White Moss & Trowbarrow Quarry.. 24th May 2010

Another super day with sunshine and warm. Started off at White Moss and did the usual circular walk. The Toothwort is still going strong, though well past its best dates. Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers and one Blackcap heard singing, also a Treecreeper. Also: Red Campion and Ramsons and the usuals.... also: Buzzard, Grey Squirrel, 3 Speckled Wood Butterflies, Orange Tip Butterflies and lots of Whites. Large Hawker Dragonflies along the dyke...

An hour or so later and made my way to Trowbarry Quarry, and straight away a Shelduck took off from somewhere where it must have been perched on the Quarry!! also lots of feral pigeons and Jackdaws with the squaking young.. their calls at times sound rather eerie with the strange echoes made from within this old quarry.

Also had a Dingy Skipper which was feeding on the Birdsfoot Trefoil. Had lots of Common Blues, maybe up to about 20, the majority (18) were females, with two lovely blue males..

Found at two separate points Common Twayblade, which still needs to open up yet, probably about two weeks away for best.

Again quite a few Hawker dragonflies, and lots of Common blue damselflies, (see photo of female above right).

(Click over photos once, and then once again for full enlargement)

Pond skaters are skating,
Crows are cawing,
Hover flies are hovering, and,
Humming as well….

The Treecreepers trilling, whilst,
Climbing his tree.
The Rabbit is running,
The Pheasant is shrieking,
Whilst the Squirrel is bounding away….

The Raven is honking,
The Buzzard is mewing whilst,
Circling above.
Large Whites, Small Whites, Orange Tips and
Speckled Woods all flutter disorderly away….

This all went on in the ten minute slot,
At the White Moss plot to-day….
White Moss – May 2010.