. I had gone to Chambers to look for marsh fritillaries which have been incredibly successful here. Many years ago Little Scrubs Meadow was prepared to provide ideal conditions for this special butterfly and some were released. They have gradually become more numerous until in 2020 their numbers reached into the 1000s.

We wandered along the easy access trail, noting how few insects were about. However, once in the meadow, marsh fritillaries were very active, many pairing up and mating. On one occasion three males were trying to mate with one female. Later in the morning an official count was made of butterfly numbers in the meadow and just over 100 fritillaries were found with a scattering of other species. although, the peak is expected to be next week it is a long way from the four figure numbers of last year.

Walking around the rest of the forest very few insects were seen, although half a dozen marsh fritillaries were found about a mile away on the junction of forests rides. Only one common blue, a couple of dingy skippers, two male orange tips and a brimstone were seen. Talking to a friend on the phone this morning, Roger felt that everything is three weeks behind. We are just not seeing the numbers that were around last year at this time. Dragonflies are having a very poor start to the summer.

The vegetation is now beginning to grow and become more lush and I enjoyed seeing and photographing ragged robin and water avens, two of my favourite plants. The butterfly orchids in the woodland at the north end of Little Scrubbs Meadow were conspicuous by their absence. Presumably they are late as they are reliable every year.

It was amazing to see and photograph the marsh fritillaries, though, so a good morning was had.

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