The Devenish 26-09-2021
I should really have been strolling along Boscombe Prom scanning the undercliff and hoping to catch-up with a Helice Cloudy (one of the 5-7 that’s been recorded here over the last few days). Indeed that had been the plan since Thursday, there had been various minor adjustments; moving the day from Saturday to Sunday so I could get curtain rails up with my dad during the dull weather on Saturday, the numbers kept decreasing until eventually I would have been heading down by myself (or maybe with Philzoid) and then there was the timing moving from first thing to around lunchtime to make the most of the maximum sun. However that all went to pot come Friday. During lunch I popped down to the local filling station as the tyre pressure warning light had come on during my journey to work. When I went to pulled in I had to queue and all six pumps were queued up 4 deep. Then when I got home there were tales over Facebook of people queuing for almost an hour in the petrol stations in Salisbury. So on Sunday morning I cancelled my trip as that would mean another journey to work and back before I’d need to brave the queues and attempt to fill up again. So instead of seeking out Cloudies I instead headed to The Devenish to seek out whatever was left flying there!
I started my visit in the Small Paddock craning my head backward as far as it would go to take in the tall dead tree that plays host to a mass of Ivy. Fluttering around near the top I could see two Red Admirals and as I continued watching one detached from the tree and glode down in a series of gentle arcs like a leaf falling instead of a butterfly actively flying. It perched just long enough for me to spot it and take a few record shots. I stood back and watched it motor off not looking anything like a falling leaf anymore and then got comfy leaning on the gate. Standing still my silhouette didn’t alter and so I became almost invisible to the butterflies. As I stood motionless I watched the two Red Admirals interacting, chasing each other about between patches of Ivy in adjacent trees, a Comma saw one off when it got too close, a Brimstone passed by on a mission and a Specklie remained up high enough to be out of reach of my lens. Calmed I set off once more and made my down the Tunnel Path and across Orchid Meadow where a couple of Whites passed by in the distance. Up the side of the Down and on the corner of the path where it opens up a Comma was sitting basking in the sun.
From here I girded my loins and made my way along the treeline at the foot of the field. It was hard going on my ankles as the longer grasses at this time of year inconveniently mask the undulations and rabbit holes so visible during the spring with its shorter sward height. After several jars to the ankles I paused for a breather to give them some respite and scanned ahead of me along the remaining pinky-purple tops of the Hemp Agrimony. A Green-veined White passed me by but that was it so I pressed on to the gully at the end. A Red Admiral took off from a perch on the side of a tree and headed back the way I’d just come so cursing I retraced my stumbles, trips and near falls before managing to relocate and somehow sneak up on it. It was worth all the knocks and bumps as she was stunning, beautifully fresh with chocolate and ginger hues edging the black ground colour in places. I followed her back into the Gully where she made a few more stops. The final time she flew off a Specklie plopped down as a replacement and then a Large White caught my attention. It was way more twitchy than those I’d seen in the Spring. A Small White drifted down the hill but there was no way that I was going to follow it now that I was almost at the top of the Down.
The first small field at the top of the Down was bare of butterflies until I reached the very top. In times past the Brambles grew right up and along the fence here but recently someone had cut them back so now it was possible to walk along from the first field straight to the second. So I tried out this new route although there was only a Red Admiral and a Darter to see on the way. The second top field was also bereft of butterflies and so I cut along the diagonal path to check out the foot of the Down once more and once more I scanned ahead checking out the Hemp Agrimony that remained intact and on this pass I got lucky as a little ginger leaf didn’t look right perched at a jaunty angle amid the tufts of candyfloss pink petals. It wasn’t a leaf at all and as I got in closer it resolved into a Small Copper. From this nice sturdy perch it of course took off and sought out the thinnest and most easily wafted grass stem so the slightly murmur of the breeze and it was rocking forward and backwards frenetically and sending my autofocus into overdrive. Luckily it started to feel a bit nauseous and so sought out a sturdier perching spot. Chuffed I carried on with the scanning and carried on with the stumbling and twisting of my ankles before another ginger butterfly stood out like a sore thumb against the light pick background. This time it was a Comma and once it moved to some greenery I was able to approach, crouching low to the ground so my outline didn’t show up against the skyline.
After this I found myself back in the Gully where the first Comma was joined by a second and a Small White actually sat still for more than 5 seconds as it supped nectar from one of the few remaining yellow flowers at the edge of the Gully. In the Gully itself the Red Admiral was still around but it had been joined by a large Dragonfly. It zipped up and down a few times and seemed to want to land down in the vegetation but like a Huey touching down in Nam it wasn’t down for very long. At one point it did stop, clinging/hanging from the end of a small branch. I managed to get close enough to get an impression of it being green and fired off a few shots although the breeze picked up just as I got it into focus (as per usual). After this brief stop it was up and away hurtling through the sky one minute and clipping the tops of the grass the next. With a final flourish I watched is disappear down the slope through another newly cleared area at the foot of the Gully. This part of the reserve had been impenetrable before and the most you could do was stare through the dense vegetation at lines of trunks entangled and wrapped in bramble and briar. Now some of the trees had been thinned back and the bramble removed. Slipping and sliding I made my way down but there was only a pair of Specklies to offer any recompense for more twisting of the ankles and jarring of the hips and knees.
Wearily I climbed my way back up and kept going until I was out of the Gully and striding up the diagonal track towards the gate and the Middle Down. This was probably the quietest part of the entire reserve and as I did a giant and slow U-turn descending the Down in the process I saw only two butterflies; a distant Small White at the top and upon completion of my route down a Red Admiral high up in some Ivy next to the stile. As the Red Admiral was out of reach I hopped over the stile and almost rolled down the steep bit of track into Orchid Meadow. This was also pretty quiet butterfly wise – the sheep having grazed it successfully meant that there were very few nectar sources remaining but at least the track was easier on the knees than the Down. At the far end a Silver Y shot off as they so often do and a Specklie played in the branches of the trees on the other side of the fence. Upon my return a Comma did a few circuits around and under the overhang of the large tree but the real highlight popped up just after this. There was a shimmer and a shine in the air which I’ve come to associate with the wings of a Dragonfly catching sunlight and sure enough there was the Dragonfly. I watched as it did a few of those jinky runs that they love so much and then it landed. I bounded over to it and started dancing the Click-step – it was a Golden Ringed!
After this show stopped it was back to business as usual as I did a final check of the Small Paddock. The Specklie had morphed into three which pursued each other fiercely across the Paddock, none them it seemed knew who was chasing who or who was supposed to be running away and so the carried on in a bemused ball of rage before disappearing into the trees. The large Ivy tree had a single Comma on it, the Red Admirals were about now and again and the place was alive with Ivy Bees, all flying low to the ground and the hum was incredible. So ended my trip and as I pulled out of the car park I couldn’t help thinking that there was a definite air of the beginning of the end?
A petrol shortage
Meant no Cloudy seeking for me
See what’s left instead
I started my visit in the Small Paddock craning my head backward as far as it would go to take in the tall dead tree that plays host to a mass of Ivy. Fluttering around near the top I could see two Red Admirals and as I continued watching one detached from the tree and glode down in a series of gentle arcs like a leaf falling instead of a butterfly actively flying. It perched just long enough for me to spot it and take a few record shots. I stood back and watched it motor off not looking anything like a falling leaf anymore and then got comfy leaning on the gate. Standing still my silhouette didn’t alter and so I became almost invisible to the butterflies. As I stood motionless I watched the two Red Admirals interacting, chasing each other about between patches of Ivy in adjacent trees, a Comma saw one off when it got too close, a Brimstone passed by on a mission and a Specklie remained up high enough to be out of reach of my lens. Calmed I set off once more and made my down the Tunnel Path and across Orchid Meadow where a couple of Whites passed by in the distance. Up the side of the Down and on the corner of the path where it opens up a Comma was sitting basking in the sun.
From here I girded my loins and made my way along the treeline at the foot of the field. It was hard going on my ankles as the longer grasses at this time of year inconveniently mask the undulations and rabbit holes so visible during the spring with its shorter sward height. After several jars to the ankles I paused for a breather to give them some respite and scanned ahead of me along the remaining pinky-purple tops of the Hemp Agrimony. A Green-veined White passed me by but that was it so I pressed on to the gully at the end. A Red Admiral took off from a perch on the side of a tree and headed back the way I’d just come so cursing I retraced my stumbles, trips and near falls before managing to relocate and somehow sneak up on it. It was worth all the knocks and bumps as she was stunning, beautifully fresh with chocolate and ginger hues edging the black ground colour in places. I followed her back into the Gully where she made a few more stops. The final time she flew off a Specklie plopped down as a replacement and then a Large White caught my attention. It was way more twitchy than those I’d seen in the Spring. A Small White drifted down the hill but there was no way that I was going to follow it now that I was almost at the top of the Down.
The first small field at the top of the Down was bare of butterflies until I reached the very top. In times past the Brambles grew right up and along the fence here but recently someone had cut them back so now it was possible to walk along from the first field straight to the second. So I tried out this new route although there was only a Red Admiral and a Darter to see on the way. The second top field was also bereft of butterflies and so I cut along the diagonal path to check out the foot of the Down once more and once more I scanned ahead checking out the Hemp Agrimony that remained intact and on this pass I got lucky as a little ginger leaf didn’t look right perched at a jaunty angle amid the tufts of candyfloss pink petals. It wasn’t a leaf at all and as I got in closer it resolved into a Small Copper. From this nice sturdy perch it of course took off and sought out the thinnest and most easily wafted grass stem so the slightly murmur of the breeze and it was rocking forward and backwards frenetically and sending my autofocus into overdrive. Luckily it started to feel a bit nauseous and so sought out a sturdier perching spot. Chuffed I carried on with the scanning and carried on with the stumbling and twisting of my ankles before another ginger butterfly stood out like a sore thumb against the light pick background. This time it was a Comma and once it moved to some greenery I was able to approach, crouching low to the ground so my outline didn’t show up against the skyline.
