Single FileBrockadale is such a popular destination amongst members of the group that it was a surprise to learn that it was four years since our last visit, so our return was long overdue. We left Bradford in some trepidation, battered as we had been by the storms of recent days, wondering what the weather would throw at us. We need not have worried as, being a BEES Tuesday, the weather gods smiled upon us once again and we enjoyed a dry day with lots of sunny spells until five minutes before our departure time when we caught a short shower.
The full minibus was forced to make an emergency stop at Pontefract Hospital en route – the emergency was that we had missed the toilet stop planned for Morrisons and our intrepid driver, Sue, thought this sufficient reason to divert into the hospital for a comfort break. 
Butterflies Mud-PuddlingWe all wondered whether this stop was appropriate, but as Sue’s in the nursing business we assumed that she knew what she was doing! Duly relieved we continued on our way and soon arrived at our destination.
Brockadale in late July means lots and lots of clustered bellflowers together with hosts of other species, and being on the Magnesian limestone, lots of special plants of calcareous soil.
And butterflies – clouds of them throughout the day with 13 different species recorded,exactly the same number of bird species seen on a poor bird day. The butterfly stars were marbled white and dark green fritillary, 
Commabut commas and peacocks displayed themselves beautifully and we witnessed an activity not seen before by any of our group; mud-puddling. This entails a group of up to a dozen butterflies (small white and green-veined white together in this case) gleaning minerals from the earth whilst huddled together – a remarkable sight.
Another highlight of a lovely day was Joan’s sighting of two plants which she hadn’t seen before. These were wild liquorice and wild clary. It’s not often that Joan adds to her lifetime list; full marks to Alice for the discoveries.
Joan recorded 168 plants in flower or fruit, including sweet-tasting strawberry and raspberry; amongst the plant highlights were black horehound, small teasel, small scabious and possibly common calamint, but as this doesn’t appear on the 
Banded Demoisellespecies list for the site the jury’s out on that one!
Maddy disturbed a fox and Marilyn, that renowned spotter of amphibians, found a lizard near the banks of the river Went where banded demoiselles and an occasional dragonfly played. So we wandered happily through the meadows and woodlands of the 58 hectares of the reserve until it was time to head back, too soon, to the minibus to be conveyed back to Bradford comfortably and directly by Sue. Thanks to Eric for organising yet another successful trip – brilliant Brockadale.
Stuart