Otley Chevin and weather(ing)

Visiting Otley Chevin your attention is drawn to the colours of the dramatic Millstone Grit boulders and outcrops. My geological knowledge is pretty non-existent so West Yorkshire Geology Trust is a good place to information about the geology of the Otley Chevin Trail.

The weathering of stone and vegetation results in a wonderful collection of colours, patterns and shapes and textures, a decomposing weather worn stump covered in mosses and lichens being a good example .

Here's a view over Otley, with a stormy weather front approaching from the left.

A few minures later, heading back to the car, this was the view back across the valley. With the rain clouds heading our way we made a dash for it, brrrrr.

Getting backto the car, this Goldcrest provided a final flash of colour in the trees on the edge of the car park. Chiffchaff, Curlew, Blackbird, Crow, Robin, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit all made an appearance during our walk.

Green Hairstreak return

We set out to Otley Chevin with only the smallest of breaks in cloud cover, on the off-chance that we might strike lucky and find a few Green Hairstreaks. An early sighting of a solitary butterfly gave way to a further 45 minutes of wandering until we found four additional butterflies on Bilberry in the bottom section of the field.

This one is a different Green Hairstreak to the first two photos, note fewer white spots on the hindwing.

Other than the Green Hairstreak we spotted two Peacock butterflies, a male Kestrel, two Curlews flew overhead down the valley, Chiffchaffs were audible, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren, Blackbird were all present. Heading back, we came to a sheltered hollow where a number of small birds hopped from tree to tree,  Blue Tit, Treecreeper, Robin, Chaffinch, two Siskin and a Warbler. I don't know enough to distinguish between Warblers but was able to note the distinctive descending melodious song which I checked online and am reasonably certain that this is a Willow Warbler, I'd welcome any feedback on this.

Green Hairstreak...they're back

Whilst I was in Northumberland chasing Goldcrest, Andrea was out visiting Otley Chevin where she spotted an early single Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) on a grassy pathway.

The green colouration on the underside of the wing is caused by the diffraction of light on the wing scales. This is bilberry, the larval foodplant where GH's lay their eggs singly. Before pupating the caterpillar crawls to the ground to pupate at the foot of bushes, amongst leaf litter and as adults they tend to remain within a hundred yards of their home ground.

We had some great sightings of Green Hairstreak in this spot last year, and will no doubt be making a return journey in the next few weeks.

Otley Chevin

We spent a  few hours on the allotment this morning where we spotted a Small White & Small Tortoiseshell, Wren, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit.

In the afternoon we drove up to Otley Chevin and walked through the bilberry patch where we saw Green Hairstreaks towards the end of April last year. As expected, the bilberry which is the local foodplant of these butterfly are still a couple of weeks away from flowering, & I didn't manage to find any pupa.  We were pleased to see a couple of Peacock and a mating pair of Small Tortoiseshell and heard our first Chiffchaff of 2012. In the woodland we saw Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Long Tail Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Robin. 

Here's how the bilberry and heather slope looks at present, and here's a link to last year's post about Green Hairstreaks on Otley Chevin dated 27 April.

More information about Green Hairstreak

UK Butterflies

Butterfly Conservation

Green Hairstreaks on Otley Chevin

Having read reported sightings of Green Hairstreak in Otley, we headed straight for the heather and bilberry field as suggested in the Friends of Chevin Forest Wildlife Spotter Guide. On arrival, we noticed an animated binoculared group wandering around the heather, and knew instantly we'd found the spot.   

Within a few minutes we spotted our first Green Hairstreak on the margins of the field. Tricky to spot as they're so small and well camouflaged against the surrounding foliage.

Once we became accustomed to their appearance, flight patterns and their habit of returning to the same vantage point we hunkered down to observe them and try for a few pics.

This one with damage to its hindwing.

The field of heather and bilberry from the lower path, where two Red Kites soared overhead.

Can anybody help me to identify this moth please? Edit - Thanks to Dean for his idenitification of this day flying Common Heath. 

Two Meadow Pipits perched on the lichen covered stone wall at the bottom of the field, we've seen lots of Meadow Pipits before at Otley Chevin and also further up on Ilkley Moor.