Blog

26 May 2023

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Went to Lydford Gorge today and found loads of SPBF in the field below the train track.

They were quite mobile and was lucky to get a few to sit for more than a few seconds.

26 May 2023

Wood White

Went to Meeth Quarry for the third time today and the conditions were perfect.

Saw several Wood Whites starting to warm up in the morning sun.

This one just sat nicely for me.

26 May 2023

Heath Fritillary

Went to Lydford Gorge today, great contitions with several seen.

They have opened up the ajoining hedge so that they can travel and spread to the ajoing field below which they seem to be doing.

Great to see Colin S and his wife, Colin has been the person responsible for the site and happy to see the first 4/5 Frits of the year after his hard work.

23 May 2023

Chasing Butterflies

Starting to travel further afield to Dorset, The "Giants Hill" at Cerne Abbas and Compton Down as well as sites in Devon such as Ashcliffe and Holden Forests, Aish Tor, Dunsford meadows, Dawlish Warren, Exminster and Powderham Marshes, loads of footpaths and open areas, a lot slower start this year because of the weather but things are starting to pick up!

Still way behind last year 30 species this time last year and only 24 so far this year with Speckled Wood, Wall, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Glanville Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Small Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and Small Tortishell.

23 May 2023

Adonis Blue

At Compton Down today Adonis Blue everywhere! All looking quite fresh so just emerged, such a stunning Butterfly!

Mostly Males seen with a few Females here and there.

23 May 2023

Glanville Fritillary

At Compton Down today lucky to see 7 Glanville Frits, 2 mating which was a treat to see, all Butterflies on the banks on the side of the track and none seen by me on the Down although others had seen them there.

Seen them here regularly now and this introduced colony remains strong!

I know some dont aprove of introductions but this is far easier and cheaper than going to the Isle of Wight!

23 May 2023

Compton Down

Went To Compton Down in Dorset today and had an excellent session with the Butterflies, when I first got out of the car at the top I didn't think I would see much as there was a bit of a wind and not a lot of sun but as I walked down the track it got a lot warmer as it was out of the breeze and between the hedges it was a bit of a sun trap.

On the banks just under the Down I managed to see 7 Glanville Frits with 2 mating, Adonis Blues everywhere as well as Common and Small Blue, Brown Argos, Dingy Skipper and Brimstone.

On the Down Small Heath and Marsh Frits where the extras.

Plenty of Bird Song and Burnet Moths flying around, met a few Humans doing the same as me looking for Butterflies and all quite happy!

20 May 2023

Wall Butterfly

While at Berry Head looking for Small Blue, I managed to catch up with the Wall Butterfly which up until now not seen this year.

Good numbers here although many of them looking a little torn with wing damage.

It was a bit windy today and trying to focus on them was difficult as the flowers they were on was being pushed around.

20 May 2023

Small Blue

Spent this morning at Berry Head in Devon on the hunt for Butterflies, this is a bit of a hot spot for Small Blue.

This delicate little Butterfly can be found on the path to the Quarry on the sea ward side of the path.

It was great to find so many although they were being pushed around in the wind making focusing a bit difficult I managed to get a few shots.

This area was full of Wild Flowers in bloom and just stunning to see, but it was a suprise not to see more species of Butterfly, apart from Wall there was only singles of Small White and Common Blue, expected to see more!

16 May 2023

Skippers

It is a sunny day and a day off! So a chasing Butterflies we will go, decided to spend the morning at Cerne Abbas at the "Giants Hill" to try and catch up with the Dingy and Grizzled Skippers.

I had already seen the Duke of Burgundy unlike others that where there, unfortunately there had been plenty of trampled plants after people were trying to get a view not only of Butterflies but Adders that where sunning themselves.

So managed a very successful visit seeing and taking photos of both, Grizzled on the left and Dingy on the right, also met some very nice humans!

16 May 2023

Marsh Fritillary

Spent the afternoon looking for Marsh Fritillary, had been advised before and again today to visit" Lydlinch Common" in Dorset so that was the plan for this afternoon.

