Martin Down 31-08-2022
The summer had finally come to an end, I’d reached my final day of freedom before once again pressing my nose to the grindstone. To make the most of the last day I stole away for a while to Martin Down. I parked at the Main Car Park for a change and walked down the stony track; a Specklie passed me by and I spotted a couple of Blues off to my left hanging around at the entrance of what used to be the little scallop where I’d find Dingies but is now an impenetrable wall of Bramble. The wind was cutting across the site, whipping at the flower stems and taller grasses so the trick of the day was finding areas sheltered from the supposed ‘gentle breeze’ which the BBC weather app had forecast; gentle my arse, about as gentle as Ivan Drago was with Apollo Creed!
I walked diagonally across the second field behind the Butts and a few Small Heath did their best to play in the battering gusts and there were still plenty of Chalkhills. At first they looked to be in good condition but really they flattered to deceive. When they flew they appeared sky blue and fresh and then when they landed they revealed their true nature, they’re tired and faded, battered and bruised and some just looked plain washed out – a regular optical illusion!
In the next field on behind the Butts there were some female Chalkhills on the little slope down into the sunken and thin ‘lawn’ and then as I walked a cross there were a fair few more females as well as rather nice looking female Adonis. To succeed with getting any shots of her I had to turn to a different tactic. The breeze somehow managed to find it’s way through the wall of bramble or over the top and then it would progress across the turf rattling and shaking any vertical flower stem in its path and leaving a trail of rocking butterflies in its wake. Luckily the cooling effect of the wind meant that the butterfly sat still calmly waiting for the wind to wane. I would get into position, focus on the butterfly and then the moment the autofocus locked on I would click away before the breeze picked up again.
By now I was just around the corner from the Butts and I climbed out of the sunken field and followed the track around the edge of the Butt with more Small Heaths and Meadow Browns showing up. I continued on, wandering along the track at the foot of the Butts and into the even more sparsely turfed field. The track itself was the most sheltered spot and so I concentrated my efforts here. There were a couple of male Adonis and Chalkhills, at least one Brown Argus and a few Common Blues to keep me occupied and the Butt and it’s scrubby fringes acted as a pretty good windbreak although somehow the odd gust still managed to find its way into the little sea of calm both the butterflies and I were enjoying. Just as I’d become resigned to the wind the weather changed it up a little. The wind dropped to the forecast breeze with the occasional gust but now the sun became the problem. With the decrease in the wind when the cloud rolled in the sun remained hidden. The butterflies responded by sitting tight hidden away in the relative cool. On the rare occasions I did find one the cloud covered sky meant dull photos to boot. With the sun was hiding behind the cloud for fairly long periods of time so I called upon my next trick. I intended to follow my target and wait for it to land as the sun went in. Then I’d sit tight, as tight as the butterfly and watch for the sun to roll across the surrounding fields. As the curtain of light inched closer and closer I’d get into position, focus and then the minute the sun struck the butterfly and it was lit pleasantly lit I’d click away and hopefully get something on the memory card before it took off. I tried this with an Adonis Blue and I spent the next 10 minutes watching the clouds, then watching the progress of the sunlight across the down finishing up with some shots of the butterfly down on the deck. Finally the wind died down, the sun shone and the butterfly opened up. Within 30 seconds it was off, a 10 minute wait for that!
Next I braced myself and set out from the calm and into the (almost) storm taking the walk down to the half-way spot. On the initial walk down only a couple of Adonis and Chalkhills showed themselves in one of the rare breaks in the sun. In another one of these sunny intermissions at the half-way point a Small White showed itself along with a few Meadow Browns. Slightly further along the Dyke there were the odd Blue and Brown but it was proving hard work; it felt like I had to cover a lot of miles for a few photos, a familiar feeling this season and the butterflies seemed to pass me by in a bit of a blur (or was that because they were windblown?). I retraced my footsteps and eventually ended up back to the track at the foot of the Dyke where the same butterflies were still hanging around so I paid them some attention before slowly, almost begrudgingly, I made my way back at the sun was now hidden for longer and longer periods my footsteps slowed considerably at the thought of; ‘back to work tomorrow’…
“The summertime blues…”
“Do you mean the butterflies?”
“No end of the break…”
I walked diagonally across the second field behind the Butts and a few Small Heath did their best to play in the battering gusts and there were still plenty of Chalkhills. At first they looked to be in good condition but really they flattered to deceive. When they flew they appeared sky blue and fresh and then when they landed they revealed their true nature, they’re tired and faded, battered and bruised and some just looked plain washed out – a regular optical illusion!
In the next field on behind the Butts there were some female Chalkhills on the little slope down into the sunken and thin ‘lawn’ and then as I walked a cross there were a fair few more females as well as rather nice looking female Adonis. To succeed with getting any shots of her I had to turn to a different tactic. The breeze somehow managed to find it’s way through the wall of bramble or over the top and then it would progress across the turf rattling and shaking any vertical flower stem in its path and leaving a trail of rocking butterflies in its wake. Luckily the cooling effect of the wind meant that the butterfly sat still calmly waiting for the wind to wane. I would get into position, focus on the butterfly and then the moment the autofocus locked on I would click away before the breeze picked up again.
By now I was just around the corner from the Butts and I climbed out of the sunken field and followed the track around the edge of the Butt with more Small Heaths and Meadow Browns showing up. I continued on, wandering along the track at the foot of the Butts and into the even more sparsely turfed field. The track itself was the most sheltered spot and so I concentrated my efforts here. There were a couple of male Adonis and Chalkhills, at least one Brown Argus and a few Common Blues to keep me occupied and the Butt and it’s scrubby fringes acted as a pretty good windbreak although somehow the odd gust still managed to find its way into the little sea of calm both the butterflies and I were enjoying. Just as I’d become resigned to the wind the weather changed it up a little. The wind dropped to the forecast breeze with the occasional gust but now the sun became the problem. With the decrease in the wind when the cloud rolled in the sun remained hidden. The butterflies responded by sitting tight hidden away in the relative cool. On the rare occasions I did find one the cloud covered sky meant dull photos to boot. With the sun was hiding behind the cloud for fairly long periods of time so I called upon my next trick. I intended to follow my target and wait for it to land as the sun went in. Then I’d sit tight, as tight as the butterfly and watch for the sun to roll across the surrounding fields. As the curtain of light inched closer and closer I’d get into position, focus and then the minute the sun struck the butterfly and it was lit pleasantly lit I’d click away and hopefully get something on the memory card before it took off. I tried this with an Adonis Blue and I spent the next 10 minutes watching the clouds, then watching the progress of the sunlight across the down finishing up with some shots of the butterfly down on the deck. Finally the wind died down, the sun shone and the butterfly opened up. Within 30 seconds it was off, a 10 minute wait for that!
Next I braced myself and set out from the calm and into the (almost) storm taking the walk down to the half-way spot. On the initial walk down only a couple of Adonis and Chalkhills showed themselves in one of the rare breaks in the sun. In another one of these sunny intermissions at the half-way point a Small White showed itself along with a few Meadow Browns. Slightly further along the Dyke there were the odd Blue and Brown but it was proving hard work; it felt like I had to cover a lot of miles for a few photos, a familiar feeling this season and the butterflies seemed to pass me by in a bit of a blur (or was that because they were windblown?). I retraced my footsteps and eventually ended up back to the track at the foot of the Dyke where the same butterflies were still hanging around so I paid them some attention before slowly, almost begrudgingly, I made my way back at the sun was now hidden for longer and longer periods my footsteps slowed considerably at the thought of; ‘back to work tomorrow’…
“The summertime blues…”
“Do you mean the butterflies?”
“No end of the break…”
Dyrham Park 29-08-2022
At 9:50 we were first in line at the gates of Dyrham Park near Bath. After a brief chat with my sister in-law who was a car behind us in the queue and the reason we were here the gates opened and we rolled in and parked up. I grabbed my camera just in case but didn’t expect to get too much on film as I’d be spending most of the day walking and talking and enjoying the convivial company…
The path circled round the top of the hill and round to the view point from which the landscape from miles around including both of the Severn Bridges were visible. During the walk here across the parkland, with its sea of grass punctuated with the occasional well placed tree there had been a couple of Specklies but the gusty wind had ripped them away from their position in front of my lens before I could click. We carried on down the hill, though the old farm buildings which were now converted into an ice cream kiosk and café and down the hill to the house. It sits at the bottom of the ‘bowl’ and all the paths and tracks are drawn to it like the dendritic patterns of a river system. One of the tracks was off limits to protect it for the wildlife. It was bordered by Queens Lace and other umbelifers on both sides right the way along its length. All the butterflies knew which side was inaccessible of course and I could only watch the Meadow Browns fluttering about on the other side of the path. A Painted Lady lifted off at one point and shot away down the slopes towards the house and its gardens.
After checking out the Orangery we stroll around the gardens past Worcester Pears and Meddlers and round along the side of the pond. A Red Admiral stared down imperiously at me from one of these fruit trees and a Hawker skimmed over the algal covered pond. I was just about giving up on the butterflies and contemplated putting my camera away when we entered the formal gardens with the rows of bedding flowers. A few Whites fluttered along the boundary wall in the distance and then a Painted Lady just drops down in front of me. As I grabbed a few shots I wondered if this was the same one that I’d seen along the restricted path earlier? It didn’t give me long to ruminate over its provenance as it shot of quickly to be replaced by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. I followed this the length of the garden before finally giving up with and as I turned to go and catch up with the others I spotted a small butterfly and one I’d not expected in the least. It was a Brown Argus looking very out of place on the colourful blooms when it should have been providing the interest in the seas of straw-coloured grasses.
I caught up with the others along the terraces on the side of the hill and up and round and then down again we walked and talked. While the other visited the church I stayed outside and watched a pair of Specklies playing in the sun. They’d have the odd goodhearted skirmish before circling around and landing back at exactly the same perches. Only when a Large White showed up did this pattern breakdown and they both viciously turned on their larger and distant cousin. Once the others emerged back into the sun we made our way back tot eh orchard for lunch. I spotted a Darter which sat still and the odd Specklies and White appeared as well as a fly-by Comma while we ate but I packed my camera away as I was too busy being sociable to run off camera in hand.
Surprize at Dyrham
A Brown Argus of all things
What’s that doing here?
The path circled round the top of the hill and round to the view point from which the landscape from miles around including both of the Severn Bridges were visible. During the walk here across the parkland, with its sea of grass punctuated with the occasional well placed tree there had been a couple of Specklies but the gusty wind had ripped them away from their position in front of my lens before I could click. We carried on down the hill, though the old farm buildings which were now converted into an ice cream kiosk and café and down the hill to the house. It sits at the bottom of the ‘bowl’ and all the paths and tracks are drawn to it like the dendritic patterns of a river system. One of the tracks was off limits to protect it for the wildlife. It was bordered by Queens Lace and other umbelifers on both sides right the way along its length. All the butterflies knew which side was inaccessible of course and I could only watch the Meadow Browns fluttering about on the other side of the path. A Painted Lady lifted off at one point and shot away down the slopes towards the house and its gardens.
After checking out the Orangery we stroll around the gardens past Worcester Pears and Meddlers and round along the side of the pond. A Red Admiral stared down imperiously at me from one of these fruit trees and a Hawker skimmed over the algal covered pond. I was just about giving up on the butterflies and contemplated putting my camera away when we entered the formal gardens with the rows of bedding flowers. A few Whites fluttered along the boundary wall in the distance and then a Painted Lady just drops down in front of me. As I grabbed a few shots I wondered if this was the same one that I’d seen along the restricted path earlier? It didn’t give me long to ruminate over its provenance as it shot of quickly to be replaced by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. I followed this the length of the garden before finally giving up with and as I turned to go and catch up with the others I spotted a small butterfly and one I’d not expected in the least. It was a Brown Argus looking very out of place on the colourful blooms when it should have been providing the interest in the seas of straw-coloured grasses.