After this I found myself back in the Gully where the first Comma was joined by a second and a Small White actually sat still for more than 5 seconds as it supped nectar from one of the few remaining yellow flowers at the edge of the Gully. In the Gully itself the Red Admiral was still around but it had been joined by a large Dragonfly. It zipped up and down a few times and seemed to want to land down in the vegetation but like a Huey touching down in Nam it wasn’t down for very long. At one point it did stop, clinging/hanging from the end of a small branch. I managed to get close enough to get an impression of it being green and fired off a few shots although the breeze picked up just as I got it into focus (as per usual). After this brief stop it was up and away hurtling through the sky one minute and clipping the tops of the grass the next. With a final flourish I watched is disappear down the slope through another newly cleared area at the foot of the Gully. This part of the reserve had been impenetrable before and the most you could do was stare through the dense vegetation at lines of trunks entangled and wrapped in bramble and briar. Now some of the trees had been thinned back and the bramble removed. Slipping and sliding I made my way down but there was only a pair of Specklies to offer any recompense for more twisting of the ankles and jarring of the hips and knees.
Wearily I climbed my way back up and kept going until I was out of the Gully and striding up the diagonal track towards the gate and the Middle Down. This was probably the quietest part of the entire reserve and as I did a giant and slow U-turn descending the Down in the process I saw only two butterflies; a distant Small White at the top and upon completion of my route down a Red Admiral high up in some Ivy next to the stile. As the Red Admiral was out of reach I hopped over the stile and almost rolled down the steep bit of track into Orchid Meadow. This was also pretty quiet butterfly wise – the sheep having grazed it successfully meant that there were very few nectar sources remaining but at least the track was easier on the knees than the Down. At the far end a Silver Y shot off as they so often do and a Specklie played in the branches of the trees on the other side of the fence. Upon my return a Comma did a few circuits around and under the overhang of the large tree but the real highlight popped up just after this. There was a shimmer and a shine in the air which I’ve come to associate with the wings of a Dragonfly catching sunlight and sure enough there was the Dragonfly. I watched as it did a few of those jinky runs that they love so much and then it landed. I bounded over to it and started dancing the Click-step – it was a Golden Ringed!
After this show stopped it was back to business as usual as I did a final check of the Small Paddock. The Specklie had morphed into three which pursued each other fiercely across the Paddock, none them it seemed knew who was chasing who or who was supposed to be running away and so the carried on in a bemused ball of rage before disappearing into the trees. The large Ivy tree had a single Comma on it, the Red Admirals were about now and again and the place was alive with Ivy Bees, all flying low to the ground and the hum was incredible. So ended my trip and as I pulled out of the car park I couldn’t help thinking that there was a definite air of the beginning of the end?
A petrol shortage
Meant no Cloudy seeking for me
See what’s left instead
Larkhill 22-09-2021
It had been an absolute age since I’d last called in at Larkhill; in fact I couldn’t remember the last time (as opposed to the well known Pulp song) when I’d actually visited the original car park site. So I turned off and pulled in as close to the massive white blocks as I could and set off across the broken car park cum lay-by. As I wandered across the cracked concrete many memories came back to me. There were the good times – chatting with the Travelers each solstice and enjoying their delight as I pointed out some butterflies, there were the Small Blues and also stopping here with the girls to show them Common Blues on the Golden Rod. As I enjoyed the reminiscence the odd black cloud of a bad memory popped up although I was obviously trying to forget these as they were brief and a bit foggy; dodgy scrap merchants tearing my car with the corner of their massive trailer, the French campers that emptied their Port-a-loo all over the best patch of wildflowers and of course the Police getting narky with the same friendly travellers and me during the Solstices. This brought me back down to earth with a bump and so I got back to looking for butterflies…
As my car was more abandoned than parked I didn’t want to go too far and tried to keep it in sight so I stuck to the start of the North and West paths opting for the North first. All looked quiet and I couldn’t see any wildflowers which the butterflies would be frequenting but there was a Common Darter sitting on a Hawthorn twig. It was starting to go grey and had the look of a damaged and battered Iron Man to my mind. As I left it surveying its territory a Meadow Brown caught my attention and led me down the start of the East/West Track. I promptly lost it as it pulled an evasive manoeuvre and flapped weakly up and up until it cleared the stand of Hawthorns and then disappeared on the other side. As I was about to head back and call it quits a Small Heath popped up to persuade me to give the site another chance. As if to ram home the message a tatty male Common Blue flew in from my left and then proceeded to chase the Small Heath away. Job done it perched down low and regained its composure. While I was here I tried to check large patch of Golden Rod but in the time since I’d last visited the Hawthorn had formed an impenetrable screen around the patch and it was difficult to even see across the tops of the vivid yellow flowers.
So instead it was back across the car park and I once more checked out the edge of the North Track. The Common Darter was still there although this time it seemed to be considering switching to vegetarianism and having a chunk out of a berry. I left it in its existential angst and strolled back towards my car across the weather torn tarmac. As I did a Meadow Brown flashed by and disappeared once more into the trees but in its place was a smaller, grey butterfly flitting about. As I stalked it I could see that it was a slightly tired female Common Blue – they grey colour coming from the worn under wing and the blue scales on the topside particularly those around the lunules on the hind wings.
It was flying between the tiny groups of flowers they had forced their way through the road surface and somewhere along the way I lost it and then relocated it…only it wasn’t the butterfly it was a totally different one. This one was in much better nick and as she perched in the long grass I could see that the leading lunules on the fore wing had been replaced with blue dashes instead of orange and this variation was pleasing to the eye. So vowing to return I left her in peace and continued on homewards.
Old Larkhill stop-off
Memories come flooding back
Make some good new ones
As my car was more abandoned than parked I didn’t want to go too far and tried to keep it in sight so I stuck to the start of the North and West paths opting for the North first. All looked quiet and I couldn’t see any wildflowers which the butterflies would be frequenting but there was a Common Darter sitting on a Hawthorn twig. It was starting to go grey and had the look of a damaged and battered Iron Man to my mind. As I left it surveying its territory a Meadow Brown caught my attention and led me down the start of the East/West Track. I promptly lost it as it pulled an evasive manoeuvre and flapped weakly up and up until it cleared the stand of Hawthorns and then disappeared on the other side. As I was about to head back and call it quits a Small Heath popped up to persuade me to give the site another chance. As if to ram home the message a tatty male Common Blue flew in from my left and then proceeded to chase the Small Heath away. Job done it perched down low and regained its composure. While I was here I tried to check large patch of Golden Rod but in the time since I’d last visited the Hawthorn had formed an impenetrable screen around the patch and it was difficult to even see across the tops of the vivid yellow flowers.
So instead it was back across the car park and I once more checked out the edge of the North Track. The Common Darter was still there although this time it seemed to be considering switching to vegetarianism and having a chunk out of a berry. I left it in its existential angst and strolled back towards my car across the weather torn tarmac. As I did a Meadow Brown flashed by and disappeared once more into the trees but in its place was a smaller, grey butterfly flitting about. As I stalked it I could see that it was a slightly tired female Common Blue – they grey colour coming from the worn under wing and the blue scales on the topside particularly those around the lunules on the hind wings.
It was flying between the tiny groups of flowers they had forced their way through the road surface and somewhere along the way I lost it and then relocated it…only it wasn’t the butterfly it was a totally different one. This one was in much better nick and as she perched in the long grass I could see that the leading lunules on the fore wing had been replaced with blue dashes instead of orange and this variation was pleasing to the eye. So vowing to return I left her in peace and continued on homewards.
Old Larkhill stop-off
Memories come flooding back
Make some good new ones
Martin Down 18-09-2021
Eventually we found the venue of the Yoga retreat and as I pulled into the car park to drop my wife off and make the dash across country to Martin Down a brace of Red Admirals basking on the side of the barn almost tempted me to tarry for a while. But no I was on a mission – the Oracle had confirmed “Clouded Yellow” so I coaxed my little engine car into thinking it was an oversized Muscle car and drove up and up and up the hills with the grasses swishing along the body work in some places. The trip from car park to car park only took 12 minutes and that was including three reverses back to a passing place – it seems that Range Rovers and Audis don’t have a reverse gear…
I parked at the Main Entrance as on two previous trips this was where a Cloudy had been seen hanging about and I walked through the little cutting and surveyed the Bowl before me. My plan today was to eschew the Dyke as despite the ton of butterflies that love the warmer and more sheltered micro climate its drawback is that it doesn’t offer views of the wide sweeping vista that makes up the vast majority of Martin Down. I hoped that by using the main paths and following the small tracks that branched off from them and cut across the ‘fields’ I’d get to see a greater number of butterflies and so maximise my chance of spotting a darting mustard Cloudy. In the Bowl itself plenty of Meadow Browns still played in the morning haze. As I strode along the first of the small tracks cutting across the first field behind the Butt and making my way towards the stony main path more and more Meadow Browns appeared out of the woodwork and clustered around clumps of flowers like savannah animals around the waterhole. A Large White and a Small White did fly-bys breaking the monotony of Meadow Browns.
As I crossed the stony path a flash of blue caught my eye and so I set off on another one of the tiny tracks. A Small Heath popped up and then there was a flurry of blue as some aged Adonis were beset by a marauding Common Blue. By the time I’d reached the large island of scrub a Small Copper had joined the mix. At this point I realised that because I’d been scanning across the fields seeking a Cloudy I’d neglected to get any shots of anything else so I set to rectifying this by investigating the little pocket clearing along the edge of the scrub island. The butterflies seemed to like this little inlets and coves and I manged to find a cracking Small Heath in one among the many Meadow Browns. It was in possession of a multitude of spots giving it the slight appearance of its Large cousin. It was behaving in typical Small Heath fashion though, waiting for me to get in close before it flew a short way away. Each time I’d be in position and ready to kneel to get perfectly in line it would off. Once I’d actually managed a few shots (I caught it out by shuffling along already on my knees WINK) I backed up and worked my way back to the edge of the scrub island with a Red Admiral leading the way out like a pilot tug. A Small Copper was marking its territory at the edge of the scrub; seeing off any of the Blues – which now including a ghostly Chalkhill. None of the Blues would sit still for long enough if at all so instead I waited for the Small Copper to return to one of its surveillance perches.
