Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds

Strolling through Lawnswood Cemetery, I stood beneath the canopies of a row of Copper Beech and was drawn to the vibrancy of colour present in the spring leaves, more than equal to the saturated warmth of their autumn foliage. High levels of anthocyanin mask the green color of the chlorophyll and are responsible for making the leaves appear as a copper or purple color. Here their colour is further enhanced by early evening sun.  

We continued down the path and disturbed a Red Admiral butterfly, a few metres away from the location of our previous sighting a week or two ago. As it took to the wing, I stood still to watch it loop around and return to the exact same spot at the edge of a headstone. The striking butterfly with its orange banded forewings stood out against the contrasting stone and shadow.

Breary Marsh

Up at Breary Marsh earlier today, Bluebells, Ferns and Greater Stitchwort were all in fine display, enjoying patches of intermittent sunlight prior to the thickening of the canopy.  We heard Warblers, Bullfinch, Chaffinch Robin and Blackbird in the trees, and saw Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Moorhen and Grebe on Paul's Pond.

Greater Stitchwort appeared in patches around edges of the woodland.  Less abundant than those posted by Phil Gates (Cabinet of Curiosities) but equally eye catching.




Speckled Woods and Large Whites were the butterflies of the day. Although present in comparatively smaller numbers the former proved far more obliging than the latter.

Bolton Percy Station - Holly Blue

A trip out to one of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's smaller reserves - Bolton Percy Station, near Tadcaster provided further Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) sightings and this year's first glimpse of a Small Copper.  





Male Holly Blue (Bolton Percy)

Female Holly Blue (Adel)

 





The Holly Blue that we saw at Adel churchyard was a female (see the black border to the upperside forewing in the pic above right), by the lack of a black border on the upperwing of this one (above left) I'd say its a male. 



Also at Bolton Percy Station, our first Small Copper sighting of the year.

A Green Veined White (Pieris napi)







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.

Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds

A wander around the grounds of Lawnswood Cemetery on a sunny afternoon gave us a view of the first Red Admiral of the year. I was pleased with this one because I've previously seen them much later in the season. This one (one of two) proved to be pretty bold and a bit of a show off, and I'm happy to have captured the detail on the underwing.

Bringing new meaning to 'a butterfly on the wing'.

On our return to the same sunny spot the Red Admiral was still there, the sun had moved round by this point so it was sunning itself with open wings on a bed of crisp, golden oak leaves.

A metre or so from the Red Admiral we watched a Holly Blue (two in two days!) flit around the upper branches of a sun drenched holly tree, too restless and too far out of reach for a pic. Within closer viewing distance, we spotted 6 Peacock (Inachis io), along the route, this one showing a little damage to its hindwing.

We must have seen over 30 Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies throughout our wander, bathing in pools of light, and then spiralling high up into the canopies whenever a second butterfly invaded its patch.

Jays are a frequent sight, and today was no exception (10), other feathered inhabitants included Wren (5), Robin (4), Mistle Thrush (2), Wood Pigeon (12) Blackbird (6) Chaffinch (4) Great Spotted Woodpecker (1) Great Tit (10) Blue Tit (8) Long Tail Tit (2) Chiff Chaff (2) Magpie (7) Treecreeper (1) Crow (5).

Ending with a splash of colour, the pink blossom of Sargents Cherry (Prunus sargentii) enhanced by the backlit leaves of a Copper Beech in the background.