I caught up with the others along the terraces on the side of the hill and up and round and then down again we walked and talked. While the other visited the church I stayed outside and watched a pair of Specklies playing in the sun. They’d have the odd goodhearted skirmish before circling around and landing back at exactly the same perches. Only when a Large White showed up did this pattern breakdown and they both viciously turned on their larger and distant cousin. Once the others emerged back into the sun we made our way back tot eh orchard for lunch. I spotted a Darter which sat still and the odd Specklies and White appeared as well as a fly-by Comma while we ate but I packed my camera away as I was too busy being sociable to run off camera in hand.
Surprize at Dyrham
A Brown Argus of all things
What’s that doing here?
Martin Down 28-08-2022
The holiday was almost over and I could count on one hand the number of days until I would have to head back to work, I’d seen all the usual species and the weather was a little ‘iffy’. Yet despite this I still made my way over to Martin Down for one last hurrah before my freedom ended for another year and it would be nose back to the grindstone.
Due to the less than brilliant weather forecast I decided that I would park at Sillen’s Lane and treat my visit as more of a hike with the odd stop for some photos rather than the normal active search for the butterflies and car abandoned I set off up the track heading towards the foot of the steeply rising down at the south eastern end of the reserve. As I walked up the track the sun started to eat through parts of the cloud and it felt surprisingly warm contrary to the forecast. Meadow Browns flew in good numbers on either side of the barren white path and a brace of Common Blue males entertained along the top part of the path where the hedge thinned to next to nothing. I continued on, the main track turned off right towards the top of the Down and the Dyke but I carried on straight ahead on the path less well trodden making for the ever-so thinly turfed little field at the foot of the down. In the grasses on the way there were many more Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath started to appear in amongst their larger and darker cousins and there was also another couple of Common Blues, who number wise were starting to live up to their name.
When I reached the springy/thinly turfed field the sun slunk away for a short while and the temperature dropped along with the lowering light intensity; it became so dull in fact I had to take my sunglasses off. As the temperature dropped the number of butterfly sightings followed suit and after a couple of trips up and down the field I only had a couple of Meadow Browns to show for my efforts so I paused and looked into the distance to try and judge when, or even if, the cloud would shift. The wall of light seemed to be making its way towards me and so I settled down, had a snack and awaited the return of the sun. When it returned I picked up a Common Blue, Small Heath and a female Adonis before I set off again.
Now I followed a set of animal tracks that meandered round a large clump of scrub before branching off and directly up the side of the Down along the most shallow of gullies. I’d found DIngies and Grizzlies here in the past but it was too late for even a second brood of either but when I’d almost reached the top an Adonis encouraged me to keep going as did a rather nice ‘blue’ female Common Blue. Chuffed that my hike was proving okay for butterflies I picked up speed as I paced down the dyke side path towards the bench. As I walked a mustard yellow butterfly went up from the side of the Dyke and flew towards and past me before retuning and flying on and landing on the chalky path. It was a Cloudy and while it sat on the white chalk it really stood out. As I approached closer I could see that it was in a bit of a state with the odd chunk missing here and there but it despite this and the fact that it was only my second of the year I clicked away happily as this was twice the number I’d encountered in 2021. I followed it for a bit waiting for it to settle for long enough to get in close but it proved to be harder work than I remembered so in the end I let it fly up and turned my eyes away to look at something else. In this case I found a few Adonis taking nectar form Hemp Agrimony which were clinging to the wall of the Dyke. Some were already looking tatty but one or two were in great nick.
I followed one up the steep side of the Dyke and on the other side there was a flat scrubby area so I had a little look about while I was here. I found a Small Copper and then when I worked my way to the end of the Dyke and back round I picked up a some more Blues. First there was a Chalkhill and then I tried my luck with the Adonis only to be distracted by the return of the Cloudy, possibly the original one. This time I was able to watch it for longer and a passing cloud, in modern parlance, ‘did me a solid’ and covered the sun for just long enough to ground the Cloudy so I could get in a get some nice close images. When the sun emerged the Cloudy led me on a bit of a dance along the Dyke, up the top of the steep bank, putting up a Painted Lady in the process and through the top field a second time. The Dyke itself is intersected here by a path cutting through, on one side is the field I was chasing the Cloudy through and on the other a lush pasture field full of horses. It was obviously private property so of course the Cloudy decided to head there next, zipping through the barbed wire. Sadly I watched it go but it turned abruptly and flew back towards me, stopping just short of the fence. No bother though as I was able to hold my camera through and get some decent enough shots. As I turned to leave it in peace I realised that both times it had turned up I’d been trying for some Adonis Blue shots…perhaps there was a pattern there?
From this lofty position I followed the Dyke as it snaked its way down the hill. The bottom of the dyke was thick with scrub so I had to take the narrow path that clung to the bank so that I could look out for the butterflies within the Dyke itself. There were plenty of Meadow Browns as to be expected but sadly far fewer Blues than I was hoping for. True there was a reasonable mix of Common, Adonis and Chalkhill Blues but they were very thinly spread. At the bottom I arrested my progress and spent a few moments checking out the miniature terraces at the Hollow Hotspot. As I climbed up (well stepped up to be more factually correct) to the first terrace the sun came out with it and so too did the butterflies. Perhaps this was the reason for the dearth on my descent? Whatever I started enjoying seeing plenty of butterflies interacting, flying around and spooking one another or chasing each other about. It was wonderfully chaotic and a joy to behold. Small Heaths would flutter about like headless chickens, zigging and zagging here and there whilst Adonis and Chalkhill Blues would bluster boisterously into each other but all and sundry were seen of by the vicious and any diminutive Brown Argus.
I walked the Dyke to the half way spot and when the sun showed itself and ceased hiding away behind the clouds the occasional Blue did likewise, popping up and standing out amongst the straw-coloured grasses like some had sprinkled little clusters of sapphires. On the return journey the sun started to appear more frequently and as I tried to take advantage of this and get a few shots of an Adonis a Cloudy flew past. At first I thought it might have been the same one from the top of the Down which over time had worked its way down behind me and slipped past whilst I’d been enamoured at the Terraces, however the damage was in different places and much more extensive on this individual.
Back at the terraces it was quite quiet as once again the cloud was obscuring the sun. Then, as before, the minute the cloud parted and the sun shone down unobstructed out popped all the butterflies to take full advantage of the fleeting falling rays. As the erupted from where they’d been hiding in amid the grass stems I ticked off all the usual species so I stood back to enjoy the spectacle. One Adonis in particular caught my eye as it looked really fresh whilst it flew. I watched it and then stalked it and as I leant in on the final approach, yep a Cloudy turned up; if only this happened all the time I could guarantee a Cloudy every year! After wandering about watching and filling my memory card my time almost ran out and so with a heavy heart I overcame the pull of this great little spot and started back to the car. ON the way things were seriously quiet and I was left surprised at how much seemed empty compared to the concentration of butterflies in one spot at the terraces. Not much cropped up on the final stretch but I was starting to feel the effects of the mammoth walk I’d undertaken, well my feet were anyway and so gulping back the last of my coffee I started the car up and drove off into the afternoon (doesn’t have quite the same ring as sunset does it?)
Try for an Adonis
And a Cloudy photobombs
What are the chances?
Due to the less than brilliant weather forecast I decided that I would park at Sillen’s Lane and treat my visit as more of a hike with the odd stop for some photos rather than the normal active search for the butterflies and car abandoned I set off up the track heading towards the foot of the steeply rising down at the south eastern end of the reserve. As I walked up the track the sun started to eat through parts of the cloud and it felt surprisingly warm contrary to the forecast. Meadow Browns flew in good numbers on either side of the barren white path and a brace of Common Blue males entertained along the top part of the path where the hedge thinned to next to nothing. I continued on, the main track turned off right towards the top of the Down and the Dyke but I carried on straight ahead on the path less well trodden making for the ever-so thinly turfed little field at the foot of the down. In the grasses on the way there were many more Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath started to appear in amongst their larger and darker cousins and there was also another couple of Common Blues, who number wise were starting to live up to their name.
When I reached the springy/thinly turfed field the sun slunk away for a short while and the temperature dropped along with the lowering light intensity; it became so dull in fact I had to take my sunglasses off. As the temperature dropped the number of butterfly sightings followed suit and after a couple of trips up and down the field I only had a couple of Meadow Browns to show for my efforts so I paused and looked into the distance to try and judge when, or even if, the cloud would shift. The wall of light seemed to be making its way towards me and so I settled down, had a snack and awaited the return of the sun. When it returned I picked up a Common Blue, Small Heath and a female Adonis before I set off again.
Now I followed a set of animal tracks that meandered round a large clump of scrub before branching off and directly up the side of the Down along the most shallow of gullies. I’d found DIngies and Grizzlies here in the past but it was too late for even a second brood of either but when I’d almost reached the top an Adonis encouraged me to keep going as did a rather nice ‘blue’ female Common Blue. Chuffed that my hike was proving okay for butterflies I picked up speed as I paced down the dyke side path towards the bench. As I walked a mustard yellow butterfly went up from the side of the Dyke and flew towards and past me before retuning and flying on and landing on the chalky path. It was a Cloudy and while it sat on the white chalk it really stood out. As I approached closer I could see that it was in a bit of a state with the odd chunk missing here and there but it despite this and the fact that it was only my second of the year I clicked away happily as this was twice the number I’d encountered in 2021. I followed it for a bit waiting for it to settle for long enough to get in close but it proved to be harder work than I remembered so in the end I let it fly up and turned my eyes away to look at something else. In this case I found a few Adonis taking nectar form Hemp Agrimony which were clinging to the wall of the Dyke. Some were already looking tatty but one or two were in great nick.
I followed one up the steep side of the Dyke and on the other side there was a flat scrubby area so I had a little look about while I was here. I found a Small Copper and then when I worked my way to the end of the Dyke and back round I picked up a some more Blues. First there was a Chalkhill and then I tried my luck with the Adonis only to be distracted by the return of the Cloudy, possibly the original one. This time I was able to watch it for longer and a passing cloud, in modern parlance, ‘did me a solid’ and covered the sun for just long enough to ground the Cloudy so I could get in a get some nice close images. When the sun emerged the Cloudy led me on a bit of a dance along the Dyke, up the top of the steep bank, putting up a Painted Lady in the process and through the top field a second time. The Dyke itself is intersected here by a path cutting through, on one side is the field I was chasing the Cloudy through and on the other a lush pasture field full of horses. It was obviously private property so of course the Cloudy decided to head there next, zipping through the barbed wire. Sadly I watched it go but it turned abruptly and flew back towards me, stopping just short of the fence. No bother though as I was able to hold my camera through and get some decent enough shots. As I turned to leave it in peace I realised that both times it had turned up I’d been trying for some Adonis Blue shots…perhaps there was a pattern there?
From this lofty position I followed the Dyke as it snaked its way down the hill. The bottom of the dyke was thick with scrub so I had to take the narrow path that clung to the bank so that I could look out for the butterflies within the Dyke itself. There were plenty of Meadow Browns as to be expected but sadly far fewer Blues than I was hoping for. True there was a reasonable mix of Common, Adonis and Chalkhill Blues but they were very thinly spread. At the bottom I arrested my progress and spent a few moments checking out the miniature terraces at the Hollow Hotspot. As I climbed up (well stepped up to be more factually correct) to the first terrace the sun came out with it and so too did the butterflies. Perhaps this was the reason for the dearth on my descent? Whatever I started enjoying seeing plenty of butterflies interacting, flying around and spooking one another or chasing each other about. It was wonderfully chaotic and a joy to behold. Small Heaths would flutter about like headless chickens, zigging and zagging here and there whilst Adonis and Chalkhill Blues would bluster boisterously into each other but all and sundry were seen of by the vicious and any diminutive Brown Argus.
