Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidal

Hawthorn Shieldbug Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. Family: Acanthosomatidae. Feeding on Rosehip one of two generations

Scenes in the Meadow

Our Grassland Butterlies are currently at a peak particularly with the last few fine days - even driving dowwn the Purple Hairstreaks for a glimpse on the lower Oak Boughs Below is an unfortunate Ringlet feeding on a patch of Ragwort amongst the tall meadow grass that was being mobbed by a Meadow Brown and in another clip by a particularly voracious Small Copper

 

Grassland Skipper Feeding

 A summer butterfly of grassland

2069 The Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae

The Striking Cinnabar Caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth can be currently be seen feeding on Ragwort

2176 Antler Moth Cerapteryx graminis

2176 Antler Moth Cerapteryx graminis Family Noctuidae

 

National Distribution Please Allow Time to Load .

Yellow Shell

The Yellow Shell 1742 is currently flying  It has one generation, and flies  from June through to August,the larvae feeding   on a variety of low-growing plants,such as sorrel (Rumex). and chickweed (Stellaria media)

1574 Common Blue Butterfly Polyommatus icarus

Common Blue Butterfly Polyommatus icarus Family Lycidae A grassland species , Its small the Male is Blue as opposed to the Brown Female often overlooked because of its small size as flitters amongst the grass  heads

 

Ringlets About

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus Family Nymphalidae A butterfly in the Brown Family found on Bramble

 

On the Theme of Red and Blue

Red Campion Silene diocia

 

For get Me Not Myositis arvense

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

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

 

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'.

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   

 

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

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

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

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

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

What's In the Beck ???

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

From this

To This

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 !!

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

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

 Ladybird ID Guide

Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula

The Green Dock Beetle  Gastrophysa viridula is currently around the  breeding season is from March to October. A single female can lay over 1,000 eggs, laying them in clusters of 20 to 45 and can generate over a 2000 in 2- 4 broods in a year. This bright Green Beetle feeds on Dock Leaves and is responsible for the net Skeleton on some plants later in the season when the leaves have been fully eaten  Both sexes are green with a metallic shimmer and make excellent photographic subjects

Circa 4 - 6 mm

National Distribution Please Allow Time to Load .

VC 63 Distribution  Please Allow Time to Load

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Rainy Day Banjo

A little bit more Celtic Music played on the Irish Tenor bBanjo By Mick Fitzpatrick

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hours of Showers April Showers !!

Some Sayings & Proverbs

March winds and April showers

bring forth May flowers

Oak before ash,
in for a splash
Ash before oak,
in for a soak

A wind from the south has rain in its mouth.

"Halo around the sun or moon, rain or snow soon."

Did You Know ?

Some flowers close up as the humidity rises so rain doesn't wash away their pollen. The leaves of some trees curl just before a storm.  

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-Hedge Alliaria petiolata Family Brassicaceae a typical hedgegrow plant is now flowering and approaching its best . This Brassica is an important source of Fodder for many Butterflies and earlier Spring Insects.

Industrial Gems !!!!!

Well this is the findings from a Yorkshire Woodland Today - Although Rainy and you might think not much photograph a quick glimpse underfoot gives some clues to Yorkshires  Industrial past.
Below a Tree in the wet April Rain soon to flourish in the coming Spring but today Drab and Wet




These unmade paths where close to the old Low Moor Steel Works and all around the area is the recipe for Iron  , Old Wood for the Furnaces, Iron Ore in the Geology and Crude Coal to fire the Furnaces

As the rain water runs over the crude agregate and stone of the unmade paths ablue stone of varying shades is uncovered by the running water of heavy rain this shiny stone has been fired in the furness and which has been discarded as part of the Steel and Iron making process Blast furnace slag is a man-made type of glass, , some of it is .It occurs as orange bands in the black . It is not a Malchite Ore as originally thought

The photo is the blue/milky white from, that and a milky page green being the most common. In Whitby, York and a lot of other places it was remoulded and cast in to brick for roads, Some times made on to small hexagonal road patterns, mainly as pavement edging. Being glass it’s quite hard (hardness 7 or so) and protected pavements edges from damage by the iron on horse drawn carriage wheels. The pure black form of slag was made in to domestic items like cups, bowls, milk jugs etc. 

The Tippings from the Iron Kilns where depositted around the district as surfaces for unmade roads in By Gone Days

The colours are almost Gem like and various layers formed in the intense heat of the kiln

The Halifax Gibbet - Off with His head

Halifax Gibbet early precursor to the Guillotine used to decapitate and punish villains who stole more than 13 1/2 penneth of cloth used between 12th century and 1600 where over 50 victims met their end.

