A male Orange-tip visited some Forget-me-nots in my garden briefly mid-day today.
I thought they were only known to feed from Cuckoo-flower.
Small treasures like this make Calderdale a great place to live. We don't have many national rarities.
Perhaps the Yellow Birds-nest plants at Todmorden and Cromwell Bottom Local Nature Reserve are the best candidates. Unfortunately Network Rail have informed that the one at Todmorden is on land where they would like to extend the carpark for Todmorden Station. They don't need planning permission! Sorry to be the poster of bad news. Must write to Network Rail tomorrow with my positive suggestions to save it.
Here are some of my target species to see soon, sad ommisions from my British "Life List", to borrow a twitching term.
Most will involve trips around the country, but some not very far.
I MUST see:
Mountain Hare (Pennines just South of here.)
Sand Lizard
Pine Marten
Polecat
Scottish Wild Cat
Stoat in ermine
Most bats
Crane
Large Blue Butterfly
Capercaillie
Lamprey (Confidently claimed to have been videoed recently in the Ryburn.)
Char
Ten-spined Stickleback
Sea Eagle
Smooth Snake
Dormouse
Edible Dormouse
Henbane
Deadly Nightshade
Dryas octopetala
Death Cap fungus
Minke Whale (or any whales.)
Emporer Moth
Privet Hawk-moth
Stag Beetle
Feral Wild Boar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . more than I thought. Won't see them all this year!
Glad you got your Orange Tip which my records show can be found on a fairly regular basis at Oats Royd. This is located between Roper Lane, Queensbury and Bradshaw.
ReplyDeleteHi Nigel,
ReplyDeleteyes, I know its a common butterfly, but it was my first this year, and the first ever in my garden.
I try to get to Oats Royd, at least a couple of times a year - great wildlife site. There are some Autumn Crocus there. Sadly, a great display of them along the fields just on the opposite side of Strines Beck is no more. We have some senior members in the Scientific Society who remember seeing them.