philm63

[philm63]

Cheers Peter. That seems to be right, I googled Water Mint and it looks like what I saw, thanks for that


Thu 16 August

Local patch – late morning to early afternoon

The weather continues unsettled, predominantly overcast and windy, some spells of rain but luckily not when I wanted to get out. It was cooler today so I delayed setting off till I had seen at least one butterfly pass through the garden. Even so, today some sections were excellent when the wind dropped, others were barren when the wind made it feel much cooler
Decided to do the whole circuit today but I may as well have skipped the first bit as I saw nothing at all in Prince of Wales Park. The first real interesting bit was a party of 5 Magpies harassing a low-altitude Buzzard as I approached The Copse. Here I had the occasional white and a Small Copper. These were starting to look a bit faded now. From there I went down onto The Bridleway. Started clocking up Walls down here, and in the dip at the bottom added Speckled Wood. Continued to Eldwick Reservoir adding more Walls to the count, plus a few more Speckled Woods, a Small Copper and the odd white
Above the reservoir a male Blackcap was scolding a perched Little Owl that decided it might as well move somewhere quieter
Retraced my steps back to Heights Lane, adding the odd photo
Then along Heights Lane more Walls, another Small Copper and the odd white
Down Walsh Lane and back towards home, by now most sections were devoid of butterflies as the weather had deteriorated and they had gone to ground
Considering about a third of the walk was unproductive due to the weather, I was very pleased with an end count of 19 Walls, a new day record for my patch. Some were showing wear and others damage, but always a delight to see

No outing at the weekend due to commitments, so the next time I get out looking will be next weekend, I expect things will be a lot different by then. Already the plethora of whites has gone, and more like what I would have expected this time of year with this weather. And worryingly still no sign of numbers of Peacock and Small Tortoiseshells, in fact no Peacocks at all since mid-July and only the odd Small Tort in the past two weeks.
Last year late summer was bad for these two locally, but Red admiral numbers compensated for them. This year I have only seen one Red Admiral also back in mid-July. I am hoping things will improve, for all three, before the end of the season

Phil

[ernie f]

Great sequence of pics of the Wall butterfly, Phil.

Plus - regarding owls. I opened the window to the bedroom last night and heard what I think was four Little Owls calling to each other. I stood looking out because at least two of them seemed loud enough to be in the trees right next to our house but they did not fly - so I did not see them.
Its quite a change for us because its usually Tawnies we hear from our house.

[David M]

Great to see a few Wall Brown images, Phil.

How we used to take them for granted!

Not any more.

[philm63]

Tues 27 February

After a long hiatus I managed to get out for the first time since early January. Heavy involvement in projects at work and the arrival of our third great-grandson had presented few opportunities in the short dark days of winter
It was not all bad, I had a Barn Owl twice in a week in early January, the second time actually on my local patch, a first for me there
I had to use up my remaining holidays for the year so booked off the 27th and 28th, with plans to get out on the 27th which worked well as that was the last of the glorious days we have been having lately
I had two visits in plan, to get up to the moorland edge and then to re-check my local patch, with a hope that a few days of sunshine and warmth had brought out a few butterflies to add to the expected birds

So I headed up to Whetstone Gate, out on Ilkley Moor, though sunny it was still cool in the early morning; made more noticeable by the fresh breeze that was blowing. Getting out of the car, it was very noisy with lots of Red Grouse males calling and fighting over territories. One group nearby had six cocks squabbling as they spilled from the moor onto the access road and back. A few Curlews were bubbling as well, and a single Meadow Pipit must have been an advance party for the multitudes to follow later in the year. No Lapwings on show up here though; nor any sign of the recent Short-eared Owl
Then drove back down the road to Bradup, here in a few hundred yards we have grazing fading into rough pasture fading into moorland proper. Still a few Red Grouse displaying down here, and more Curlews and a few Lapwing around. A few more Meadow Pipits but seemingly no Snipe or Redshank as yet. A Pied Wagtail was also around as were the first singing Skylarks. Moved down a few hundred metres nearer to the few houses that exist around here, hoping for some winter thrushes and perhaps Brambling; but no luck. There were some thrushes and a count of four Song Thrushes was encouraging
It was time to move on, but definitely will be back up here in late March to May for the spectacle that this moorland edge presents when seen in its full glory during a sunny spring day

