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#30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, biodiversity in churchyard, British butterflies, Large skipper, Large skipper butterfly, St Augustine's Church
I seem to be constantly angry these days at the environmental vandalism of local authorities so it was an absolute delight on day 6 of #30DaysWild to spend time in the churchyard of St Augustine’s here in Penarth.
The church authorities have taken the enlightened step of helping to ‘safeguard the environment of the plants and animals that live in the churchyard while at the same time promoting enjoyment of the space by the local community. The area is an ideal resource for encouraging greater understanding of wildlife and biodiversity. Bird, bat and swift boxes have been put up….’
The grass is long, wildflowers are blooming, a family of Blue tits were feeding in the trees, and these Large skippers were basking in the sunshine. Congratulations to the Friends of St Augustine’s for leading the way!
Great photos, you must be very stealthy with the camera work or I’m very noisy because they fly away when I try to catch them on film. 😀
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Thanks a lot. These were taken with my zoom lens so I didn’t have to get too close but, by sheer co-incidence, I’ve been practising my stealth today, getting very close to insects. And it does take practice! 🙂
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You and me with local authorities…
Nice to see the skipper… I am not sure I’ve seen any here.
We’ve been having an amazing time with a ‘swarm’ (well, up to a dozen at a time, at least) of Silver Y moths, during the day. There’s a patch of flowers – don’t know what they are, clusters of tiny deep pink flowers on tall stems, different from your photos – that they adore and they’ve spent the last few days drinking nectar to their hearts’ content! I filmed one a day or two ago, trying desperately to get through the window into our dining room! 🙂
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Yes, seeing a lot of Silver Ys hereabouts too. Their annual migration is well underway. 🙂
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Their migratory patterns are fascinating. I’ve also noticed with these moths, how unafraid they are – I’ve touched them while they’re hovering and they don’t seem at all bothered.
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