elland gravel pits tuesday morning, when it was sunny!!

A bright crisp morning greeted me, and, as a result, decided to go and do something I had been planning all week, but the weather had not yet presented an oppertunity. That is, to get round to a birding site in calderdale via public transpot. My chosen place was elland gravel pits becuase I can imagine that it is much easier to get to than many of our upland reservoirs. elland is not exceptional for birds but there are many great insects and so a sunny day was required. By 9.00 in the morning I had planned my route, although I was still a bit nervous in case I caught the wrong bus. I managed to get there but with a bit of walking to do which dissapointed me. I had been hoping for a more direct route there considering that there was a bus stop right outside the enterance!

I was sson within the grounds of the reserve when the wildlife began to show. a first I spotted a brown hawker in the trees but as I drifted away from the tarmaced paths and into the woods I found myself surrounded by brown hawkers and Speckled woods!

Sadly none of the brown hawkers would stay still for a photo so I still needed a record shot. luckily another species which I needed a record shot for was showing quite well, the gatekeeper butterfly. I had been seeing quite a lot of these recently but only when i did not have the camera so, seeing as though now I did, I began to take some photos!

I continued walking and flushed a flock of long-tailed tits out of the trees to my right. I noticed a large gap through the bolsom to the riverside and decided to go and have a look down there. It was there that I managed to find my one and only landed brown hawker, hidden amongst the bolsom. Sadly it flew off before I could take any more, better, photos than this.

I drifted off towards where I found a large grassy meadow where I found another butterfly that I needed a photo of, the small heath. It took a while for it to settle but soon I was able to get the shots I wanted. Now, for brown butterflys anyway, I only need a wall brown record shot!

As I left I stumbled across another gatekeeper that was, luckily, less flighty and allowed me to get some more photos!

tradicaly the bus stop outside the enterance to egp was an hourly bus to brighouse so that was not much good. luckily my mum was in the area after going shopping so she came to pick me up. As I was waiting I managed to find some more rufous grasshoppers. I have seen so many recently that i can now identify them by their song!