Drove home and parked up, a coffee and then set out on foot to do my local patch. Just across from the house the Jackdaws are already paired up and spending increasing amounts of time near their chimney nest sites. Setting off proper it did not disappoint with a Little Owl out on the usual wall, the first Curlew and Lapwings of the year on my patch, a Kestrel having a rest in a tree and a nice selection of songbirds in the usual haunts. Walking along towards Eldwick Reservoir the pair of Oystercatchers are back, seen every year now for about 3 or 4 years. Although I have seen no evidence I believe they breed around the reservoir perimeter
The access path, which is an old pack-horse trail, and the continuation of that up past the reservoir were my best hopes for butterflies. Quite narrow with flanking drystone walls on either side, it creates a quiet and sheltered environment near ground level; if the wind is in the right direction of course. It proved to be so, the first butterfly was a Comma just above the reservoir. It was not settling anywhere for long but did settle a few times in a position long enough for me to get some shots
Heading back to the bridleway two more aristos passed in my periphery vision, one into dead bracken and the other over a wall. Neither seen well enough to be 100%, but either Small Tortoiseshells or Peacocks
After arriving home I had two (or the same one twice) Small Tortoiseshells in the back garden within 45 minutes. And later in the afternoon another one over near my Grand-daughter’s place

I think that counts as one of the best shows I have had this early in the year, especially considering the latitude and altitude here. Given the expected weather change to come it may be a while before I see those numbers again

Phil

[Wurzel]

Good to see you back Phil and good to see you're in the butterflies Great shots particualrly the Red Grouse and the always angry Little Owl Hopefully things will settle down again and spring can get back to springing

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

What a way to break your hiatus, Phil! Early spring butterflies and a selection of beautiful birds, of which the Little Owl is undoubtedly the star.

[philm63]

Catch-up

After the good weather in late February, it all went downhill for a few weeks; with cold and dull conditions. We then had an upturn with better weather alternating with colder spells. It is currently holding as decent, with some nice sunny spells at times, but there is still a lot of time when the weather is overcast and cooler than I would like
The butterflies disappeared after the few February showings and it was April before I started seeing anything of interest. Sightings of the odd Peacock, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell, followed by a good showing of Orange Tips and the first whites. As April progressed to May, I was visiting Glovershaw a few times and we had a nice assemblage of Green Hairstreaks on the moorland edge there. It turned out to hold a much larger population than I had expected. Orange Tips had a good year locally as well, with 10 recorded on one trip around my local patch, but they were not being photogenic this year
Spring is not really a butterfly heavy period up here, and things only start to improve around mid to late June with the emergence of Large Skipper, followed by Ringlet and Meadow Brown. But overall it has not been too bad, with some good numbers during the warmer spells
This Spring I think the Lapwing numbers are down at all the local sites; but visiting Redshank and Common Sandpipers on my local patch were a compensation. I also saw my first Sand Martins on the patch. A few trips around locally in late April and into May brought the first warblers of the year and a good collection of various waders on the moorland edges, especially Golden Plover this year; a species I have in the past tended to miss. Stonechats are back on their breeding spots, and Wheatears have been showing at a few sites. Other birds of the Moorland edge such as Pied Wagtail and Reed Bunting have also been evident. An evening trip to a local site also produced some nice views of Barn Owl
Now let us see what the rest of the year brings
Phil

A selection of images from the moorland edges this Spring

Wren singing in early Spring

Redshank in breeding plumage

Willow Warbler

A much darker Willow Warbler

Male Pied Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Breeding plumaged Golden Plover

Female Wheatear

Male Whitethroat

Male Stonechat

Male Reed Bunting

[Wurzel]

Cracking bird shots Phil The butterfly ones are none too shabby either Especially like the Greenstreak giving a tantalising glimpse of the top side fore wing and the third Peacock down with its two tone hind wing margins

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Those are exceptional bird images, Phil. I see many of these species but only fleetingly as they zoom past me.

Nice to know what they look like close up.

[philm63]

Cheers Wurzel. It is very quiet on the butterfly front here at the moment
Cheers David. The walls surrounding the fields and the posts on the moors always seem to attract some species, allowing a closer approach. I have just added another camera to my collection this weekend and tried it out yesterday; it will allow me to take shots at an greater range but with similar results

Late May and early June saw a few warm spells but generally, it seemed to be overcast and wet
On my trips out, I have been limited to only a few butterflies showing, but I am hoping things will improve soon. Luckily, another Holly Blue decided to do the local garden circuit like last year and I got some shots on the second day of attempting when it perched a bit lower down near my front porch

The first dragonflies have started showing so summer is starting proper now here– a trip to Knotford Nook gave me my first three damselflies of the year, and a trip to Bingley Bog North added a dragonfly proper in the shape of Broad-bodied Chaser. The Chasers appear to be recently emerged with some developing the blue abdomen others still in immature colours

Large Red Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

Banded Demoiselle

Immature male Broad-bodied Chaser

Male Broad-bodied Chaser acquiring its blue abdomen

I normally make a trip up into Upper Wharfedale in May to add a few specialist species, and Strid Woods on the Bolton Abbey Estate is a wonderful site. Only managed one of the three target species this year with Pied Flycatcher, but I had a marvellous day with some lovely birds

Male Mandarin Duck, breeds at this site

Female Pied Flycatcher with food for its young

Sand Martin

Common Sandpiper

Breeding is in full spate locally with some birds actively feeding their young and in other cases the young have already fledged and are showing well in some places. I had a marvellous encounter with a family of Blackcaps at Bingley Bog North resulting in the image below of one of the two juveniles staring to make its way in the world

Female Goosander with part of her brood of 7 ducklings

Recently fledged Blackcap

Meadow Pipit carrying food back to the nest

Juvenile Robin

Hoping to see the first of the next butterfly emergence soon, but there does not seem to be any really good weather forecast here over the next few weeks

Phil

[Pauline]

Phil I absolutely adore your bird photography - it is an area I struggle with and your images are a delight to view.

