Bishop Middleham Quarry

 A look up to Bishop Middleham Quarry a couple of weeks ago produced some canny butterflies unfortunately I’m not sure if I have Brown Argus or Northern Brown Argus or a mixture of both. There was a profusion of Bee Orchids, I have never seen as many and, once again, I took far too many pictures.

Dark Green Fritillary.

These next few is where I fall down, Brown or Northern Brown Argus?

Common Blue Butterfly.

Female Common Blue Butterfly.

Dingy Skipper.

Six-spot Burnet Moths.

Bee Orchid.

I was walking back…

 …to the car from my walk around Burdon Moor (see previous post) when I came across some bees feeding on the flowers of a Pussy Willow tree. I only had my 500mm lens with me but I thought I would try to get some of the bees flying around the flowers. Some of them were ok so my apologies for posting so many (similar) images on this Blog.

Twizell Wood

 My first visit to Twizell Wood this year on the 19th in the hope of finding my first Damselfly of the season, the Large Red. Unfortunately, it may have been a bit early for them up here as there were none about. However, I did get a few firsts with Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White and Large White Butterflies. Most numerous were the Bee-fly I have never seen as many in one place. All in all, a canny morning out.

Orange-tip Butterfly on a Bluebell.

I followed this Orange-tip and as the sun went briefly behind a cloud it landed, closed its wings…

…and waited until the sun came out again.

Speckled Wood Butterfly.

Green-veined White Butterfly.

It might be a bit early but I think this is a Large White Butterfly. If it is, it was the only one I saw. 

Peacock Butterfly.

Comma Butterfly.

Mating Bee-fly.

A couple of Bee-fly.

They were everywhere.

Here is one with an Eristalis sp. Hoverfly.

Syrphus sp. of Hoverfly.

A Wasp gathering wood presumably to make a nest.

Another species of Hoverfly.

A couple of Spiders.

And I could not resist a picture of the Bluebells.

Daily Exercise

Since the “Lockdown” and as I only live around a mile away my wife and I have been out nearly everyday for a walk around Causey Arch. Here are a few of the images taken on my walks. If we are able, we intend to do more walks around the Causey.

Red Kite with carrion

This Kite also has something in its talons.

Grey Wagtail

Wrens are everywhere.

Long-tailed Tit

Mistle Thrush

Not sure because I didn’t get a good look (or image) but I think Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

Please correct me on the identification of any of these flowers they are not my forte. Lesser Celandine

Wood Anemone

Annual Honesty

The next four images were before the “lockdown”. Yellowhammer

Curlew

Linnet