| |
| Image updates only refers to wildlife images. Some of the most recent additions will be posted on this page. Older images will ultimately drop off the page. Images presented here will not necessarily make it into the permanent pages. |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Delightful: June 15th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Skippers at last but I only saw one. Generally a bit of a stiff breeze today, except in this sheltered corner I keep returning to. Note very carefully the tiny but distinctive 'hook' on the end of the antennae. Usefully that is diagnostic. This is unmistakably the Large Skipper Butterfly which is the same size as the Small Skipper: June 15th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
The Spotted Orchid
(Dactylorhiza fuchsii) now showing up here and there: June 15th. 2026
|
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| What I have been looking forward to. The Cross-leaved Heath invariably commingled with heathers and Bilberry, showing some of the leaves (whorls): June 14th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| A closer shot: June 14th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Leaves of the delightful Ribwort Plantain: June 14th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| The flowers: June 14th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Some context: June 14th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| This is the female Orange-tip Butterfly, which is obviously not orange like the male: June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| If you take the rough road from Derbyshire Bridge which leads up and over to Buxton, there are vernal ponds on the left (SK 02023 71693 Elev: 437m). One of them has two large tree trunks over and contains a colony of Palmate Newts (Lissotriton helveticus) which I was able to prove by netting one, photographing and returning it to the deep. This one a juvenile: June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Then back to my quest for Butterfly plants. Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus): June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) : June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) which is ready to flower: June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Red Clover (Trifolium pratense): June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Heath Bedstraw (Galium saxatile) : June 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| On the left as you walk the old railway there is a long standing vernal pond (SK 02644 74773 Elev: 387) that never dries up. Even when it appears to have dried up, it has not. The pond extends well under the embankment there but is hidden from view. That pond plays host to a colony of Palmate Newts (Lissotriton helveticus) which I was today to be able to prove. Another juvenile Newt. I was too late to net a hefty Dragonfly larva which I saw. I will be after that on my next visit: June 5th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| I blew through the Goyt today, returning from an errand in Whaley and was priviledged to stumble on the ubiquitous (and noisy) Meadow Pippet and the equally noisy magnificent Curlew. Poor images but I snatched the best lens to hand (usually reserved for large Butterflies) and was shooting from the hip metaphorically speaking. Totally unexpected opportunity. No tripod, gimbal or long lens. A clear sky but minutes later it hammered down as per forecast which is why I was not there for the day. May try my luck tomorrow with my kit if there is a break in the rain: June 2nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| June 2nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Good enough to prove the sighting: June 2nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| June 2nd. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| It was supposed to be hammering down with rain everywhere today, so I gambled on a visit to a local nature reserve renowned for Dragonflies in season. I did not see any Dragonflies or even Damselflies on any of the several ponds. I never saw any rain either. Settled for a few plants including this Red Campion which is favoured by some Caterpillars but I have not yet seen this plant in the Goyt: May 31st. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Good old Blackberry: May 31st. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Small Copper and we should now start to see more browns: May 30th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Another Green-veined White: May 30th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| A bunch of Painted Ladies busy along the old railway: May 30th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| At last, the Wall Brown Butterfly but this one seemed unusually small. At first glance (only), with wings part folded, I thought it was the Small Copper: May 24th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| I think this is the ubiquitous Willow Warbler on the East side of the Goyt on Route 6 on a very hot day: May 24th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| The Green Hairstreak on the East side of the Goyt and it appeared to be all alone on Bilberry: May 24th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Red-and-black froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata): May 22nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle (Agapanthia villosoviridescens). New (to me) and all Longhiorn species much sought after by me: May 22nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| For those watching the bird boxes on the Errwood (unnamed) road stretch, the first contains the Great Tit. It was suggested the Pied Flycatcher was in residence (as it definitely was last year) but we now have proof. NB: This poor image is a frame grab from a video as the speed of their entrance and exit prohibits a regular photo: May 22nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| This is also the Bittercress shown yesterday but with leaves emerging / unfurling: May 22nd. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| This appears to be Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) which has proven of interest to the Green-veined White Butterfly as seen below. Although obviously feeding off the flower, a search suggests the leaves are favoured by the Caterpillars, so they can be examined for eggs and Caterpillars: May 21st. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Green-veined White Butterfly: May 21st. 2026 |