I walked the Dyke to the half way spot and when the sun showed itself and ceased hiding away behind the clouds the occasional Blue did likewise, popping up and standing out amongst the straw-coloured grasses like some had sprinkled little clusters of sapphires. On the return journey the sun started to appear more frequently and as I tried to take advantage of this and get a few shots of an Adonis a Cloudy flew past. At first I thought it might have been the same one from the top of the Down which over time had worked its way down behind me and slipped past whilst I’d been enamoured at the Terraces, however the damage was in different places and much more extensive on this individual.
Back at the terraces it was quite quiet as once again the cloud was obscuring the sun. Then, as before, the minute the cloud parted and the sun shone down unobstructed out popped all the butterflies to take full advantage of the fleeting falling rays. As the erupted from where they’d been hiding in amid the grass stems I ticked off all the usual species so I stood back to enjoy the spectacle. One Adonis in particular caught my eye as it looked really fresh whilst it flew. I watched it and then stalked it and as I leant in on the final approach, yep a Cloudy turned up; if only this happened all the time I could guarantee a Cloudy every year! After wandering about watching and filling my memory card my time almost ran out and so with a heavy heart I overcame the pull of this great little spot and started back to the car. ON the way things were seriously quiet and I was left surprised at how much seemed empty compared to the concentration of butterflies in one spot at the terraces. Not much cropped up on the final stretch but I was starting to feel the effects of the mammoth walk I’d undertaken, well my feet were anyway and so gulping back the last of my coffee I started the car up and drove off into the afternoon (doesn’t have quite the same ring as sunset does it?)
Try for an Adonis
And a Cloudy photobombs
What are the chances?
Shipton Bellinger 19-08-2022
This was a bit of an impromptu meet up with Philzoid. I was all set to hang-up the Shipton hat and instead start looking further afield for Cloudies. However after a quick call from Philzoid I stopped google searching Southbourne and instead checked the weather for Shipton which looked surprisingly favourable…I arrived a little early and so set to strolling the hedge hoping for an early doors Brostreak which would take the pressure off. Philzoid wasn’t far behind me however and so I retraced my steps and we strolled down the main hedge together and caught up with the doings of the other. Every now and then our procession would be arrested by a bright orange fast moving butterfly/moth. We were left wondering if these were Brostreaks but in the end we put down as Vapourers as they flew seemingly ceaselessly unlike Brostreaks which jink about but don’t generally fly that far. There were also a few butterflies about including a Wall which we encountered on the return leg of the main hedge.
On our second journey down the main hedge I looked up when we were almost back to the ‘usual hotspot’ near the corner and I spotted a Brostreak up in the tops of the small trees. She came down but only to the right height for some ‘outstretched arm’ shots. Nonetheless it was a great start and hopefully suggested that more were to come. Indeed this initial Brostreak seemed to announce that the trip had officially begun and like a switch had been thrown butterflies started appearing and adding themselves to the day’s tally. As well as Small Heath the odd Red Admiral appeared and Holly Blues were starting to poke their heads above the parapets.
From the corner of the main hedge we continued along the main track and strolled down towards the village. As we went we passed the bush which had previously contained a fellow enthusiast and a fresh female Brostreak but all was quiet here now save for the occasional Specklie or Meadow Brown. When we reached the cross roads we took the right hand track and then cut off and down the right hand side of the Dual track hedge. Again we were surprised by how quiet it was but a short way alongt he track between the first and second large patch of Bramble a Wall entertained us for a short while. Rather than sitting on the track and flying off almost as soon as it was in focus it was choosing to perch on flower heads and even in the vegetation at just the right height to save our knees.
We paused where the path widens by the gate into the surrounding field and chatted to another enthusiast Richard. Having passed-on some tips for Grayling, Silver-spots and also where the Brostreak were to be found here at Shipton, he headed off in the direction of the main hedge eager to bag a lifer. Philzoid and I on the other hand continued strolling on enjoying the chat and the warm sun and not overly fussed by the butterflies. As is often the way when you relax the butterflies just turn upand so it was now. I’d spotted a small brown butterfly which almost fell to earth from the hedge. As I stared down at it I realised it was a male Brown Hairstreak. Despite calling out Richard doesn’t come back so Philzoid and I settle down to get some shots for ourselves.
At the end of the dual track we turned around and walked back up the track on the other side of the Dual Hedge. Here the hedge is much higher as the track itself is lower than on the other side and the far side of the hedge is full of mature trees – including plenty of Ash. We stopped and looked up at the first one and there are two males and a Specklie flitting about at the top of the tree – oh if only I had a telephoto! A few Walls accompanied us along the track which is bone dry and baked solid with a fine icing of dust on the top. Depressingly the Ashes got progressively worse as we walked up the track, denuded and dying from Chalara – hopefully either some of the Ash will be resistant or the Brostreaks will assemble round other trees as there are Oaks and Sycamores here.
Back at the main hedge we bumped into Richard and started walking up and down peering into the hedge hopefully. I tried a few tricks; willing orange leaves to become a butterfly, taking a few steps before stopping dead and suddenly turning to stare at a piece of hedge and even having a bite to eat as the butterflies seem to have an uncanny knack of realising when the hot pickle is just reaching scalding point against my cheek but nothing seemed to work. Richard headed back to the village for his lunch. I wondered if our luck was about to change again just like it had the last time he’d gone out of sight and then we bumped into another chap that we’d met last year. He tells us that he’d had a female down earlier before we arrived. As we’re talking a sure enough a female came down and fed on or took some moisture from in between the drooplets of some Blackberries. So Richard dipped out twice! I soon felt even worse for Richard for as we were watching the first Brostreak bimble about a second came down and this one opened up for us. The different nicks in the wing would have allowed us to identify them should they not have been ‘down’ at the same time.
After a multitude of shots we did one last sweep of the Main Hedge and a Comma added to the colour as it landed low down close to us. It looked gorgeous but my time was dangerously close to running out and so I had to wish Philzoid well and make haste for home. I managed to be back with 2 minutes to spare so my Brownie points remained intact! This will definitely be my last visit now – the females are starting to get the odd nick, I’m away in Llangollen for a week and then the dreaded Sled Dog show will block off most of the hedge around the field making it even harder work. Mind you what a way to finish.
Shipton once again
Showy female Brown Hairstreaks
Autumn in the air?
After I’d gone Philzoid hung around the main hedge for a bit before moving over to Perham Down for a few Silver-spots. He let me know that Richard had eventually gotten his Brostreak as he’d turned up after I’d left.
On our second journey down the main hedge I looked up when we were almost back to the ‘usual hotspot’ near the corner and I spotted a Brostreak up in the tops of the small trees. She came down but only to the right height for some ‘outstretched arm’ shots. Nonetheless it was a great start and hopefully suggested that more were to come. Indeed this initial Brostreak seemed to announce that the trip had officially begun and like a switch had been thrown butterflies started appearing and adding themselves to the day’s tally. As well as Small Heath the odd Red Admiral appeared and Holly Blues were starting to poke their heads above the parapets.
From the corner of the main hedge we continued along the main track and strolled down towards the village. As we went we passed the bush which had previously contained a fellow enthusiast and a fresh female Brostreak but all was quiet here now save for the occasional Specklie or Meadow Brown. When we reached the cross roads we took the right hand track and then cut off and down the right hand side of the Dual track hedge. Again we were surprised by how quiet it was but a short way alongt he track between the first and second large patch of Bramble a Wall entertained us for a short while. Rather than sitting on the track and flying off almost as soon as it was in focus it was choosing to perch on flower heads and even in the vegetation at just the right height to save our knees.
We paused where the path widens by the gate into the surrounding field and chatted to another enthusiast Richard. Having passed-on some tips for Grayling, Silver-spots and also where the Brostreak were to be found here at Shipton, he headed off in the direction of the main hedge eager to bag a lifer. Philzoid and I on the other hand continued strolling on enjoying the chat and the warm sun and not overly fussed by the butterflies. As is often the way when you relax the butterflies just turn upand so it was now. I’d spotted a small brown butterfly which almost fell to earth from the hedge. As I stared down at it I realised it was a male Brown Hairstreak. Despite calling out Richard doesn’t come back so Philzoid and I settle down to get some shots for ourselves.
At the end of the dual track we turned around and walked back up the track on the other side of the Dual Hedge. Here the hedge is much higher as the track itself is lower than on the other side and the far side of the hedge is full of mature trees – including plenty of Ash. We stopped and looked up at the first one and there are two males and a Specklie flitting about at the top of the tree – oh if only I had a telephoto! A few Walls accompanied us along the track which is bone dry and baked solid with a fine icing of dust on the top. Depressingly the Ashes got progressively worse as we walked up the track, denuded and dying from Chalara – hopefully either some of the Ash will be resistant or the Brostreaks will assemble round other trees as there are Oaks and Sycamores here.
Back at the main hedge we bumped into Richard and started walking up and down peering into the hedge hopefully. I tried a few tricks; willing orange leaves to become a butterfly, taking a few steps before stopping dead and suddenly turning to stare at a piece of hedge and even having a bite to eat as the butterflies seem to have an uncanny knack of realising when the hot pickle is just reaching scalding point against my cheek but nothing seemed to work. Richard headed back to the village for his lunch. I wondered if our luck was about to change again just like it had the last time he’d gone out of sight and then we bumped into another chap that we’d met last year. He tells us that he’d had a female down earlier before we arrived. As we’re talking a sure enough a female came down and fed on or took some moisture from in between the drooplets of some Blackberries. So Richard dipped out twice! I soon felt even worse for Richard for as we were watching the first Brostreak bimble about a second came down and this one opened up for us. The different nicks in the wing would have allowed us to identify them should they not have been ‘down’ at the same time.
After a multitude of shots we did one last sweep of the Main Hedge and a Comma added to the colour as it landed low down close to us. It looked gorgeous but my time was dangerously close to running out and so I had to wish Philzoid well and make haste for home. I managed to be back with 2 minutes to spare so my Brownie points remained intact! This will definitely be my last visit now – the females are starting to get the odd nick, I’m away in Llangollen for a week and then the dreaded Sled Dog show will block off most of the hedge around the field making it even harder work. Mind you what a way to finish.
Shipton once again
Showy female Brown Hairstreaks
Autumn in the air?
After I’d gone Philzoid hung around the main hedge for a bit before moving over to Perham Down for a few Silver-spots. He let me know that Richard had eventually gotten his Brostreak as he’d turned up after I’d left.
Shipton Bellinger 15-08-2022
I was back at Shipton and the weather had reverted to more usual fare; the temperatures had dropped and sun must have worn itself out as now it only showed itself for short periods of time before heading back behind the clouds for a nap. So instead of walking and peering upwards and trying to find a Brostreak sitting out the heat in the shade now the graft would be distilled down come in the form of searching in the brief sunny spells.
I started out working my way along the main hedge and onto the Nettle Bed. Meadow Browns and Hedgies flew along with the occasional Small Heath. A total of two Small White added themselves to the tally by the time I’d reached the Nettle Bed and there was a possible Brostreak up high but the Nettle Bed itself was very quiet. The Creeping Thistles, usually a magnet for the Brostreaks had come and gone in the blink of an eye, frazzled by the heat and instead of small purple florets peppering the dark green of the nettles there where hairy tufts poking out amid the greenery. I rolled my sleeves down and gingerly walked along the narrow track to the other side of the Nettle Bed and then followed the road round to the start of the Tunnel-like track. As I made my way along a brace of Specklies took a moment out form beating nine bells out of each other to welcome but then it went strangely quiet. In almost an hour of wandering the Main tracks down to the village all I had to show for my toil and traipsing was a Small White which came early in the ‘wilderness hour’. Had the heat knocked everything on the head?
