Thursday 14 June 2012

Henry VIII and Some beautiful pavements.


0900hrs - 1230hrs.
Chiffchaff Craggy singing from the East side of Plain Quarry on my arrival. Checked out some of the lower Dalton Crags which I had missed off earlier and found some more Limestone Polypody Fern and some Angular Solomen's Seal. I was watching a Shrew for ages, it ran straight in front of me and never seemed to mind my presence though only perhaps a metre away, obviously totally unaware. It was investigating holes etc and got its head stuck down one for what seemed ages, but did eventually get loose after a couple of minutes. Then it dissapeared down another crevice between a couple of limestone boulders.

Then entering Dalton deforested (upper), it became extremely windy and noisy with it, you could not hear or see any birds around.
Checked out the left side of the fragmented pavements and outcrops. Recorded another three sites for the "Hairy Rockcress", also four colonies of "Lily Of The Valley". A couple of these sites came in at 20ft diameter. Also a great suprise with some "Common Twayblade" and also some Bittercress. And just a little "Limestone Polypody". Also more Mountain Melick Grass.

Also had one Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, lots of Small Heaths throughout and several Speckled Wood Butterflies. Also had the Cinabar (Tyria jacobaeae) and a Clouded Magpie Moth (Abraxas sylvata).

Found more and more beautiful little Limestone pavements in the Dalton Crags areas, check out these photos.

It was also a great pleasure to meet up with Henry VIII who was also up there, pity he's turned to stone (see photo).

Also some nice limestone photos.