Moving Slowly Through Spring

Saturday, April 23rd 2022

The forecast suggests cold winds from the north east, very little rain and overall cool temperatures for the next few days.  So far Common Toads have not yet spawned in the Scrapes.  Common Frog tadpoles hatched but disappeared to the bottom of the ponds as they should and usually do, but so far they have not shown themselves swimming freely around.  Damselflies have been reported from further south but we will have to be patient before ours return.

Watch for the House Martins and Swallows feeding and collecting mud, especially at Spigot Mere.  Although nature is a little slow in some areas, reports of Lapwing chicks out on the training area are coming in.  The Swaledale Bird Ringers will soon be out monitoring the moorland waders, along with the owl boxes.

Some flowers do not seem to mind the cold as long as they have a little bit of sunshine.  Wood Anemone just appear!  One day they are not there the next, a small area is covered with their white petals and yellow stamens.

A surprise was the open flower of Greater Stitchwort.

The Cherry trees are in blossom providing food for hungry bees and other insects.

Once the sun warms some of the glades the butterflies appear.  A Brimstone was spotted but it had no intention of hanging around for a photo to be taken.  An Orange Tip butterfly sat beautifully with its wings open and the orange tips on show, but it was behind lots of vegetation so again no photograph.  Finally a Comma landed on Blackthorn to feed (you can see the proboscis deep into the flower) and although above my height it co-operated, pointed slightly downwards and opened its wings.

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