Allotment wildlife

Come the weekend I frequently find myself torn between spending time on the allotment or venturing further afield. More often than not the allotment takes second place in favour of pastures new or maybe not so new but certainly requiring less physically demanding activity. So opting for some much needed allotment time I enjoyed a few hours gardening and was rewarded with some lovely butterfly sightings, resulting in a new high of 6 species on the plot in one day.


The first visitor to appear was this Ringlet, coming to rest on a comfrey leaf. Later we counted three Ringlets chasing each other, the next one looks fresher than the first and settled in view after flitting around the Raspberry canes. Green Veined Whites were on the wing throughout the day.

In my corner plot, where it meets the perimeter fence we've let the brambles grow in a bid to deter some of our more destructive and unwelcome local visitors. Its a mix of grasses, brambles, hawthorn, climbing rose, thistles and comfrey, which combine to create a pretty sturdy green barrier and prime real estate for wildlife which seems to be working.

Next to appear was this Red Admiral that spiralled in over the hedgerow, significantly bigger, bolder and brighter than the Ringlets.

This Comma initially investigated the brambles before settling on bare earth.

One of three Large Skippers, checking out the comfrey and bramble flowers.

A Robin, fresh from a refreshing bath perched on a post to inspect a patch of newly turned soil before swooping down to pick up a mouthful of insects.

A Small Tortoiseshell basks in the sunshine.

Its the first time Ive noticed Damselflies in our stream near the entrance to the allotments. Its great to see the stream turn into a real wildlife magnet and I'm looking forward to see how it progresses.

Beckett Park Lunchtime Woodland Wander

Yesterday lunchtime the earlier blue skies and sunshine had become slightly overcast so I opted for a nearby woodland walk. Almost immediately I heard the calls of a Nuthatch, as it scoured the nooks and crannies of a tree stump. Blue Tits and Long Tailed Tit zipped around the treetops above and a Robin perched nearby.

With fleeting glimpses of sunshine I headed towards a clearing, hoping for better light and the vague possibility of some butterfly action. Listening to what might have been a Bullfinch I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. It winded its way in my direction and landed nearby, a familiar woodland friend the Speckled Wood, this one identifiable due to two diagonal scars on its upper left forewing.




A second Speckled Wood strayed into its territory and the two set off on a duel, disappearing into the woodland. Moments afterwards the original butterfly returned to settle in almost the same spot presumably content with its victory.

As it flew away again I looked up to see a Blue Tit watching me from above.

On my return another Speckled Wood flew past me shoulder to settle on the right of the path, a notably different Speckled Wood with a more saturated ground colour and much bolder markings.

As I turned and stood I heard a call to my and caught a glimpse of a Treecreeper in the process of working its way up a trunk, another satisfying lunchtime wander.

Potteric Carr

This weekend we visited Potteric Carr for the first time. One of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Big 5 its an extensive reserve of with a range of wetland and woodland habitats, we'd gone with the hope of seeing the Bittern, yet despite a Bittern-less visit we really enjoyed our visit. From the hide we enjoyed close sightings of Gadwall, a Kingfisher, a pair of Little Grebe, Grey Heron and a number of Shelduck.

From the hide nearest the Field Centre the feeding station attracted a large number of Reed Bunting as well as Chaffinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Pheasant, Blackbird.

There are some lovely patches of Birch throughout the reserve, a tree suited to the poor soils associated with reclaimed mining areas. I love the way they catch the afternoon light in a woodland, the horizontal lenticels of its papery bark becoming more fissured with age.

Plenty of Alder too, like the Birch its a pioneer species and actually belongs to the Birch family. Here the yellow elongated male catkins in the centre and the more rounded darker female catkins. The catkins appear before the leaves.

A great attraction of these kinds of wetland areas especially on a sunny afternoon is the abundance and variety of waterscapes. The reflections of marginal vegetation in the ponds, streams and marshes provide glorious abstract views.

Bolton Abbey

Blue skies and bright sunshine tempted me out on a day trip to Bolton Abbey. Parking at the Barden Tower end we made our way as far as the Cavendish Pavilion then back down the other side of the Strid. A shelter on the woodland path was a great spot to see a variety of the smaller birds as they came in for a feed. The Nuhatches showed particularly well on such a bright day.

After a refuelling stop at the cafe I then spotted some ripples in the water far below - a quick look through the binoculars confirmed that it was a Dipper, the first I have ever seen. The light at that precise point was awful and I struggled to get any decent shots, though we watched it swim underwater and catch small fish which it then ate on the rocks. Walking slightly further we found ourselves back on the bank of the main river where the current was running very fast. To my surprise we saw a second Dipper fishing here and I did manage to get some pics. It was hard to believe that it was able to fish here as the water was really racing along.

As we walked back under Barden Bridge we saw a Grey Heron in the shallows. It took exception to being photographed and flapped off upstream, landing in a tree further down. An Oystercatcher and a male Goosander were the other notable sightings of the day, but nothing could top my first Dippers!

Andrea

Kirkstall sightings

This weekend's wintery weather meant we stayed close to home. Near the railway underpass an obliging Robin kindly paused for a pic.

Not a great pic, but this Grey Wagtail, an unusual Kirkstall visitor, searched for insects along the outer wall of St Stephens churchyard.

By the footpath behind Queenswood Drive this apple tree still bears fruit, welcome winter gifts for local birds.

On the edge of Beckett Park woodland we paused for a minute to hear a familiar tap tap tap of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in the treetops. A passerby mentioned that the woodpecker regularly visits the feeders in her nearby garden, I wondered whether its the same bird I spotted back in February.