1st August - Meeth Quarry Reserve, Devon

 The weather had changed overnight and didn't look to be too good, however we set off north to another Devon Wildlife reserve, Meeth Quarry, a reclaimed area of clay quarries that was left to nature in 2004.  Mounds of slurry and deep open water make up a lot of the reserve, but also good numbers of many different tree species.  From the car park we came across our first butterfly of the day, a Speckled Wood.

This was a good sign but very soon after it started to rain, fine rain to start but getting heavier so we returned to the car for the wet gear.  We were here for butterflies and one in particular.  This is a good sight for Wood White in spring and they also have a second brood that flies about now.  I knew they were about as Ian had visited a week before and managed to find one.  However the weather was not playing ball.

We walked the main track and in places it was possible to view the flooded pits.  The water is very deep and not good for wildfowl.  There were a few Tufted Duck and two pairs of Great-crested Grebes.  Closer to the shore I was taken by the Pond Skaters.

The rain then started to ease and it felt quite humid, with this break one or two butterflies were on the wing.  A small white butterfly fluttered down to the bramble, I picked it up with the binoculars and rushed over only tyo find it was a Green-veined White

We paused in an area on a bend where it was sheltered and covered in these small pink flowers which belong to the Common Centuary

There were several Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns in the area and I managed to find some Common Blue Damselfly, but not what I was hoping for.  As the weather started to close in again we decided to explore the area around Wooladon Lake.  Another quarry pit with deep water and very little on it.  But the area around the lake was covered in wild flowers that, if the weather had been better, would probably be covered in butterflies.  We couldn't find any butterflies today, but we did come across a couple of moths, first a Shaded Broad Bar

And then a Six Spot Burnet

Helen found this shield bug on me, I haven't been able to identify it though.

There was little chance of finding the Wood White so we went back to the car and then lunch before setting off back to the cottage.  From there we walked around the river and woods that surrounded us.  As you would expect the sun then came out

A fern by the side of the river.

Back at the cottage we were able to have a drink outside and enjoy the lovely garden and grounds

Meeth will demand a return, I have heard so much about it from Ian and I realy want to be able to find that Wood White here in England