What to Do on A Rainy Night - The Kitchen Banjo

Here is a tune on the Irish Tenor Banjo played by Mick Fitzpatrick - See if you can spot the Link to Yorkshire . The Irish Tenor Banjo he is using is a Heartwood . The music is characterised by the characteristic Triplets and played as Jigs , Reels and Hornpipes. Watch ot for more of Mick's music

The banjo is a four or five stringed instrument with a piece of plastic or animal skin stretched over a circular frame. The 5 String banjo is  also associated with Bluegrass Music

More Celtic Music Fear A Batha by Karen Matheson 

More April Showers Rainbows and St George

Well No Blue Sky today typical of the months Rainy April Skies  but a great time to catch the Rainbow St Georges Day today watch out for the Dragons

Near Oughtershaw in the Yorkshire Dales (Last year)

St Georges Day 23rd April !!! Stained Glass
Window in a Dales Church.

Countries that celebrate St George's Day include England, Canada, Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, ,Greece,  Serbia, Bulgaria,  Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia. Cities include Moscow in Russia, Genova in Italy, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Beirut in Lebanon, Qormi and Victoria in Malta and many others

The Postman of the Hedgegrow , The Robin

Natures Postman , The Robin,  Erithacus rubecula always seems Brighter and more colourful after a drab winter , this little chap , is seen feeding with glee on recently installed bird feeding stations on a local Nature reserve

 

Footage Copyright (C) 2012 Colin Duke infringemnets pursued 

"Who killed Cock Robin?" "I," said the Sparrow,
"With my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."
"Who saw him die?" "I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye, I saw him die."
"Who caught his blood?" "I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish, I caught his blood."
"Who'll make the shroud?" "I," said the Beetle,
"With my thread and needle, I'll make the shroud."
"Who'll dig his grave?" "I," said the Owl,
"With my pick and shovel, I'll dig his grave."
"Who'll be the parson?" "I," said the Rook,
"With my little book, I'll be the parson."
"Who'll be the clerk?" "I," said the Lark,
"If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."
"Who'll carry the link?" "I," said the Linnet,
"I'll fetch it in a minute, I'll carry the link."
"Who'll be chief mourner?" "I," said the Dove,
"I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."
"Who'll carry the coffin?" "I," said the Kite,
"If it's not through the night, I'll carry the coffin."
"Who'll bear the pall? "We," said the Wren,
"Both the cock and the hen, we'll bear the pall."
"Who'll sing a psalm?" "I," said the Thrush,
"As she sat on a bush, I'll sing a psalm."
"Who'll toll the bell?" "I," said the bull,
"Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.

Cuckoos Orange Tips and Green Vein Whites

The Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock Cardamine pratensis soon if already not upon us we will be heralding the emergence of the early Spring Butterfly The Orange Tip Cuckoo Flower. These early Spring Barssicaes are bread and butter for this species. The flowers are produced on a spike 10-30 cm long, each flower 1-2 cm diameter with four pale pink petals and is found close to water and marsh water.

 

The Male 1553 Orange Tip Butterfly Anthocharis cardamines Family Pieridae
 is much more colourful than the plainer white female as can be seen in this pair below

The Orange Tip is readily distinguished from the similar Green Veined White by its mottles underdside as seen below. The one below is seen nectarring on Garlic Mustard another early Spring Brassiccaeae

Wild Spring Flowers

Well for all you Gardeners and lovers of Flowers here is a brief resume of Spring Flowers currently around in Yorkshire this early Spring. As the season progresses we will look at the many insects dependent on these such as Hoverflies and other bugs .

                                Marsh Marigold

Coltsfoot Tussilago farafara - A plant of trampled and waste places



Wood Sorrel and the delcate purple flower veins



And of Course Bluebells the most fragrant and familiar of all our early woodland flowers



A Splash of colour after a drab winter The Daffodil

Welcome to My Blog florafaunauk !!

Welcome to my Blog !!!

Whats it About ?

Well my travels around Yorkshire and the Natural Historyof this great County . I do hope you will enjoy the pictures and tales and learn about the fantastic nature that this country has and too often taken for granted.

All aboard off we go on a journey !!!!



April Showers today mean big Rainbows



This Rainbow was seen in the early spring showers  over Malham in the Yorkshire Dales