Duke of Burgandy Fritillary - this is the main flight period for this rare butterfly, and Gait Barrows is one of the few places you can see them in the north of England.
Lady's Slipper Orchid - even rarer than the Duke, there is only one naturally wild plant in the whole of the UK. Seed has been taken from this plant, and the seedlings propagated at Kew gardens and many have been re-introduced here at Gait Barrows. The larger and much older plant at nearby Silverdale is of Austrian stock and was planted there many years ago.
The most spectacular of all British Orchids! If you're interested in seeing this orchid, next weekend (5th and 6th June) is Lady's Slipper orchid open day at Gait Barrows. Only problem is parking may be a nightmare, because there is not a lot of spaces. Also, as you can see from my photos, the orchids appear to be in full flower now, so by next weekend they might be past their best.
Dingy Skipper (left) and Small Pearl Bordered Frillary (right). It's hard to seperate Pearl Bordered and Small Pearl Bordered without seeing the under wing, so you'll just ahve to take my word for it that we did see the underwing and this is definately SPBF!
Common Blue
Leighton Moss RSPB
Leighton Moss RSPB
Spoonbill from the Grisdale hide. We also saw several Bearded Tits here and Marsh Harriers.
Broad-bodied Chaser - there were lots of this spectacular dragonfly on the wing today, but try gettting close enough for a photo!
Fly Orchid - I assume that the netting has been put around it to keep out the rabbits. I'm not going to disclose the exact location. If you know where it is great, if not be happy that it's being looked after!
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