I’d worked my way back to and along the length of the Tunnel track and as I left its confines behind and branched out onto the more open field a Wall landed briefly on the corner and sat nicely on some of the white stones. It was an image that took me back to our family holiday in Guarda in 2019. Slightly buoyed by this I set off along the main hedge again all the while I tried to scan both the tops of the bushes and the foot of the hedge at the same time. I bumped into some other enthusiasts and after a brief chat about our (lack of) fortunes I pressed on following the trail up the hill reasoning that the female Brostreak generally come down to lay in the early afternoon so there was still plenty of time. As I broached the top of the hill and strode across the thin grass I thought hat my earlier reasoning was incorrect for there was something fluttering about up in the hedge. It certainly looked orange and the fact that it had stopped and not continued jinking along ceaselessly suggested that it wasn’t a Vapourer. However as I got closer I could see that it was actually a lost Small Heath – what it was doing up there was anyone’s guess but it was swiftly added to the list of ‘False-streak’! I carried on along the track wandering out into the small scallops and clearings as the hedge disappeared on my left. I found a few more Walls, some nice female Common Blues as well as some really fresh looking Specklies. What I didn’t find though were Brostreaks and the time was just starting to tick over to ‘egg laying time’ so I beat a hasty retreat from the hill and made my way back to the field and the Main Hedge.
I decided to try my luck on the other side of the field where I’d found a female on my previous visit and then from there I’d work across the field and back up the main hedge. When I reached the corner and had gotten just past the Portaloos I glanced out across the fields in the direction of the Main Hedge where I spotted the enthusiasts from earlier who were fixed to one spot. When Brostreak hunting this is generally a good sign and so I abandoned my plans and started across the field via the diagonal track. My walk became a little faster especially when they waved their arms and beckoned me over. They pointed out a female Brostreak which was sitting out the drear in the hedge at an accessible height and so once I’d checked that they’d got their shots I stepped in a clicked away. This particular female sat there for a good 10 minutes or so, bravely awaiting the sun which didn’t actually show itself and also enduring a brief shower.
After a fair few shots the chap tried to get a bit closer and she took off and flew up landing too far away for my lens. It hadn’t been his fault it was just unlucky timing in that she’d decided to move higher to try and warm up a little. We waited for her to come back down and in the interim we checked out the area she’d visited prior to her last perching spot. Apparently she’d been down low flitting about in the Blackthorn whippings (is that the correct term?) and there in the crook of the twigs was an egg. After this interlude we resumed our vigil on the hedge and while we watched I spotted another female up high in the hedge. Rather annoyingly this one was opening up showing the gorgeous orange flashes on the fore wings but only from a distance. My frustration must have been palpable and she must have pitied me as she then flew down and perched at about chest height at the front of the hedge. After a brief look around she started to open up until eventually she was sitting wings wide open showing her long and twisted tails, the vivid orange flashes on the fore wings and also one of my favourite features – the square cut of the hind wings.
She then moved up a bit and had another go at laying some eggs; hanging from the twig and arching her abdomen round to deposit the egg. All the while the original Brostreak sat in the tree, not moving, possibly with the hump as the second female was in better nick and was holding all of our attentions. I clicked away and tried to drink in as much of the viewing as possible but after another 10 minutes my time was almost up and so I wished the others well and headed home, none too shabby a visit despite the inclement and cloudy weather!
From the heat to cloud
Got lucky at the main hedge
A brace of Brostreaks
I started out working my way along the main hedge and onto the Nettle Bed. Meadow Browns and Hedgies flew along with the occasional Small Heath. A total of two Small White added themselves to the tally by the time I’d reached the Nettle Bed and there was a possible Brostreak up high but the Nettle Bed itself was very quiet. The Creeping Thistles, usually a magnet for the Brostreaks had come and gone in the blink of an eye, frazzled by the heat and instead of small purple florets peppering the dark green of the nettles there where hairy tufts poking out amid the greenery. I rolled my sleeves down and gingerly walked along the narrow track to the other side of the Nettle Bed and then followed the road round to the start of the Tunnel-like track. As I made my way along a brace of Specklies took a moment out form beating nine bells out of each other to welcome but then it went strangely quiet. In almost an hour of wandering the Main tracks down to the village all I had to show for my toil and traipsing was a Small White which came early in the ‘wilderness hour’. Had the heat knocked everything on the head?
I’d worked my way back to and along the length of the Tunnel track and as I left its confines behind and branched out onto the more open field a Wall landed briefly on the corner and sat nicely on some of the white stones. It was an image that took me back to our family holiday in Guarda in 2019. Slightly buoyed by this I set off along the main hedge again all the while I tried to scan both the tops of the bushes and the foot of the hedge at the same time. I bumped into some other enthusiasts and after a brief chat about our (lack of) fortunes I pressed on following the trail up the hill reasoning that the female Brostreak generally come down to lay in the early afternoon so there was still plenty of time. As I broached the top of the hill and strode across the thin grass I thought hat my earlier reasoning was incorrect for there was something fluttering about up in the hedge. It certainly looked orange and the fact that it had stopped and not continued jinking along ceaselessly suggested that it wasn’t a Vapourer. However as I got closer I could see that it was actually a lost Small Heath – what it was doing up there was anyone’s guess but it was swiftly added to the list of ‘False-streak’! I carried on along the track wandering out into the small scallops and clearings as the hedge disappeared on my left. I found a few more Walls, some nice female Common Blues as well as some really fresh looking Specklies. What I didn’t find though were Brostreaks and the time was just starting to tick over to ‘egg laying time’ so I beat a hasty retreat from the hill and made my way back to the field and the Main Hedge.
I decided to try my luck on the other side of the field where I’d found a female on my previous visit and then from there I’d work across the field and back up the main hedge. When I reached the corner and had gotten just past the Portaloos I glanced out across the fields in the direction of the Main Hedge where I spotted the enthusiasts from earlier who were fixed to one spot. When Brostreak hunting this is generally a good sign and so I abandoned my plans and started across the field via the diagonal track. My walk became a little faster especially when they waved their arms and beckoned me over. They pointed out a female Brostreak which was sitting out the drear in the hedge at an accessible height and so once I’d checked that they’d got their shots I stepped in a clicked away. This particular female sat there for a good 10 minutes or so, bravely awaiting the sun which didn’t actually show itself and also enduring a brief shower.
After a fair few shots the chap tried to get a bit closer and she took off and flew up landing too far away for my lens. It hadn’t been his fault it was just unlucky timing in that she’d decided to move higher to try and warm up a little. We waited for her to come back down and in the interim we checked out the area she’d visited prior to her last perching spot. Apparently she’d been down low flitting about in the Blackthorn whippings (is that the correct term?) and there in the crook of the twigs was an egg. After this interlude we resumed our vigil on the hedge and while we watched I spotted another female up high in the hedge. Rather annoyingly this one was opening up showing the gorgeous orange flashes on the fore wings but only from a distance. My frustration must have been palpable and she must have pitied me as she then flew down and perched at about chest height at the front of the hedge. After a brief look around she started to open up until eventually she was sitting wings wide open showing her long and twisted tails, the vivid orange flashes on the fore wings and also one of my favourite features – the square cut of the hind wings.
She then moved up a bit and had another go at laying some eggs; hanging from the twig and arching her abdomen round to deposit the egg. All the while the original Brostreak sat in the tree, not moving, possibly with the hump as the second female was in better nick and was holding all of our attentions. I clicked away and tried to drink in as much of the viewing as possible but after another 10 minutes my time was almost up and so I wished the others well and headed home, none too shabby a visit despite the inclement and cloudy weather!
From the heat to cloud
Got lucky at the main hedge
A brace of Brostreaks
Shipton Bellinger 10-08-2022
With the temperature rising every day and things getting more and more uncomfortable I contemplated not going out but in the end I bit the bullet and the night before I packed my gear so I was ready for an early start. Hopefully the slightly cooler early morning would mean the butterflies would be out and not hiding away in the shade at the top of the trees.
Once I’d gotten onto site I set off along the Main Hedge staring intently at the Blackthorn whippings lower down and then raising my gaze upwards to check out the Bramble and more mature growth of the Blackthorn deeper in the hedge. My scanning brought me to the tree tops and then I worked my way back down before taking a few steps, scanning ahead and then repeating the whole procedure. There and back I picked up the usual Browns – Meadow Browns either flying up in a very flappy fashion or out across the field, Small Heath flittering about in the main body of vegetation and the odd, aged Hedgie/Gatekeeper. There was also the occasional Common Blue which added a drop of colour to the proceedings.
When I reached the end of the Main Hedge I carried on up the hill to check out the scallops of grass that punctate the wood at the top. The usual butterflies (mainly the Browns) were flying here including a lovely looking female Common Blue and a male Wall. I pressed on checking out the various little clearing along the track. Butterfly wise it featured more of the same in terms of range of species but the numbers were lower than expected. In previous years it’s been hard to work out which butterfly to focus on there have been so many competing for my attentions but today the choice was much easier. Selecting my subject may have been easier but actually getting the shots proved trickier as they were so revved up by the warmth. The final little clearing was the ribbon of vegetation at the end of the path before it broadened out and the wood ran out. I stood in the shade and waited for the butterflies to return after my initial disruption when I arrived. Slowly but surely back they came; a few Meadow Browns, a Large White sailed through from the left to the right, a Wall went in the opposite direction and a Silver-washed Frit passed over up high. Nothing except the Meadow Browns would sit though and so I retraced my steps and then started down the main track towards the village of Shipton itself.
All was quiet down the main track to the village and when I reached the crossroads I made my way down the right-hand side of the parallel tracks. The Bramble had lost most of its flowers but the odd one proved enough of a draw to encourage a few Browns to sit and sip the nectar which in the incessant heat that we’d had must have been running dry. A short way along the track a brown butterfly sort of hopped its way along the track. At first I wondered if it was a small Meadow Brown with damaged wings but as I drew nearer I realised that it was a male Brown Hairstreak. Perhaps the heat had driven it down in desperation looking for moisture (which must have been evaporating fast in the increasing heat) and so it was down on the deck looking for liquids or salts? This was the first time that I’ve seen this behaviour in this species, and it was quite odd to see a species which is often at shoulder height or higher down on the deck. Eventually it fluttered weakly off and around to the other side of the boundary hedge through a small gap. I kept walking and I was joined by Meadow Browns and Walls which seemed to glide for quite some distance along the path. Their behaviour left me wondering if they were using miniature thermals like scaled down Raptors?
When the parallel tracks merged back into one I crossed over and checked out a new bit of track where a few Walls and Common Blues flew in amongst the Browns. Once I was happy that nothing would actually land for me I made my way back to the ‘Dual track’ and walked back up the hill this time taking the other of the parallel paths. The hedge here was much taller, the vegetation much denser and was punctuated reasonably regularly in places by taller, more mature trees including several Ash. At the second of these, and the most denuded by ADD (Ash Dieback) a male Brostreak flicked about and stopped, posing perfectly…if I’d had a much bigger lens. The more mature trees meant a few Specklies joined the ranks of the Meadow Browns as well. Once back at the crossroad I turned left and walked some way down another bit of trackway I’d not properly investigated before. Again there were several Ash and one other enthusiast I bumped into informed me that as well as few Brostreaks he’d also had a Whitter (White-letter Hairstreak) earlier in the morning. Despite plenty of neck craning and looking at every single purple flower and Bramble floret I couldn’t repeat his feat, only finding a wing flicking Small Heath so I retraced my steps back to the crossroads and carried straight over down the usual ‘tunnel track’. The shade was a blessed relief but the butterflies weren’t taking advantage of it themselves and they were becoming increasing few and far between.