After this I again made for the main stony path, crossed it and worked my way along the bank in the second field. As I walked I again scanned both far and wide across the reserve as well as looking closer in. Under my feet the odd Adonis Blue would fly up, Meadow Browns were still the dominant species and every now and again something slightly different would pop up. A Chalkhill bombing along the side of the bank, its vigour belying the poor state of repair and age induced wear of the wings, a tiny Brown Argus looking even smaller than usual as it was bald of fringes and in the corner another Small Copper which was possibly the same one that I’d seen here on previous trips? A Small White dropped in and looked beautiful as it was backlit with its abdomen showing through shadow like but frustratingly it choose a fragile bloom to nectar from and so in even in the slightest whisper of breeze it rocked forward and back so fiercely that focusing was almost a virtual impossibility. It was then that a Small Tort also dropped out of the sky. It too made a poor choice in terms of perch but I didn’t mind too much as Work had provided me plenty of opportunities for this species.
With the Second field searched I climbed up and out and walked along the path which has the third field on one wised and the Dyke on the other. As I climbed down into the final field with the Butt towering overhead I spotted more Meadow Browns as well a little flashes of blue which turned out to be mainly Adonis but also the odd Common Blue male chasing a female. I was wondering which of this to have a go at photographing when a Meadow Brown showed up which didn’t look right. The normal brown ground colour was muted, almost grey-brown and the orange flash was white. I think that as this is at the extreme end of variation it classes as an aberrant; ab.alba? It flew and landed several times, most of which there were blades of grass either across the wings directly or casting their shadows. So I’d get a record shot and then wait for something to annoy it or pester it and then I’d follow it to the next stopping place. It was interesting to see that it was invariably moved on by one of the Blues which were displaying ‘small dog syndrome’ but this was fortuitous for me as I managed to get a range of shots eventually ending with an unobscured topside view.
Pleased with this I’d stepped up out of the Dyke which is at its shallowest just before the Butt and was just about to investigate the aforementioned looming landscape feature when a friendly Labrador led me into a conversation with its owners. Normally I’d rue any interruption of my quest but the couple were so interested and their dog so gentle that I stopped and chatted awhile. After a while, each wishing the other luck, we headed off on our separate ways; them back to car park and home and me to the Butts. I’d taken four or five steps when a mustard flash cut across my vision, veered vertically up the corner bank of the Butts and then dropped down the other side. A Cloudy! And to think if I’d just mumbled a good morning to the couple I’d have probably missed it! Clicking my camera on I ran across to the sloping end of the Butt and rounded the corner. There it was so I clicked a few record shots before it was off again. I’d forgotten how fast they are – like the butterfly Lamborghini and it zigged and zagged across the steep side of the Butts. I tried to watch it to see if it landed but it looked like it was making for perpetual motion so I started my way up and across the Butt barley managing to keep it in sight let alone keep up with it. It reached the top and then dropped out of view so I clambered up and looked down. The other side of the Butt is covered in vegetation with only a few patches of turf and flowers s I looked at these hoping to spot it again but alas it was gone. Still I’d seen one and got a record shot so consoling myself I carried on walking along the top of the Butt. About half way along on the original side there it was again, the underwing standing out vividly as it was backlit. The problem I had now was that I was at the top and so if I tried to approach gravity would be giving me a helping hand in getting down and I was a little shaky from the blood racing after the initial sighting. Gingerly I started down using a precarious version of the click step. But just as I was making good progress it finished its meal and moved on – luckily not too far away so I was able to keep up and then down and around it so that by kneeling on the side of the Butt I was level with it. Brilliant!
All too soon it was off again so I made my way down and gathered my thoughts. Just as I was wondering what to do next it reappeared at the foot of the Down. It like they can teleport as it had moved off in totally the opposite direction and I’d been staring spot it was in and it hadn’t been there previously. Almost as soon as I saw it it was gone again so now I dove down into the thinly turned field and sat in some shade to check back though my shots. Even more chuffed with the outcome I emerge back into the sun and start to wander along the Dyke. There it was again and this time it was a bit better behaved.
With my quest completed I started back to the car park so that I could pick my wife up from her Yoga morning. I wandered slightly dazed across the thinly turfed field with Brown Argus and Small Heath stopping as well as few of the female blues. The Frog Orchid was still standing and there were also a few spectral Chalkhills flitting about on their last legs. Somehow I reached the main track to the car park, I can’t remember how really as the memory of Cloudy encounter was replaying and replaying. On the main track the old and the new were basking on the track. The new was a fresh and vivid Comma and was the closest of the two, it was so twitchy that I could only manage a distant record shot. The old was a Specklie which only took to the air when my boot was a few centimetres/an inch above it. Then it was load up and ship out to once more cut my way along the narrow country lanes. With these safely negotiated (only two reverses necessary – do Range Rovers actually have a reverse gear?) I took a quick stroll around the farm while I waited for my wife to finish her ‘reflection journal’ and a Brimstone sat patiently for me although to be honest I was still thinking about a different shade of yellow.
Cluster of visits
Culminates in a Cloudy
A mustard sprinter
I parked at the Main Entrance as on two previous trips this was where a Cloudy had been seen hanging about and I walked through the little cutting and surveyed the Bowl before me. My plan today was to eschew the Dyke as despite the ton of butterflies that love the warmer and more sheltered micro climate its drawback is that it doesn’t offer views of the wide sweeping vista that makes up the vast majority of Martin Down. I hoped that by using the main paths and following the small tracks that branched off from them and cut across the ‘fields’ I’d get to see a greater number of butterflies and so maximise my chance of spotting a darting mustard Cloudy. In the Bowl itself plenty of Meadow Browns still played in the morning haze. As I strode along the first of the small tracks cutting across the first field behind the Butt and making my way towards the stony main path more and more Meadow Browns appeared out of the woodwork and clustered around clumps of flowers like savannah animals around the waterhole. A Large White and a Small White did fly-bys breaking the monotony of Meadow Browns.
As I crossed the stony path a flash of blue caught my eye and so I set off on another one of the tiny tracks. A Small Heath popped up and then there was a flurry of blue as some aged Adonis were beset by a marauding Common Blue. By the time I’d reached the large island of scrub a Small Copper had joined the mix. At this point I realised that because I’d been scanning across the fields seeking a Cloudy I’d neglected to get any shots of anything else so I set to rectifying this by investigating the little pocket clearing along the edge of the scrub island. The butterflies seemed to like this little inlets and coves and I manged to find a cracking Small Heath in one among the many Meadow Browns. It was in possession of a multitude of spots giving it the slight appearance of its Large cousin. It was behaving in typical Small Heath fashion though, waiting for me to get in close before it flew a short way away. Each time I’d be in position and ready to kneel to get perfectly in line it would off. Once I’d actually managed a few shots (I caught it out by shuffling along already on my knees WINK) I backed up and worked my way back to the edge of the scrub island with a Red Admiral leading the way out like a pilot tug. A Small Copper was marking its territory at the edge of the scrub; seeing off any of the Blues – which now including a ghostly Chalkhill. None of the Blues would sit still for long enough if at all so instead I waited for the Small Copper to return to one of its surveillance perches.
After this I again made for the main stony path, crossed it and worked my way along the bank in the second field. As I walked I again scanned both far and wide across the reserve as well as looking closer in. Under my feet the odd Adonis Blue would fly up, Meadow Browns were still the dominant species and every now and again something slightly different would pop up. A Chalkhill bombing along the side of the bank, its vigour belying the poor state of repair and age induced wear of the wings, a tiny Brown Argus looking even smaller than usual as it was bald of fringes and in the corner another Small Copper which was possibly the same one that I’d seen here on previous trips? A Small White dropped in and looked beautiful as it was backlit with its abdomen showing through shadow like but frustratingly it choose a fragile bloom to nectar from and so in even in the slightest whisper of breeze it rocked forward and back so fiercely that focusing was almost a virtual impossibility. It was then that a Small Tort also dropped out of the sky. It too made a poor choice in terms of perch but I didn’t mind too much as Work had provided me plenty of opportunities for this species.
With the Second field searched I climbed up and out and walked along the path which has the third field on one wised and the Dyke on the other. As I climbed down into the final field with the Butt towering overhead I spotted more Meadow Browns as well a little flashes of blue which turned out to be mainly Adonis but also the odd Common Blue male chasing a female. I was wondering which of this to have a go at photographing when a Meadow Brown showed up which didn’t look right. The normal brown ground colour was muted, almost grey-brown and the orange flash was white. I think that as this is at the extreme end of variation it classes as an aberrant; ab.alba? It flew and landed several times, most of which there were blades of grass either across the wings directly or casting their shadows. So I’d get a record shot and then wait for something to annoy it or pester it and then I’d follow it to the next stopping place. It was interesting to see that it was invariably moved on by one of the Blues which were displaying ‘small dog syndrome’ but this was fortuitous for me as I managed to get a range of shots eventually ending with an unobscured topside view.
