Having chatted with the volunteers on duty today at the Wetlands Centre and armed with the latest sightings on the Reserve - the Discovery Field, with its wildflower meadows, seemed to be the most attractive option.
Birds generally, had stopped singing and were getting on with rearing their young without attracting too much attention to themselves. On the contary, the wildflower and hay meadows were a sight to behold! Buttercups predominated and zinged in the sunshine against the heavy stormy skies of the day. Wildflower plugs and seeds which the Campfield Workparties had planted in previous years, were growing well and currently, some were at present flowering.
Wildflower Meadow.
Meadow Cranesbill with Yellow Rattle.
Knapweed with Ox-eye daisy and Buttercups.
Butterflies could be seen flitting from flower to flower: Meadow Browns and Green-veined Whites.
Meadow Brown Butterfly amongst Yellow Rattle.
Male Meadow Brown Butterfly on Ox-eye Daisy.
The winding track going through the field, leads to the pool and dipping platform, and then draws you further up the hill to a small pond and broken Willow Tree. If you look carefully at the vegetation along the water margins, the flashes of blue materialise into Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies. Also, on careful inspection of the large leaves of water plants, you may be lucky enough o see the females landing on them and ovipositing.
Path to the pond dipping platform.
Damselflies flitting amongst the rushes on the Broken Willow pool margins.
Male Azure Damselfly on reeds.
Blue-tailed Damselfly on water plants (Note two -toned wing spots for ID.
Blue-tailed female Damselfly ovipositing.
On either side of the wide track here, Yellow Rattle seed, which had been planted to inhibit the growth of lanker grasses and thus enable more fragile plants to survive, was doing well and flowering at the moment.
Yellow Rattle seed broadcasting results.
Carrying on up the wide track to the top of the hill and through the gate, farmland and vistas towards the Lake District Fells lay ahead. Cattle could be seen grazing the meadows and on approaching the recently planted arable field, Ringlet, Green-veined White and Large Skipper Butterflies were in evidence.
View towards the Lake District fells.
Yellow Meadow Vetchling . . .
. . . and Tufted Vetch in flower along the path edges.
Ringlet along the verge of the arable field.
Green-veined White also.
Hedge Woundwort in arable field edge.
Honeysuckle climbing up the hedges.
The day had been warm and sunny but the heavy storm clouds which had been tracking along the estuary most of the day and fortunately giving us a miss, were gathering and heading our way.
Looking back towards the estuary, storm clouds were gathering.
So on reaching the junction between the Red and Blue Routes, should I risk taking the leg to the pools produced by the old peat working, in the hope of seeing my first Dragonfly of the year or scurry along to the security of the hide?
Needless to say, Dragonflies won the day! So, heading towards the pools and adjacent sunken wood, it was apparent that the recent warn sunny weather had taken its toll and most pools were almost dry. Fortunately, a small amount of water remained and a Dragonfly was patrolling it, presumably looking for a mate. It was clear to see its four wing spots -identifying it as a Four-spotted Chaser. Its rather fast erratic flight made getting a good photograph rather problematic though!
Four-spotted Chaser patrolling (record shot).
No matter! Heading home as I did, the inevitable rain almost passed unnoticed. I had achieved more than I had hoped on setting out.
Sedge Warbler eyeing me from the hedgerow as I passed.
Dog Roses over the gate to the arable field near the Wetlands Centre.
Spotlight on the cattle and gulls on the marsh, as the storm passed over.