Clouded Yellow best of 11 butterfly species

Lighter NW winds sunny for large parts of the day making much warmer than of late.

South Shore (MD)

A check in the morning on the ebbing tide.

Mediterranean gull - just 2 adults seen on the beach next to wooden jetty

Rock Pipit 1 on Red Nab and 1 carrying food near lighthouse 

Linnet 12

Goldfinch 2

Both the above feeding around the saltmarsh. These are the Goldfinch

It was the sunniest and calmest day since the Hummingbird Hawkmoth was first seen two weeks ago. I was hoping to see it feeding this morning, but there was no sign of it. Still, in the 150m stretch north of the saltmarsh slipway there were lots of butterflies feeding:

Small White 10

Large Skipper 2

Meadow Brown 3

Gatekeeper 2

Small Tortoiseshell 2

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Heron 1

Mute swan 2 adult 7 cygnets 

Moorhen 4

The female Gadwall was swimming around the "no swimming" pond, quacking, presumably lost her chicks again!

Mallard 2 female 1 with 2 largish chicks. 7 eclipsed males

Little grebe - just one adult seen

No sign of Stock Doves today

Dragonflies:

Black-tailed Skimmers several male and female around the main pond

Emperor 3

Common Darters - lots everywhere 

Butterflies in order of abundance:

Gatekeeper 

Meadow Brown 

Ringlet

Large Skipper

Small Skipper

Small White 3-5 (possibly a 2 of them Green-Veined Whites)

Speckled Wood 2

Comma 3

Red Admiral 1

Clouded Yellow 1 female - this was flying around the sparse scrub between the "no swimming" pond and the high plateau to the north. Just 200m from the last location of the previous sighting on 30/06/22 (later Kevin also saw it on the western side of the main pond). Very difficult to get a decent shot, it fluttered around very quickly and looked quite splendid. But as soon as they settle they close their wings and look like a pale leaf.

This is a typical at rest shot

These were about as close as I got to in flight shots

Female Clouded Yellow

When it was fluttering around, it was very easy to follow with the naked eye, but too erratic to follow with a camera, these few seconds were the best I could manage. 

Heysham Nature Reserve (MD, JP)

I just did a very brief circuit of the high plateau 

Butterflies:

Meadow Brown

Gatekeeper 

Ringlet 

Small Skipper

Large Skipper

Dragonflies:

Emperor 1

Brown Hawker 1

This male Brown Hawker never stopped, the background shows how quickly it was
moving. This was the only shot out of 10+ even slightly in focus

Janet had a more general walk around, and took these nice shots (Janet's pictures are always smaller as I do not pre size them, this allows them to be opened to appreciate the detail)

Comma - you can see the small white comma on the underwing
to which it owes its name.

Gatekeeper 

Dingy Footman

These are lovely shots of a Hoverfly, I know very little about Hoverflies,
but checking my reference book, this looks to be a Pellucid Hoverfly,
Please advise if you know (MD)

Common Green Grasshopper (probably)

Likely Rudd, but possibly hybridised 

Finally this patch of grass was in the middle of the high plateau.

It's not obvious from this shot, but the patch of flattened grass is where a Roe Deer
has spent at least one night recently. A Roe Buck, unfortunately, saw me before I
saw it as I was leaving the reserve