Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Thanks Paul and Vince, I know where you mean and I'll try there in July, hope fully sooner. Goldie M

[Jack Harrison]

Goldie, I now seek your advice.

I plan to visit the Arnside/Gait Barrows/Warton Crag area next July, specifically for High Brown Fritillary.

I am not the most mobile of 72 year olds, although I am sure I could manage (slowly) to get up Arnside Knott.
On the maps, it looks a lot steeper and higher today than it did the last time I was there some 35 years ago
My greatest difficulty today is climbing styles and gates - I can't.

Arnside Knott is not ruled out, but do you reckon I would find Gait Barrows easier? I tried to find out what you mean by the "slate trail", but no luck. So help please.

Jack

[Liz Goodyear]

White-letter Hairstreak can be found easily in your area - just look for the elm. There are two egg hunters filling in squares in Lancashire at this very moment and the maps will look different again in 4 years to the latest distribution maps. If you look for adults then first look up into the trees just like you would for Purple Hairstreak and look for small 'black' butterflies flicking around in the trees tops! You just have to develop good neck muscles! Not sure when the best time to start looking as their emergence is very regional, depends on altititude as well but I believe that the Arnside reports come in quite early so be prepared from the middle of June. Again the books are not always right about emergence.

As to Swallowtails - where are you staying in Norfolk and which particular week?
Strumpshaw Fen is said to be good - that is an RSPB Reserve.
How Hill is said to be good.
There will be the Catfield Fen Open Day in June organised by Norfolk BC

I always say that the Weavers Way around the south side of Hickling Broad is excellent but............. BESL are doing flood alliviation work at the moment and the footpath will be closed this summer. This is a bit of a nuisance as I was planning a walk for the Broads Society starting at Potter Heigham Church. We have now moved the walk to around Martham Broad which hopefully will be just as good.

However, one other unusual place is Horning Church (it also has a very small colony of Wall Browns). The Swallowtails come up from the marsh below and nectar on the graveyard floral arrangements especially any sweet williams in vases and one grave has some nice bugle planted which they adore.

Hope this helps
Liz

[Pete Eeles]

I plan to visit the Arnside/Gait Barrows/Warton Crag area next July, specifically for High Brown Fritillary. Arnside Knott is not ruled out, but do you reckon I would find Gait Barrows easier?

Hi Jack. While you won't need to climb over stiles at Arnside Knott, it is quite steep in places - and the best spots to see High Brown Fritillary is near the top. Gait Barrows, on the other hand, is pretty flat. Not sure what the slate trail is, but there is a circular route around the site.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Goldie M]

Hi! Jack,Gait Barrows Nature reserve Issue a permit for parking and it's free. It comes with a map which is very handy and gives information about the differant trails. I call the the Lime Stone trail slate (sorry) didn't mean to mislead you. This trail as white markers. The Yew Trail has purple markers, this trail is suppoed to be good when looking for the Duke of Burgandy.
I've not been up there in Spring to often (weather was bad) but this year, with all my info on Hair Streaks I'm going.
Arnside Knott, has a car park nearly at the top, so you could get up there, then take your time.

GB has easy access every where,(no climbing gates). The slopes can get slipper when wet however, so you have to be careful. When I saw the High Brown etc, we followed the White Trail .
The entrance to the park is through a gate, with a permit you can drive through the gate and park, without a permit you've to park on the road. The address to write to is Robert Petley Jones, South Cumbria and North Lancashire NNRs,
Natural England, Roundsea Wood Base, Fish House Lane, Haverthwaite, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8PE

The park lies between Silverdale and Arnside. I can't tell you much about Warton Craig, it will be my first time there.
Look out for the Deer at GB, thats if your lucky Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Hi! Liz, we are staying "Camping and Caravan Club "site in Norwich, so we're going to be near most of the places we,I want to visit. 5th of June to the 12th. I say we because my husband likes cathedrals etc, so we combine the two, Horning Church should fit in well don't you think
We went to Strumpshaw Fen last year, too early, middle of May, we also went to How Hill, same thing, so I don't go off what the books say any more.
I've got a few sites to visit looking for Hair Streaks, one in particular sounds interesting, Haslingden, Helmshore, in Rossendale, it's on the old train tracks , and I believe Elm tree's are there. I'll go and see if I can see any eggs. Thanks for your info Goldie M

[Liz Goodyear]

The walk for the Broads Society is on the 11th June so you could manage that as well. Starting at West Somerton then alongside Martham Broad and back - now you can either leave him in the churchyard there or bring him along. West Somerton church has the grave of the Somerton Giant - Robert Hales
Not a great deal in Horning Church to look at apart from a fine view across to Ranworth - you can climb to the top of Ranworth and look at the very old wall paintings. It's not very far by boat but a long way round by road!
Liz

[Jack Harrison]

Liz spoke about spouses who do not necessarily share a love of butterflies:

now you can either leave him in the churchyard there or bring him along.

