10/7/23 Risby Warren and Alkborough Flats

Monday morning I went with Ricky, across the Humber Bridge, for our annual visit to Risby Warren. This had been forecast as an unsettled week but this morning it was dry if rather windy. There were plenty of butterflies on site.

Gatekeeper-I had seen a few already in Cottingham

Green-veined White which was my 1st for a few weeks

Small White-currently fairly numerous

Small Skipper-again seen a few in the last week or so

Small Copper-this site has always been good for this species but I’ve seen a few in Cottingham earlier this year.

Small Tortoiseshell-generally numerous

Not a particularly good site for birds but nice to see breeding Stonechat in the same area as last year.

My 1st Small Heath this year but common on site.

Our target was Grayling so we walked towards the “dunes” where we had seen them previously seeing goods of Silver Y moths on the way. The only other moths seen were two Yellow Shell. We could hear what we believe was a rabbit shoot in the area so approached with caution but it was in fact “blanks” used to train Spaniels to retrieve.

Found several Grayling, the 1st made easy as it was showing the bright forewing but the 2nd less obvious as it showed only the hindwing and was typically very settled.

Like everywhere Meadow Brown was very common, the one below only showing the hindwing, a potential confusion for anyone unfamiliar with Grayling.

The site is also known for interesting plants but I’m not a botanist so made do with just Viper’s-bugloss.

Next to Alkborough Flats.

My 1st Ruddy Darter this year on the path to Prospect Hide

I hadn’t been here for 2 years and noticed the reedbed in front of Prospect Hide was much thicker restricting viewing somewhat and although we heard and glimpsed several Bearded Tit they were now harder to see well. Fortunately I had seen them well recently on my side of the Humber at Welton Waters.

Bearded Tit at Welton Waters-22/6/23

Eleven Spoonbill were viewable from the hide later joined by number twelve.

Spoonbills with a few Lapwing-Alkborough Flats

Apart from Lapwing the only other waders were a single Ruff and Curlew. A fairly poor showing for a reserve often good for waders. Also had at least one Marsh Harrier and few Little Egret.

16/6/23 Black Hairstreak at Chambers Farm Wood

Black Hairstreak has only a short flight period so with them reported at Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire, and with thunder storms forecast from Sunday Ricky and I arranged to go on Friday. A good hot clear morning and on arrival the first person we saw told us they were currently showing well so we had a brisk walk to the the ‘crossroads”. The first time I have hurried for a butterfly, instead of a bird, and on arrival had the feel of a proper twitch with numerous cameras pointing into the vegetation although admittedly in nothing like the number at a rare bird. Also a little more amenable? Hairstreaks in my experience are usually high up, mobile and hard to photograph but these were often low and static although often tricky to get a clear view. Counted at least half a dozen.

Black Hairstreak on Blackthorn

Went to the butterfly garden for lunch. A few Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth were on Red Valerian by the car park.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth on Red Valerian

By the drying up pond we had a Large Red Damselfly, one of a very few dragonflies we saw.

Large Large Red Damselfly

Also Mullein caterpillar on the food plant.

Mullein caterpillar

Swallow on wire above the Butterfly Garden

Went to the meadow to look for Marsh Fritillary. Late for them with only a few worn individuals but lucky found one not too bad.

Marsh Fritillary

We had seen a large number of small moths flying around tall oaks opposite the carpark and the smaller Oaks by the meadow allowed me to identify them as Green Oak Tortrix.

Green Oak Tortrix-a potential pest in large number

Like everywhere butterfly numbers were low with the only other species seen being Speckled Wood, a Brimstone, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.

Meadow Brown [left] and Large Skipper [right]

Fortunately we left early as Humber Bridge was closed meaning a long diversion via the M180/M18/M62.

12/6/23 Small Blue butterfly in North Yorkshire

The cool spring has continue at least in coastal Yorkshire with an insect equivalent of the silent spring and lucky to see one butterfly a day usually Holly Blue in my garden. Things started to warm up on Friday afternoon and although still only a few butterflies it did include my first Large Skipper while walking the dog in Cottingham.

