The first really sunny day for a while so we went for a walk around Chorlton Water Park. A Speckled Wood refused to open its wings for me, and a Brimstone, a Small Tortoiseshell and an Orange Tip managed to evade being photographed but the Heron was happy to pose for me and a male Coot brought a twig for his wife and dropped it on their nest.
After dropping Alan off at home I took a walk along Banky Lane (Ashton on Mersey) and did the circuit of the horse field. A Brimstone kept flying past at high speed and would not settle, but then I saw several male Orange Tips. Two of them disappeared into the woods and another two seemed to be fighting over territory. Eventually one of them settled on a dandelion and I managed a couple of shots before it flew off.
A Speckled Wood landed on a leaf and momentarily opened its wings but quickly snapped them shut. I was intrigued that when I cast a shadow on it, it opened its wings and when I moved my shadow off, it closed them. Yet it had settled in full sun.
Back at the car I was just about to leave when a flutter of blue caught my eye - a male Holly Blue was sucking moisture from the mud.
Across the footbridge over the Mersey, a Green Parakeet attracted my attention
and then a Comma landed in front of me before flying up onto a leaf.
The Brimstone flew past again so I gave chase and eventually it settled on a dandelion
and a Peacock also obliged
As the sun was getting lower a pair of Small Tortoiseshells settled in the dry dead grasses and although they were a male and female they were not mating. I wondered if they stayed together as a pair after mating or if there was going to be a period of foreplay first, but I scared them off before I could find out.
I was pleased with the day's haul although I've a long way to go to catch up with Bugboy!