Castle Carr Fountains Outing

I suggested a get together when the huge fountains/ sometimes just one/ are working. Midgley Community Assoc has organised one this Sunday 22nd June.

 Meet for guided walk at Midgley bus terminus 11.00am, or meet at the gate in Luddenden Dean. It's £3 entry (for charity I think) £1 children.  Walk is 2 hrs.

Hot food and drinks will be on sale.

But if we are having a Society picnic bring your own goodies and we can all sit down together.

I think there  might be another open day into this normally closed valley in July.

They do this to keep the fountains operable. They are spectacular, at one time being the highest fountains in Europe. The only botany I can remember is New Zealand Willow Herb which grows round the water garden and was first recorded there in the 1940s. I think it's not that good botanically now, as it is a sheep farm with woodlands/ Rhododendrons. The history is fascinating. Read about it on the site Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion

Anyone wishing to attend contact me or general queries in the comments box, please

Cromwell Bottom LNR 16.06.2014

A few of the things I found with Basil whilst on the reserve.

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) above and below.

Salad Burnett (Sanguisorba minor) - above and below.

Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) - above and below. 

Very colourful Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus).

Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) - above and below.

Grass Vetchling (Lathyrus nissola) - above and below.

A female Nursery Web Spider carrying her egg sac along through the grass.

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) - above and below. 

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)

A young male Common Blue Damselfly (identified by Chris Brooks).

Booth Wood 17.06.2014

Michael and I went to see the Orchids near Booth Wood and there must have been hundreds of them. 

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuschii).

A pretty little fungus.

Southern Marsh Orchid (dactylorhiza praetermissa). Michael's photos above and mine below.

A Chinese Bramble (Rubus tricolor) must have escaped from a garden as it was growing near the car park.

It has soft red bristles and shiny, hairless leaves.

Some June sightings

A Bee-fly, thesame species seen in three different parts of Skircoat. My first.

Same Bee-fly

I was really excited to find this - a Cuckoo Bee I'm fairly certain.

Almost hairless abdomen.

Cuckoo Bee

Cuckoo Bee visiting Saxifrage. Has no pollen baskets as it need not store food - other species of Bumble Bee are parasitised.

Luronium natans in the canal. I thought it was a red data list plant but Geoffrey Wilmore seems to disagree in the YNU Journal 

Grass Vetchling at the Meadow at Cromwell Bottom Local Nature reserve

Masses of it colouring the meadow on 15.6.14

White Horse of Kilburn near Sutton Bank in East Yorkshire. We went to find it on Sunday. You can walk up and across the top of it.

You can see it with a telescope on a good day from near the Ovenden Wind Farm.

It's about 45 miles away, North-east.

Bee Orchids

Of the 11 Bee Orchids I found the other day, 3 have been broken in half ,3 have been damaged badly, 2 slightly damaged and 3 are still OK. Please people be very carful when visiting this site they are very difficult to see , STAND ON THE PATH THERE IS NO NEED TO GO ANY CLOSER..........................

15.06.2014

Michael found these lovely Southern Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) today at Coalgate Road in Soyland.

Booth Wood 12.06.2014

Michael found these orchids yesterday, he thinks they may possibly be Southern Marsh Orchid.

Lightcliffe 11.06.2014

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) found by Michael and myself today on a patch of wasteland at Lightcliffe. It is a very beautiful and striking plant and we were both very pleased to see it.

Michael's photographs above and mine below.

Humming Bird Hawkmoth?

Can't post onto Calderdale Moths so have put this query here. Found this beauty this morning up Blackshaw Head. Andy C thinks it may be a Humming Bird Hawk Moth and from the fact it showed a blur of orange in flight asnd the two white spots on the lower abdomen - it my be?

Odonata at Copley

I returned to Copley Redevelopment site today with the hope of getting better pictures of the insect life around the ponds.

I saw many and managed to get images of most.

 A Green Lacewing, possibly Chrysopa perla

Broad Bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Female above, males below

 

I managed to get much better images of the female Common Darter

(Sympetrum striolatum)

A Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

I also saw a number of butterflies.

Including this Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)