Lofthouse wildflower walk

Lofthouse is a fairly new nature reserve although it was reclaimed in the late 1980’s following the pit closure in 1981, a lottery grant utilised in 2013 has meant that the paths are now much improved.

Coming up to the gate on Lingwell Nook Lane red valerian, corn sow thistle, woodruff and wild sage grew along the roadside; turning left onto the gravelled path the first clearing was full of ribbed melilot, wild carrot, red bartsia and bird’s foot trefoil. The morning began to warm up bringing out numbers of meadow brown, gatekeeper and ringlet butterflies. Great willowherb, upright hedge parsley, common centaury, ox-eye daisies and many common spotted orchids brightened our path with tansy just coming into flower.  Returning up the slope we identified this spindle tree but I’m sure there were others to see, the seed heads turn rosy-red when ripe and split open to display orangey red seeds.

Spindle Tree

Spindle Tree

Wakefield’s first breeding peregrines fledge successfully

The three young peregrines have now fledged successfully, without mishaps. The first youngster to fly from the box did so on Saturday, 11th July and it found itself on the roof of the jeweller’s shop Herbert Brown. It spent most of the day there, occasionally exercising its wings and doing short test flights along the apex of the roof, entertaining a lot of Saturday-afternoon shoppers. Late in the afternoon, it made a failed attempt to get back to the box and it ended up on the roof of the nave but it founded its way back to the box at some time before the following morning.

Now, a week later, all three juveniles are flying freely. They travel between the cathedral and the blocks of flats and they spend a lot of time demanding food from the adults.

juvenile peregrine

juvenile peregrine at the nestbox – Francis Hickenbottom

Juvenile peregrines

Juvenile peregrines – Julie Knowles

Juvenile peregrines - Julie Knowles

Juvenile peregrines – Julie Knowles

Juvenile peregrines

Juvenile peregrines – Julie Knowles

Haw Park & Anglers CP field meeting

Our group of about 12 were pleasantly surprised to be met by Pete Smith, with a collection of moths he had trapped on Saturday night, identified and put into magnifying boxes for us to see, including the beautiful carpet moth, snout moth, barred red moth, gold spangle moth and rarer muslin footman moth. Thanks Pete, for such an interesting start to our morning, thanks also to Paul Andrews, from the Butterfly Conservation Society who led, and shared his expert knowledge of Haw Park Wood on an interesting walk through the wood.

All the common species of butterfly were seen along the track to the cornfield, small skipper, speckled wood, gatekeeper, red admiral, small tortoiseshell and meadow brown with ringlets in abundance as we came under the canopy of the wood.  Along the main path the bracken and foliage were covered in common blue damselfly. Wildflowers noted were slender St John’s wort, broad leaved helleborine (not quite inflower) and heath speedwell

Paul pointed out a colony of wild honey bees’ busy making honey in a hole halfway up a tree, not easy to see and becoming more of a rarity in recent years.

Heath speedwell

Heath speedwell – Lesley Taylor

Meadow bron

meadow brown – Roger Gaynor

slender St John's-wort

slender St John’s-wort -Lesley Taylor

RSPB Old Moor flower walk

Primarily a bird watching paradise, Old Moor has developed into a varied habitat for wildflowers, butterflies, damselflies and dragonflies.   On our short walk today we were able to enjoy meadow brown butterflies, ringlets and small skippers amongst the purple loose-strife, great willowherb, meadowsweet, bush vetch and meadow vetchling. Marsh (hybrid) orchids and common spotted orchids were coming to their end but marsh bedstraw, ribbed melilot and common centaury were just coming into flower.  The ponds were enriched with common blue and blue tailed damsel flies hovering above the water lilies, broad leaved pondweed and yellow iris.

Small skipper

Small skipper

Greater willowherb

Greater willowherb

common centaury

common centaury

Peregrine falcons on Wakefield cathedral: Latest photos

Francis just sent in these latest images of the peregrine family on the cathedral. These are taken using his phone on the eye piece of a telescope which gives remarkable results and shows clearly just how big and rapidly developing the chicks are!

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral

Peregrine falcon on Wakefield cathedral