Tuesday 22 June 2010

Butterfly heaven


Paid a visit to Bishop Middleham Quarry on Sunday. This is a Magnesian Limestone quarry that has been a SSSI since 1968 which supports various species of Orchid including Bee. Here are some of the butterflies i encountered on my visit with the bonus of seeing only 5 people and 2 dogs in the 6 hours i was there.

      Common Blue, male.
      Common Blue, female
      Dingy Skipper
      Wall Brown
      Large Skipper
      Speckled Wood
      Small Heath
      also Large and Small White,   and the star of the show..................

      Northern Brown Argus (subspecies, Durham Argus)

6 comments:

  1. Thats some collection for one visit John.

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  2. Yes Dick, it was a most enjoyable morning. I must go back soon and study the flora. A reference to your Dragon' pursuits. I went down to Bowesfield Marsh in the afternoon ( on the Tees just south of Stockton) to see what was there in the form of Dragonflies but all i got were Four Spotted Chasers.
    John

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  3. Nice shots John. The quarry is a favourite place of mine.
    I noticed lots of Common Blue Butterflies in the Rising Sun CP today. Cheers. Brian.

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  4. Thanks Brian,
    I have to admit that i haven't been up to Rising Sun for a few weeks. I have only been once briefly in the last 3 weeks to Killingworth also. A very quick visit with no sighting of the G.C. Grebe family i had been following.
    John

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  5. I've not been around much myself John, but did catch a fleeting glance yesterday as I passed, of one of the adult grebes with at least one youngster.

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  6. The quarry must be a fantastic place for wildlife!

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