This shot was taken last weekend when we had a Moorsbus trip to Sutton Bank, towards the south-west corner of the North York Moors National Park.
Immediately east of the visitor centre is what was a mature forestry plantation, with a meandering path through it, when I first visited about 30 years ago. A few years later the plantation was cropped, giving some nice open views to the north and east, and soon after that new sapings were planted and the forest began to grow again.
More recently, the forest has been redeveloped with a meandering cycling trail and the footpath has been diverted for the benifit of the cyclists.
A constant series of man made changes, but despite that it is still a lovely area for nature. This shot shows a peacock butterfly on a flowering teasel. We saw quite a number of types of butterfly, and a surprising range of fungi as well. Our walk began quite slowly since there was so much of interest to see and photograph.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
It was good to see not only the teasels, but a selection of other wild flowers and fungi, and a variety of different butterflies. So nice to see these things, and yet we were only about 200 metres (220 yards) from the busy visitor centre at Sutton Bank.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
It was good to see not only the teasels, but a selection of other wild flowers and fungi, and a variety of different butterflies. So nice to see these things, and yet we were only about 200 metres (220 yards) from the busy visitor centre at Sutton Bank.
Ian
I agree - I don't think I have seen a butterfly on a teasel very often at all.
Ian