Red Admiral

Today's excursion saw me take the train four stops out to Ben Rhydding and walk one stop back down the line to Burley in Wharfedale, taking in  two nature reserves: Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits and Sun Lane LNR, en-route.

The Pits were even quieter than my last visit a month ago, a couple of Peacocks and a Green-veined White being the only butterflies I could find. Still, I sat on the bench overseeing the Wharfe and a Kingfisher flew past almost straight away.

Half a mile down the A65 was Sun Lane which is essentially a village common on the site of a former tip, now reclaimed and managed for wildlife. Today it was a sea of Devil's-bit Scabious which was the nectar source of choice for the Red Admirals (pictured), Peacocks (extra) and Green-veined Whites which showed briefly when it brightened.

Tomorrow looks like it will be sunnier, let's see what the day will bring.