Pleased with this I’d stepped up out of the Dyke which is at its shallowest just before the Butt and was just about to investigate the aforementioned looming landscape feature when a friendly Labrador led me into a conversation with its owners. Normally I’d rue any interruption of my quest but the couple were so interested and their dog so gentle that I stopped and chatted awhile. After a while, each wishing the other luck, we headed off on our separate ways; them back to car park and home and me to the Butts. I’d taken four or five steps when a mustard flash cut across my vision, veered vertically up the corner bank of the Butts and then dropped down the other side. A Cloudy! And to think if I’d just mumbled a good morning to the couple I’d have probably missed it! Clicking my camera on I ran across to the sloping end of the Butt and rounded the corner. There it was so I clicked a few record shots before it was off again. I’d forgotten how fast they are – like the butterfly Lamborghini and it zigged and zagged across the steep side of the Butts. I tried to watch it to see if it landed but it looked like it was making for perpetual motion so I started my way up and across the Butt barley managing to keep it in sight let alone keep up with it. It reached the top and then dropped out of view so I clambered up and looked down. The other side of the Butt is covered in vegetation with only a few patches of turf and flowers s I looked at these hoping to spot it again but alas it was gone. Still I’d seen one and got a record shot so consoling myself I carried on walking along the top of the Butt. About half way along on the original side there it was again, the underwing standing out vividly as it was backlit. The problem I had now was that I was at the top and so if I tried to approach gravity would be giving me a helping hand in getting down and I was a little shaky from the blood racing after the initial sighting. Gingerly I started down using a precarious version of the click step. But just as I was making good progress it finished its meal and moved on – luckily not too far away so I was able to keep up and then down and around it so that by kneeling on the side of the Butt I was level with it. Brilliant!
All too soon it was off again so I made my way down and gathered my thoughts. Just as I was wondering what to do next it reappeared at the foot of the Down. It like they can teleport as it had moved off in totally the opposite direction and I’d been staring spot it was in and it hadn’t been there previously. Almost as soon as I saw it it was gone again so now I dove down into the thinly turned field and sat in some shade to check back though my shots. Even more chuffed with the outcome I emerge back into the sun and start to wander along the Dyke. There it was again and this time it was a bit better behaved.
With my quest completed I started back to the car park so that I could pick my wife up from her Yoga morning. I wandered slightly dazed across the thinly turfed field with Brown Argus and Small Heath stopping as well as few of the female blues. The Frog Orchid was still standing and there were also a few spectral Chalkhills flitting about on their last legs. Somehow I reached the main track to the car park, I can’t remember how really as the memory of Cloudy encounter was replaying and replaying. On the main track the old and the new were basking on the track. The new was a fresh and vivid Comma and was the closest of the two, it was so twitchy that I could only manage a distant record shot. The old was a Specklie which only took to the air when my boot was a few centimetres/an inch above it. Then it was load up and ship out to once more cut my way along the narrow country lanes. With these safely negotiated (only two reverses necessary – do Range Rovers actually have a reverse gear?) I took a quick stroll around the farm while I waited for my wife to finish her ‘reflection journal’ and a Brimstone sat patiently for me although to be honest I was still thinking about a different shade of yellow.
Cluster of visits
Culminates in a Cloudy
A mustard sprinter
Work 17-09-2021
I wasn’t holding out much hope for seeing any butterflies during the day as it started gloomy and grey with mist and low lying cloud in the city centre which only cleared as I ascended the Devizes Road and made it to the top of the Plain. By Upavon the cloud had returned and whilst it was warm enough for the butterflies it looked like the dullness would keep them inactive in the roost. The little wind here was didn’t help as the cloud lurked and lingered long into the day and on into lunchtime. In between trips to and from the Staff Room I did spot a sole Red Admiral so I nipped back into the Lab and swapped paperwork for camera. The Spindly Buddleia is now the second choice of feeding stop as the lower growing Buddleia plays the part of usurper. It was to this short but rotund bush that I headed and there feeding surrounded by Year 8’s and 9’s was a/the Red Admiral. One of the pupils moved suddenly and the butterfly was off. It did a circuit along the edge of the roof of the block and then decided to have a breather on the window and then the facia of the Technology Block no doubt eagerly listening out for the bell at which time the Quad would witness and flurry of activity which would be followed by peace and tranquillity. In the meantime it had me stuffing my lens in its schnozz to contend with which it did with grace and dignity.
As the afternoon wore on and all ears were straining and willing the sounding of the bell the sun finally managed to finish eating up the cloud and it felt noticeably warmer. Once that beloved ‘drinnnngggg” rang out the pupils all hot-tailed it homewards and after a few moments the stragglers had left so myself and a Small White that I’d been keeping an eye for the closing minutes of the day had the Quad to ourselves. It kept fluttering low to the ground and landing momentarily on any flowers in the small triangles and oblongs of greenery around the edges of the main block. I guess it was looking for nectar as it didn’t shift its abdomen around when it paused and eventually it found something to drink so I was able to lean in and get a few shots.
It just goes to show
That even on a dull day
Keep your eyes peeled
As the afternoon wore on and all ears were straining and willing the sounding of the bell the sun finally managed to finish eating up the cloud and it felt noticeably warmer. Once that beloved ‘drinnnngggg” rang out the pupils all hot-tailed it homewards and after a few moments the stragglers had left so myself and a Small White that I’d been keeping an eye for the closing minutes of the day had the Quad to ourselves. It kept fluttering low to the ground and landing momentarily on any flowers in the small triangles and oblongs of greenery around the edges of the main block. I guess it was looking for nectar as it didn’t shift its abdomen around when it paused and eventually it found something to drink so I was able to lean in and get a few shots.
It just goes to show
That even on a dull day
Keep your eyes peeled
Work 16-09-2021
I was on Duty today which meant plenty of time hanging around the entrances to the Technology and Science Blocks and necessitates time spent in the Quad (WINK). On my first circuit round I spotted a brace of Red Admirals perched vertically on the wall with all the haemolymph flooding to their heads! Luckily my second pass started in the Science Block so I was able to pick up my camera along the way. Due to the Law of Sod I expected there to be not a single butterfly in the whole of the Quad by the time I’d arrived back by the Stumpy Buddleia that is now in favour; especially as I was now prepared with my camera locked and loaded. However it seems that while you can’t break the Laws of Physics you can bust the Law of Sod for there were some butterflies fluttering around the Buddleia. Indeed the number had increased in the interim with the now more active Red Admirals being joined by a Small Tort and a Small White. After grabbing a few shots in between hollering “Out you go please” down each of the two corridors the bell I had to make another circuit and I dropped my camera off upon completion of lap three.
At lunch despite the Quad being busy I again ventured out and had a look in on the Stumpy Buddleia. Upon first glance I could see two Red Admirals and a Small White; so far so similar to break. However there was a second Small Tort which as I peered in more attentively was joined by a third. I almost missed it as it was feeding on the lower florets at the back of the plant. While I looked on at this individual or that pair of Small Torts another larger White caught my eye. It was indeed a Large White and so I stood back a little hoping that it would cease its glide, land and refuel for a while. It slowed and stalled, landed for just long enough for a single sip of nectar and then was gone again. I didn’t even get my camera raised to my eyes it was such a short pit-stop – Team McLaren would have been exceedingly proud of one that quick!
That was it as teaching ran into bus duty which ran into a Behaviour & Management Meeting which ran into a ‘Meet the Tutor Evening’ and by the time I left work the sun was sinking fast below the horizon and the butterflies were all tucked up in their roost.
A break time Duty?
More like a brief photo shoot
Large White Pit-stop King
At lunch despite the Quad being busy I again ventured out and had a look in on the Stumpy Buddleia. Upon first glance I could see two Red Admirals and a Small White; so far so similar to break. However there was a second Small Tort which as I peered in more attentively was joined by a third. I almost missed it as it was feeding on the lower florets at the back of the plant. While I looked on at this individual or that pair of Small Torts another larger White caught my eye. It was indeed a Large White and so I stood back a little hoping that it would cease its glide, land and refuel for a while. It slowed and stalled, landed for just long enough for a single sip of nectar and then was gone again. I didn’t even get my camera raised to my eyes it was such a short pit-stop – Team McLaren would have been exceedingly proud of one that quick!
That was it as teaching ran into bus duty which ran into a Behaviour & Management Meeting which ran into a ‘Meet the Tutor Evening’ and by the time I left work the sun was sinking fast below the horizon and the butterflies were all tucked up in their roost.
A break time Duty?
More like a brief photo shoot
Large White Pit-stop King
Work
14-09-2021
Not an awful lot happened today but the Technology Tech dropped off an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar that had been wandering across her driveway. I placed it in the old Stick Insect cabinet with some Rose Bay Willow Herb but it spent most of its time just wandering around and around the bottom of the tank. To my mind this meant that it would soon go into its cocoon and so I got a few photos of it whilst it was still a caterpillar. It was stretched out the whole time so the Grass Snake-esque cryptic patterning was shown off to reasonable effect although it looked like a snake that had been through a mangle.
15-09-2021
A quick check in on Bob (this is my go-to name for everything from cars to pets) had me worried for a moment as he wasn’t there. But then towards the back of the case I spotted a silken web in the corner inside of which was a smooth almost black brown pupa. I didn’t want the relative warmth of the lab to bring him on too soon and so I scooped it into a plastic pot and placed it just outside the door with a warning label on it. Next spring I should be able to bring it in when the warmth of the lab shouldn’t make much difference to the emergence time. After that I reverted to the micro moths/butterflies and stepped out to do my morning Duty. There were two Red Admirals soaking up the early morning rays and a quick check of the Stumpy Buddleia revealed a Small Tort. The Spindly one was now past its best with only a single spear of flowers remaining. I kept an eye on Stumpy during the course of the morning as I had a couple of frees and the best count I had was two each of Small Torts and Small Whites and a singleton Red Admiral.
I was able to give a more thorough check later in the morning during break duty. I’d found the same numbers as my best count previously when a second Red Admiral appeared sat on the wall. It must have been in the ideal position as it was joined by a couple of other butterflies and they arranged themselves in a straight line down the length of the wall; Red Admiral, Small Tort and Red Admiral. They were in such a straight line a Plumb-line wouldn’t have found and inaccuracies.