[David M]

Quite an eclectic mix there, Phil. Whilst I enjoy any female Holly Blue low enough to capture on film, that image is eclipsed by many of your other shots, especially those goosander chicks, which are positively adorable!

[Goldie M]

So many lovely Bird shots and lots of variety some I've never seen Goldie

[philm63]

Cheers Pauline, I really appreciate the kind comments. Now if I could get my butterfly images to be 50% as good as yours I'd be very happy

Cheers David. The Goosanders are lovely birds, about 30m from the birds in the shot were another family group this time a female with 11 ducklings. They were showing one of the comical traits of these birds; like Grebes the young try to cadge a lift on their parents back, as shown in the image below of the other group. Personally my favourite is the Blackcap juvenile, so cute!!!!!

Cheers Goldie, glad you like them

Phil

[David M]

Fabulous, Phil. That's made my day!!

[philm63]

Where has the summer gone, it has been dismal up here; with only the odd nice day. However, in the last week the butterflies have started putting in an appearance. Speckled Woods are doing well, I had at least ten during a short walk yesterday evening. Fresh Small Tortoiseshells have started showing, the first Red Admiral of the year went through the garden yesterday and I have seen two worn, but nice, Painted Lady in the past four days. For a while I was restricted to the odd Green-veined or Small White. I am still waiting for the first skippers, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Wall. Next chance I get to go out I will head to lower ground and may have more luck there, the last few trips have all been on the moorland edge
I have spent the last few trips getting used to the new camera, it requires a different handling method than my previous one; especially with macro work. So far I have been very pleased with the results, some of which are shown below. I am still debating whether to continue with a tripod or move onto hand-held. The camera weight makes the tripod unbalanced for carrying on my shoulder, but I would lose too many photo opportunities if I carry it any other way

Phil

[David M]

Where has the summer gone, it has been dismal up here; with only the odd nice day....

Same here in south Wales, Phil, although the next few days are supposed to be glorious. Here's hoping.

[Wurzel]

I know what you mean Phil - I'm still calling it Flaming June but because I'm tempted to light the woodburner again and not because of glorious sunny days That shot of the Goosander ducklings burying their mother is brilliant Mind you it feels odd not calling them Goslings because of the 'Goose' part of their name The new camera is definitely producing the goods - cracking shots all round Fingers crossed the weather picks up a little

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[philm63]

Cheers Dave, Wurzel
Weather wise we have had a bit of an improvement but then it has gone downhill again. Even the longish dry spell was not particularly bright, and (as always) the best days were when I was at work. Having said that I managed to get out a few times and the number of butterfly species about is on the uptake

Small Tortoiseshell is steady with a few each trip, the occasional Red Admiral as well; but no Peacock or Comma at the moment. The star here is Painted Lady, I have probably had more in ten days than in the previous ten years, most were worm but still a pleasure. Hopefully this is a sign of a good spell of fresh individuals later in the summer

Meadow Brown is starting to appear more regular and Ringlets are now frequent in the usual sites. I had a bright day on Saturday and was out and seeing Small Heath everywhere on a local site, got a phone call and then had to head home after only about 30 minutes. I returned the next day but it was overcast and the Small Heaths were not showing, except for a bright 10 minutes when I clocked 5 in about 15 metres. Still to see a Wall or a Gatekeeper this year

I have had my first Small Skipper, even on the hand, but no more since. Large Skipper seen at two places so far, but no real numbers as yet

I have also had my first Small Copper, it was within 20 metres of the first Small Skipper, but again no more since

The occasional white still showing


Other images
Nice to get a chance to take a portrait of a full Coot, this one was at Yeadon Tarn
On the same day, I shot this female Mandarin Duck. They breed at a few spots along the rivers here. She had four ducklings in tow and one is seen in the image
A Carrion Crow looking quite magisterial, I really liked this image taken on Pennythorn Hill on Saturday
When I visited the Strid back in May I failed to see Redstart, so it was nice on Sunday to see a few juveniles moving through the area

Coot

Mandarin Duck

Carrion Crow

juvenile Redstart

Phil

[Goldie M]

Hi! Phil, you've certainly got better shots than I have of the Meadow Brown Every time I try to get a shot they bury themselves in the long grass Goldie