Small Pearl Bordered Butterflies, Fly Orchids and Orpine and more

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillery (Click over to enlarge)
Photo:Not todays photo but from my own archive.

Tuesday 30th May 2017 - Whinn Yeates and Newbiggin Crags - Farleton Side 1600hrs to 1730hrs

Went over behind Whinn Yeates and checked out the "Old Lime Kiln" and managed to find a really good show of Ceterach (Rusty Back Fern), Maidenhair Spleenwort, Brittle Bladder Fern and Wall Rue.  Not bad at all for just a small place as this but I also used to get both Black Spleenwort and also Harts Tongue as well!

Here is a nice photo of "Ceterach" and you can see why they also call it Rusty Back Fern.

Rusty Back Fern (Asplenium Ceterach) - Click over to enlarge
This also shows the rear of the plant and why it is called "Rusty Back"

My second reason for coming over to Newbiggin was to get the gps for the "Turtle Stone" for a friend who wants it to complete a "Geotrail" of the area

The Turtle Stone (Click over to enlarge)

Well it was to be yet another soaking, on my way back the heavens opened.

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Wednesday 31st May 2017 - Hutton Roof Common - Checking out the Fly Orchids 0900hrs to 1100hrs

A (new to me) Whitethroat was singing away for a while near to "Line Of Trees" in upper Dalton, I had not had this before this year so that was a cracking record for me, also the other Whitethroat to the top end of Dalton was singing away close to its nesting area, plus a bonus with another bird calling from just over the wall on the Common.

A Cuckoo was calling from down near "Sheepfold" just of the Kirby road down below.  I have never had one calling from here before, so I don't know if we have a new Cuckoo or our Dalton established bird is moving across (about a mile as the cuckoo flies!) also recorded Linnets and Bullfinch. A new site for Tree Pipit on the Common.  Noticed that a quite a lot of Warblers and Pipits and going quieter now.

Managed to find 13 Fly Orchid plants which were all in the deep shade which seems unusual and some of them were new to me, yet I just could not find any at all on the outside, although last year I had recorded 17 plants.  But the ones I did find looked good! I did find the odd plant which looked as though the flowerhead had been nibbled off by a rabbit.

Fly Orchids (Click over to enlarge)

Wednesday 31st May 2017 - Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) - 1300hrs to 1530hrs

Went out checking a couple of pavements (No.1 (with Horatio) and No.2 (with Tortoise Head) and here on pavement 1 I noticed a cracking boulder which for now I have called "Horatio" and here is a photo:

This is Horatio on No.1 Pavement (Click over to enlarge)

I managed to find the following flowers which I think is Hemp Agrimony (Young head), we do have lots of it further over on the Common, but first time I have noticed it on here.

"Hemp Agrimony" (Click over to enlarge)

Another plant I found today was what I believe to be called "Orpine" (Sedium telephium) and its the very first time I have found it on any of the pavement.  At this stage it is very young but looks interesting.  Very strong succulent type which I believe over time will show beautiful red flower heads.  Here is a photo of the plant today:

"Orpine" (Sedium telephium)

A check over the wall into Pickles Wood and lovely to see so many "Sweet Woodruff" flowers coming through, in fact this wood is probably the best around here for Woodruff.  Also loads of Scollie ferns which will get checked over in the coming weeks.  Here is a photo:

My garden today is called Pickles Wood (Click over to enlarge)

Limestone Bedstraw is really getting hold now.  I have checked numerous populations this week on Hutton Roof and they are all of this rare species, when I say rare that's just what they are outside of Hutton Roof but locally common.

Limestone Bedstraw today.

This is Tortoise Head on Pavement 2

On pavement No.2 I had our first of the year "Small Pearl Bordered" Fritilleries but they were far too flitty to be able to photograph so I have put a photo above from previous years. Also some Lily of the Valley is showing, plus lots of Common Rock Rose scattered here and there