15 April 2017

AFTERNOONS WALK ALONG RIVACRE VALLEY

The weather was beautiful today on the Wirral so I spent the afternoon walking around my local nature reserve in Rivacre.It wasn't long before I saw my first Comma butterfly of the year as I was walking along the stream.
COMMA BUTTERFLY
Spring is truly upon us now and the valley floor was covered in Bluebells.
BLUEBELLS
There were good numbers of Orange Tip butterflies around the reserve and I managed to get a distant photo of a Brimstone butterfly as it landed on the other side of the stream.


ORANGE TIP 
BRIMSTONE
Walking further along the valley I heard a Green Woodpecker calling and it didn't take long to locate the bird sat right out at the top of a tree.
GREEN WOODPECKER
The stream held a single Grey wagtail and two Kingfishers.Due to the constant disturbance of dog walkers and children playing in the stream I was surprised that the Kingfishers were still around as I hadn't seen them at all this year after numerous visits.
GREY WAGTAIL
Walking back to the car a Peacock butterfly appeared right in front of me near the path and a Speckled wood was seen around the rangers cabin.

 PEACOCK 


SPECKLED WOOD
A lovely afternoons walk and so nice to see a good selection of butterflies which are now seriously in decline in Great Britain.
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