As my feet hit the stones of the road at the end of the track I was also hit by the heat, it slammed into me and almost immediately I felt the prickle of my sweat glands desperately kicking in. I pressed on, on what I though would be my final push. But when I reached the corner at the top of the Main Hedge rather than turning and making for the car I carried on over the road and started on the track that I’d taken first thing. I don’t know why I did this – force of habit or some form of lepy-sense (like Spidey-sense only for butterflies). I didn’t see anything on the first few bushes and I decided to give up and head home for an ice cold bath and a pint of Large when my gaze was drawn to a small butterfly bumbling around in a stand of Rosebay Willow Herb. I watched it for a moment or so before my heat addled brain sparked into life and I knew that it was a male Brown Hairstreak. I managed to find it a couple of times but if I hadn’t have seen it flying I wouldn’t have even guessed that it was there! Instead of flying and jinking it would flutter a very short distance, land and the walk its way into the shade, either under a leaf or under the ripening blackberries. In the darkness it disappeared, the ‘streak’ breaking up the silhouette very effectively. There was a pause in my observations as I my camera refused to take any shots and just showed “CHA” (or maybe “CAR”?). Luckily removing my card and replaced it seemed to do the trick and I was also able to relocate the Brostreak and record the unusual behaviour
With this find I wondered how many others were out there, sitting in the shade and so I decided to make one more pass, walking round the far side of the hedge on the opposite side of the field before checking the Main Hedge one last (definitely the last as I was parched now) time. I reached the first corner and a my hunch paid off as there was a female, down low and sitting in the shade. As I moved in imperceptibly slowly to get a shot I fell foul of the Dirk Gently problem; he espouses the idea that everything is connected, in this case Bramble creepers, and so what would have been a cracking shot became more of a record shot as she flew up and perched up higher.
As I made for my final pass up the Main Hedge I bumped into Jenks. Meeting him here is becoming a regular occurrence and it nice to catch up with him again and find out about his butterflying and birding exploits. Wishing him well I took my final stroll along the hedge and then dove quickly into the delightful shade where the car was parked. Then it was home for that ice bath! As I drove I decided that, what with the temperatures rising even higher, I would give butterflying a miss for the next few days as would be too hot, very little would fly and what did would either be turbo charged or be behaving oddly.
Would anything fly?
Just some shade seeking Brostreaks
Shipton in the sun
Once I’d gotten onto site I set off along the Main Hedge staring intently at the Blackthorn whippings lower down and then raising my gaze upwards to check out the Bramble and more mature growth of the Blackthorn deeper in the hedge. My scanning brought me to the tree tops and then I worked my way back down before taking a few steps, scanning ahead and then repeating the whole procedure. There and back I picked up the usual Browns – Meadow Browns either flying up in a very flappy fashion or out across the field, Small Heath flittering about in the main body of vegetation and the odd, aged Hedgie/Gatekeeper. There was also the occasional Common Blue which added a drop of colour to the proceedings.
When I reached the end of the Main Hedge I carried on up the hill to check out the scallops of grass that punctate the wood at the top. The usual butterflies (mainly the Browns) were flying here including a lovely looking female Common Blue and a male Wall. I pressed on checking out the various little clearing along the track. Butterfly wise it featured more of the same in terms of range of species but the numbers were lower than expected. In previous years it’s been hard to work out which butterfly to focus on there have been so many competing for my attentions but today the choice was much easier. Selecting my subject may have been easier but actually getting the shots proved trickier as they were so revved up by the warmth. The final little clearing was the ribbon of vegetation at the end of the path before it broadened out and the wood ran out. I stood in the shade and waited for the butterflies to return after my initial disruption when I arrived. Slowly but surely back they came; a few Meadow Browns, a Large White sailed through from the left to the right, a Wall went in the opposite direction and a Silver-washed Frit passed over up high. Nothing except the Meadow Browns would sit though and so I retraced my steps and then started down the main track towards the village of Shipton itself.
All was quiet down the main track to the village and when I reached the crossroads I made my way down the right-hand side of the parallel tracks. The Bramble had lost most of its flowers but the odd one proved enough of a draw to encourage a few Browns to sit and sip the nectar which in the incessant heat that we’d had must have been running dry. A short way along the track a brown butterfly sort of hopped its way along the track. At first I wondered if it was a small Meadow Brown with damaged wings but as I drew nearer I realised that it was a male Brown Hairstreak. Perhaps the heat had driven it down in desperation looking for moisture (which must have been evaporating fast in the increasing heat) and so it was down on the deck looking for liquids or salts? This was the first time that I’ve seen this behaviour in this species, and it was quite odd to see a species which is often at shoulder height or higher down on the deck. Eventually it fluttered weakly off and around to the other side of the boundary hedge through a small gap. I kept walking and I was joined by Meadow Browns and Walls which seemed to glide for quite some distance along the path. Their behaviour left me wondering if they were using miniature thermals like scaled down Raptors?
When the parallel tracks merged back into one I crossed over and checked out a new bit of track where a few Walls and Common Blues flew in amongst the Browns. Once I was happy that nothing would actually land for me I made my way back to the ‘Dual track’ and walked back up the hill this time taking the other of the parallel paths. The hedge here was much taller, the vegetation much denser and was punctuated reasonably regularly in places by taller, more mature trees including several Ash. At the second of these, and the most denuded by ADD (Ash Dieback) a male Brostreak flicked about and stopped, posing perfectly…if I’d had a much bigger lens. The more mature trees meant a few Specklies joined the ranks of the Meadow Browns as well. Once back at the crossroad I turned left and walked some way down another bit of trackway I’d not properly investigated before. Again there were several Ash and one other enthusiast I bumped into informed me that as well as few Brostreaks he’d also had a Whitter (White-letter Hairstreak) earlier in the morning. Despite plenty of neck craning and looking at every single purple flower and Bramble floret I couldn’t repeat his feat, only finding a wing flicking Small Heath so I retraced my steps back to the crossroads and carried straight over down the usual ‘tunnel track’. The shade was a blessed relief but the butterflies weren’t taking advantage of it themselves and they were becoming increasing few and far between.
As my feet hit the stones of the road at the end of the track I was also hit by the heat, it slammed into me and almost immediately I felt the prickle of my sweat glands desperately kicking in. I pressed on, on what I though would be my final push. But when I reached the corner at the top of the Main Hedge rather than turning and making for the car I carried on over the road and started on the track that I’d taken first thing. I don’t know why I did this – force of habit or some form of lepy-sense (like Spidey-sense only for butterflies). I didn’t see anything on the first few bushes and I decided to give up and head home for an ice cold bath and a pint of Large when my gaze was drawn to a small butterfly bumbling around in a stand of Rosebay Willow Herb. I watched it for a moment or so before my heat addled brain sparked into life and I knew that it was a male Brown Hairstreak. I managed to find it a couple of times but if I hadn’t have seen it flying I wouldn’t have even guessed that it was there! Instead of flying and jinking it would flutter a very short distance, land and the walk its way into the shade, either under a leaf or under the ripening blackberries. In the darkness it disappeared, the ‘streak’ breaking up the silhouette very effectively. There was a pause in my observations as I my camera refused to take any shots and just showed “CHA” (or maybe “CAR”?). Luckily removing my card and replaced it seemed to do the trick and I was also able to relocate the Brostreak and record the unusual behaviour
With this find I wondered how many others were out there, sitting in the shade and so I decided to make one more pass, walking round the far side of the hedge on the opposite side of the field before checking the Main Hedge one last (definitely the last as I was parched now) time. I reached the first corner and a my hunch paid off as there was a female, down low and sitting in the shade. As I moved in imperceptibly slowly to get a shot I fell foul of the Dirk Gently problem; he espouses the idea that everything is connected, in this case Bramble creepers, and so what would have been a cracking shot became more of a record shot as she flew up and perched up higher.
As I made for my final pass up the Main Hedge I bumped into Jenks. Meeting him here is becoming a regular occurrence and it nice to catch up with him again and find out about his butterflying and birding exploits. Wishing him well I took my final stroll along the hedge and then dove quickly into the delightful shade where the car was parked. Then it was home for that ice bath! As I drove I decided that, what with the temperatures rising even higher, I would give butterflying a miss for the next few days as would be too hot, very little would fly and what did would either be turbo charged or be behaving oddly.
Would anything fly?
Just some shade seeking Brostreaks
Shipton in the sun
Martin Down 09-08-2022
The heat was on and not just on the street. The temperature had started to creep up and up and up and watching butterflies was getting harder and harder work so when my wife suggested a family walk to Martin Down I was slightly sceptical. When she suggested we leave before 8 to avoid the heat of the middle of the day and the subsequent broiling afternoon I was on board. After a quick detour to pick up my nieces we were flying up and over the Downs and then pulling to a halt at Martin Down at just gone 8 of the am.
As we strolled down the main path towards the Butts I wondered whether it would be easy spotting the still roosting butterflies but I needn’t have been concerned for as I walked past the first field there were several Chalkhills. As I drew level with the second field and looked across there were even more Chalkhills and by the time I reached the third field and there were so many fluttering about it looked like the field was boiling and bubbling sapphires. It was a stunning sight to behold and carefully I picked my way into the field hoping to pick up a few shots. However it proved harder than I thought because there were so many of them; I was surrounded. I ended up motionless, photography forgotten, just standing there with my mouth open catching flies as it were. The shrieks and giggles form the girls climbing up the Butts pulled me back into the real world and after grabbing a few shots half-heartedly in my still slightly stunned state I set off after the others.
Up the bank we went, along the top and then zoomed down the other side. As we walked/zoomed I scanned down into the little fields and again there were plenty of Chalkhills to see although fewer here in the shorter turfed spots it seemed. As we made our descent a pair joined together in cop fluttered past L but didn’t stop and then we set off along the route of the Dyke. Along the way I spotted the odd Meadow Brown just waking up and one or two Small Heath but the ‘speciale d’jour’ was most definitely the Chalkhill Blues. All bar one evaded my lens showing that whilst it may have still been early for us humans the butterflies were wide awake. Luckily one couple were far too busy enjoying themselves to escape and even when they did try to escape the glare of my lens they only flew two plants over – I couldn’t work out if this was because they were so enamoured with each other or whether it was because they were a little worn out/knackered? Leaving them in peace to ensure the next generation we set off one more along the Dyke.
3 365 the one that didn’t get away
A short way after the halfway point one of life’s funny coincidences occurred…My wife was just reminding me that when mentioning particular species in front of other people to add ‘butterfly’ to the end so they know what I’m talking about; “like the other day when you asked about a Clouded Yellow”. “Okay” I say and then we decide to turn around and head back but hang on a minute, hold the phone, there’s Cloudy! I watched it scythe its way along the Dyke, occasionally nipping back the way it had just come for a short way before once again venturing forth. All the while I was whispering “go down, go down, go down” and it did. So I stalked in and took a few record shots, just in case, as it sat on a low laying Bramble. It went up again and cut across the field. I thought that was it, it was gone for good but then it turned and came back, zig-zagging along. It settled again on another bramble bush and so I stalked it again and manged to get in much closer this time using the Bramble as cover so my silhouette didn’t show up against the sky. This was much better although there was an annoying leaf which I didn’t notice at the time sticking across the palps – still I’d got my Cloudy!
While we’d been walking the temperature had steadily been creeping up and the sun was no longer busy fighting through the early morning haze and evaporating the dew but instead was doing its best to leave things in a smouldering mess so we started back to the car. The return journey produced a similar range of species but there were now more Chalkhills on either side or indeed in the middle of the main tracks – possibly they’d woken up and dispersed from their communal roosting spots? A Small Tort added itself to the tally but even though it was barely nine in the morning it was already motoring about as if it had received a full solar recharge. I also noticed that there seemed to be a few more ‘single’ females about though they didn’t seem to stay that way for very long. I spotted one female and looked at my camera to check the settings and then looked back and in the few seconds interim a male had attached himself as it were! When our wanderings brought us back to the field that had been bubbling earlier my idea of ‘dispersing from the roosting site’ went out the window as again they were everywhere. I wandered about bewildered by their numbers again occasionally stooping down to take a few photos without realising what I was doing to be honest, operating on autopilot and demonstrating a sort of ingrained behaviour. It was only as I sneaked a quick look back the car that I realised I’d grabbed a few more in cop shots, a few o a male that had a few orange spots on the hind wing (ab.sauve) and also what was a bit of a ‘gang bang’!