Unfortunately after break my timetable dictated that I was able to only keep the briefest of eyes on the activity outside the window as I was teaching for both lessons and the groups needed to be watched like a hawk. I did manage a single lingering glance through the pane when a Brimstone passing by caught my eye; the vivid yellow was bound to draw attention to itself but when I was able to get back out at lunchtime it was nowhere to be seen. However I didn’t mind as Stumpy was proving very popular with the butterflies and me as well. As its nick name suggests it only grew to mid torso height but what it lacked in height in made up for in girth and so offered much more nectar than Spindly plus the butterflies weren’t being thrown around in the slightest of breezes. Scattered across the plant were four Small Torts and hidden deep in the middle, almost buried in foliage was a Red Admiral.
Hiding Admirals
Elephant in the border
Typical work days
Not an awful lot happened today but the Technology Tech dropped off an Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar that had been wandering across her driveway. I placed it in the old Stick Insect cabinet with some Rose Bay Willow Herb but it spent most of its time just wandering around and around the bottom of the tank. To my mind this meant that it would soon go into its cocoon and so I got a few photos of it whilst it was still a caterpillar. It was stretched out the whole time so the Grass Snake-esque cryptic patterning was shown off to reasonable effect although it looked like a snake that had been through a mangle.
15-09-2021
A quick check in on Bob (this is my go-to name for everything from cars to pets) had me worried for a moment as he wasn’t there. But then towards the back of the case I spotted a silken web in the corner inside of which was a smooth almost black brown pupa. I didn’t want the relative warmth of the lab to bring him on too soon and so I scooped it into a plastic pot and placed it just outside the door with a warning label on it. Next spring I should be able to bring it in when the warmth of the lab shouldn’t make much difference to the emergence time. After that I reverted to the micro moths/butterflies and stepped out to do my morning Duty. There were two Red Admirals soaking up the early morning rays and a quick check of the Stumpy Buddleia revealed a Small Tort. The Spindly one was now past its best with only a single spear of flowers remaining. I kept an eye on Stumpy during the course of the morning as I had a couple of frees and the best count I had was two each of Small Torts and Small Whites and a singleton Red Admiral.
I was able to give a more thorough check later in the morning during break duty. I’d found the same numbers as my best count previously when a second Red Admiral appeared sat on the wall. It must have been in the ideal position as it was joined by a couple of other butterflies and they arranged themselves in a straight line down the length of the wall; Red Admiral, Small Tort and Red Admiral. They were in such a straight line a Plumb-line wouldn’t have found and inaccuracies.
Unfortunately after break my timetable dictated that I was able to only keep the briefest of eyes on the activity outside the window as I was teaching for both lessons and the groups needed to be watched like a hawk. I did manage a single lingering glance through the pane when a Brimstone passing by caught my eye; the vivid yellow was bound to draw attention to itself but when I was able to get back out at lunchtime it was nowhere to be seen. However I didn’t mind as Stumpy was proving very popular with the butterflies and me as well. As its nick name suggests it only grew to mid torso height but what it lacked in height in made up for in girth and so offered much more nectar than Spindly plus the butterflies weren’t being thrown around in the slightest of breezes. Scattered across the plant were four Small Torts and hidden deep in the middle, almost buried in foliage was a Red Admiral.
Hiding Admirals
Elephant in the border
Typical work days
Martin Down 12-09-2021
Another weekend and so another trip to Martin Down and hopefully I would catch up with a Cloudy as time was starting to run out – here we were half way through September and not even a sniff of a Cloudy! I started at the Main Car Park for a change and so quickly threaded my way along the narrow and winding footpaths before breaking out and climbing down in to the ‘Bowl’. As I snaked my feet along the rabbit runs that criss-crossed the grasses I paused at the bottom of the bowl. A large clump of yellow flowers were holding the attention of the butterflies. A Small White drifted effortlessly by like a feather carried on the breeze and it was this that had brought my attention to the clump. As I drew near a Chalkhill fed for a short while until it was chased it off by an Adonis. It completed a wide arc and then plonked back down on the lawn of yellow only to be chased away by one, then two and then three male Common Blues. I don’t know why but this was one unpopular butterfly! Once it had finally flown off to remove the flea from its ear the other blues settled down and one of the Common Blues looked absolutely stunning as it as it glittered in the September sun; a sapphire of the chalk.
I climbed up the other side of the Bowl and then started along the top of the Dyke scanning down on either side of me and watching for blues, oranges and maybe a yellow to pop out against the straw and green backdrop. Along the way Blues of various shades did indeed shine out from the vegetation as well as a Small Copper but unfortunately the only ‘white’ was still a white and not a Yellow in the form of a Green-veined White. I was still pleased to see it though and I climbed out of the Dyke and made my way back to the path chuffed that the Hotspot proved to be such in both spring and autumn.
As I strolled along enjoying the sun on my arms a Small heath flew by and sat nicely for me on a seed head. With eyes raised and peering into the distance for anything mustard yellow I was left disappointed. There were good numbers of Small Heath about (9) along the side of the path however a slow realization dawned as I walked; there were so many Meadow Browns about. They were literally everywhere and scanning across the meadow they would fly up from the grass like little plumes of smoke. I stopped as a patch up tall purple flowers and they were crawling all over them. I tried counting them but it proved impossible as they would flutter from flower head to head and I’d be left scratching my head and starting again, the lowest figure I was sensibly able to count was 20 on one small patch. Even trying to get a shot and then counting later was proving difficult as there were so many I couldn’t pick the best place to shoot from. In the end I literally just pointed the lens, waited for the autofocus to beep and clicked. Looking back on it I can see 12-13 in this one shot but this isn’t representative as there were so many on either side and in front of the shot. After giving up on the counting I switched to looking out for interesting variations and managed to find some nice looking butterflies the star of the show being a female with lemon instead orange patches.
Bemused by the bountiful showing of Meadow Browns I made my way further along the track and examined the two sunken fields behind the Butts and there was more of the same; plenty of Meadow Browns in both and the thinner turfed field at the foot of the Butt held more fading Blues. Then it’s up the side of Butt and I walk along the top with butterflies cascading down on either side of the steep banks. A flash of yellow immediately greets me but it’s more lemon than mustard and so if a male Brimstone whilst as the other end a lime female had me hoping it was a Helice but I couldn’t pull off the necessary imaginings to get it to happen. All the way along the top I’d spotted various little circular holes in the hardened chalky soil and as I carefully picked my way back down the Butt I was able to put a face to the burrow – it was more of the predatory bees that I’d encountered previously. Once back at a lower altitude I started searching the even thinner turfed field on the opposite of the Butt. By deploying a search pattern a little like a tractor ploughing I was able to find pretty much all that there was to offer. There were Small Heath, Chalkhill, Common and Adonis and the occasional Brown Argus yet here the Meadow Browns were almost as sparse as the turf. The Blues were in various stages of repair but the males were all battle scarred and more worn than the females, some of which still retained a smattering of electric blue scales over their wings. Some Chalkhills were even getting into Methuselah territory! The Small Heath were none too shabby which probably explained why they were such hard work, either that or they can hear well into a range that we can’t. I’d watch and then follow my quarry but each time I was just within range I’d need to kneel down to finish the final approach. This would mean bending my knees and every time my knee would almost be touching the deck up would fly the butterfly. In the end I took to walking on my knees and this seemed to work. I was also lucky enough to find a Frog Orchid pushing its way up through the only patch of reasonable vegetation in the whole field.
It had now reached the time for me to start heading back and so, continually craning my head behind me in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of a Cloudy, I started back. I took the main track towards the car park popping in briefly to the other sides of the sunken fields. I was able to add a fly-by Large White to the days tally and also found another pale Meadow Brown. Have they always been around in such numbers and I just haven’t noticed or was there something different in 2021 that meant there were more? Whilst pondering this I reached the Car Park having spooked a couple of Specklies on route which, had not been musing of Meadow Browns I might have been able to have got a few shots off. In fact so deep were my wonderings that my wandering had brought me back to the car early and so I nipped over for one last quick check of the Bowl which threw up a final Small Copper. None too shabby a trip even though I didn’t find my Cloudy but the season was definitely marching onwards with gusto! Mind you awaiting me on my return home was the joy of the weekly shop AND the joys of flat pack construction L
With it’s fading Blues
Martin Down marches onwards
On into Autumn
I climbed up the other side of the Bowl and then started along the top of the Dyke scanning down on either side of me and watching for blues, oranges and maybe a yellow to pop out against the straw and green backdrop. Along the way Blues of various shades did indeed shine out from the vegetation as well as a Small Copper but unfortunately the only ‘white’ was still a white and not a Yellow in the form of a Green-veined White. I was still pleased to see it though and I climbed out of the Dyke and made my way back to the path chuffed that the Hotspot proved to be such in both spring and autumn.
As I strolled along enjoying the sun on my arms a Small heath flew by and sat nicely for me on a seed head. With eyes raised and peering into the distance for anything mustard yellow I was left disappointed. There were good numbers of Small Heath about (9) along the side of the path however a slow realization dawned as I walked; there were so many Meadow Browns about. They were literally everywhere and scanning across the meadow they would fly up from the grass like little plumes of smoke. I stopped as a patch up tall purple flowers and they were crawling all over them. I tried counting them but it proved impossible as they would flutter from flower head to head and I’d be left scratching my head and starting again, the lowest figure I was sensibly able to count was 20 on one small patch. Even trying to get a shot and then counting later was proving difficult as there were so many I couldn’t pick the best place to shoot from. In the end I literally just pointed the lens, waited for the autofocus to beep and clicked. Looking back on it I can see 12-13 in this one shot but this isn’t representative as there were so many on either side and in front of the shot. After giving up on the counting I switched to looking out for interesting variations and managed to find some nice looking butterflies the star of the show being a female with lemon instead orange patches.
