Here’s a couple of new nature reserve’s for me, Ben Rhydding Nature Reserve this ones near Ilkey and the Fen Bog Nature Reserve this ones up on the North Yorkshire Moors (Nr Whitby) both being good for Butterflies as well as other wildlfe.
Ben Rhydding was to be the first port of call in the morning sun and produced some excellent butterflies Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown and Ringlet however the quarry we had come to look for did take some finding, we were looking around all the elm trees to no avail but were found feeding at eye level on thistles the White letter Hairstreak, we enjoyed for a while filling or boots with photos and excellent views of a butterfly that feeds mainly high in trees
White letter Hairstreak
It was then onward to the North York Moors in the vain hope of more butterfly species, we completely failed at Fen Bog probably now due to the overcast weather, so after lunch moved on to a place in wheeldale near a stream and ponds. We had better success here with 3 Common Crossbills, Chiffchaff, Swallows and Kestrel, butterflies on sight were Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Speckled Wood and it was here we got sight of a Golden ringed Dragonfly
Huddsbirder 