However one of the sights that I had been conscious of unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of. We were almost back at the car on the final bit of track hedged in on both sides by the tall brambles and scrub when a very small, whitish butterfly, drifted down from one of the saplings in the hedge. In the early morning light it appeared to have a blue-ish tinge and I leant down to take a photo of what I thought, due to its small size, was a Holly Blue. Only it wasn’t it was a Small White, in fact a VERY Small White. As I struggled to get it to focus it took off and sailed away over the tree tops not to return. Bugger! Still I’d got my Cloudy!
Shimmering sapphires
Bubbling over the grass tops
Chalkhills every where
As we strolled down the main path towards the Butts I wondered whether it would be easy spotting the still roosting butterflies but I needn’t have been concerned for as I walked past the first field there were several Chalkhills. As I drew level with the second field and looked across there were even more Chalkhills and by the time I reached the third field and there were so many fluttering about it looked like the field was boiling and bubbling sapphires. It was a stunning sight to behold and carefully I picked my way into the field hoping to pick up a few shots. However it proved harder than I thought because there were so many of them; I was surrounded. I ended up motionless, photography forgotten, just standing there with my mouth open catching flies as it were. The shrieks and giggles form the girls climbing up the Butts pulled me back into the real world and after grabbing a few shots half-heartedly in my still slightly stunned state I set off after the others.
Up the bank we went, along the top and then zoomed down the other side. As we walked/zoomed I scanned down into the little fields and again there were plenty of Chalkhills to see although fewer here in the shorter turfed spots it seemed. As we made our descent a pair joined together in cop fluttered past L but didn’t stop and then we set off along the route of the Dyke. Along the way I spotted the odd Meadow Brown just waking up and one or two Small Heath but the ‘speciale d’jour’ was most definitely the Chalkhill Blues. All bar one evaded my lens showing that whilst it may have still been early for us humans the butterflies were wide awake. Luckily one couple were far too busy enjoying themselves to escape and even when they did try to escape the glare of my lens they only flew two plants over – I couldn’t work out if this was because they were so enamoured with each other or whether it was because they were a little worn out/knackered? Leaving them in peace to ensure the next generation we set off one more along the Dyke.
3 365 the one that didn’t get away
A short way after the halfway point one of life’s funny coincidences occurred…My wife was just reminding me that when mentioning particular species in front of other people to add ‘butterfly’ to the end so they know what I’m talking about; “like the other day when you asked about a Clouded Yellow”. “Okay” I say and then we decide to turn around and head back but hang on a minute, hold the phone, there’s Cloudy! I watched it scythe its way along the Dyke, occasionally nipping back the way it had just come for a short way before once again venturing forth. All the while I was whispering “go down, go down, go down” and it did. So I stalked in and took a few record shots, just in case, as it sat on a low laying Bramble. It went up again and cut across the field. I thought that was it, it was gone for good but then it turned and came back, zig-zagging along. It settled again on another bramble bush and so I stalked it again and manged to get in much closer this time using the Bramble as cover so my silhouette didn’t show up against the sky. This was much better although there was an annoying leaf which I didn’t notice at the time sticking across the palps – still I’d got my Cloudy!
While we’d been walking the temperature had steadily been creeping up and the sun was no longer busy fighting through the early morning haze and evaporating the dew but instead was doing its best to leave things in a smouldering mess so we started back to the car. The return journey produced a similar range of species but there were now more Chalkhills on either side or indeed in the middle of the main tracks – possibly they’d woken up and dispersed from their communal roosting spots? A Small Tort added itself to the tally but even though it was barely nine in the morning it was already motoring about as if it had received a full solar recharge. I also noticed that there seemed to be a few more ‘single’ females about though they didn’t seem to stay that way for very long. I spotted one female and looked at my camera to check the settings and then looked back and in the few seconds interim a male had attached himself as it were! When our wanderings brought us back to the field that had been bubbling earlier my idea of ‘dispersing from the roosting site’ went out the window as again they were everywhere. I wandered about bewildered by their numbers again occasionally stooping down to take a few photos without realising what I was doing to be honest, operating on autopilot and demonstrating a sort of ingrained behaviour. It was only as I sneaked a quick look back the car that I realised I’d grabbed a few more in cop shots, a few o a male that had a few orange spots on the hind wing (ab.sauve) and also what was a bit of a ‘gang bang’!
However one of the sights that I had been conscious of unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of. We were almost back at the car on the final bit of track hedged in on both sides by the tall brambles and scrub when a very small, whitish butterfly, drifted down from one of the saplings in the hedge. In the early morning light it appeared to have a blue-ish tinge and I leant down to take a photo of what I thought, due to its small size, was a Holly Blue. Only it wasn’t it was a Small White, in fact a VERY Small White. As I struggled to get it to focus it took off and sailed away over the tree tops not to return. Bugger! Still I’d got my Cloudy!
Shimmering sapphires
Bubbling over the grass tops
Chalkhills every where
Shipton Bellinger 08-08-2022
Yesterday it had been hot and I’d had a ‘warm-up’ at Middle Street. Today was even hotter; hotter than hot! I just hoped that the Brostreaks liked it mighty W and set off to Shipton Bellinger to meet up. I pulled into the usual but spotted Philzoid over by the other track off of the Bulford Road so I drove slowly over and pulled in. We caught up as we loaded up and still chatting we set off to check out the little patch behind the Boundary hedge before the Nettle Bed. As we wandered towards it a Blue went by and a few Browns showed up and then we followed a Wall around into the little clearing where Trevor was trying for shots of the Walls. There were a couple whizzing about as despite the early time the temperature was quickly rising and they were already very active. Once we’d caught up we tried round by the Nettle Patch but there wasn’t a lot about there as we were still the wrong side of 11. We didn’t want to risk working out way along the narrow track at the back as the Wild Parsnip spilled over it covering it completely and it looked like it could easily break and we didn’t fancy a case of phytophotodermatitis. Instead we worked our way round to the main hedge back the way that we’d come.
Along the Main Hedge things were oddly quiet and we reasoned that the heat was holding everything back. Things were flying only not in the numbers or range that we were used to from the site. A few Blues and a Wall pass by, there are plenty of Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath but they are ridiculously difficult to approach. The slightest movement and they would go up and away, the Meadow Browns in a lumbering style and the Small Heath veering off a la Skippers. A few Holly Blues showed up and then over at the Scallops on the other side of the track we spotted a possible Brostreak passing over as well as another Wall and a Common Blue.
After this we carried on along the main track as it twisted and turned down towards the village. As we started off we were slightly waylaid by a couple of Walls which play a game of hide and seek with us, teasing us off of the path like the Elves of Mirkwood. In the end we let them and followed them onto the field where we surveyed across for a prospective Cloudy (no joy) and chatted away. Once we were back on track we passed a couple of the Master Ash trees which were in various states of denudation as ADD took hold. Hopefully the Brostreaks will be able to use other trees (Sycamore or Oaks) as Master trees should these Ash finally succumb completely. There were a few Falsestreaks along the way and a Red Admiral patrolled but there weren’t a lot of butterflies. When we were almost at the little crossroads there was a lot of rustling coming from the bushes. Our collective best guess was a Roe Deer in the hedge…however as we got nearer to the kerfuffle another butterfly hunter extricated himself from deep within the hedge. He’d found a freshly emerged female that was sitting in a Hawthorn under the canopy of one of the Ash trees. She was at a fair old distance and sitting in the shade but we certainly didn’t turn our noses up at her and took it in turns to clamber carefully into the hedge, position our lenses and click away. I found one of the branches made a nice makeshift support so I was able to reach my arms out as far as they would go and click away. While we were waiting for our turn in the hedge we were entertained by a Wall and a brace of Specklies as well as a few male Brostreaks buzzing around the top of the tree.
Thanking the finder we pressed on but with the heat rising spotting the butterflies became harder. We checked out the start of the Dual hedge and also worked our way back and down the tunnel like track. In the shade things were slightly better behaved and we follow a couple of Walls along the dusty, bone dry path. A few Meadow Browns were about and the odd Holly Blue so it was better than elsewhere although nowhere near as good as usual - everything was sitting out of the heat either under leaves or deep within the vegetation. We’d almost reached the end and while watching for Walls I caught something jinking out of the corner of my eye high up. It was a male Brostreak but even more distant than the female and again high up and again in the shade. Still once again I stretched my arms out as far as possible and hoped for the best. I think it’s time to consider and longer lens…
We left the tunnel track and followed the hardcore topped road back round where Trevor took another ass up the Hedge and Philzoid and I nipped back to the cars to grab our lunch. On the walk back to meet up with Trevor things were again quite quiet although I did spot a large, ginger Robber Fly. When we met up with Trevor we did have a tantalising moment where something detached itelf from up high and jinked down into the Blackthorn. When we got close enough for a people look it turned out to be just a Small Heath so another species to take the name ‘Falsestreak’. What it was doing up at the top of a tree I don’t know? We also bumped into Luke Hepples who reckoned that the Brostreaks love the heat. I’d love his hypothesis to be true but it didn’t look like it would be judging by the data we were collecting today. They may love the heat but they do their loving from the top of the canopy.
We crossed over to the side of the hill with its scallops hoping that the shade offered by the taller parts of the scrub would make it slightly cooler but again butterflies were at a premium. The odd Brown would flutter about or a White may do a daring run desperately seeking shade but the only butterfly of note was a lovely almost blue female Common blue, sitting at about shoulder height with wings held at the ¾ open position. Another of the little alcoves looked slightly more promising with a Wall hanging around it as well as a few Meadow Browns. Reasoning that ‘where there was one there may be more’ we hung around here for a little bit and then there was a female flitting about at the top of a Field Maple. She teased us for a good while, drifting down lower and lower, her jinky flight preventing any in flight shots and when she looked like settling off upwards she’d fly landing up high and forcing me once again to use the ‘arms outstretched’ technique. After about 20 minutes she must have felt sorry for us (or maybe she made an error?) as on what was to be the final pass here she dropped down and settled. We were just about to sidle in and she was away again – this time not up the trees but instead along the hedge up the hill. I barely managed to keep up with her dizzying flight but when she paused I dropped to my knees, focused and fired off as many shots as I could before she was away and off for good.
After this the oppressive really hit home and so we decided to split so wishing Trevor well over at Tilshead, Philzoid and I made for Perham with the air con cranked up. Once there I’d shaken off a slight case of hypothermia we made for the foot of the Down where the Silver-spots were again easy to find. As we reached the start of the incline we bumped into Luke again and there was a Silver-spot sitting on a bush ready for us.
We then set about utilising the Ministry of Silly Walks approved gait for Silver-spotted Skipper spotting. A kind of half-crouch, half sidle, neck at ninety degrees to your spine but eyeballs level with the horizon. There were plenty about although they seemed to come in waves which meant for some of the time you’d be looking at nothing and for some you weren’t sure which Silver-spot to actually follow. Over the hour various Silver-spots were found but some highlights included; watching a mating pair fly in only for them to break apart as soon as they’d landed, another was a very fresh female in a gorgeous lemon and lime livery, various ovi-posturing and ovi-positing and one real poser that was practically bomb proof. The final Silver-spot and the final one seemed to be a little odd. The spots were less blocky, more jagged and fused into a haphazard arc a lot like a set of arrows all pointing to the same point – could it be ab.conflua we wondered?
I thought that this was a suitably impressive Silver-spot to finish with and my time had almost run out so I made for home and Philzoid headed over to Stockbridge. It had been hard work in the end, much harder than expected but still a great day with great company.
