More Mixed Fortunes.

On a trek around the Birk Bank area, on the one hand I find the Bilberry Bumblebee again, on the other it was another step in the direction of a disappointing and increasingly worrying visit to the bog for dragons.

My visit to the area started and ended at Birk Bank bog, a site of interest to Odonata enthusiasts, one of whom I hear had the same experience as me when he visited this week, and referred to the bog as 'dead'. In the long run, I'm hoping both of us are wrong, but the truth is we're looking toward the end of June and this prime site has little if anything on offer.

Azure Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

My records at Birk Bank bog read, 2 Azure Damselfly, and up to 6 Large Red Damselfly. The records also have to read, No Keeled Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Common Darter or anything else.

Green Oak Tortrix. Pete Woodruff.

Some compensation came in the form of a single and immaculate Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and a Green Oak Tortrix moth. Quite unbelievably, the fritillary was the only butterfly I saw on a sunny warm day towards end of June....Yes the only one!

Although I did notch up 3 Stonechat, also quite unbelievable that I otherwise saw just one Buzzard, 2 Meadow Pipit, a Siskin, and heard a Blackcap half-heartedly singing in the car park. That's seven birds in 5 hours....yes only seven!

Now The Best Bit.

Birds-foot Trefoil Birk Bank. Pete Woodruff.

I found the grand total of 5 Bilberry Bumblebee in this visit to Birk Bank, two amongst the patches of Birds-foot Trefoil, and three on Ottergear Bridge.

Not the easiest of creatures to capture on film, but this one did make life a little easier for me as it worked its way around the brambles and other plants.

Swifts Finally.

Two records brought to my attention. The first one prompted me to investigate, and resulted in up to 14 Swift seen just around the corner from our house in Bowerham, with one bird seen to leave a nest under the eaves. The second record was even more amazing, that of a number of Swift during the week, observed over the summit of Ingleborough.

At an elevation of 723m, Ingleborough is the second highest of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and you have to ask yourself, why are a number of Swift over the summit of Ingleborough in mid-June!

The Header.

I took the photograph at Marshaw on 12 June, it is of a small number from two groups of up to 60 students in parties scattered along the length of the Marshaw Wyre between Marshaw and Trough Bridge.

This is an annual occurrence, and according to a leader of the group they are surveying in the name of Geography. I pointed out this should not be happening, giving the example that I was monitoring birds and had seen several pairs of Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpipers with young, and a pair of Dipper, all of which were breeding on the stream were the students were doing their surveys. I went on to suggest that the organising of this exercise should be made at a more appropriate time of year to avoid this unnecessary disturbance during the breeding season.