Brockholes quarry

I managed a stop for a wee gander at brockholes quarry today, on my way back from Preston. At the first path to the main pool, I saw my first banded demoiselle damselflies of the year, and many azure damsels too.















There is still a fantastic array of wildflowers, including bird-foot trefoil, meadow cranesbill and early orchid.
Every ragwort plant seemed to have cinnabar moth caterpillars feeding on them. I also saw a bird cherry ermine moth on one of the ragworts.




















The water level in the quarry pools was very high due to the seemingly endless rain we've had...
at the main pool I found

30 canada geese
countless coots
many mallard
1 moorhen with young
Mute swan pair with 4 large cygnets
3+ sedge warblers singing in the reeds
swifts, swallows, house martin and sand martin all feeding over the pool.

.......over the wooded bank to
pit no 1, I found

A family of Jays calling from the young trees,
a female pheasant exploded from the long grass into the air with 6 young....giving me a heart attack in the process!
24 adult mute swans!
another 35 canada geese
countless coot again
circa 20 lapwing on island
circa 10 oystercatcher
1 grey heron
1 juv green woodpecker on ribble walk path
A few common darter dragonflies - this pic is the female, the male is red.














1 gatekeeper butterfly (a years first for me) amongst many speckled wood and meadow brown butterflies