Baildon Peace Garden and Bracken Hall Farm in July

After the building of the new Baildon Community Link and the demolition of the old decontamination centre that had been used the space was turned into a Peace Garden. On Sunday I had reason (Ingress) to be near there and I just happened to have my camera with me fitted with a macro lens.

You should be able to click on the images to view them, better quality, in their gallery.

The plants in the Peace Garden are what you would expect of a wild patch that is mown occasionally to encourage the wild flower variety. In the past it had been sown with wild/cottage garden varieties but I guess it is more sustainable now. Lots of long grass , Ragwort, Thistles, Scabious with Meadow Brown, Ladybird, Tortoiseshell, Small Copper, Ringlet and Small Skipper. I also found a few small Cinnabar Moth caterpillars.

During this trip out I also called in Roberts Park and noticed a Black Headed Gull on Sir Titus Salt.

On Monday, after snapping a sunny Tortoiseshell in our garden I took my camera out, this time I spotted several butterflies in a patch of Thistle, grass and Ragwort next to Bracken Hall Farm and The Welcome Way. Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown and Small Copper. Checking on the Ragwort showed Cinnabar Moth caterpillar that were much bigger than the few I found at the Peace Garden.

I then went along Glen Road towards Bingley Road and spotted a Red Kite gliding along. It landed in the field at Glovershaw. Not something I often see. Looking through my long lens showed something on the ground near it. The Red Kite was soon being mobbed by a Black Backed Gull and a couple of Crows. It jumped up a couple of times to fend them off but then decided to fly off. The Black Backed Gull landed and started pulling at what was on the ground. It soon became apparent what it was – a dead Rabbit. It was watched by a couple of Crows and totally ignored by the Sheep.

Given that I have seen Black Backed Gulls pulling chunks off dead Seals, swallowing Rabbits whole and similar antics I was a little surprised that all the bird seemed to be able to do was pull bits of fur off. I suppose its persistence would be rewarded but I didn’t stay around to find out.