Bemused by the bountiful showing of Meadow Browns I made my way further along the track and examined the two sunken fields behind the Butts and there was more of the same; plenty of Meadow Browns in both and the thinner turfed field at the foot of the Butt held more fading Blues. Then it’s up the side of Butt and I walk along the top with butterflies cascading down on either side of the steep banks. A flash of yellow immediately greets me but it’s more lemon than mustard and so if a male Brimstone whilst as the other end a lime female had me hoping it was a Helice but I couldn’t pull off the necessary imaginings to get it to happen. All the way along the top I’d spotted various little circular holes in the hardened chalky soil and as I carefully picked my way back down the Butt I was able to put a face to the burrow – it was more of the predatory bees that I’d encountered previously. Once back at a lower altitude I started searching the even thinner turfed field on the opposite of the Butt. By deploying a search pattern a little like a tractor ploughing I was able to find pretty much all that there was to offer. There were Small Heath, Chalkhill, Common and Adonis and the occasional Brown Argus yet here the Meadow Browns were almost as sparse as the turf. The Blues were in various stages of repair but the males were all battle scarred and more worn than the females, some of which still retained a smattering of electric blue scales over their wings. Some Chalkhills were even getting into Methuselah territory! The Small Heath were none too shabby which probably explained why they were such hard work, either that or they can hear well into a range that we can’t. I’d watch and then follow my quarry but each time I was just within range I’d need to kneel down to finish the final approach. This would mean bending my knees and every time my knee would almost be touching the deck up would fly the butterfly. In the end I took to walking on my knees and this seemed to work. I was also lucky enough to find a Frog Orchid pushing its way up through the only patch of reasonable vegetation in the whole field.
It had now reached the time for me to start heading back and so, continually craning my head behind me in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of a Cloudy, I started back. I took the main track towards the car park popping in briefly to the other sides of the sunken fields. I was able to add a fly-by Large White to the days tally and also found another pale Meadow Brown. Have they always been around in such numbers and I just haven’t noticed or was there something different in 2021 that meant there were more? Whilst pondering this I reached the Car Park having spooked a couple of Specklies on route which, had not been musing of Meadow Browns I might have been able to have got a few shots off. In fact so deep were my wonderings that my wandering had brought me back to the car early and so I nipped over for one last quick check of the Bowl which threw up a final Small Copper. None too shabby a trip even though I didn’t find my Cloudy but the season was definitely marching onwards with gusto! Mind you awaiting me on my return home was the joy of the weekly shop AND the joys of flat pack construction L
With it’s fading Blues
Martin Down marches onwards
On into Autumn
Work 08-09-2021
I debated about actually writing this one up as a post as the breeze viciously played with the Buddleia whipping it back and forth in a manner likely to rip it asunder. However there was one sighting which made it worthy of reporting…
The morning started off as usual with a brace of Small Torts holding on for dear life on feeding fitfully on the Spindly Buddleia outside the lab. And then out of nowhere a Painted Lady landed oh so briefly. I was in the middle of teaching when it alighted teasingly and so I was unable to grab my camera and get anything of it. Once it had gone I kept watch for the rest of the morning, glancing up occasionally or standing on the other side of the glass and gazing through mournfully whilst my charges beavered away. Over the course of my vigils 4 Small Torts landed at one point and then were followed by a brace and a Small White. Slightly later the Small Torts pulled ahead and it was 3:1 to the Small Torts. With five minutes to play before the final whistle/bell the Small Torts lost and the Small Whites gained one a piece finishing up at 2:2. However as the unpopular Law dictates when the bell did ring and I rushed outside camera at the ready only one stalwart Small Tort remained – clinging for dear life to the Buddleia which was now whipping through an arc of almost 180 in the ever strengthening wind.
Painted Lady tease
Small Torts are whipped in the breeze
And Whites claw one back
The morning started off as usual with a brace of Small Torts holding on for dear life on feeding fitfully on the Spindly Buddleia outside the lab. And then out of nowhere a Painted Lady landed oh so briefly. I was in the middle of teaching when it alighted teasingly and so I was unable to grab my camera and get anything of it. Once it had gone I kept watch for the rest of the morning, glancing up occasionally or standing on the other side of the glass and gazing through mournfully whilst my charges beavered away. Over the course of my vigils 4 Small Torts landed at one point and then were followed by a brace and a Small White. Slightly later the Small Torts pulled ahead and it was 3:1 to the Small Torts. With five minutes to play before the final whistle/bell the Small Torts lost and the Small Whites gained one a piece finishing up at 2:2. However as the unpopular Law dictates when the bell did ring and I rushed outside camera at the ready only one stalwart Small Tort remained – clinging for dear life to the Buddleia which was now whipping through an arc of almost 180 in the ever strengthening wind.
Painted Lady tease
Small Torts are whipped in the breeze
And Whites claw one back
Work 07-09-2021
As I drove in the weather forecast on Radio 4 caught my ear as essentially we were due less wind and stronger sun, maybe reaching the very high twenties temperature wise; essentially the butterflies that were still out and about would most likely be charging around at umpteen miles per hour. So once I’d unloaded the car and set the Lab up ready I grabbed my camera and made my way out into the Quad for a couple of minutes. The tall spindly Buddleia just outside my window held a Red Admiral which for once wasn’t partaking of nectar at the highest of storeys. After getting a few shots it sensed my presence (well my nick name is Darth Carter) and it tool to the air – did a couple of fly-bys before veering up vertically and disappearing over the roof of the block. I didn’t mind as I’d spotted a Small White that was within range on the smaller and more recently pruned (attacked with a hatchet is only just too strong a statement). Within a couple of steps I was shooting away at a gorgeously fresh looking Small White. It was lovely to see it fidgeting about along the floral spike, turning this way and that, maintaining its balance by partially opening its wings to varying degrees. I then made my way back into the Lab having been outside for only 3 minutes – possibly my shortest butterfly trip ever!
All though the morning I kept an eye on the tall Spindly Buddleia and made a mental note of the butterflies that came and went. There were more Red Admirals, Small Torts and Small Whites but it would have been impossible without photographing every single sighting to work out how many there actually were but the maximum count was two of all three species. At lunch once I’d set up everything for the afternoons lessons, cleared away the mornings mess, answered a few emails and hoovered my lunch up I again made my way into the Quad. The tall spindly Buddleia was bare of butterflies so I walked over to the short one and there was a Red Admiral. Despite it being well behaved and also despite it sitting down low getting shots proved tricky. As is often the case on warm days as the temperature rises so too does the wind and today it was indeed the case. After a few I walked the few steps back to the Spindly bush and there was another Red Admiral this time hanging around the back the bush. I waited for it to first of all move into a better position and then I waited for a momentary drop in the wind. When the lull came I clicked away furiously for the few seconds that it was still. The wind picked up again and it started rocking on violently as if it was on a Rocking Horse.
As I was heading back in a Small White – a different individual from the morning flew along the side of the building. It made a couple of ‘dips’ looking like it was going to land before eventually finding its way to the short Buddleia. I was running out of lunch tim so I fired off a few record shots and then dove inside just in time to bark “Well come in what are you waiting for?” at my next class.
A different day
Warmer, sunnier, less wind
Same old butterflies
All though the morning I kept an eye on the tall Spindly Buddleia and made a mental note of the butterflies that came and went. There were more Red Admirals, Small Torts and Small Whites but it would have been impossible without photographing every single sighting to work out how many there actually were but the maximum count was two of all three species. At lunch once I’d set up everything for the afternoons lessons, cleared away the mornings mess, answered a few emails and hoovered my lunch up I again made my way into the Quad. The tall spindly Buddleia was bare of butterflies so I walked over to the short one and there was a Red Admiral. Despite it being well behaved and also despite it sitting down low getting shots proved tricky. As is often the case on warm days as the temperature rises so too does the wind and today it was indeed the case. After a few I walked the few steps back to the Spindly bush and there was another Red Admiral this time hanging around the back the bush. I waited for it to first of all move into a better position and then I waited for a momentary drop in the wind. When the lull came I clicked away furiously for the few seconds that it was still. The wind picked up again and it started rocking on violently as if it was on a Rocking Horse.
As I was heading back in a Small White – a different individual from the morning flew along the side of the building. It made a couple of ‘dips’ looking like it was going to land before eventually finding its way to the short Buddleia. I was running out of lunch tim so I fired off a few record shots and then dove inside just in time to bark “Well come in what are you waiting for?” at my next class.
A different day
Warmer, sunnier, less wind
Same old butterflies
Work 06-09-2021
The first Monday of the term was exceedingly hectic and I spent much of the morning out of my Lab so I wasn’t able to keep an eye on the Buddleia. After duty at break the sun finally managed to eat its way through the low cloud/mist which had been shrouding the school and with the sun came the butterflies. It started slowly at first with a single Red Admiral fluttering about. It must have realised that I couldn’t get out with my camera as it started feeding on the lower set florets before moving its way gradually upwards. It was soon joined by a Small White and a Small Tortoiseshell. As the lunch break was swiftly approaching I mentioned the butterflies to the class I was teaching while they pressed on with some work “See that Red Admiral – it’ll disappear in a few minutes just before the bell rings”…and sure enough it did!
Cursing I made my way over to the Staff Room to collect a coffee and on the way back I spotted another Red Admiral this time on the smaller Buddleia at the other end of the Science Block. This bush had been hacked back to within an inch of its life the previous Autumn and luckily was just recovering now. I say luckily as the tallest spines of flowers didn’t grow any taller than about waist height so shots were easier to obtain. As I started back to the side door and from thence to my Lab on the tall stand a second Red Admiral fed away up high whilst being hassled by a Large White.
As I got back to work I was left wondering if maybe tomorrow I could get out for slightly longer before the weather broke and the rain set in for the weekend?