Large Skipper-Cottingham-9/6/23

With this in mind Ricky arranged to take me to Farnham for the sole tiny colony of Small Blue in Yorkshire on Monday. Working from a photograph Ricky copied from a fellow butterfly and orchid lister at Yatts Farm last year we managed to match the image to the verge at the entrance to the village on the Knaresborough road. The sort of verge many will envy with Pyramidal Orchid and Common Rose-rose as well as Small Blue food-plant, Kidney-vetch.

Pyramidal Orchid [left] and Common Rock-rose [right].

However although covered with damselflies we found no butterflies.

I walked further out of the village until it matched the photo and soon found a Large Skipper and a few Mint Moth.

Mint Moth

I then had a small dark butterfly that in flight was similar to Brown Argus but once settled was a Small Blue.

Two different Small Blue on Kidney-vetch

I urgently hailed Ricky but fortunately the butterfly, although often deep in cover, remained in the same small area all the time we were on site. Found a second one nearby but only briefly. Their sedentary nature and likely small number made us realise how lucky we had been to even see one. Also had a few Meadow Brown, my first this year, but in general very few butterflies for this time of year.

Meadow Brown

No birds in this blog but many listers will recognise this view from the first Pacific Diver twitch in January 2007.

Farnham sailing club, opposite the Small Blue site

18/5/23 Appleton Le Moors and Pickering Woods

Up to the middle of May it has been generally cool and overcast and not good for butterflies however last Thursday was forecast to be brighter and warm so I arranged to go up to Pickering with Ricky to check a new site for Duke of Burgundy Fritillary. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t too good early and on reaching Appleton Le Moors it was mild but dull. Quickly got Small Tortoiseshell and Orange-tip as well as Brown Silver-line moth but no sign of Pearl Bordered Fritillary for which this site is the best known in Yorkshire.

Brown Silver-line-a moth and male Orange-tip butterfly

Had my first orchid of the year.

Early Purple Orchid-likely my first.

Wasn’t looking to brighten anytime soon so headed for the Pickering. Took some time, with some help, to find the site and had some rain as we parked up but soldiered on up the track but again only had a few commoner butterflies. However it did brighten for a while which brought out the Common Lizards. These were to skittish but Slow Worm lived up their name only slowly burrowing into the vegetation.

Slow Worm-a first for both of us.

It clouded over as we walked back but kept looking for the Cowslip on which the “duke” was supposed to feed but they seemed to have gone over. Eventually I found one and while Ricky was checking out a Bee-fly he saw a Duke of Burgundy Fritillary on a nearby flower. Eventually had four and few good shots.

Duke of Burgundy Fritillary

We headed back to Appleton Le Moors and met a couple of blokes who had just seen a few fritillaries.

The dell at Appleton Le Moors where the fritillaries are best looked for.

After a while we connected although saw only one or two.

Pearl Bordered Fritillaries-a new one for me

Yellowhammer-have to one bird but nothing unusual seen today.

7/7/22 Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit and Snuff Mill Lane, Cottingham-updated version

Finally after several days of cool, cloudy and often windy weather Thursday was warm so Ricky and I decided to go Kiplingcotes to get pictures of Marbled White.

Plenty on the wing as well as several other butterfly species.

Marbled White

Meadow Brown

Ringlet

Common Blue

Small Heath

Also plenty of skippers including at least one Essex, my first in many years. Unfortunately couldn’t get a sharp picture. Six-spot Burnet were also abundant, my first this year.

Six-spot Burnet moth

We had been too early on our last visit but there were now a large number of Pyramidal Orchid and a past its best Common Spotted Orchid.

Pyramidal Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid

Carline Thistle

Moved on to Rifle Butts to check the nearby stream for dragonflies. None seen so decided to return to Cottingham and have a look at the private pond on Snuff Mill Lane. A Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling the pond but never settled in sight but a Black-tailed Skimmer was more obliging.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Also plenty of damselflies.

