Apologies to Crowle and other snippets...

I went back to Crowle on Tuesday 23rd June after researching further. I learnt that at the end of Dole Road, Crowle, DON'T walk from the car park alongside the wheat field to the moors but drive [if you dare!] LEFT along the very rutted, bumpy track or walk the 500m [guess] to a small, grassed car park with enough room for 2 or 3 vehicles. An information board confirms you are at the right place. Walk through the trees onto the moors. It's compact and I took the left hand path. Wet further on but I did see 25+ large heath butterflies. Very active and not easy to photograph as they fly off over the boggy bits! Nonetheless here they are. My books only show it with wings folded so I've included a less than perfect flight shot.

Large heath Large heath Large heath

Thursday 25th June saw me at Wharram Quarry looking for butterflies and orchids. One marbled white led me a merry dance until I gave up! Lots of small heath and common blue present. Common spotted and bee orchids seen plus twayblade in far left corner looking from the entrance. Common spotted Twayblade Bee orchid Also seen were a single pyramidal orchid [a bit early for them] and a single robust marsh orchid type.

Pyramidal orchid Marsh orchid

At home that day Sheila caught a close-up of a stock dove near our feeders.

Stock dove A seawatch at Flamborough on Saturday 27th June was pleasant but produced no skuas or shearwaters whilst I was there. In fact I didn't linger and called at Thornwick pool where a white wagtail was present but distant. Skylarks were singing and perching nearby.

Skylark

Eventually I set off for Tophill Low to photograph kingfisher; the kingfisher was seen but proved camera shy and I had only a brief view. Here's a nice orchid sp. from Tophill Low. Not early purple but very much early purple coloration. British orchids are a genetic maelstrom I suspect!

Marsh orchid? Wharram quarry

I then headed north for Fen Bog which proved windy so I left for Ellerburn Bank nearby. There I met a couple I had met previously at Fen Bog a week or so earlier. We found a large skipper which made my day as I was able to get these shots with the 400mm lens. Just shows how versatile my Canon 400mm DO lens is!

Large skipper Large skipper

Birds 2015: 239 UK