Goldie M

[David M]

That Green Hairstreak is very impressively marked, Goldie.

By the way, what's the reason for the 'Waste Land' change to your diary heading?

[Wurzel]

Still no photos of a Specklie for me Goldie - although I have seen a couple now. Great Greenstreaks but I was wondering if your female OT was an aberrant as well due t the massive, crescent moon shaped spot on the fore wing?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Mike, I've given up on ab's there's so many of them and even if I look them up I'm still in a quandary So if some one say's I've got an ab now I put it in my special section on ab's and trust their Judgement
Thank's for your comment on the Hair Streaks,I always value your input

Thank's Dave, I appreciate your comments on the HS's, as for the Heading in my Dairy, I haven't a clue why it's changed, I don't remember doing any thing to change it, so I don't know what's happened .
I know I started my Dairy with Goldie M Waste Land , which at the time it was, now it's called Hall-Lee-Brook having been taken over
and turned into a Nature Reserve which I talk about and visit a lot but I can't see why this would change my Heading, perhaps it's another of my many Hick! cups!

Hi! Wurzel, sorry to hear you've not got shots of a Speckie yet, that's unusual for you because you can usually pin most things down
I expect the weather has some thing to do with it, we've gone from winter straight into Summer with the Butterflies either hiding because it's too cold or too hot, Crazy !
I don't know if the OT is an ab or not Wurzel, like I said to Mike, " unless I'm told I don't bother about them now, I will look it up though so thanks for mentioning it. Goldie

I've looked in the Species section for both Butterflies and I'm no wiser They both could be ab's but what their called for sure Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I found myself thinking of the famous line from T.S.Eliot's poem 'The Waste Land' : "April is the cruellest month". It seems to have been particularly true this year.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Mike, You couldn't be more right, that's really appropriate I've taken out the Waste Land from this heading ( hope fully) it will disappear now
It's rained for two days here, finally looks like it's drying up now, I'm off to Southport tomorrow, thought about you when I planned it you said how much you'd like to visit it again. Last time I went it was totally deserted, no flower's in the Dunes and not one Butterfly, I'm hoping it's different tomorrow. Goldie

[Goldie M]

I went to Southport yesterday but my visit to the Dunes turned nothing at all up, I saw a couple of Whites and that was it, so disappointing, but the weather was great so you can't have every thing, looks like it'll take another couple of weeks before things move there, no flowers to speak of, it looked more like March than May

Today I visited HLB again, the weather was cool at first but soon warmed up, There was quite a lot of Large Whites and Speckled Woods but I didn't see one Orange Tip and still no Holly Blues to photograph, with the weather turning cool it doesn't look too good for the next few days.

Two Speckled Woods were together in the grass, not sure if the Female was quite ready for him Goldie

[Wurzel]

Still not got any photos of a Specklie Goldie Nice sequence of behavourial shots - and Large White is another one of my 'seen but not photographed' this year too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I'm the same with Holly Blues but I did manage one shot yesterday from a distance before the BF took off so I'll claim it for a first of the season

Having heard so much about Brockholes Nature Reserve which is only 20 mins a way from where we live, we decided to go yesterday. It turned out to be very enjoyable with the weather warming up after a cold start.

I was impressed with the loads of facilities for Children, play area's and bike rides, what I really enjoyed though was the floating Restaurant, you could have a coffee whilst watching the wild fowl. it felt like being on a boat especially has you could feel a slight move meant I've included a few shots taken from the window of the Restaurant .( One bird I've looked up but I'm still not sure what it is) this shot was taken from a large look out they've made over just one of the lakes.

There was also lots of walks and has we went down one of the walks we found these two lovely OT's which had Just mated, sadly I just missed that but was able to take a few shots of them resting together, before the Male flew off, the male looked to have two spots instead of the usual one. Also I managed a shot of this rather worn Peacock.

On the way home we decided to give Hall-Lee-Brook a quick look although it was turned 3pm and at last I got a quick shot of a Holly Blue, If you can find it Goldie

[bugboy]

Nice Orange-tips Goldie, especially like the male and female together, something I've still never managed to capture! That bird you can't ID is a Common Sandpiper

[Goldie M]

Thank's Buggy, that's another one to name and Chalk up, Glad you like the Ot's , a second or two earlier and I would have seen them mating, Goldie

[Maximus]

Nice Orange -tips, Goldie, especially the pair

[MikeOxon]

Good to see M & F Orange Tips together. that floating restaurant looks interesting - like somewhere in the Far East!

The quick key to recognising a Common Sandpiper is to note the white 'armpits' up in front of the wings. It also bobs up and down constantly.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Thank's Max and Mike, I was really pleased when they posed for me, it was thanks to a cloud that suddenly appeared over us.

Yes Mike, it's supposed to be the only floating Restaurant in England, you'd love it,( sat there drinking coffee whilst watching the wild life ,) we certainly did.
There trying to build the Reed Beds up to attract the Bittern and other birds, it's also on the banks of the River Ribble and contains three or more small lakes, they're also going under the other side of the M6 to complete further lakes, so when it's finished it'll be huge. The children seem to love the facilities and I think it will attract loads of Butterflies. Goldie

[Goldie M]

I didn't manage to get to Gait Barrow today, so had to settle for Hall-Lee-Brook, I did see the Holly Blue a teasing mile up into the trees it seemed where it shot from branch to branch ,way too far up for a shot, still I know the tree it likes now so watch out Holly I'll get you yet

I did see only my second Green Veined White at HLB,( I wonder if this is a sign of more to come )

Also worth a shot was this lovely Chocolate coloured Speckie, it was quite a rich looking colour. Other then the Speckies and Large White Who, weren't stopping for any one, that's all I saw there, still the GVW was worth the visit. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Goldie, loving the photo of the Orange-tip pair together

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Great Specklie and a fairly typical Large White shot Goldie ie blink and it's gone

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Thank You Neil and Wurzel, I'm still hoping to get some Pearl shot's but the weather's taken a turn for the worst even had the heating on for a spell today, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Goldie

[David M]

Such a shame that the weather's on the turn, Goldie, just as things seemed to be hotting up in NW England.

Keep persevering though. Your reward will come!

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, the weather was nice yesterday and we went to Gait Barrow, no Dukes, no Butterflies to speak of except for Speckies A few whites which didn't stop so I'm not sure what's happening up there. I think the weather played a big part in all this because when we just had rain in April and a covering of snow they had heavy snow up there. Being patient though I'm finding hard

The Bugle flower is out now but still no Pearls and I believe the Dukes are out in( Whit-barrow)I Cumberland,( I think that's how you spell it ), I've not been there, I've got so used to going to GB So we'll stick it out and try again next week. They'd Roped all the Duke area off when we got there so it was a bit disappointing not to see any thing
We did see just one Green Hair Streak in the place we saw them previously but it looked a bit worse for wear much paler green and a small piece out of it's wing, It was the only thing I took a shot of besides the Speckie but we'll keep at it
We even had a look at Warton NR and we saw nothing there at all, the hills there are very steep and rock's are every where, too much climbing, we kept to the lower slopes, I suppose the Pearl's could be on the higher slopes but we'll have to leave them to younger Butterfly enthusiasts Goldie

[Goldie M]

Nothing seen here since I last posted with the exception of a Small White in the Garden today who took advantage of some sun in-between the heavy cloud , the weathers been wet and cold and with more rain forecast it's not looking too good for next week either, I'll have to try and dodge out in-between showers Hope I can get up to Gait Barrow at some point in time. Goldie