Sun baked to a crisp
Hiding away in the shade
Prove to be hard work
Along the Main Hedge things were oddly quiet and we reasoned that the heat was holding everything back. Things were flying only not in the numbers or range that we were used to from the site. A few Blues and a Wall pass by, there are plenty of Meadow Browns and the odd Small Heath but they are ridiculously difficult to approach. The slightest movement and they would go up and away, the Meadow Browns in a lumbering style and the Small Heath veering off a la Skippers. A few Holly Blues showed up and then over at the Scallops on the other side of the track we spotted a possible Brostreak passing over as well as another Wall and a Common Blue.
After this we carried on along the main track as it twisted and turned down towards the village. As we started off we were slightly waylaid by a couple of Walls which play a game of hide and seek with us, teasing us off of the path like the Elves of Mirkwood. In the end we let them and followed them onto the field where we surveyed across for a prospective Cloudy (no joy) and chatted away. Once we were back on track we passed a couple of the Master Ash trees which were in various states of denudation as ADD took hold. Hopefully the Brostreaks will be able to use other trees (Sycamore or Oaks) as Master trees should these Ash finally succumb completely. There were a few Falsestreaks along the way and a Red Admiral patrolled but there weren’t a lot of butterflies. When we were almost at the little crossroads there was a lot of rustling coming from the bushes. Our collective best guess was a Roe Deer in the hedge…however as we got nearer to the kerfuffle another butterfly hunter extricated himself from deep within the hedge. He’d found a freshly emerged female that was sitting in a Hawthorn under the canopy of one of the Ash trees. She was at a fair old distance and sitting in the shade but we certainly didn’t turn our noses up at her and took it in turns to clamber carefully into the hedge, position our lenses and click away. I found one of the branches made a nice makeshift support so I was able to reach my arms out as far as they would go and click away. While we were waiting for our turn in the hedge we were entertained by a Wall and a brace of Specklies as well as a few male Brostreaks buzzing around the top of the tree.
Thanking the finder we pressed on but with the heat rising spotting the butterflies became harder. We checked out the start of the Dual hedge and also worked our way back and down the tunnel like track. In the shade things were slightly better behaved and we follow a couple of Walls along the dusty, bone dry path. A few Meadow Browns were about and the odd Holly Blue so it was better than elsewhere although nowhere near as good as usual - everything was sitting out of the heat either under leaves or deep within the vegetation. We’d almost reached the end and while watching for Walls I caught something jinking out of the corner of my eye high up. It was a male Brostreak but even more distant than the female and again high up and again in the shade. Still once again I stretched my arms out as far as possible and hoped for the best. I think it’s time to consider and longer lens…
We left the tunnel track and followed the hardcore topped road back round where Trevor took another ass up the Hedge and Philzoid and I nipped back to the cars to grab our lunch. On the walk back to meet up with Trevor things were again quite quiet although I did spot a large, ginger Robber Fly. When we met up with Trevor we did have a tantalising moment where something detached itelf from up high and jinked down into the Blackthorn. When we got close enough for a people look it turned out to be just a Small Heath so another species to take the name ‘Falsestreak’. What it was doing up at the top of a tree I don’t know? We also bumped into Luke Hepples who reckoned that the Brostreaks love the heat. I’d love his hypothesis to be true but it didn’t look like it would be judging by the data we were collecting today. They may love the heat but they do their loving from the top of the canopy.
We crossed over to the side of the hill with its scallops hoping that the shade offered by the taller parts of the scrub would make it slightly cooler but again butterflies were at a premium. The odd Brown would flutter about or a White may do a daring run desperately seeking shade but the only butterfly of note was a lovely almost blue female Common blue, sitting at about shoulder height with wings held at the ¾ open position. Another of the little alcoves looked slightly more promising with a Wall hanging around it as well as a few Meadow Browns. Reasoning that ‘where there was one there may be more’ we hung around here for a little bit and then there was a female flitting about at the top of a Field Maple. She teased us for a good while, drifting down lower and lower, her jinky flight preventing any in flight shots and when she looked like settling off upwards she’d fly landing up high and forcing me once again to use the ‘arms outstretched’ technique. After about 20 minutes she must have felt sorry for us (or maybe she made an error?) as on what was to be the final pass here she dropped down and settled. We were just about to sidle in and she was away again – this time not up the trees but instead along the hedge up the hill. I barely managed to keep up with her dizzying flight but when she paused I dropped to my knees, focused and fired off as many shots as I could before she was away and off for good.
After this the oppressive really hit home and so we decided to split so wishing Trevor well over at Tilshead, Philzoid and I made for Perham with the air con cranked up. Once there I’d shaken off a slight case of hypothermia we made for the foot of the Down where the Silver-spots were again easy to find. As we reached the start of the incline we bumped into Luke again and there was a Silver-spot sitting on a bush ready for us.
We then set about utilising the Ministry of Silly Walks approved gait for Silver-spotted Skipper spotting. A kind of half-crouch, half sidle, neck at ninety degrees to your spine but eyeballs level with the horizon. There were plenty about although they seemed to come in waves which meant for some of the time you’d be looking at nothing and for some you weren’t sure which Silver-spot to actually follow. Over the hour various Silver-spots were found but some highlights included; watching a mating pair fly in only for them to break apart as soon as they’d landed, another was a very fresh female in a gorgeous lemon and lime livery, various ovi-posturing and ovi-positing and one real poser that was practically bomb proof. The final Silver-spot and the final one seemed to be a little odd. The spots were less blocky, more jagged and fused into a haphazard arc a lot like a set of arrows all pointing to the same point – could it be ab.conflua we wondered?
I thought that this was a suitably impressive Silver-spot to finish with and my time had almost run out so I made for home and Philzoid headed over to Stockbridge. It had been hard work in the end, much harder than expected but still a great day with great company.
Sun baked to a crisp
Hiding away in the shade
Prove to be hard work
Middle Street 07-08-2022
We were having a fairly quiet weekend having arrived back from Wales and so after lunch I took a quick stroll over to Middle Street to stretch my legs and to gently ease back into butterflying around my usual haunts in the extra warm conditions. On the way over a Red Admiral was braving the sun and pootling about near the slip way by the Mill. It didn’t want to hang about in the sun for too long and almost as soon as I’d spotted it, it nipped into a bush and hung on the underside in the shade. After a few shots I carried on crossing my fingers crossed that the other butterflies weren’t all behaving in a similar manner.
Once on site I walked along the edge of football field towards the ‘End’ speeding up when a gap in the overhead branches let the sun through so that I could stay in the relative cool of the shade for a long as possible. Looking out over the unmown areas the summer had not been kind and rather than the green with spots of colour from the flowers everything looked yellow. What a month ago had been a verdant, lush meadow was now a steaming field of straw, the heat shimmering as haze at the top of the stems. I girded my loins and broke away from the comfortable cover under the canopy and started into the field of straw. Surprisingly the butterflies were all out enjoying the sunshine – perhaps the dark ground colour of the Red Admiral, so useful at the tail end of the year, it a bit of handicap in the hottest of summers? As I scanned about I spotted several Hedgies and plenty of Meadow Browns. The occasional pair Common Blue caught my eye, its colouration making it stick out like a sore thumb. I saw 6 in all, all pairs of males and all knocking several shades out of each other. In amongst the Blue on Blue violence I also found a Brown Argus and a definite Large White and a few Small Whites do fly-bys.
Cheered that despite the sweltering weather the butterflies were still flying I pressed on, following my usual route in reverse hence I checked Dip 3 and then Dip 2 but they were both so overgrown I didn’t feel like I could properly examine them for fear of trampling stuff underfoot. However I did find a couple of Specklies flying along the riverside path and occasionally they would take a break from either patrolling or scrapping to sit on a leaf in the sun.
Next up was Dip 1 which like the other two Dips was also impenetrable, to the extent that I couldn’t even make out where the path sued to be, it was just a solid wall of straw, which might not have fared well against the Big Bad Wolf but worked wonders against the wanderings of a Wurzel. Instead I keep to the Riverside path and it took me round the pond and to the start of the Bank path that runs the length of the reserve. I found some shade and stood in it whilst watching over the low laying ground on the other side of the bank path. It ran down, gently sloping, into the fast shrinking pond but the roots of the various flowering clumps must have tapped into the water for they were still lush and in good nick. I reckoned that the butterflies would soon find this little oasis and so settled down. Sure enough after a minute or so the butterflies that had hidden themselves when I arrived forgot I was there and out they came. There were three or four Hedgies, another brace of battling Specklies and a couple of Common Blues, both males, which kept scrapping over one particular clump of Hemp Agrimony. I’d nip out into the sun, grab a few shots and then as the sweat began to prickle on my forehead I’d scuttle back into the blessed relief of the shade.
While the males were busy chasing each other about I spotted a female which flew in from the general direction of the field. Whilst the males would fly at medium height, over the tops of the flowers, this female kept a much lower profile. She stuck to the tops of the shortest of the plants and sometime I’d lose her as she wove in, around and through strands of vegetation. I guess that she was trying to avoid the attentions of the boisterous and near psychotic males. A few whites passed though, one stopping long enough to confirm it as a Green-veined and a Comma buzzed me.
Having cooled down and seen pretty much all there was to see here I once again braved the broiling sun and worked my way back along the Banks path. The sun beat down as I scanned across the Dips, although I didn’t know if I should have referred to them as such because the vegetation had grown so tall it was almost level with the top of the Bank Path. There was nothing to see and so I quickly made my way back to the End. Almost as soon as I’d entered the field I spotted 3 Common Blues, 2 males and a female. I moved further into the field, burs sticking to my socks and burying their way down to dig in the soles of my feet. At the first clump of Hemp Agrimony I paused. The scene before me brought to mind one from The Blue Planet; huge expanses of sea with very little in it and then life teeming around the coral reef. So it was here just replace the sea with grasses and the Hemp Agrimony becomes the Reef. Several Hedgies were flitting about and nectaring and also a Brown Argus. Common e Blues and Whites buzzed by crossing the barren wastelands from one reef/clump of flowers to another.
I stood and watched for some time, slowly baking as the sun beat down. Eventually I recognised that I was a little too warm and so retreated to the shade of the trees that line the site before walking home whilst seeking whatever shade was possible.
Blues are sun seekers
But Admirals hide away
At baked Middle Street
Once on site I walked along the edge of football field towards the ‘End’ speeding up when a gap in the overhead branches let the sun through so that I could stay in the relative cool of the shade for a long as possible. Looking out over the unmown areas the summer had not been kind and rather than the green with spots of colour from the flowers everything looked yellow. What a month ago had been a verdant, lush meadow was now a steaming field of straw, the heat shimmering as haze at the top of the stems. I girded my loins and broke away from the comfortable cover under the canopy and started into the field of straw. Surprisingly the butterflies were all out enjoying the sunshine – perhaps the dark ground colour of the Red Admiral, so useful at the tail end of the year, it a bit of handicap in the hottest of summers? As I scanned about I spotted several Hedgies and plenty of Meadow Browns. The occasional pair Common Blue caught my eye, its colouration making it stick out like a sore thumb. I saw 6 in all, all pairs of males and all knocking several shades out of each other. In amongst the Blue on Blue violence I also found a Brown Argus and a definite Large White and a few Small Whites do fly-bys.
Cheered that despite the sweltering weather the butterflies were still flying I pressed on, following my usual route in reverse hence I checked Dip 3 and then Dip 2 but they were both so overgrown I didn’t feel like I could properly examine them for fear of trampling stuff underfoot. However I did find a couple of Specklies flying along the riverside path and occasionally they would take a break from either patrolling or scrapping to sit on a leaf in the sun.
