Travellers Joy (27th July 2011)

Travellers Joy (27th July 2011)

Old man’s beard, white and spiky,
Lengthening, creeping, along the gryke,
Like arteries or veins, stretching out in silence,
As Clematis do.

Beasts have nibbled the Helliborines,
And they have also had part of you..
Still plenty of white balls, like mistletoe,
Ready to open and spawn the beard.
As Clematis do.

A joy to see by any Traveller, this day,
On this, Lancelot's crazed grey pavement,
Your born from old, so old – World,
So Ancient, as Clematis are….

Scotch Argus (25th July 2011)

Scotch Argus (25th July 2011)

In the glade, on the Knott, is where I saw you last,
This very spot as where you are today,
Dancing and flitting to dodge the cast,
Feels though I’ve never been away.

Twenty, but must be more, more, more,
Hiding, feeding, fighting, flapping and fluttering about,
From here you look black, but I know your not,
You’re a sight for sore eyes, without any doubt….

(Top Photo: taken 2009, Middle and Bottom photo: taken yesterday.) Click over photos once to enlarge and click again if you wish to supersize)

Squinancywort (22nd July 2011)

Squinancywort (22nd July 2011)

On Dalton Crags I looked for thee - Squinancywort,
Where all short grass exposed, I searched but not in sight.
I know you’ve been recorded past, but not here today.

To Trig, and further on the Roof, I found you yet again,
In thousands and thousands you stretched the scree,
By, seventy seven paces across, and Twenty down.

You and your friend, Thyme, have claimed this slope,
And now, Squinancywort you have given us all hope,
For such a rarity as thee, so privileged we are all to see.

(Please click over photos once to enlarge, or click yet again to supersize - Top two photos are Squinancywort and the bottom a Burnet Moth)

Sandside's Sand Leek (20th July 2011)

Sandside's Sandleek (20th July 2011)

Sandside’s Sandleek stands so tall,
Same as last year four to call,
Purply, bulbous, plant so rare,
Must receive the utmost care.

Down the road is Field Garlic,
Near a place which is idyllic,
Over a thousand heads will show,
Through the mixed hedgerow
In bonny Silver – Dale.

(Please click over photos once to enlarge and twice to supersize)

Albino "Wild Thyme" (15th July 2011)

Albino Wild Thyme (15th July 2011)

Time waits for no-man, so they say,
I have searched these limestone ledges for many a day,
And here today you are, staring me in the face,
You must be the rare albino of that race,
A special flower – The Wild Thyme.

A Orchid Feast or a Orchid Famine (12th July 2011)

A Orchid Feast or a Orchid Famine. (12th July 2011)

Last year a million smiling faces shone there on that spot,
All where different, I could get to know each of you with time,
You made it light, you make it cheerful, your pink or lilac, or even white,
It was to be the best you would give, before it became your “last post”.

I came again the following year, excited, can’t wait to see you all again,
But what’s this! How can this be? You have gone away and not returned,
A remnant of you, have managed to get through, to pass the message from all,
Of how this is not what you wanted, and you really did want to be here.
“And so you cry, we cannot see the tears you so cruelly have to bear!
Whilst your dark secrets are underground, strangulation beneath our very feet.

Your very ground, was so sacred and special to some, it now feels so lonely,
Darn the Willow and darn the horsetails, nature can be so cruel, for you,
I shall never forget the old days, of all your smiling delicate defined faces,

(And here are some photos of how it was on July 8th 2010, and also here are two photos of how it was yesterday July 12th 2011 - The Orchids are almost gone..... Click over photos to enlarge, and then click again to supersize)

Dark Green versus High Brown Fritillary

I like many others used to find it very difficult to distinguish between the two butterflies, but now after lots of practice it is not so bad. I tend to use the following guidelines (Please click over sketch to enlarge).

Also check out these photos to show examples side by side: (Click over to enlarge and click again to supersize)

The Dark Green Fritillary on the left of these photos, shows the first black spot on the right forewing, just slightly smaller than the others and dropped down just a little, the fourth spot is very small, but still in a reasonable alignment to the rest of the line. Also there is little in the way of a depletion to the centre edge of the forewing, (perhaps just the slightest).

Yet with the High Brown Fritillary on the right of these photos, you will note again the first dot is small and dropped very low and then you have two average size spots and then another small spot, which is out of alignment with the rest. Also you can probably note the depletion dip in the side of the forewing, whereby with the Dark Green, the forewing edge is more rounded.

The Dark Green underside of the hindwing, is far more dusty green in colour. And also you can see there is white/silver spots to the full trailing edge (7 prominent spots) of the hindwing underside.

The High Brown is far more of a general brown appearance, with far less of the dusty green. And it only has 3 prominent white/silver spots to the full trailing edge (3 prominent spots). Also the High Brown has a row of silver pupilled red spots which show vertical behind the 3 prominent white/silver spots.

Marsh Helliborine (6th July 2011)

Marsh Helliborine (6th July 2011)

Methodically counted One thousand and Fifty flowering spikes,
And more to come, last year it was Six hundred and Twenty Six.
Last year you were in six areas, this year you have Eighteen.
Some of you are tall this year, as tall as you do get,
A few of you have twenty five flowers, mostly down one side,
Far less than that for most of you, for your turn has to come.

Here below are a few photos taken today of the Marsh Helliborine. Please click over photos to enlarge, and click once more to supersize. I have lots more Marsh Helliborine photos plus others which I took today, have yet to sort them, but if you wish to check them out please, they will be available for about two weeks Click Here (131 photos).

Pyramidal (4th July 2011)

Pyramidal (4th July 2011)

Pyramidal, reddish pink to make the boys wink,
You never grow in the same spot twice, but never far away.
You start your life so spiky, then you change your shape,
Your sheathed well up your stalk, like buttoning up a coat,
Your never straight on your stem!, Your always have that kink,
This, and much more is what makes you so special .

Dark Red Helliborine (2nd July 2011)

Dark Red Helliborine (2nd July 2011)

I searched and searched and searched some more,
To find that Orchid so red, it bled,
It was going to be in limestone gryke,
Or on the sides of fallen scree.

For instant, my search, I looked away,
And as if by gleeful chance,
My eyes fell into romantic glance,
For not far in front of me,
I could not help but see,
That Orchid I did search…

For more I searched, and more I found,
Within this rocky limestone ground.
Another three all tucked away,
Did hide as if to provoke delay,
Fear not Orchid I am but your friend,
And now its goodbye, but never the end.

Grayling (1st July 2011)

Grayling – (1st July 2011)

Grayling butterflies must have hatched today,
I have seen them here and seen them there,
On the limestone pavements and on the scree,
You watch them flutter, so fanciful and free.
Then they come down to settle on the ground,
With wings not open but so tightly bound,
And then they fall upon their side.

(Please click over photos to enlarge or click again to supersize) Top photo: Grayling Butterfly, Middle photo: A Web or Nest, and bottom photo: today had this High Brown Fritillary.