| |
| NB: At least one of the Blue-tit eggs have hatched. I may have some video to add over the holiday weekend as I always stay home on Bank Holidays and I can play catch-up: May 21st. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| May 15th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| A Red Admiral or part thereof. This was still flying and a pain to pin down (landed on nettles): May 15th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Apologies for the poor image, shot through murky glass with the sun (for a change) beating down. My nest box with eggs which have not yet hatched and this confirms it is a Blue Tit. The No: 32 refers to the hole size so I do not need to remember. Too big for Blue Tits but they do not seem to mind. Box ordinarily used by a Great Tit for a long time for roosting only, not maternity. And then only in cold weather. Hopefully we can all get out today: May 15th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Willow Warbler. All puffed up with the cold as I was but I had no coat: May 11th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Pied Flycatchers appear to be in more numbers than usual but still probably down on eggs, hence lack of obvious activity. Pace will become frenetic once the eggs hatch and food is demanded non-stop: May 11th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Female Orange-tip Butterfly: May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Green-veined White Butterfly (male - upper wings) on Cuckooflower: May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| On Bluebell: May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) on the moor near the Cat and fiddle: May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Early Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris): May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Welsh poppy (Meconopsis cambrica): May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna): May 10th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea): May 10th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| The Green-veined White on the Cuckooflower: May 8th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Another fairly chilly day perhaps best suited to Robins. I suspect that occupied nest boxes are still waiting for eggs to hatch which is why we do not see much traffic yet in the air. The Old Railway also quiet and this time last year I snapped the Ring Ouzel there on a day when no one was about at all, except me: May 7th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| This Green-veined White spent ages in one spot on this Wild Garlic which is apparently only used as an early source of nectar. The GVW lays eggs on Garlic Mustard rather than Wild Garlic: May 7th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum), attracts various butterflies for nectar: May 6th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Close up of Allium ursinum: May 6th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| This plant is commonly known as Tussock Cottongrass or Hare's-tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum). Another plant attractive to Butterflies. Tend to see this at higher elevations in the Goyt in more remote areas like this one on the moors leading to Staskeside where there are masses well developed (SK 00730 72959 - Elev: 473m): May 6th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Cotton grass in context high on the moors at 473m elevation (Errwood in the background): May 6th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| Another Green-veined White here showing the Underwings so you can see why it is called Green-veined: May 6th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| An important part of my activity for this year is identifying plants favoured by Butterflies and this delightful species is a perfect example. Known as the Cuckooflower or Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis). The plant is apparently an important food source for the caterpillars of the Orange-tip and Green-veined White Butterflies. It seems both the flowers and the remainder are favoured. My most cherished catch today and although they can't fly they do get blown about in the wind, making shooting sometimes very difficult.: May 5th. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| This terrible image is proof, if proof were needed, that the delightful Pied Flycatcher is back with us. I have far superior images on the inside pages and this image will not make it into that archive. I will be returning with another lens on the morrow: May 5th. 206 |
| |
 |
| |
| An even worse image but the bird (believed to be the Osprey), was soaring at an absurd distance and I only had my 150mm (MFT) lens on the camera as I was looking for larger Butterflies. The identity was made known to me by two completely independent credible witnesses and both had seen it with a fish in its tallons. I could only snatch the proifile which is not good enough for me to enter it into my bird section, much as I would like to include it. I have one or two other images and will check those later. This needs my 600mm lens used with a Gimbal but they are heavy and I have other priorities: May 5th. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| A Green-veined White. There are many 'Whites' on the wing but I am unable to identify in flight, as they can be one of several species. The trick is to try and catch them on a plant: May 2nd. 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
| The Green Hairstreaks are a bit calmer today but it was not as hot. Less shy for the lens as well. That earlier wind has largely vanished from the area and was causing problems recently: May 2nd. 2026 |
| |
| |
| |
 |
| |
| Opinion has it that this is a Song Thrush species: May 1st. 2026 |
| |
| top |
| |
