Two Quarries

 

My wife and I had a trip to Bishop Middleham and Wingate quarries on the 16^th (she preferred the latter) primarily for the Marbled White butterflies at Wingate. The weather was hot and sunny and the butterflies were reluctant to settle, the ones that did were mainly female. I knew it was late in the season but I still wanted to see if there were any Northern and Brown Argus at Bishop Middleham quarry. There were a few still around as you can see below however if I have the identification wrong, please let me know.

Female Marbled White butterfly

Male Marbled White

Female Marbled White butterfly

Male Marbled White

Small Heath butterfly

How this snail got into this position on this slender bit of grass I will never know.

Looking at the markings on the underside of the wing I think this is a Northern Brown Argus.

Once again looking at the markings this is a Brown Argus and it appears to be laying eggs. As I mentioned in a previous Blog I was speaking to a man about these butterflies and this seems to go against what he said.

Is the fly checking out the Speckled Wood butterfly or is it the other way around?

Six-spot Burnet Moth.

When we were kids, we called these Hairy Caterpillars.

650 up

My first visit to Bowes Valley Nature Reserve (Kibblesworth Brick Ponds) this year was on the 4th of June so I am way behind with my Blog and I know I say it all the time but I will have to stop taking so many pictures.

Four-spotted Chaser

Another posing quite nicely

Four-spotted Chaser photobombed by a Damselfly.

Another with a Large Red Damselfly.

A one in flight

And a mating pair in flight and I nearly got a sharp image of them

I saw both male and female Broad-bodied Chaser but only managed a shot of the male

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Mating pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies? The male seems to have a beetle trapped between its legs

Another mating pair

This time a pair of Azure Damselflies

My first Large Skipper of the year

And my first Small Heath of the year

Nettle Weevil

On the way back to the car, I saw this juvenile Great-spotted Woodpecker poking its head out of its nest hole.

Later the same day I had a walk around Burdon Moor. I was only there a short time and while I was there this Roe Deer was the only thing worth taking a picture of

 

Dragon hunting…

…at Kibblesworth on the 20th. Only one dragon but a few damsels it might still be a bit early “up north“. There were also loads of caterpillar around but not many Butterflies.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser

This Large Red damselfly seems to be struggling to release itself from its larva skin.

A mating pair of Large Reds

A mating pair of Azure Damselflies

Azure Damsel

Azure Damsel

A mating pair of Blue-tail Damselflies

Blue-tail Damselfly

Blue-tail Damselfly

Burnet Moth Caterpillars



Going into the pupa stage

Pupa of a Burnet Moth

Caterpillar

My first Small Heath of the year

My first Orchid of the year

 

Yet another visit…

…to Kibblesworth and this time around there was a Hawker.

Female Emperor Dragonfly laying eggs.

She came a little closer but had her back to me. I moved to get a better angle but she must have moved at the same time and I did not see her again.

Southern Hawker. I managed to rattle off a few shots while it hung on a leaf.

I’m pleased I did because it did not settle again. However, I did get some flight shots.

Male Ruddy Darter.

Female Common Darter.

Another female.

Small Heath butterfly.

And believe it or not, this is my first Small Copper butterfly of the year.