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