A Summers Spring

Wednesday, May 4th 2016

What a glorious day! If the wind had not been blowing it would have felt like late Spring.
The moth trap yielded a few more moths this morning, mainly Hebrew Character and Clouded Drab, but also Lead Coloured Drab and Early Tooth-Stripe, so the milder evenings are starting to show what we really should be getting for this time of year.

We had a good look around the reserve to see what was now about. A Tawny Owl took flight from the conifer plantation above Risedale Beck and the woodland floor was littered with Wood Sorrel and Wood Anemone in full flower.

A Speckled Wood took flight along our path and settled long enough for this photo to be taken.

Down by the Lake Hide the Moorhen bobbed about with her seven chicks, and the Dabchick seemed to be hanging out with the Mallards.

As we walked the Moorland, Dog Violet, Globe flower, Yellow Primrose and Bluebells dominated . We surveyed the site of where the new stone circle is going to go, and ensured that the bluebells are at present on the outside of the area to be disturbed. Coming back we noticed a small blue butterfly flit past, sadly not settling for us to get a photo, but Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacocks were out.

Greater Stitchwort (above), stood out next to the path as we made our way back to the field centre where the honey bees were busy in and out of the hive trying to recoup lost foraging time from the last weeks cold winter like weather. Hopefully their numbers will also increase.

The photo below is an Ichnuemon of the Coelichneumon genus, this female wasp hunts for moth larvae to lay her eggs in, which her larvae then consume whilst feeding on the live caterpillar.

Thank you to Elizabeth, Ruth, Jenny and the moth gang Glennis and Joan for their help today.

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