From our correspondent

Lower Butchers Quarry - Wednesday 14th June

I was unavailable for this outing.

In my absence our correspondent filed a report and I have received lots of photographs which make me really jealous of what I missed. Not too jealous though; I was having an equally excellent time in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire (apart from one footpath where the stiles were overgrown and a kissing gate barred and screwed shut).

On with the story ...

The party that assembled on a beautiful day (it was in Wiltshire anyway) in the car park of the Port-y-wean Silver Band hall numbered 11. They set off fairly promptly, walking back along the main road to the track leading to Lower Butchers Quarry, one of the many quarries that litter the Llynclys Hill.

The track passes through some woodland then opens out into the quarry. 

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Here it was warm and humid.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Within this quarry there were a variety of orchids: 

Bee

Photograph: Richard Burkmar

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Pyramidal

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Greater Butterfly 

Photograph: Richard Burklmar

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Common spotted

Photograph: Richard Burkmar

There was an abundance of nectar sources on which three species of the delightful Cryptocephalus beetles were found

Cryptocephalus bipunctatus - Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A "treat" was a beautifully marked Deer Fly which was biting one of our snappers. 

"What beautiful eyes you've got!" - Photograph: Bob Kemp

Unfortunately at the wrong angle for him to take a photograph enabling it's identification to species!

Of course there were also other things of interest.

Spiders, which gives me another opportunity to show the lengths our snappers go to to get that perfect shot (whilst others watch on).

Photograph: Richard Burkmar

 Evarcha falcata(?) - Photograph: Bob Kemp

Female Nursery Web Spider - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

Hoverflies

Eristalis - Photograph: Jim Cresswell

And butterflies

Large skipper - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

Lunch was taken in the quarry and although more time could have been spent there the party moved on quickly through Upper Butchers Quarry, through the woodland and on to Llynclys Common. 

First, to the area cleared a few years ago to almost reveal limestone pavement, then onto the Common and finally, following a conversation with a group of walkers, finding the pool.

Eyebright - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

Common twayblade - Photograph: Bob Kemp

Common twayblade - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

"Mini" spider vac in action - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

The pool - Photograph: Richard Burkmar

A male Broad-bodied Chaser was patrolling the pool.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

It was soon joined by a female; very brief in flight mating was followed by her egg laying then flying away. The male returned to patrolling. 

An azure damsel fly rested on a leaf

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Large numbers of toad tadpoles were schooling with small groups feeding on floating fishing bait which had been thrown in. 

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Palmate newts occasionally came into view. Sorry no photograph.

By now it was 4pm and the group had not been to their final target for the day, cave spiders, possibly in the caves or limekilns on the other side of the road by the car park. Not enough time had been allowed for this and the map was not detailed enough so the party returned to the car park for 5pm.

My thanks to Shropshire Wildlife Trust for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing; to the snappers Richard Burkmar, Bob Kemp and Jim Cresswell for providing the splendid photographs and to Jim Cresswell for the source of the narrative. For those present I hope my attempt to merge the photographs with the narrative is not too far from what actually happened!