Cheers Goldie, it wasn't too bad around here in the end today
Tuesday 26th May – A walk in the Wyre Forest.
After the past few days of dull cloudy weather and doing jobs around the house, I had promised myself a day out today…but where? With another band of cloud forecast to head across the midlands from the west, I figured that if I headed west then it would clear from there first, so with this in mind I set out for the Wyre Forest.
I arrived at the Dry Mill Lane car park at around 10.30 with a rough plan of starting off along the old railway line and then dropping down and crossing over Dowles Brook and then seeing how far I went before deciding to turn back. In the end I made it as far as the ‘pileline’, so named because the pipeline that brings water from the Elan Valley to Birmingham runs under the forest there. The whole walk, taking a slow wander in both directions with plenty of stops in meadows and clearings to take photos, took me until just turned 5.00pm when I arrived back at the car, tired but happy
My main target for the day was Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and these were easily the most numerous species seen…but I will come back to these later when I have sorted through the many photos that I took.
Other butterflies seen during the day in conditions of mixed cloud with sunny spells were Peacocks(4), Brimstone(2), Large White(1), Green-veined White (2), Small White(1), Common Blue(6), Small Copper(2) and Dingy Skipper(2).
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 289 resize.JPG (967.52 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Meadow by Dowles Brook. PBF, Common Blue, Small Copper, Small White all in here.](./files/thumb_10101_689a461c39a0f2f426a861f2d031dd9a)
- Meadow by Dowles Brook. PBF, Common Blue, Small Copper, Small White all in here.
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 365 resize.JPG (798.58 KiB) Viewed 1340 times By the old railway track, this area good for PBF](./files/thumb_10101_39a11787ea3c142d3ef244a4c0b4d5ad)
- By the old railway track, this area good for PBF
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 127 resize.JPG (650.86 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_f763998971776cc2c2214490dc907590)
- Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 137 resize.JPG (802.47 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_78f6f7f98c4125ca45d3af74e333f59b)
- Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 139 resize.JPG (506.41 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_a7facb7b63f8c3930b94611801371c21)
- Dingy Skipper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 147 resize.JPG (535.4 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Common Blue - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_0686fdcfc123be74d4832183f1046c76)
- Common Blue - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 246 resize.JPG (580.17 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Common Blue - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_601c1a8a7140e23a06c6d73322bc620f)
- Common Blue - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 316 resize.JPG (483.48 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Small White - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_04d08df6579c60a1859a8a7292b51e04)
- Small White - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 344 resize.JPG (526.8 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Small Copper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_1c3522c363139d4406cd901baf3cdb30)
- Small Copper - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
I usually come here around this time and this was the first time that I didn’t see any Orange-tips, although I did speak to a chap who said there were plenty here a couple of weeks back.
There were also numerous Speckled Yellow Moths and nearly as many Common Heath Moths along nearly every ride and track that I went along. Both these species are difficult to get close to, when the sun is out they don't stop flying and when it goes in they disappear
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
After many attempts I managed to get a record shot of each.
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 131 resize.JPG (610.35 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Speckled Yellow Moth - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_5a8ee5a40ea5efe8e785eebee966c676)
- Speckled Yellow Moth - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 356 resize.JPG (596.18 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Common Heath Moth - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_56ac6ae39278e02a6b7995ccab0f0baf)
- Common Heath Moth - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
Along one particular track there were loads of Green Tiger Beetles, in fact I see them along this stretch every year when I come here at around this time.
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 274 resize.JPG (970.88 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Loads of Green Tiger Beetles along this bit plus Speckled Yellows and a couple of PBFs](./files/thumb_10101_bfc47ce0b4ddb199259f4a08bf080220)
- Loads of Green Tiger Beetles along this bit plus Speckled Yellows and a couple of PBFs
![Wyre Forest 26.05.2015 266 resize.JPG (848.55 KiB) Viewed 1340 times Green Tiger Beetle - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015](./files/thumb_10101_1f4766177ad41e7bda1f5b7692c13299)
- Green Tiger Beetle - Wyre Forest 26.05.2015
Now to sort through the rest of my photos for the next bit…
Neil.