First of the year Dark Red Helliborine in flower

The very first of the year in flower

I thought perhaps a visit to the other side (Clawthorpe Side) of Hutton Roof, to a area I have always called "Mossy Stones". I found lots of Dark Red Helliborines (Epipactis atrorubens) today, and most of them were showing there heads to be at the five past the clock position. Just this one (photo above) was "early" and in flower, all the rest would be at least a week before being ready.  

Common Rock Rose

I was out looking for Common Rock Rose which I have been surveying and recording. And today I did manage to find another six small colonies offering yet another ten square metres of spread out flowers.  The sun was not shining today and so I never had any "Northern Brown Argus butterflies" taking advantage of the Rock Rose. 

Also covering this territory I am always on the look out for the rare Birds Foot Sedge.  I did manage to find one new location which has five clumps.

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary

Lots of Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries were showing and seemed fairly easy to photograph today, but did not have any of the larger Dark Green Fritillaries on this side of Hutton Roof. Other butterflies today included lots of Ringlets and a pair of fighting Speckled Woods and a Small Heath.

A new site for the Tree Pipit was recorded and I did manage to see three Long Tailed Tits in the same tree as a pair of Willow Warblers.  Also a new site for the Chiffchaff.  Also yaffling today was a Green Woodpecker and calling Redpoll overhead. 

Other plants recorded today were: Squinancywort, Limestone Bedstraw, Dropwort, Pignut, Birds Foot Trefoil, Slender St. John's Wort, Tormentil, Eyebright (sp), Wild Thyme, Broad Leaved Helliborine, Lily Of The Valley (gone over of course) Mountain Melick Grass. 

Slender St. John's Wort (Hypericum pulchrum)

This is a weird "unusual" thing, obviously a early day Broad Leaved
Helliborine well grooved leaves and well rounded and well bitten!