Blackmoor
Blackmoor
Blackmoor is part of the prehistoric lead mining area of the Mendip Hills in Somerset. Like neighbouring Ubley Warren it is covered in gruffy ground – a landscape of hollows, lumps and dumps formed by mine shafts and spoil heaps.
Today, it is a heaven for wildlife. The grasslands are full of scabious, thistles and rosebay willowherb. Despite the lumps, bumps and ankle twisting hollows the reserve is criss-crossed in wide footpaths making walking around relatively easy.
Skippers are skipping around everywhere in summer.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) on Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) – Blackmoor, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_4419
And, like most of the butterflies around here they love the patches of field scabious.

Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) on Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) – Blackmoor, Mendip Hills, Somerset, UK. ID JB_4641
Colourful kidney vetch also provides food for a lot of our friends.
Red and white campion create a soft pink landscape.
Ringlets wait for the day to warm up.
But, this spider already has one wrapped up.
The patches of rosebay willowherb are hard to miss.
Those ringlets are still warming up.
And finally…
More sun and grass!