Indian Summer
Vanessids still going strong
‘Til the weather breaks
Cursing I made my way over to the Staff Room to collect a coffee and on the way back I spotted another Red Admiral this time on the smaller Buddleia at the other end of the Science Block. This bush had been hacked back to within an inch of its life the previous Autumn and luckily was just recovering now. I say luckily as the tallest spines of flowers didn’t grow any taller than about waist height so shots were easier to obtain. As I started back to the side door and from thence to my Lab on the tall stand a second Red Admiral fed away up high whilst being hassled by a Large White.
As I got back to work I was left wondering if maybe tomorrow I could get out for slightly longer before the weather broke and the rain set in for the weekend?
Indian Summer
Vanessids still going strong
‘Til the weather breaks
Martin Down 05-09-2021
As work had started again for another year the weekends now became times of getting everything done that hadn’t been done during the week and so, along with the waning of the season, opportunities to get out and Butterfly became harder and harder to take advantage of. This particular weekend however I was still in ‘Summer mode’ and after a trip out the previous day to The Devenish the prospect of a family walk and then a picnic at Martin Down would give me another chance to get something on the old memory card.
Once the car was successfully abandoned in the Sillen’s Lane car park we set off following a reverse of the route taken the previous week. So instead of wandering along the flat track along the boundary hedge we cut across and followed the track which would eventually run diagonally up the hill at a gentler slope. Whites flew in the small field to my left which I was unable to access due to the thick tangle of tall vegetation but on my right the Meadow Browns kept me occupied as we started up, then went back to the car so Little L could collect her forgotten back pack and started up a second time. When we reached the top of the rise the lie of hedge broke down revealing the fields running away into the distance. A Small Tort and a few Common Blue hung around some Hemp Agrimony near the edge of the track but a couple of Horses and their riders spooked them.
The track reached a cross roads and so we turned to the right and there were butterflies everywhere. The verge lining the hedge which held a Common Blue and 2 Adonis. A ghostly Chalkhill passed by and a Small Copper popped up. On my left the meadow come grassland pressed itself up against the foot of Ham Hill and a few Whites played amid the Meadow Browns including several female Brimstones. One of these stopped and posed a la Lady Diana backlit with what was under her skirt/wings revealed in silhouette. We pressed on with the gradient increasing imperceptibly and the grassland opened up on either side with little to no hedge hemming them in. Occasionally we’d stop to take in the view and I’d scan across the Down but alas my gaze only fell on Meadow Browns, the odd White and singletons of Blue and not the hoped for frenetic mustard Cloudy.
At the top of the rise where the track that we were on bisected the Dyke there were plenty of Blues, the Chalkhills looked even more spectral than usual what with the ragged wings taking on the appearance of ripped and torn sheets of the classic ghoul. We picniced on the top and after our repast I examined the steep sides of the hillock. A tired looking male Adonis had joined us during lunch and so I hoped to reacquaint myself with him. There was also a tiny Brown Argus, made even smaller by the lack of its wing fringes and a couple of Small Heath passed by without stopping. Chalkhills, Adonis and Common Blues were all present as well as the ubiquitous Meadow Browns. All the males that I saw were showing signs of wear (some more than others) though they still had plenty of vim and vigour about them as testified by their mass brawl that broke out across the thin turf. There were individuals from 5 species involved in the dizzying aerial combat. Just as quickly as it started the males dispersed and settled down in their respective chosen spots. I also found a couple of immaculate female Adonis and the males tried their best to woo them and when they failed they took their frustrations out on any other passing butterfly – I’m guessing that was why the previous brawl had kicked off?
We continued our wandering down the Down, the girls on the main path and me sticking to the narrow track at the top of the bank overseeing the Dyke. On the way down there were plenty more Blues some of which sat on the deck in the middle of the track. This was quite handy as they couldn’t really ‘escape’ what with being hemmed in by the tall grasses. So instead they flew on ahead of me and land once more on the track only to be put up again and then on and on as before until they finally twig that if they fly a little higher they could overcome the grass stems! At the bottom of the Down the hollow in the hotspot is surprisingly quiet with the activity all being saved it seemed for the Terraces where again there was a smattering of Blues amid them some lovely fresh female Adonis.
I’ve dawdled behind so I had to put my head down and catch up – obviously scanning ahead to the field along the way in what proved to be a futile hope of seeing a Cloudy. When I eventually caught up with the others they were on the track which runs parallel to the Tunnel track. A Redstart was stocking up before heading South and the girls likewise stocked up on some Blackberries which meant that I could get a little ahead of them and start seeking out some final butterflies. At the further entrance to the Tunnel a small gathering of creeping thistles played host to the butterflies with a Brimstone, 2 Common Blues, 2 Small Torts and three Meadow Browns all jostling each other for the best spots. Somehow I’d been overtaken and I was behind again so I once again put my head down and tried to catch up with the others stopping only for a Dragonfly and a Small Copper on the way. The final butterfly of the trip was a Holly Blue which refused to come down and sit for me!
Another quick walk
Went round in reverse order
With same butterflies
Once the car was successfully abandoned in the Sillen’s Lane car park we set off following a reverse of the route taken the previous week. So instead of wandering along the flat track along the boundary hedge we cut across and followed the track which would eventually run diagonally up the hill at a gentler slope. Whites flew in the small field to my left which I was unable to access due to the thick tangle of tall vegetation but on my right the Meadow Browns kept me occupied as we started up, then went back to the car so Little L could collect her forgotten back pack and started up a second time. When we reached the top of the rise the lie of hedge broke down revealing the fields running away into the distance. A Small Tort and a few Common Blue hung around some Hemp Agrimony near the edge of the track but a couple of Horses and their riders spooked them.
The track reached a cross roads and so we turned to the right and there were butterflies everywhere. The verge lining the hedge which held a Common Blue and 2 Adonis. A ghostly Chalkhill passed by and a Small Copper popped up. On my left the meadow come grassland pressed itself up against the foot of Ham Hill and a few Whites played amid the Meadow Browns including several female Brimstones. One of these stopped and posed a la Lady Diana backlit with what was under her skirt/wings revealed in silhouette. We pressed on with the gradient increasing imperceptibly and the grassland opened up on either side with little to no hedge hemming them in. Occasionally we’d stop to take in the view and I’d scan across the Down but alas my gaze only fell on Meadow Browns, the odd White and singletons of Blue and not the hoped for frenetic mustard Cloudy.
At the top of the rise where the track that we were on bisected the Dyke there were plenty of Blues, the Chalkhills looked even more spectral than usual what with the ragged wings taking on the appearance of ripped and torn sheets of the classic ghoul. We picniced on the top and after our repast I examined the steep sides of the hillock. A tired looking male Adonis had joined us during lunch and so I hoped to reacquaint myself with him. There was also a tiny Brown Argus, made even smaller by the lack of its wing fringes and a couple of Small Heath passed by without stopping. Chalkhills, Adonis and Common Blues were all present as well as the ubiquitous Meadow Browns. All the males that I saw were showing signs of wear (some more than others) though they still had plenty of vim and vigour about them as testified by their mass brawl that broke out across the thin turf. There were individuals from 5 species involved in the dizzying aerial combat. Just as quickly as it started the males dispersed and settled down in their respective chosen spots. I also found a couple of immaculate female Adonis and the males tried their best to woo them and when they failed they took their frustrations out on any other passing butterfly – I’m guessing that was why the previous brawl had kicked off?
We continued our wandering down the Down, the girls on the main path and me sticking to the narrow track at the top of the bank overseeing the Dyke. On the way down there were plenty more Blues some of which sat on the deck in the middle of the track. This was quite handy as they couldn’t really ‘escape’ what with being hemmed in by the tall grasses. So instead they flew on ahead of me and land once more on the track only to be put up again and then on and on as before until they finally twig that if they fly a little higher they could overcome the grass stems! At the bottom of the Down the hollow in the hotspot is surprisingly quiet with the activity all being saved it seemed for the Terraces where again there was a smattering of Blues amid them some lovely fresh female Adonis.
I’ve dawdled behind so I had to put my head down and catch up – obviously scanning ahead to the field along the way in what proved to be a futile hope of seeing a Cloudy. When I eventually caught up with the others they were on the track which runs parallel to the Tunnel track. A Redstart was stocking up before heading South and the girls likewise stocked up on some Blackberries which meant that I could get a little ahead of them and start seeking out some final butterflies. At the further entrance to the Tunnel a small gathering of creeping thistles played host to the butterflies with a Brimstone, 2 Common Blues, 2 Small Torts and three Meadow Browns all jostling each other for the best spots. Somehow I’d been overtaken and I was behind again so I once again put my head down and tried to catch up with the others stopping only for a Dragonfly and a Small Copper on the way. The final butterfly of the trip was a Holly Blue which refused to come down and sit for me!
Another quick walk
Went round in reverse order
With same butterflies
The Devenish 04-09-2021
After all the many trips to Shipton Bellinger the time had come to start making the rounds at The Devenish for the later season specialities. For such a small reserve the diversity that this site offers makes it excellent value for money – especially as it’s only about a 10 minute drive from door to car park but it didn’t look up to much upon my arrival. The sheep had done there thing in the Orchid Meadow which was all grazed out and only the odd stand of flowers stood out like a lost soul among the straw coloured back drop. It certainly didn’t look as inviting or butterflies as it generally does in the spring and so I forewent looking around and made straight up the tunnel track and out onto the steep side of the Down proper. The butterflies flew up to greet me and within a few paces I’d notched up both Adonis and Chalkhill blues of both sexes. Having climbed up the slippery steps cut into the chalk I started along the diagonal track that runs down to the foot of the down and the ribbon of Beech trees that border it. A Small White flew by and the a gorgeous female Chalkhill perched beautifully, head down and wings held out wide showing of the faint dusting of electric blue scales and white spots on both sets of wings to great effect. She was a stunner and as I took in the sight before me I noted new facets of appearance. There were the faint orange lunules with white undersides and the chequers on the hind wings were thick and smudged on the hind wing and even more smudged on the fore wings where the was some slight damage but also the hint of white lunules –cracking. As I neared the bottom of the track I interrupted a pair of male Chalkhills scrapping it out as well as a few Whites and a Brown Argus pauses taking a break from ‘grumping’ about.