Next up was Dip 1 which like the other two Dips was also impenetrable, to the extent that I couldn’t even make out where the path sued to be, it was just a solid wall of straw, which might not have fared well against the Big Bad Wolf but worked wonders against the wanderings of a Wurzel. Instead I keep to the Riverside path and it took me round the pond and to the start of the Bank path that runs the length of the reserve. I found some shade and stood in it whilst watching over the low laying ground on the other side of the bank path. It ran down, gently sloping, into the fast shrinking pond but the roots of the various flowering clumps must have tapped into the water for they were still lush and in good nick. I reckoned that the butterflies would soon find this little oasis and so settled down. Sure enough after a minute or so the butterflies that had hidden themselves when I arrived forgot I was there and out they came. There were three or four Hedgies, another brace of battling Specklies and a couple of Common Blues, both males, which kept scrapping over one particular clump of Hemp Agrimony. I’d nip out into the sun, grab a few shots and then as the sweat began to prickle on my forehead I’d scuttle back into the blessed relief of the shade.
While the males were busy chasing each other about I spotted a female which flew in from the general direction of the field. Whilst the males would fly at medium height, over the tops of the flowers, this female kept a much lower profile. She stuck to the tops of the shortest of the plants and sometime I’d lose her as she wove in, around and through strands of vegetation. I guess that she was trying to avoid the attentions of the boisterous and near psychotic males. A few whites passed though, one stopping long enough to confirm it as a Green-veined and a Comma buzzed me.
Having cooled down and seen pretty much all there was to see here I once again braved the broiling sun and worked my way back along the Banks path. The sun beat down as I scanned across the Dips, although I didn’t know if I should have referred to them as such because the vegetation had grown so tall it was almost level with the top of the Bank Path. There was nothing to see and so I quickly made my way back to the End. Almost as soon as I’d entered the field I spotted 3 Common Blues, 2 males and a female. I moved further into the field, burs sticking to my socks and burying their way down to dig in the soles of my feet. At the first clump of Hemp Agrimony I paused. The scene before me brought to mind one from The Blue Planet; huge expanses of sea with very little in it and then life teeming around the coral reef. So it was here just replace the sea with grasses and the Hemp Agrimony becomes the Reef. Several Hedgies were flitting about and nectaring and also a Brown Argus. Common e Blues and Whites buzzed by crossing the barren wastelands from one reef/clump of flowers to another.
I stood and watched for some time, slowly baking as the sun beat down. Eventually I recognised that I was a little too warm and so retreated to the shade of the trees that line the site before walking home whilst seeking whatever shade was possible.
Blues are sun seekers
But Admirals hide away
At baked Middle Street
The Devenish 06-08-2022
Having arrived back from Wales I eased myself back into the Butterflying again and I couldn’t think of a better spot for this than the Devenish – a small reserve, really close by and with a great range of butterflies. When I arrived a French couple were clearing up their petit-dejeuner and airing their sleeping bags which was a slightly incongruous beginning but hopefully the butterflies wouldn’t be much more awake than the Gallic visitors. As I passed by wishing them a ‘Bonjour’ I spotted a Small Tort and a Holly Blue. However I didn’t think it would be a good look to whip the lens cap off my camera and start firing away what with them still in their night-time attire and so I left all concerned in peace and swiftly made for the Orchid Meadow.
Almost as soon as I was though the gate I was buzzed by a large-ish ginger beastie – a DGF and still looking in reasonable nick. It slowed down allowing me to make a couple of approaches and grab a few shots each time and as it turned to leave I realised that it had led me to a large clump of Hemp Agrimony which was growing up against the fence. This was acting like a butterfly magnet; tractor beaming in all nearby butterflies. I was slightly bamboozled at first and I didn’t know where to start so I looked to my left and then scanned over the whole bush. I started with two Brown Argus and a Red Admiral. Next came a Meadow Brown and a Specklie and then another Meadow Brown and a brace of Hedgies. At the other end I added a further pair of Brown Argus and a Common Blue. Not a bad smattering on a single clump!
This seemed to easiest way of photographing the butterflies; just go and hang out where they like to hang out, and so I followed one of the narrow tracks to the next clump that was growing slightly further along the fence. This was a slightly smaller clump but made up for its narrower girth in an increased height but because of the lower quantity of nectar available there were only 5 butterflies here – one Brown Argus and 4 Common Blues. As I watched a couple of the latter took to the air and settled down in the grass. I followed one as something about it didn’t seem right and when I viewed it through the lens I could see that the lunules were much paler more a tangerine than full on orange colour. Chuffed with finding this interesting display of variation I set off to examine the Down proper and as the grass swished past my boots at the side of the path a couple of whites drifted past.
From the Meadow I followed the steep Tunnel track up and out onto the Down. A Small Copper and Common Blue had a bit of a scrap while a couple each of Meadow Browns and Hedgies egged them on from the side-lines/the Bramble. A Small White flew past and immediately regretted it as it flew into the danger zone. Slightly further up I paused to have a breather and let the Lactic acid in my claves oxidise and I scanned about picking up a Brown Argus and 3 male Chalkhills. I was joined on the slopes by a Gent from Oxford and as we chatted several more Chalkhills showed themselves, glittering and flashing from within the sea of grass as they caught the light. As he climbed back up to join his wife I followed the diagonal track across the Down to the treeline at the bottom.
The first clump of Hemp Agrimony was bare of butterflies but the second held a few Meadow Browns and a female Common Blue. The third ‘clump’ this year had grown into a strip which skirted the bottom of the Down from half way along to the gully at the end. Whilst this meant that traversing the terrain to get to the butterflies was easier and didn’t involve any trampling it meant that the butterflies were much more spread out and so stalking became trickier. There were plenty of Hedgies and even more Meadow Browns, a male and female Common Blue as well as a couple of Brown Argus. One floret had both a Brown Argus and a Common Blue present but unfortunately I couldn’t get both in shot and in focus which was a shame as it would have been nice to have had a comparison shot. As I worked my way along and reached the Gully as well as a few a Whites I added a few more each of Brown Argus (which seem to have had a great time of it this year) and Common Blue.
At the Top Paddock there were more Blues; 3 Common and a Brown Argus whereas at the other Paddock by the bench the Browns were represented with 2 Meadow Browns and a Small Heath. I worked my way back down the and spent some time trying to capture the Chalkhillls They did their est to frustrate me; flying off just as I focused in, landing and looking brilliant except for a single stem of grass sitting across their body or disappearing into little ‘caves’ in the twisted tussocks. Eventually I felt like I persisted enough and so started back down spotting more of the same species as well a couple of Holly Blues which flew first along and then over the Bramble at the start of the Tunnel track.
I found myself back at the very first Hemp Agrimony clump in the Orchid Meadow and there seemed to be even more butterflies here than before. There were still the Meadow Browns and the Hedgies squabbling on the periphery, a bit further back into the clump and like the previous visit there was a Red Admiral, Common Blue and this time up to 6 Brown Argus but a Small White fluttered in and a Specklie joined the party. At one stage a male and female Brimstone stopped in but they soon departed, possibly not liking the other clientele? Then I spotted the stars of the show – a brace of Chalkhills without blades of grass falling between them and my lens, without the little grass ‘caves’ and with the sweet nectar anchoring them to one spot. One of the two in particular caught my eye as the spots on the fore wing were larger and bolder than usual whilst those on the hind wing were smaller or missing, almost as if they’d used up all the ink on the fore wing. A Holly Blue introduced itself as well and so my lens deviated backward and forwards between these two different Blues.
None too shabby an outing; the Devenish proved its value once again!
Small site, short time frame
But butterflies a plenty
The Devenish rocks!
Almost as soon as I was though the gate I was buzzed by a large-ish ginger beastie – a DGF and still looking in reasonable nick. It slowed down allowing me to make a couple of approaches and grab a few shots each time and as it turned to leave I realised that it had led me to a large clump of Hemp Agrimony which was growing up against the fence. This was acting like a butterfly magnet; tractor beaming in all nearby butterflies. I was slightly bamboozled at first and I didn’t know where to start so I looked to my left and then scanned over the whole bush. I started with two Brown Argus and a Red Admiral. Next came a Meadow Brown and a Specklie and then another Meadow Brown and a brace of Hedgies. At the other end I added a further pair of Brown Argus and a Common Blue. Not a bad smattering on a single clump!
This seemed to easiest way of photographing the butterflies; just go and hang out where they like to hang out, and so I followed one of the narrow tracks to the next clump that was growing slightly further along the fence. This was a slightly smaller clump but made up for its narrower girth in an increased height but because of the lower quantity of nectar available there were only 5 butterflies here – one Brown Argus and 4 Common Blues. As I watched a couple of the latter took to the air and settled down in the grass. I followed one as something about it didn’t seem right and when I viewed it through the lens I could see that the lunules were much paler more a tangerine than full on orange colour. Chuffed with finding this interesting display of variation I set off to examine the Down proper and as the grass swished past my boots at the side of the path a couple of whites drifted past.
From the Meadow I followed the steep Tunnel track up and out onto the Down. A Small Copper and Common Blue had a bit of a scrap while a couple each of Meadow Browns and Hedgies egged them on from the side-lines/the Bramble. A Small White flew past and immediately regretted it as it flew into the danger zone. Slightly further up I paused to have a breather and let the Lactic acid in my claves oxidise and I scanned about picking up a Brown Argus and 3 male Chalkhills. I was joined on the slopes by a Gent from Oxford and as we chatted several more Chalkhills showed themselves, glittering and flashing from within the sea of grass as they caught the light. As he climbed back up to join his wife I followed the diagonal track across the Down to the treeline at the bottom.
The first clump of Hemp Agrimony was bare of butterflies but the second held a few Meadow Browns and a female Common Blue. The third ‘clump’ this year had grown into a strip which skirted the bottom of the Down from half way along to the gully at the end. Whilst this meant that traversing the terrain to get to the butterflies was easier and didn’t involve any trampling it meant that the butterflies were much more spread out and so stalking became trickier. There were plenty of Hedgies and even more Meadow Browns, a male and female Common Blue as well as a couple of Brown Argus. One floret had both a Brown Argus and a Common Blue present but unfortunately I couldn’t get both in shot and in focus which was a shame as it would have been nice to have had a comparison shot. As I worked my way along and reached the Gully as well as a few a Whites I added a few more each of Brown Argus (which seem to have had a great time of it this year) and Common Blue.
At the Top Paddock there were more Blues; 3 Common and a Brown Argus whereas at the other Paddock by the bench the Browns were represented with 2 Meadow Browns and a Small Heath. I worked my way back down the and spent some time trying to capture the Chalkhillls They did their est to frustrate me; flying off just as I focused in, landing and looking brilliant except for a single stem of grass sitting across their body or disappearing into little ‘caves’ in the twisted tussocks. Eventually I felt like I persisted enough and so started back down spotting more of the same species as well a couple of Holly Blues which flew first along and then over the Bramble at the start of the Tunnel track.
I found myself back at the very first Hemp Agrimony clump in the Orchid Meadow and there seemed to be even more butterflies here than before. There were still the Meadow Browns and the Hedgies squabbling on the periphery, a bit further back into the clump and like the previous visit there was a Red Admiral, Common Blue and this time up to 6 Brown Argus but a Small White fluttered in and a Specklie joined the party. At one stage a male and female Brimstone stopped in but they soon departed, possibly not liking the other clientele? Then I spotted the stars of the show – a brace of Chalkhills without blades of grass falling between them and my lens, without the little grass ‘caves’ and with the sweet nectar anchoring them to one spot. One of the two in particular caught my eye as the spots on the fore wing were larger and bolder than usual whilst those on the hind wing were smaller or missing, almost as if they’d used up all the ink on the fore wing. A Holly Blue introduced itself as well and so my lens deviated backward and forwards between these two different Blues.
None too shabby an outing; the Devenish proved its value once again!
Small site, short time frame
But butterflies a plenty
The Devenish rocks!