Many years ago, I used to bump into a lifelong bachelor, Frank B, when we were butterflying in the Chiddingfold Woods complex.
One summer, Frank surprised me by saying that he was engaged. I met him again the following year and asked if he got had married yet.
“It wouldn’t have worked. She has no interest in butterflies. All she is interested in is boring old castles”.

Jack

[Rogerdodge]

Jack
Arnside isn't that tricky.
From the car park to the highest point is 200m horizontally, with a 43m climb.
The first 100m is a 30m climb or 1 in 3, and the 2nd 100m is only a 13m climb or 1 in 8.
Take it steady and there shouldn't be a problem. There are plenty of butterfly distractions on the way!
The view is really breathtaking on a clear day.
High Brown can be found, however, by continuing along the path out of the car park as a continuation of the entrance lane, and taking a gate after 100 metres or so to a lovely meadow with bracken below the trees on your right.
Jack - I hope we get to meet up again this season!!

p.s. The walk up to Hartsop Dodd (for Mountain Ringlet) is a climb of 600m in the first 2k!
I plan to stop to "enjoy the view" quite a lot!!!!!!

[Ian Pratt]

Last June I visited the Broads and saw swallowtails at Catfield Fen in early June.I have seen them at How Hill, Strumpshaw Fen and Hickling Broad in previous years. Usually they are about between late May and mid June in my experience. My wife and I also saw black hairstreaks at Brampton Woods on the way to Norfolk!

[Goldie M]

Hi! Jack and Liz, my husband is long suffering (so he says) He does like the fresh air and takes his video camera when we go out, he's got some really nice footage of the Butterflies. His best enjoyment really is engineering. When I'd been to the York steam engine museum and spent 2hrs looking around I thought I'd done my bit, so you can see we put up with each other. I will try to get him interested in the trip Liz, but I doubt I'll suceed, he likes pottering about, while I film' I'll tell him about the other church, see what happens Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Hi! Ian sounds like there's hope we may see something going in June. We plan on going to all the places Strumpshaw etc .
I think i'll try How Hill first then go down by the river, I don't remember going to CatField Fen so we must try there. Thanks for your help Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Nearly every day for a week, I've been trying to take a picture of a Kestrel. Today it rained, but I got what I wanted finally.
I've also been looking for eggs, but I'm not very good about trees with no leaves on them So was'nt sure which were the Elms etc. I'm going to do some home work on that . Any way here is my Kestrel Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Today Feb 8th I went to Fleetwood Country Park, it was a lovely day for taking pic's. I took these pics of what I think is a Long Tailed Tit, ( never seen one before) I've checked and it looks like one. Can anybody confirm this.
Although I looked for Butterfly eggs, etc I saw saw nothing, Thats not unusual if your not too sure ,just, what your looking for Goldie M

[JohnR]

It is a long tailed tit. In the autumn and early winter you usually see them in a gang working through the tree tops looking for insects like a bunch of trouble-makers, making a din as they go.

[Goldie M]

Thanks JohnR, I didn't see alot of them, more Chaffinch, and Blue Tits than any thing else. Goldie M

[Hugh Middleton]

They are usually very mobile in a flock and often you can hear them coming. When they stop and feed they are delightful to watch. In flight they are also attractive and have the advantage that sometimes scarcer/rarer birds will tag along at the end of the flock.

Hugh

[Goldie M]

I visited the waste ground I wrote about last year and took some pics, thought it a good idea to record it's progress by pics'.
Alot of rubbish had been cut down and the trees thinned out, it looked good. I'm just wondering about the Badgers set's and hope they've not become too exposed, there right on the path near the stream. Time will tell of course.


I also visited Pennington Flash near Lea, Wigan, it's a lake made from the old flooded coal mines, now it's become a popular place for bird watchers. I saw these Green Finch and Sparrows from an hide, they seem to be ringed, I'm wondering who did it and where they came from. I can only think it's may be because they're becoming rare Goldie M

[Gibster]

Hi Goldie M,

your top pic is of Reed Buntings not sparrows. Note your Greenfinch's stout beak, ideal for breaking out of that wire mesh cage! I visited Pennington Flash many years ago when Britain's first ever Black-faced Bunting appeared with the local Reed Bunting flock. Still an amazingly rare find in Western Europe. I recall that the reserve has its own ringing group, so I expect the majority of ring-bearing birds there have been caught on site. Ask a member of staff, they should be more than happy to explain what they are up to and any results/recoveries they've had.

Cheers!

Gibster.

[Goldie M]

You live and learn Gibster, I must admit I don't know too much about birds. I bought a book about them but still got it wrong Ha! Ha! I go to Penn Flash on a regular basis, It's a good place to walk as well. I will certainly ask all about the ringing next time I go.
Did you ever get to Mere Sands near Southport ? We go there to take pics of King Fishers from time to time. Not too good on Butterflies there though, so it's mainly out of season for them when we go to see the birds.
I took another pic whilst at Penn Flash , is this also a Reed Bunting ? It seems to be abit differant than the others around the chest area. Goldie M