An influx of Butterflies

I've been hearing about the influx of Painted Lady butterflies in the UK, the first on this scale in about ten years and just in time for the Big Butterfly Count too. They are few and far between in my area normally and I think in recent years i've only seen one in the garden.

Butterflies in general have been a little quiet on the patch and certainly in the garden, I think we were spoiled with the heat bringing them all out last year. Despite that we do in small numbers regularly have Peacock, Comma, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Small and Large Whites the odd Red Admiral and two Green-veined Whites, which landed long enough in a tree for me to ID them! A Small Skipper landed briefly on one of the Buddleia bushes and we've had a few Burnet Moths too.

Comma

Small Tortoiseshell

Peacock

Green-veined White

Large White

Comma

Burnet Moth

Large White

Finally we had Painted Ladies last week, just two in the garden, but they lingered a while. Walking to work though i'm seeing them everywhere, Buddleia bushes are covered and early in the morning they are sat sunning themselves on the flowers. A bush by work has been covered in all sorts of butterflies including many Painted Ladies. My boss thought they'd had one in their garden, but it turned out to be a Small Tortoiseshell so he was quite pleased when I showed him all the ones by work!

Some of the photos are from my phone so not the best but I don't usually carry my camera when i'm going to work.

We've also had so many large moths in the garden, they love the Buddleia also, i've tried to take a few photos - with a torch and my phone but they aren't the best. I need to work on ID's too! The same night as I was trying to get photos a pair of Hedgehogs were snuffling around the nearby flower bed, we have two or three nearly every night, there's been a lot of mating behaviour so it would be wonderful to see youngsters at some point.

On the patio a pair of slugs were mating, this is not something i've seen before! Though i'm not sure we need many more slugs right now!

Elsewhere around the garden we had the usual birds with odd rarer visitor - Chaffinch, Greenfinch and just recently a few young Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, as is usual at this time of year.

A family of Mistle Thrush has been around the street, i've not seen any in the garden, but these two were on the neighbours house

Goldfinch on the feeder by the front window, a sneaky shot as they are flighty!

Dunnock

Starling

Willow Warblers, though my photos don't do the bright yellow justice

And finally a Sparrowhawk which sailed through the garden!

Fairburn Ings

The weather last weekend decided be typically bank holiday like and was wet and windy with few sunny spots in between. Of course we're out regardless!

We did try for the Night Heron that has been seen around the far end of the lake for some time now but it is quite elusive and stayed well hidden whilst we were there. We don't often explore that end of the reserve but it was full of birdsong - Wren, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Dunnock.....

Whitethroat 

We saw lots of beetles in the plants along the paths

Cardinal Beetle

Cormorant

The view from Charlies Hide

This Red Kite appeared above us over Cutt Lane

I didn't take too many photos as we walked around the main part of reserve, the rain over the Coal Tips was persistent and I kept the camera under cover. From the Pick up hide we watched Sand Martins fly in and out of the bank, a Pheasant was hunkered down doing the if I don't move they can't see me thing.... We could hear a Cuckoo calling up near the Coal Tips, we heard one (or maybe two) as we walked around but didn't manage to see one. We were surrounded by Swifts as we walked, being high up the Swifts are pretty much head height!

We ate lunch in the car at Lin Dyke and the rain stopped but it was dull and cloudy still. A Chiffchaff was calling by the entrance and then past the bridge a Willow Warbler was singing.

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Damselflies

Little Egret

Little Ringed Plover

A Bufflehead duck was on the water at Lin Dyke, I believe it's been around a while and is no doubt from a private collection somewhere. You can just see it near the end of the spit here (if you use a magnifying glass)

Orange-tip Butterfly

My daughter took these two

I'm not sure what this bee is

Froghopper

And finally as we were about to leave the sun was shining!

Goldfinch