Azure Damselflies

Common Blue Damselflies

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Also several “red-eyed” damselflies on the lilly-pads. Later at home found the majority were Small Red-eye Damselflies, my first [and maybe the first] record in the village.

Small Red-eye Damselfly

Red-eye Damselfly

Also had a few butterflies.

Small Skipper

Gatekeeper

We then went across the tracks to check the Wych Elm for the recent White-letter Hairstreaks.

White-letter Hairstreak

11/7/22 After a message from Mac on Twitter, too late for me to respond, on Sunday I cycled up Snuff Mill Lane late afternoon Monday and almost immediately got a Purple Hairstreak in the large oak just south of the crossing. Came low a few times but only ever settled high up but slightly easier to photograph than the other hairstreak.

Purple Hairstreak-Snuff Mill Lane, Cottingham

Went back across the tracks but couldn’t locate any White-letter Hairstreak but the even light make the area I’ve previously seen them difficult to view.

Red Admiral-Snuff Mill Lane, Cottingham

Speckled Wood -Snuff Mill Lane, Cottingham

30/6/22 Risby Warren and Crowle Waste/Thorne Moor

Headed to North Lincolnshire with Ricky on Thursday morning.

Risby Warren

First call was Risby Warren and although fairly overcast we had plenty of butterflies but nothing new initially.

Ringlet

Small Skipper on Viper’s-bugloss

Meadow Brown

Small Heath

Small White

Also my first Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort but only one moth found.

Cinnabar caterpillars on Ragwort

Also had Brown Silver-line.

Brown Silver-line moth

We headed to the sand hummocks where we saw Grayling last year and I put up a butterfly which I couldn’t immediately say was one but which looked different from anything I’d seen that day. Fortunately it landed nearby and its id was confirmed.

Grayling

Only saw one other but mission accomplished and managed to see in Yorkshire.

Walking back through longer grass we put up a few large orange butterflies. We had seen Dark-green Fritillary here last year and eventually found a few, including a pair, on the ground and confirmed our initial suspicion.

Dark-green Fritillary

Grasshopper species, possibly Mottled. Any suggestion appreciated.

Walking back we came across a pair of Stonechat, presumably feeding young.

Male Stonechat

Headed to Crowle where fortunately Crowle Waste is well signed as the route was like a maze. Cloud had built up and rain looked likely but there were still plenty of butterflies on the wing but again the usual fare.

Green-veined White

Having only seen Common Hawker at time when I wasn’t too interested I was on the look for dragonflies. Had two darters which on closer inspection were both Ruddy rather than Common.

Immature male Ruddy Darter

Male Ruddy Darter

Had a few damselflies including Blue-tailed.

Also a few moths including Common Carpet and my first Clouded Border of the year.

Clouded Border moth

Eventually made it to Thorne Moors. Had a look on a large area of water where there were a good number of “hawker-type” dragonflies. Likely Emperor but too distance to identify. Only bird seen was a Tufted Duck. Leaving the hide Ricky picked out a butterfly on the path which then flew to nettles. Our only Large Heath of the day as well as my first since I took a serious interest in butterflies.

Large Heath butterfly.

We tried to get closer to the water to try and get closer to the dragonflies but didn’t manage. Decided to retrace our route before we got lost. Had a Black-tailed Skimmer on the Crowle Waste boardwalk.

Black-tailed Skimmer

Xylota sylvarum-a hover fly

22/6/22 Ellerburn Bank and Fen Bog

Although plenty of butterflies at Ellerburn Bank YWT there was nothing unusual.

Painted Lady

Common Blue

Small Heath

Small Tortoiseshell

Red Admiral

Also large numbers of Common Spotted Orchid and a few fenced off Bee Orchids.

Common Spotted Orchid

Bee Orchid

Greater Knapweed

At Fen Bog YWT it was nice see on the breeding ground birds I usually only see as migrants or winter visitors including Stonechat, Whinchat and displaying Siskin.

