Speckled wood and small heath records for Clints Crags, Bothel.

Haven't seen either of these here before!

Speckled wood - underside. 

Small heath.

Views from Clints Crags, Bothel.

A gorgeous morning with cracking views, across Bassenthwaite, into Central Lakes.

Wild garlic in the grikes echoing the shadows of the tree branches. 

Bird's-foot trefoil.

Across Bassenthwaite. 

Spectacular and fluffy summer moths....

Pale tussock moth - a new moth for us.

Pale tussock moth. 

Small phoenix.

The herald. 

Latterbarrow continues to flourish...

Fly orchids; greater butterfly orchid; common spotted orchid ; quaking grass and rockrose. 

Gait Barrows NNR

A fantastic day out down south!

Limestone pavement and glimpses of Whitbarrow. 

Lady's slipper orchid; lily of the valley: solomon's seal; male fern(?) and hart's tongue fern. 

Dingy skipper; white-spotted sable; common lizard; 'bugs'; speckled wood; common blue; brimstone and pearl- bordered fritillary. 

Lady's slipper orchid - Gait Barrows NNR

What a fabulously spectacular show of lady's slippers this year!

Maryport harbour ...small blue butterflies and northern marsh orchids.

Lovely to see the small blue out today ....and the northern marsh orchids will be even more spectacular in a few days time!

St Bees .....flowers and rookeries

A spectacular cliff top walk from St Bees towards the headland.

Left hand column - second photo down - a distant photograph of a Cumbria puffin; lots of guillemots and some razorbills and fulmars. 

First 'summer' moth trap

Left hand column: white ermine; peppered moth; pale prominent;
 Middle column: engrailed ; lunar thorn
Right hand column; pebble prominent; poplar hawk and brimstone moth. 

Caldbeck to Hesket riverside walk - again!

It's amazing how much the flora can change in just a couple of weeks - the wild garlic is just going past its best, but still fabulous and the herb Paris is in full flower. The blossom is spectacular - hawthorn yet to peak.

Wild garlic.

Herb Paris, Meadow saxifrage and red campion.

Crab apple; bird cherry and hawthorn all in blossom.

Bird cherry ermine caterpillar web; specked yellow moth; dryad's saddle fungus;
dandelions and a bee fly.

Green and Black vintage motorcycle rally - Hesket Newmarket 2016

Lovely to see all the old bikes out in the sun!

Ruby-tailed wasp

This ruby-tailed wasp certainly moved quickly and unpredictably so pleased with these shots from my little camera. Taken at the entrance to Silloth Dock.

Burnet moths ....

While walking in the dunes at Silloth found caterpillars and chrysalises of the burnet moth - love the way they utilise the fence!

Silloth dunes

A brief visit yesterday...

Three thrushes anvils, 

Crab Apple Blossom

Photographed on the way back from the South Cumbrian Trust reserves - stopped off to try and find, what appears to be the rapidly declining Bird's-eye primroses at Lamonby...and ended up photographing the ever spectacular crab apple - and mining bee.

Felt ball rockrose

As part of my ongoing flora in felt balls project here is the rockrose ball at Latterbarrow.

Latterbarrow (near Witherslack) Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserve.

The final of our three stops on our trip out. The meadow was surprisingly well on for the time of year - well compared to North Cumbria - we'll have to visit in a few weeks time too when the greater butterfly orchids are at their best.

Aquilega with bee!

Fly orchids 

Greater butterfly ; early purple and green-winged orchids. 

Brown Robin nature reserve.

Spectacular wild garlic and glorious views.....South Cumbria is so far ahead of North Cumbria floristically.

Foulshaw Moss, South Cumbria

Lovely to see this trust reserve coming on so well. Good views of the osprey too!

Bog rosemary; emerging four-spot chasers and
 a green hairstreak - hiding in the most inconvenient place to photograph! 

Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar.

Found this lovely furry garden tiger moth caterpillar - having overwintered it's ready to pupate and with a bit of luck we'll soon be seeing its splendid colours and patterns as a moth. Apologies as the photos aren't that sharp - it was moving rather quickly!

Stormy Solway ...

...another oil painting - from a photograph taken in March.

Garden bees ........

A few snaps from the garden:

Left hand column; cleptoparasitic bees; top right; early mining bee; bottom right;  'fly'!