Lady Day

With today’s weather being more clammy than a seafood fiesta in Galicia, I opted to drive over to Connah’s Quay where I could both shelter from the frequent deluges and rest my knee that over the last week or so has decided to ratchet up the pain a couple of notches.

Trouble was when I rocked up at the gate I realised for the second time in two weeks that my key was on the set I have left at home – evidently I am too stupid to have more than one set.

Plan B was quickly put into action and I headed over to Cop Hole, the pools adjacent to the steelworks roundabout.

Not much on the pool apart from a score or so of Tufties and a smattering of passage hirundines hawking insects.

The marsh was equally quiet save a solitary Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier that after thirty minutes of scouring around had the courtesy to show to about four miles.

A quiet bird day was however saved by the large numbers of butterflies on and around the Buddleia growing next to the pool.

This area of scrubby grassland is excellent for butterflies and well worth checking out despite the area technically being out of bounds; although it is used by a fair number of dog walkers (not a good idea with the sheep nearby) and a handful of birders.

Lepidoptera this afternoon included Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, plus singles of Painted Lady and Grayling – the latter two both on one of the large Buddleia. If there ever was an illustration of the importance of this bush, then today was it with loads of Honey and Bumble Bees feeding on the flowers too.

Until later.