Here’s a few photos from our Garden, Denso Marston Nature Reserve & up to Buck Lane footbridge and Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits.
As usual tap on an image to see it in its gallery carousel and then come back to read the words.
Just the one photo from our garden. A female Holly Blue butterfly. I’m still hoping that one of these will stay still enough so that I can get a decent photo.
The leaves on a Sycamore tree next to the path to Denso Marston Nature Reserve looked as though they were getting a bit sticky and underneath many of the leaves were winged Aphids and lots of tiny pale Aphids. Other insects spotted were Green Dock Beetles, some looking ready to burst, Heather Beetles, Froghopper (inside its foam) and several Ladybirds. I don’t know if it was a delay in me getting my eye in but it took me a while to spot any Damselflies but once I had there seemed to be lots of them. Azure Damselflies and Large Red Damselflies. Right on the edge of the river I spotted a Banded demoiselle.
The plant life on the reserve has really shot up over the last few days. It is now much more difficult to spot wildlife. Many plants and trees had Flower Fairies pictures tied to them for a walk that the warden, Steve, was going to be doing later.
The next lot of photos are from Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits on the River Wharfe.
It was quiet. No Grey Heron, no Little Egret, though Chiffchaff, Wren, Willow Warbler, Blackbird and Robin were busy singing. At the far end I sat on the bench looking for Sand Martins and hoping for a Kingfisher. Very few Sand Martins and no Kingfisher. I did spot a vee travel across the river and hoped it was an Otter. I have not seen an Otter in real life but I have seen Mink on numerous occasions and the swimming looked familiar. Looking at the photos later confirmed it. It was a Mink.
On the way back to the car a Red Kite circled a few times. During my visit I had seen their shape way in the distance but this was close enough to get decent shots of it.
During this visit to the river Aire I walked down to the Buck Lane footbridge where I tried again to capture horse riders on the bridge. Unfortunately I was halfway across the Cadisfly infested bridge when the horses came along so I was quickly backing up to get the composition I wanted. It’s not quite there so I will keep trying. I then walked along the East side of the canal towards Shipley for a few yards. One of the small Oak tress had a lot of Wasp Galls growing on it.
I then walked back down past the Hirst Mill weir with the Heron into the reserve again. The tiny fish in the beak of the Crow looks as though it has just been squeezed – water is squirting out of its mouth.
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