Mow

I walked down to Moorside for an hour or so to survey that area of the moor for Green Hairstreaks. It was here that I first saw them last year and I wanted to get an idea of what their range was. I combed the bilberry covered crags and banks, but found only two small territories, both in the exact spots where I'd encountered them last year.

There were plenty of other moths and butterflies about, but I thought I'd focus on some human activity for a change.

This is the small stretch of farmland that lies between the moor and Spring Wood, the lush green fields in the middle ground of this previous blip. The mowing regime was leaving nice patterns in the landscape, and the fresh green grass will slowly dry over the next few days.

A pair of Red Kites were following the tractor, like Herring Gulls after a trawler, seeing what small mammals might fall victim to the mower, they headed off over the other side of the valley without finding anything though.