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.
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 wee bit of video which is reduced to 640 x 480 and 4:3 aspect ratio because it is a wildlife camera in a bird box.
Blue Tits nesting in a bird box which for ages has only been a roosting stop-over for a Great Tit. The Great Tit tends to move on in pretty weather.
In this brief video you can see the eggs before the birdie returns from feeding presumably.
I have an earlier video of one adult bringing food for the roosting bird.
This box has a 32mm entrance so it is surprising that the Blue-Tit is using it, given the hole makes it accessible to bigger birds.
May 4th. 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
Managed to find a better opportunity to shoot some Green Hairstreak video. The 'trembling' of the plant is not down to wind but some large ants engaged in some activity on the stems. This was along the old railway. Recorded a lot of different Butterflies today now the sun is out and the East wind has dropped: April 24th. 2026
Green Hairstreak at last. A bunch of them seen yesterday in the East wind gales which continued today but seemed to be lessened. Image from today (the only one I found) as yesterday's not good enough due to shaking vegetation I suspect: April 22nd. 2026
A terrible image I know but I had one chance only and had to shoot from the hip (as it were). The message is that the birds are waking up at last and a lot of LBT's seen (little brown things). This could be the Willow Warbler as the legs do not seem dark enough for the Chiff Chaff. That said I may be wrong, especially on birds. Only seeing Peacock Butterflies but this week should start to pick up given the forecast, which also may be wrong: April 19th. 2026
This is obviously a young bird and I think it maybe a Whinchat but I am checking with someone more expert. If it is then it is my first Whinchat on the website record: April 13th. 2026
Yet another Peacock. My fifth today: April 13th. 2026
The significance of this for me is that I caught it along the old railway. They had to be there and now I have got one. Disturbed it in the Bilbbery where I was scanning for Green Hairstreaks. So cold I was able to pick it up, photograph it on grass and put it back in the Bilberry. Another GH no-show week: April 10th. 2026
Temperatures well over the Butterfly threshold but still no Green Hairstreaks seen and I have been searching in many places. Plenty for the bees to feed on with this Gorse bush that is semi-sheltered and I do not recall it being barren over winter: April 7th. 2026
Plenty of Peacocks all over but we want more. Saw my first Brimstone (male) yesterday but on the wing: April 7th. 2026
First lizard of the season: April 7th. 2026
After days of dismal weather things are now brightening up. Believe this to be a Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus) charging across the terrain: April 6th. 2026
And Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) the Butterfly magnet is now starting to develop. Still no Green Hairstreaks: April 6th. 2026
