Suburban Wildlife

In a Suburban setting, within five minutes walk from home there is an old disused Lane leading to a brassica field. It is hemmed in on one side by trees and the ring road of a council estate and on the other by fencing of back gardens. There are trees of Hawthorn (some of it is in flower) and it has line of Elms, I believe they are thought to be American Elm.


With just enough room to walk in single file the lane is overgrown with Bramble and Ivy and a wide variety of herbaceous plant growth including Stinging Nettle, White Nettle and Cow Parsley.
In contrast to the wildlife the site is also something of a dumping ground for old carpets, mattresses, washing machines, motor bike parts and lots of garden waste and other misc debris. The wildlife does not seem to object to this intrusion and it becomes absorbed into the undergrowth.
I have hoped to see my first Orange Tip butterflies of the year locally and I did not have to go further than this Lane today. I found one flying among the drifts of Cow Parsley and occasional Honesty plants.
Further on two Speckled Woods in courtship dance, then a Holly Blue flew past me. On a Bramble leaf a Comma paused until I drew close. At the end of the 200 metre lane a pair of Small Whites fluttered over the Nettles. (Map Reference TQ187049)