Suzannek

Yes I live 18 miles away from High Force, I am part of Teesdale. We are a 1000 foot or so above sea level and it is hilly where I live. I live 4 miles from Hamsterley Forest which is great for walking and mountain biking. This is the information board at Moorhouse Nature Reserve

Fly Agaric Toadstool at Low Force and a Mountain Pansy looking a tad ragged, but still flowering on Moorhouse Nature Reserve

Here are some of the photos of the bees and hoverflies on the walk. Wish I had been able to capture a photo of the beautiful Banded Demoiselle Damselflies flying over Moorhouse Nature Reserve

Went for a lovely walk on Sunday 11.9.16 from Low Force to High Force waterfalls in beautiful Teesdale

If you have any keen gardeners locally that propagate a lot of plants it might be worth checking to see if they have the Buddleia davidii x globosa hybrids as I'm sure the butterflies would enjoy them and it would give you extra colour in the garden, without you having to buy from a garden centre at an over inflated price. I don't know what happens to the butterflies in Spain you don't see many from July onwards, probably too hot. If I wake up early I take the dog for a long walk, then he'll sleep while I'm getting ready for work. I don't think Commas are plentiful anywhere these days, and we don't help much. We got our Buddleia from our neighbour, we have Roses, Fuchsia, Mint, Lucifers, Yellow Loosestrife, White Campion, Mayweed also growing. A patch of nettles and thistles as well as a bit of long grass. It is a bit of a wild garden, but it a wildlife haven. Both bees and butterflies love it. Suz x

We only have two Buddleia the purple one was planted last year. The butterflies love it. We even had a Common Blue in our garden on it this year. Not tried those flowers no. If I wake up early hours I have to do something then I can go back to sleep. If I don't I just lie there i loved the Commas particularly, they are uncommon up here and are very hard to photograph

Went to Low Barns Nature Reserve yesterday as it was a lovely day, really disappointed saw about 3 dragonflies. The butterfly garden had no butterflies, only saw a few Large, Small Whites and Speckled Woods. I came back home and took these in the garden Large White; Commas; Peacock; Red Admiral; Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Ladies

Painted Lady, a Speckled Wood and Meadow Brown

What a poser

Managed to take this beauty on Monday evening over Wynch Bridge in Teesdale. Grass of Parnassus wildflower. It grows profusely in this area

My trip on Widdybank Fell with the botany group last Monday with a final transect of the rare flora of Upper Teesdale. The flora we were looking for which were all present were Bog Asphodel; Alpine Bartsia; Alpine Bistort; Scottish Asphodel; Grass of Parnasus; Globeflower; Deer Grass and Long Stalked Yellow Sedge. Of course there were lots more flora on there including lots of Alpine Eyebrights. Here are a few of the views of Cronkley Fell from Widdybank meadows. I was in shorts and tshirt, everyone else was well wrapped up, saying it was cold

I took this stunning boy a male Common Blue Damselfly at Low Barns Nature Reserve at Witton le Wear

Did my Big Butterfly count and here are a few photos, taken mainly down my favourite woods, it is a wildlife haven. First two of Small Skippers; Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood

Bees and Hoverflies Safari, on the patch of thistles in our garden

Monday at Low Force in Upper Teesdale, 20 minutes in the car

On Sunday I went to Bishop Middleham Quarry Nature Reserve, half an hours drive away. Very difficult to find via sat nav as not on google maps! Anyway some lovely flora growing there with it being part of the Magnesian Limestone grasslands. Fragrant Orchids, Common Centaury and the Dark Red Helleborine loads growing here, . There were also lots of Durham's butterfly Northern Brown Argus, Common Blues and other butterflies none would pose for photos. It is an amazing place. Also usually growing here are Bee, Frog, Spider, Pyramidal, Common and Heath Spotted Orchids

One of my favourite birds thank you for sharing Martyn

Pretty Toadflax growing on wasteland near where I work

Few pics from a visit to Low Barns Nsture Reserve Common Spotted Orchid; Ragged Robin; hybrid orchid

Here is what I came to see along the old Tees Railway Walk. Great year for the Northern Marsh Orchids there are about 130 plants there far more than 2015

View along Tees old Railway Walk near Romaldkirk in Teesdale 21.6.16

Just to show a few of the colour varieties of Mountain Pansy, these were taken at Moorhouse Nature Reserve. Sorry about the second photo, but the North Pennines helm wind was blowing

Loads of orchids at Low Barns Nature Reserve, Witton le Wear, Bishop Auckland 15.6.16