Came across my first Dark Green Fritillaries of the year on Fiday - the poor things (two of 'em) were having the Devil's own job of clinging onto Purple Clover in search of food as the brisk south westerly ripped through a narrow gap in the southern dune system at Ainsdale.
Cracking butterflies though.
Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell and two Gatekeepers were experiencing the same problems, and the gorgeous Frit closest to me expended a fair bit of energy to manoeuvre round the cloverhead so it could open its splendid wings properly.
BIrdwise it was predictably quiet - MIpits, Skylarks, Kestrel and Whitethroat, although a dashing but brief Cuckoo heading south at a fair whack early morning added something of a spark.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Saw 2 Dark Green Fritillaries today myself at Ainsdale between the downpours. Also plenty of Burnet moth caterpillars and cocoons.
Found a lovely stand of about 20 spikes of Bee Orchid all together in full bloom.
July is a fantastic month to head to RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve in Silverdale.
As the sun’s rays cascade through the vast reed bed and bounce a golden glow from the surface of the still pools, red deer emerge from a small gap and seamlessly slink out to the water's edge.
Throughout the summer at Leighton Moss, not only are the magnificent red deer active for most of the day for visitors to view, they are also accompanied by their new calves. The calves are a joy to watch as they bound around the reed edge and follow the rest of the group around.
Despite the recent inclement weather the red deer are taking it all in their stride. Kevin Kelly, the Red Deer Date with Nature Information Assistant said "It is always a special sight to see the first calf of the year, the first has been visible so far, gambolling after its mother, and we are expecting more to appear over the coming month. It has to be said they are incredibly cute in their spotty coat, bounding around and looking mischievous."
The Red Deer Date with Nature is running throughout the summer months where information assistants will be based in some of the hides showing visitors the red deer and other wildlife.
Guided walks are also taking place on Monday and Friday evenings in July from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. These leisurely walks are an ideal opportunity to hopefully connect with the magnificent red deer as well as other species. And of course there is always the chance of spying one of this year’s enchanting calves. The cost is £10 for a family, discounted to £4 for RSPB members.
For more information on other events being held at Leighton Moss throughout the summer holidays, and the rest of the year, visit www.rspb.org.uk/leightonmoss