Lovely weather in Leeds again today, so we spent a couple of hours on the allotment this morning and heard our first Kirkstall Chiffchaff in the direction of St Stephens Churchyard. Allotment butterflies Small White x 1, Small Tortoiseshell x1 and Peacock x1.
After lunch we decided on a trip to Askham Bog Nature Reserve, York. Peacocks (4) were sunning themselves on the boardwalk
Flying in and out of the vegetation flanking the boardwalk we noticed this Comma which came to rest on Andrea's leg for half a minute or so. I spotted a male Brimstone on the wing at distance and a single Orange Tip flitting through vegetation (which made the first sightings page on the Butterflly Conservation Yorkshire website - yay!)
During our walk around the reserve there was a lot of rustling in the undergrowth mostly heard but not seen until I spotted this mouse. We heard a couple of Chiffchaffs and were pleased to spot one in the treetops above us, a Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared briefly and there were Wrens and Robins aplenty.
On the path leading fromthe reserve, a bank of Lesser Celandine
Linda,
ReplyDeletestunning butterfly pics, much better than my efforts or maybe they are just a bit more chilled out further South and pose a bit more ;)
John
Hi Linda, it really is lovely to see butterflies appearing on blogs again. I haven't seen a Comma, Brimstone or Orange Tip here yet this year but suspect it won't be long. I heard my first Chiffchaffs of the year last week :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm very envious of your Jay photos on the earlier post, it is a long time since I even saw one!
Lovely photos, the Celandines look so cheerful!
You seem to be getting stuck in again. You have hit on with the weather as well.
ReplyDeleteHello John, thanks, its early days for our butterfly sightings, there were plenty of shots that weren't up to scratch. Ive decided the best way is to take as many as poss & keep my fingers crossed that at least one or two turn out OK. Good to keep up with the Prestwick Carr sightings on your blog. Best wishes, Linda
ReplyDeleteHello Shy Songbird, it is lovely is to see butterflies appearing on everybody's blogs. I had my first Orange Tip & Comma on the allotment today, which takes my allotment total to 5 species in one week thanks to the good weather. Thanks for your lovely comments, Linda
Hey pops, very lucky with the weather this week! Linda x
Hi
ReplyDeleteLove your blog., I also live in Leeds, but on the South Side. Could you tell me the name of the first butterfly above, the one which looks like tree bark. Keep up the good work.
Wendy
Hello Wendy, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for your kind words of encouragement. The first two pics are of a Peacock butterfly showing the underwing and upperwing. Hope you've seen lots of butterflies too in south Leeds, enjoy the weekend, Linda
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