Lydlinch I found out is an assortment of fields around the village not all together, I was lucky to bump into some locals who pointed me in the right direction, the common is a hot spot for Marsh Fritillaries but each field seems to have a different emergence date.

I would never had found this field as you had to go down a track and through a hedge, no signs or markers, the path opened up into this field and as I walked around Marsh Frits where flying around but none wanted to settle except this one which sat for a couple of minutes before flying off which finished off a very successful day!

12 May 2023

Chasing Butterflies

Had a great day off today and it wasnt raining! Put myself between Dawlish Warren and Aish Tor on Dartmoor. With the help of Phil from Dawlish Warren, I managed to add another 4 species to this years total.

Small Copper, Common Blue and Brown Argus from Dawlish Warren and Pearl -bordered Fritillary at Aish Tor.

I spoke to a guy who was doing a "Transect" for Butterfly Conservation who said the PBF are 3 weeks behind last year which iam not suprised at that.

Still way behind last year 21 species this time last year and only 16 so far this year with Speckled Wood, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper and Small Tortishell.

Great to see Phil and chew the cud over Butterflies and Dragons as well as the Butterfly guy at Aish Tor who was full of information.

Looking forward to more sunny days off and getting back on track.

07 May 2023

Chasing Butterflies

Apart from today at Cerne Abbas I had been looking at Ash Tor, Dunsford, Exminster Marshes and Dawlish Warren and the totals are very slowly rising to 12-

Speckled Wood, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Duke of Burgundy, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue and Small Tortishell.

07 May 2023

Holly Blue

I have seen several Holly Blue this year but as normal they rarely settle, so was very lucky to find this one with its wings open, probably because it was starting to warm up.

07 May 2023

Duke of Burgundy

Lucky to find a couple of fresh Duke of Burgundy, one flew off but one stayed around and posed for me.

These are a stunning little Butterfly and a joy to see!

07 May 2023

Cerne Abbas

I had an excellent day at "Giants Hill" at Cerne Abbas, went there to find some Butterflies and was relativley successful at this with finding a couple of Duke of Burgundy, Large White, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Peacock, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood.

Lots of Bird song with Black Cap, Yellow Hammer, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Raven, Wood Pigeon and Buzzard.

As this is ancient Grassland plenty of great flowers with hundreds of Cowslip, Orchids, Dandilions, Speedwell and Cuckoo Flowers to name a few.

Nice to see a few Rabbits running around.

A few humans walking and a few like me looking for Butterflies, all very friendly enjoying the sun

05 May 2023

Out and about

Originaly the plan was to go to Dorset to look for Butterflies on the "Giants Hill" at Cerne Abbas, but the weather was crap so plan B was to go to Aylesbere to see the Dartford Warblers but on route I got a call from a friend that a Red-spotted Bluethroat had been seen at Dawlish Warren so turned around and went for a look. I hanged around for an hour with no sightings

so decided to go up to Dartmoor to see what I could find.

No chance of seeing any Butterflies but did see plenty of Flowers and Birds with the odd Grey Squirrel into the match.

Great selection of flowers especially at Dunsford Meadows but in the hedgerows and banks about the Moor.

Obviously plenty of Gorse Flowers, a stunning Yellow which is a welcombe nector source for insects at this time of year. Wild Garlic and Bluebells are starting to come into flower with Primrose, Wood Anemone, Speedwell, Campions and Stitchworts. Saw a couple of Orchids as well, Early Purple and Green-winged Orchids. Some Crab Apple trees also coming into flower and the trees all starting to finaly leaf up.

Plenty of birds in full song and some going around with full beaks of worms such as Blackbirds which was a good sign. All the usual seen for this time of year with Blackcap, Wheatear, Whincat, Stonechat, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Meadow Pipit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon, Raven, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Rook and a Goldcrest.

Looking forward to a dry sunny day!

© Simon Thurgood 2024
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