I spent this morning, Saturday 20th May, up in the White Peak area of Derbyshire, in search of a few special flowers. I appeared to be too early for the Orchids that I was looking for, but did manage to find plenty of Dingy Skipper on the wing. I’m no expert on wild flowers, I’m […]
I found myself making another visit to RSPB Frampton, with Barrie, on Saturday 13th May 2017. A pair of Black-winged Stilts had arrived on the reserve on Friday 12th and so we took a chance in hoping they would stay overnight. Unfortunately they had moved on and were not present on the Saturday morning, however
Spring is the time of year when waders are on the move to their northern breeding grounds, with many species passing through the UK, providing ideal opportunities to see them in full breeding plumage. The RSPB Reserve at Frampton Marsh, in Lincolnshire, is a great place to see them. Being located on the edge of
After spending the morning of Monday 1st May birding in Derbyshire, I was amazed at the final bird tally, could this really be my home county on the 1st of May? – Black Tern(6), Arctic Tern (1), Sanderling (7), Dunlin, LRP (5), Turnstone (1), Bar-tailed Godwit (2), Curlew (1), Common Sandpiper, summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, Bittern, Med Gull,
It has been a long, long time since I have seen Early Purple Orchid in my home county of Derbyshire. The Flora of Derbyshire states that it can be very common in the grassland areas of the White Peak, sometimes turning the dalesides purple in spring. The book also indicates that one of the best places
The Green-winged Orchid is a declining species in Britain. It is a short stemmed orchid preferring specialised limestone grassland and grassy meadow habitat. A very localised plant, but where it is found it forms dense colonies. The flowers grow in a cluster on a single spike and are usually dark purple or pink, sometimes white.
Mid April is the time of the year when our local Pied Flycatchers, little black and white jewels, arrive back in the Sessile Oak Woods of Derbyshire’s Peak District. Their arrival also coincides with other early spring migrants such as Redstart, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Northern Wheatear and Ring Ouzel and so often leads to a great mornings
On our way back from Suffolk, on Monday 17th April, we stopped off at a Wildlife Trust National Nature Reserve near Stamford in Lincolnshire. The reserve is a site for the rare Pasqueflower which, at this time of year, grows alongside Cowslip, in what was once an old limestone quarry, used by the Romans over