Stonechat-Fen Bog YWT

We headed for the bog to look for Large Heath but although different from those we see further south all that I photographed were identified as Small Heath.

Small Heath-Fen Bog YWT-different from those I usually see including earlier at Ellerburn Bank.

Juvenile Meadow Pipit on the track of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Had a single Keeled Skimmer in the exactly the same spot we had seen them last year but the water level was very low.

Keeled Skimmer-Fen Bog YWT

Walking back to the carpark I saw a strange “stick” on the path between me and Ricky. Looking closer I saw it was an Adder, a first for me. Initially I thought it was dead but showed no sign of injury and hadn’t been there earlier. Shortly though after presumably playing dead it slivered off into cover.

Adder-Fen Bog YWT

Nearby we had a Common Lizard in deep cover.

Plenty of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries near the carpark but very mobile and hard to get a good photograph.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary-Fen Bog YWT

Went across the road to check the stream for Golden-ringed Dragonflies but none were present. While looking though I located a Spotted Flycatcher on a fence over the stream before flying to trees further away. Another bird that I now usually only see on migration.

Spotted Flycatcher near Fylingdales RAF

Also a very smart singing Whinchat.

Whinchat near Fylingdales RAF

Found a Brown Silver-line moth, a species I’ve previously seen 3 times in Cottingham.

Brown Silver-line near Fylingdales RAF

Managed to see both Large and Small Skipper in the area for the first time this year.

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Orchids, Butterflies and Moths in Yorkshire

It all started early afternoon Tuesday 7th June 2022 when Ricky rang to say he had found some Common Spotted Orchids in Cottingham.

Common Spotted Orchid-Cottingham

Moved on to another site in the village where I had seen a single spike of Southern Marsh Orchid.

Southern Marsh Orchid-Cottingham

Nearby were several Fox-and-cubs, an naturalised garden plant

Fox-and-cubs-Cottingham

At a third site, where I’d seen orchids last year, we failed to find any.

On Wednesday afternoon see went to Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit YWT where we failed to find Early Purple Orchid but plenty of butterflies and moths. See the account here.

On Friday we went further afield starting at Fordon Chalk Banks, a top Yorkshire Butterfly site. A very steep valley and hard going. Had two Marbled Whites, early and the first record on site this year, but too active to photograph but got several other species including my first Brown Argus and Painted Lady this years.

Small Heath

Brown Argus

Common Blue

Speckled Wood

Painted Lady

Also a few moths including my first Silver-ground Carpet this year and Mother Shipton which I’d seen earlier this year at Chambers Wood Farm.

Mother Shipton

Silver-ground Carpet

Nothing unusual bird-wise but there were a good number of Lesser Whitethroat and Yellowhammer.

Lesser Whitethroat-Fordon Chalk Bank

Yellowhammer-Fordon Chalk Bank

We had hoped to see Frog Orchid but despite getting directions from two people including one doing a survey of butterflies we failed to find the site.

Common Rock-rose. Found plant of Brown Argus.

Moved to Yatts Farm hoping for better luck. This time fortunately there were people already looking at the Greater Butterfly-orchids. Good thing as small, inconspicuous and we off the track.

Greater Butterfly-orchid-Yatts Farm

Also Common Twayblade nearby which I managed to locate independently! Previously seen this orchid at Tophill Low NR.

Common Twayblade-Yatts Farm

Initially failed to self find our main quarry-Fly Orchid-eventually locating them at the beginning of the valley we’d walked well done. Again small and inconspicuous.

Fly Orchid-Yatts Farm

Also had a few butterflies including Brimstone and Dingy Skipper.

Dingy Skipper

Brimstone

Back in Cottingham I took the dog out and check the site of my Southern Marsh Orchid where I had my first Meadow Brown for the year as well as Large Skipper and a likely Brown Argus. I had seen several on this site last two years although the land-owner had moored the area shortly after finding them last year.

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Red-tailed Bumblebee