Calling all Yellowbellies..........

[Seajay]

Calling all Yellowbellies, those tinted slight yellow i.e. people in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Norfolk and anyone else interested
My lad and I are both keen on wildlife photography, anything whatsoever to do with nature. We would like to try and discover places closer to home that we could nip out to for the day. You could say 'Well look on the internet, spanner' but a) I would prefer first hand comments from my pals on WAB (with tips on what to see and where to go on the site) and b) I think it would make a great thread especially if someone runs one for their part of our beautiful Isles which we could use if we head that way on a longer holiday. (We have a caravan for long weekend breaks).
We wouldn't mind if we had to join some organisation in order to use the site in question (we are in the RSPB).
It would also provide more species to pursue and consequently more pics for the Gallery.

Colin

[Fourwings]

Colin,
I am based in Leicestershire and work in Rutland.
There are plenty of good sites in the area, Rutland Water & Eyebrook if you want huge reservoirs with stacks of birdlife.
In leicestershire there's Bradgate park which is excellent for Deer and fairly good for birds when its quiet, Swithland and Cropston reservoirs are also in the area but are not very good for bird photography.
As with Lincs there are masses of smaller local reserves that can offer a stunning array of flora & fauna.
My own speciality is insect photography, i know some brilliant sites for Both Dragonflies and Butterflies in the area if you are interested.
Check this thread out, it may be of interest to you.
Priory Water 2008

[Seajay]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your reply. I dabbled in insect photography last year and became hooked. Fascinating subject! Sites we visited in our recently acquired caravan last year were not always productive for birds but always produced insects so I diversified a little, therefore would be most interested in any good locations.
Priory Water looks most interesting but I cant seem to find anything on the net, the meet looks like good fun too!
Rutland we have obviously heard of but never visited so we'll probably start there so if you have any tips for good areas for photography? So many sites are poor for photographers due to huge numbers of visitors (who have every right to visit of course) or you just cannot get near enough to photograph because of the design. I intend to collate any info I get from WAB, visit as many places as I can and add my own notes. Should prove useful for us all especially WAB members from out of the area.
I looked on the net re Eyebrook and it would appear one needs a pass without which 'you will have to deal with CORUS'! Sounds a bundle of laughs there. Whoever wrote the opening para needs advice on customer relations.
Bradgate Park looks very interesting and it's a toss up whether to visit this first for the deer? Any tips for good viewing points would also be appreciated.
The other thing is we can visit these places mid-week when presumable they will be quieter, due to the hours we work.
Look forward to your replies. Any response of mine may be slow as I'm on my run of night shifts again so please forgive any tardiness.

Colin

[Fourwings]

Hi Colin,

Priory Water is a private nature reserve with no public access so I doubt that you would find much information about it on the net.

Eyebrook can be easily viewed from the road around its northern end, there is no need to enter the woods owned by CORUS (formerly British Steel).

The best places to visit at Rutland water are the two main bird reserves at Egleton and Lyndon, have a look at the website - The home page of RWNR
Next month onwards should be good with both the return of the spring migrants and the ospreys.

I will get back to you about Bradgate park as the directions will have to be more detailed to get you to the right areas.

[Seajay]

Thanks Steve. I'll have a look on their web site as you suggest now I know what to look for.

Colin

[Andy Warne]

Hi Colin,
All these reserves are within ten miles of each other, near Stamford. If any, or all, are of interest then let me know and I can post more details of where to see listed species, when is the best time to see them, parking, etc. I've listed mainly plants but there are plenty of insects at all of these reserves.

Barnack Hills and Holes NNR
Natural England - Special Sites
Old limestone quarry
Pasqueflower, a succession of orchids including Early Purple Orchid, Twayblade, Man, Fragrant, Bee, Frog, and Pyramidal Orchids, Knapweed Broomrape, Clustered Bellflower, Kidney Vetch, Purple Milk-vetch, Spiny Restharrow, Carline Thistle, Squinancywort, Cowslip, Turkey Oak, Green Hairstreak, Chalkhill Blue, Marbled White, Glow-worm.

Collyweston Quarries
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough - Vist a reserve
Old limestone quarry
Similar to Barnack, good for Knapweed Broomrape, Marbled White and Six-spot Burnet, in addition there is Dodder, Dyer's Greenweed and quite a lot Wild Parsnip and Viper's-bugloss which can be covered with various insects.

Bedford Purlieus NNR
Ancient woodland
Eyed Ladybird(with luck), Wasp Beetle, Wood Ant, Crab Spider(Misumena vatia), Dark, Speckled, and Roesel's Bush-crickets, several grasshopper species(regularly including purple individuals), Toothwort, Early Purple Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Stinking Hellebore, Columbine, Common Gromwell, Mountain Melick, Wild Liqorice, Crosswort, Herb-paris, lots more plants, lots of fungi.
(I have seen White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary but not regularly, there are Purple Hairstreak and White-letter Hairstreak but I haven't seen them).

Sulehay Nature Reserve (includes Sulehay Forest and Stonepit Quarry)
Sulehay Nature Reserve Website - introduction page
Woodland
Wood Anemone, violets, Bluebell, Ramsons, Snowdrop, Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Toothwort, Wild Service Tree.
Old limestone quarry
Green Tiger Beetle, Lesser Centaury, Biting Stonecrop, Viper's-bugloss, Bee Orchid, Basil Thyme.

Bloody Oaks Quarry
Bloody Oaks Quarry
Old limestone quarry
Chalk Milkwort, Horseshoe Vetch, Bee Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Dung Beetle(Omaloplia ruricola), Lizard.

Ketton Quarry
Ketton Quarry
Old limestone quarry, including Beech plantation
Yellow Bird's-nest, Bee Orchid, Twayblade, Deadly Nightshade, Autumn Gentian, Lizard, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Brown Argus, Marbled White.

Andy

[Seajay]

Thanks Andy, I'll check them out on the net as you suggest. They look extremely interesting.

Colin

[Tormentil]

The Lincs Wildlife Trust as some good places......... Reserves Map

[Seajay]

Your right Ben! There are over a hundred! I think it would be well worth joining the Trust if it gives access to all those. Have you been to any of them?

Colin

[Tormentil]

Not as many as I would like. I must admit I tend to favour Far Ings at Barton and Messingham and mainly the latter as its only 15mins drive from me.

Whisby, near Lincoln, is very good.