It was a nice hot day and I enjoyed being an Englishman. To get to the Butterfly Meadow I went via platform 5 of the station and looked over the fence towards the rock face leading up to the cemetery. I saw some of the brambles twitching and had visions of a little Harvest Mouse climbing the branches to eat the Blackberries. I spotted a little ear and a foot, and then a dark eye. It took me a few seconds to see the extent of the fur, but once I did I realised that it was a rat so I lost interest.
Shipley Station Butterfly Meadow
On this visit to the Shipley Station Butterfly Meadow I didn’t spot any Burnet or Cinnabar Moths or their caterpillars. I did see several Small Skippers though and a couple of Grasshopper varieties. This time I did take a closer look at the Susan Stead memorial plaque
In loving memory of Susan Stead
1941-2022
This beautiful meadow is here thanks to Susan who loved and cared for it
Bradford Urban Wildlife Group
Butterfly Conservation
Potters Pits
At Potter’s Pits I was a little surprised to come away without any scratches or stings. The pathway in is narrow, and the nettles and thistles are quite high and some branches from the brambles were across the path ready trip you or spike you if you didn’t step over them. The place was busy with bees and as I walked I could see grasshoppers jumping out of the way.
Quite a few Ringlet Butterflies were flitting around and several small butterflies. I had to stay still and quiet for a while before I some were close enough for me to identify them. Gatekeepers, Small Copper and Small Skippers.
I kept looking at the Ragwort for caterpillars and eventually spotted a Cinnabar Moth caterpillar.
Denso Marston Nature Reserve
From Potter’s Pits I went down to Denso Marston Nature Reserve for a few minutes
There are still plenty of Damselflies and a few Dragonflies. The Dragonflies flit around and because of the glint of the sun on them I find it difficult to identify them. From the glimpses of colour, and knowing what I have seen there in the past and what others have reported, the brown suggests Brown Hawker and the Southern Hawker. I didn’t see where any settled and getting a photo of one flying is tricky to say the least so no photos yet.
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