Saturday 31 August 2013

A 'Tern' for the better

Actually went for a quick run over to Saltholme this afternoon! Managed to catch up with the Black Terns that have been here for a couple of days and also managed a distant view of a Little Stint, nothing much else in the area though.
Had an hour at South Gare yesterday, fairly quiet with just Common Terns, Guillemot and a Wheatear here. Did see some Common Blue and Wall Butterflies.
 
 Black Tern
 
Common Blue 
 
 
 Small Copper
 Wall
 
Common Tern 
 Guillemot
Starling 
Turnstone
 

Saturday 24 August 2013

A few days away.

We have just returned from a few nights away staying at Challan Hall in Silverdale which is just a few minutes from Leighton Moss.  We visited Gaitbarrows Nature Reserve which is a wonderful place to walk but just wish we had visited a few weeks earlier as a lot of the summer butterflies were no longer around.  We did however still manage to see what was probably one of the last High Brown Fritillary left this year.  The Green Woodpeckers around Challan Hall were very nosiy!!
Some views around Arnside
 
 
Green Woodpecker
Lesser Whitethroat
 
 
Buzzard
Spotted Redshank
 
Lapwing
Bullfinch

 Nuthatch


 Purple Hairstreak
 High Brown Fritillary

 
 
 

Sunday 18 August 2013

A selection of butterflies.

Not much happening birdwise at the moment so we have been concentrating on the butterflies when weather and time off allow.
We visited Smardale Gill on the 7th August and what a fantastic day that was.  We have never seen so many Scotch Argus as we did that day, to the point one was landing on our feet and another on the camera!  As soon as the sun got out and the heat went up then they came out but later in the day when it clouded over then they disappeared  quickly as though they had never been there.
Dark Green Fritillary
 
 
Scotch Argus
 
 
Small Skipper
Meadow Brown
Peacock
Tortoiseshell
Common Blue
Common Blue
 
Brown Argus
Small Heath
Large White
Green Veined White
Silver Y
And this moth which was also flying through the day
And this little fellow who kept running in and out of his nest.