WARTON CRAG - A Butterfly day...17th May 2010...

It was a very nice day with lots of activity. I started off from the small quarry car park on the right hand side, just after going up the side of the George Washington Pub. Here I climbed up the rough area and eventually onto the main terraces which run high up along the back of the large quarry below. Going further down to get good views of Jenny Browns point, then retracking back and up onto the higher level before taking a sort of circular walk, eventually bringing me down amongst mature woodland and back....

Straight away it was very pleasing to see so many Early Purple Orchids, probably thousands if the count was known. But beside these there where all the regular stuff for the time of year eg: Lords & Ladies, Bugle, etc; but also a very impressive show of young fresh Birdsfoot Trefoil lining and edging the main sloping terraces. In a small floret of primula, I guess this one thought it should have been a "Birds Eye".

Also on these early slopes I saw two Pearl Bordered Fritallaries in superb condition (see photo) and besides these I also had throughout my walk other butterflies eg: Green Hairstreak (perhaps about four pairs) all chasing after one another as though they where fighting or mating, but now and again they would settle and feed on the bramble which lies to the back of the footpath which is fenced off from the large quarry down below. At this same point I had about ten Small Heaths, also there where Common Blues, Speckled Woods, Small Whites, Orange Tips- males.


There seems to be far more Garden Warblers, than Blackcaps, with maybe at least six singing birds, yet only a couple of singing Blackcaps. Also about three Chiffchaffs and numerous Willow Warblers, and one Lesser Whitethroat....

The views from up here are excellent or should I say superb, I was suprised to see that they are already cutting their fields for early silage (see photo)....

Added: from 2000hrs - 2200hrs. Me and Sandra had walk around Leighton Moss causeway to the Public Hide and then on the back to the Lower Hide. At the Lower Hide we had just missed seeing a Otter which was seen to swim in front of the hide and go to the rear of the mere... As usual the place was swarming with lots of flies, and could be unpleasant walking through them at times. There was again no roding Woodcock to be seen or heard which was a little dissapointing. We heard about 15 different Sedge Warblers singing, throughout our walk which was very nice. Alson we saw, Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Geese, Mute Swans, Coots, Moorhens, Pochard, Shoveler (4). Lots of Black Headed Gulls sitting tight on nest on small islets in front of Public Hide.