Welcome

" Welcome to the florafaunauk site , hope you enjoy the pictures and posts giving a detailed insight into the Natural History of our Country throughout the seasons and year "All that the Sun Shines on is beautiful, so long as it is Wild" John Muir "



Thursday 31 May 2012

The Sexton or burying Beetle Nicophorous sp was found today unusually on vegetation likely in anticipation of the oncoming rain . This beetle is a Carrion Beetle and likely more at home underground or on the belly of a dead Crow. Unusally it appeared to respind to the bright flash of the camera jolting when the burst of light was emitted

Sexton Beetle 7298

Thursday 10 May 2012

The Brook Today

Well after Heavy Rains , although not as heavy as throughout April the book is swollen and noisy this is a SEGI Site of Special Geological Interest with much of the Geology being cut out by the fast flowing flash floods generated from the steep surrounding slopes of the Clough. In Summer the Marshy area around the stream is bright orange as a result of the high Iron Ore content . Black coal is also dislodged from the surrounding rock layers

 

Saturday 5 May 2012

More Brook Life.........

Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris found in damp Marshy Ground and sometimes seen in ponds and is a member of the buttercup family Caltha is derived from the Greek for 'goblet'.

Marsh Marigold 1167
Marsh Marigold 1163


Friday 4 May 2012

Owl Midges & Honey Bee

Owl midges, AKA Moth flies, about 3-5 mm This little flies are associated with damp or wet ground and drains and belong to a family known as  Psychodidae   

  Owl Midge 0909


Owl Midge 0908

Also found in the adjacent pasture to the Flowing Beck fuelled by the prolific flowering of Dandelions wwas this busy Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Apis mellifera 0995

Apis mellifera 0990



Thursday 3 May 2012

Yesterdays Butterflies

After the spell of inclement weather and rain Newly emerged Butterflies enjoyed the brief spell of Spring Sunshine here in the North , Flying along the riverine Corridor containing a Beck in a typical northern "Clough" where the following Butterflies  

The nectaring source for this sudden pulse of Lepidoptera was the adjacent pasture containing a flurry of Danfilions

Comma (Polygonia c-album ) worthy to note in passing that the first generation vary from the second generation to the trained eye - a Spring or Autumn comma can sometimes be deduced

Comma 1042

Orange Tips - (Anthocharis cardamines)  Pair just after mating Male with Orange wings , Female with Black and white on Wings , These will be feeding on Cuckoo Flowers and other Brassicaes such as Garlic Mustard

Orange Tip 1005

Peacock - (Inachis io ) Ubiquitous on Budleija b this specimen appears to have one of his fresh wing spots pecked likely by a hungry bird

Peacock 1094


Brimstones , (Gonepteryx rhamni)  whose caterpillars will be availing of Spring Alder Buckthorn and Purging Buckthorn  There is only one brood per year and this is a long lived Butterfly which is seen throughout  the year from March onward Buckthorns Link



Brimstone 1029





Wednesday 2 May 2012

What's In the Beck ???

Todays outstanding sunshine managed to get the Insects moving  what a transformation in a few weeks

From this


Snowy Beck 0600

To This

Royds Hall Beck 0859

In tomorrows post we will post some of the findings but observed today where

Orange Tip
Brimstone
Comma
Peacock

Owl Midge
Eristalis pertinax
Eristalis tenax
Apis mellifera
Bombus pascuorum
Bombus terrestris
Sarcophaga spp


Ramsons
Wood Anemone
Lesser Celandine
Barren Strawberry
Dandelions in Bloom 
Longhorn Moth
Wolf's Bane (Slime Mould) Myxomycetes
Ganoderma


She's A Lady

In the forth coming weeks we will be looking at British Ladybirds , they are about 42 or so British Species and like Shieldbugs they usually make colourful and static photos for Nature Photographers. This one was found toward the end of the year but are currently around in the sunny spells of weather when we get them !!

7-Spot Ladybird 1991

7 Spot Ladybird Face 8074


Not many people rea;ise the Larave of these more colourful creatures look like this

Ladybird Larvae 8034

More to follow in the coming months.......... In the Meantime here is a really useful PDF Chart to help you identify and Record your Findings which you can report the the UK Ladybird Survey