As I was now at the bottom of the Down I checked out the Hemp Agrimony patches and picked my way in between the various clumps taking care as I went to avoid the clawing snares set for me by the briars and the holes and scrapes. This area before was great for everything but today the Whites seemed to be in charge. First up was a Small White with the most miniscule wingtip markings that I’ve seen. Next up was a lovely Green-veined White which entertained me for a few moments sitting perfectly in the sun to maximise the stained glass effect before it fluttered weakly to head of flowers and opened up. After this there was the perfect counterpoint to the initial delicately marked Small White came in the form of another Small White, a smoky female. As if to break up the White fest a perfectly fresh Specklie dropped in. It was hard work to capture though as being in so fresh and in such great nick it was full of vim and vigour! My eyes having gotten used to the single tones of the Specklie and Whites were now assaulted by a brilliantly bright Small Tort.
Onwards I pressed and upwards I went climbing up the gully. Along the way there were a couple of Specklies as well as a Red Admiral but all of them kept their distance and so I eventually climbed out of the gully and walked with more ease through the first field at the top of the Down. I spooked a Hare and it shot off like a bullet out of a gun. To be honest I don’t know who was more startled, the lagomorph or myself as Hares seem a hell of a lot bigger when up close. Whilst my pulse dropped I scanned around and watched a frustrating female Specklie that looked in fantastic condition but didn’t deign to settle. A Large White fluttered past also up high but a Meadow Brown behaved impeccably from its nest down in the sward. She was ever so slightly frayed around the edges but the markings on her were beautiful to behold – with orange panels on all four wings contrasting nicely with the milk chocolate ground colour. After a while I finished my admiration of her and moved on along the top path, following it as it opened back up onto the second small top field. This one is slightly larger and is slightly more gently sloping until it reaches the diagonal path at the top of the stairs cut into the chalk. In the past this has been a very productive little area and I like to find the butterflies here as there is a lesser chance of turning an ankle or snagging your shirt on a briar. Today it only held a male Common Blue and a Brown Argus. The Brown Argus passed from flower top to flower top pausing just long enough in one instance to confuse the hell out of little spider.
As I’d now reached the diagonal path I started back down intending to retrace my steps from earlier and see if I could reacquaint myself with the butterflies I’d witnessed earlier, On the way day I noted a Brown Argus and there were two noticeably different female Common Blues. One was a silvery blue colour as the brown seemed to wash through the majority of blue started to wear away. The other was more two tone with the blue appearing thicker and more concentrated towards the body of the butterfly. It looked a little like the paint had run down from the edges whilst the wing was held at an angle. When I reached the bottom and the Hemp clumps I was beset by Blues, the female Commons had been the vanguard and now I came across the battalion. There were 2 Holly Blues, 3 female Adonis and a couple of Chalkhills; it left me wondering where they’d been on my first pass? My musings were cut short as a male Adonis appeared from nowhere and tantalised me. I was so enraptured that I decided that I wanted to get a shot of it come hell or high water and so set off in close pursuit; or at least as close I could get whilst keeping to the tracks (to avoid trampling) and having to negotiate the gate when it flew through the fence onto Middle Down. He thought he’d given me the slip and dropped down but I pounced and got my shots before he realised that I was even there.
As I was now in this section I thought it best to have a little mooch around. In times past the foot of the Down has been good for Brown Argus and Small Coppers but today it could only throw up a singleton of the former and so I started the arduous ascent whilst trying to watch my feet and the turf ahead simultaneously. This did mean the occasional stumble and ankle jar but it proved worthwhile when a largish, marmalade butterfly erupted from a rabbit scrape just ahead of me. I strained my eyes trying to pick it out but it had gone down almost as quickly as it had gone up. I made my way diagonally up the down to my left and scanned across each white patch cut into the turf. There! It was a Wall and my first at this site. I tried for a shot but this is a wily species and was off again as my autofocus almost locked in. After a couple more abortive attempts it had worked its way through the fence back to the stair area so I dived through the gate and stalked over as quickly as I could. I only managed a single record shot but the fact that it was a ‘site first’ acted as compensation.
Chuffed I retraced my steps again, this time back along the top of the Middle Down and then back through the small paddock to the car. I stopped here and there for the odd White and a few Specklies played in the autumn of their flight but I was now tired after the adrenaline fuelled stalking and the various ascents/descents of the Down so it was “home James and don’t spare the horses”.
With summertime Blues
And a Wall Brown dropping by
Became a great trip
As I was now at the bottom of the Down I checked out the Hemp Agrimony patches and picked my way in between the various clumps taking care as I went to avoid the clawing snares set for me by the briars and the holes and scrapes. This area before was great for everything but today the Whites seemed to be in charge. First up was a Small White with the most miniscule wingtip markings that I’ve seen. Next up was a lovely Green-veined White which entertained me for a few moments sitting perfectly in the sun to maximise the stained glass effect before it fluttered weakly to head of flowers and opened up. After this there was the perfect counterpoint to the initial delicately marked Small White came in the form of another Small White, a smoky female. As if to break up the White fest a perfectly fresh Specklie dropped in. It was hard work to capture though as being in so fresh and in such great nick it was full of vim and vigour! My eyes having gotten used to the single tones of the Specklie and Whites were now assaulted by a brilliantly bright Small Tort.
Onwards I pressed and upwards I went climbing up the gully. Along the way there were a couple of Specklies as well as a Red Admiral but all of them kept their distance and so I eventually climbed out of the gully and walked with more ease through the first field at the top of the Down. I spooked a Hare and it shot off like a bullet out of a gun. To be honest I don’t know who was more startled, the lagomorph or myself as Hares seem a hell of a lot bigger when up close. Whilst my pulse dropped I scanned around and watched a frustrating female Specklie that looked in fantastic condition but didn’t deign to settle. A Large White fluttered past also up high but a Meadow Brown behaved impeccably from its nest down in the sward. She was ever so slightly frayed around the edges but the markings on her were beautiful to behold – with orange panels on all four wings contrasting nicely with the milk chocolate ground colour. After a while I finished my admiration of her and moved on along the top path, following it as it opened back up onto the second small top field. This one is slightly larger and is slightly more gently sloping until it reaches the diagonal path at the top of the stairs cut into the chalk. In the past this has been a very productive little area and I like to find the butterflies here as there is a lesser chance of turning an ankle or snagging your shirt on a briar. Today it only held a male Common Blue and a Brown Argus. The Brown Argus passed from flower top to flower top pausing just long enough in one instance to confuse the hell out of little spider.
As I’d now reached the diagonal path I started back down intending to retrace my steps from earlier and see if I could reacquaint myself with the butterflies I’d witnessed earlier, On the way day I noted a Brown Argus and there were two noticeably different female Common Blues. One was a silvery blue colour as the brown seemed to wash through the majority of blue started to wear away. The other was more two tone with the blue appearing thicker and more concentrated towards the body of the butterfly. It looked a little like the paint had run down from the edges whilst the wing was held at an angle. When I reached the bottom and the Hemp clumps I was beset by Blues, the female Commons had been the vanguard and now I came across the battalion. There were 2 Holly Blues, 3 female Adonis and a couple of Chalkhills; it left me wondering where they’d been on my first pass? My musings were cut short as a male Adonis appeared from nowhere and tantalised me. I was so enraptured that I decided that I wanted to get a shot of it come hell or high water and so set off in close pursuit; or at least as close I could get whilst keeping to the tracks (to avoid trampling) and having to negotiate the gate when it flew through the fence onto Middle Down. He thought he’d given me the slip and dropped down but I pounced and got my shots before he realised that I was even there.
As I was now in this section I thought it best to have a little mooch around. In times past the foot of the Down has been good for Brown Argus and Small Coppers but today it could only throw up a singleton of the former and so I started the arduous ascent whilst trying to watch my feet and the turf ahead simultaneously. This did mean the occasional stumble and ankle jar but it proved worthwhile when a largish, marmalade butterfly erupted from a rabbit scrape just ahead of me. I strained my eyes trying to pick it out but it had gone down almost as quickly as it had gone up. I made my way diagonally up the down to my left and scanned across each white patch cut into the turf. There! It was a Wall and my first at this site. I tried for a shot but this is a wily species and was off again as my autofocus almost locked in. After a couple more abortive attempts it had worked its way through the fence back to the stair area so I dived through the gate and stalked over as quickly as I could. I only managed a single record shot but the fact that it was a ‘site first’ acted as compensation.
Chuffed I retraced my steps again, this time back along the top of the Middle Down and then back through the small paddock to the car. I stopped here and there for the odd White and a few Specklies played in the autumn of their flight but I was now tired after the adrenaline fuelled stalking and the various ascents/descents of the Down so it was “home James and don’t spare the horses”.
With summertime Blues
And a Wall Brown dropping by
Became a great trip
Back to Work...
Work 01-09-2021
“Where did the summer go?” that was what I was left wondering as I filed into work for the wonders of a TD day. Wherever it had gone it had taken the weather with it leaving in its stead a cool and limpid sky, featureless and dull, the type of sky which literally sucks the colour from anything like a Dementor sucking the joy away. During the break I was able to get back to the Lab to sort a few bits and bobs out and on the way I noticed a few bits and bobs hanging around the Buddleia so I made a mental note to check them out during lunch. The old Buddleia which was cut back almost to the ground last year hadn’t fully recovered and the main shoots only reached to just above my waist. This was perhaps a tad too low for the butterflies and they all showed a preference for the spindly plant that was growing just outside my window.
After break I was sent back to the Lab to watch the Prevent Training video. While it took an age to load the various parts and buffered away I gazed out the window at the spindly Buddleia on the opposite side of the pane. I was cheered to see a couple of Small Torts and in between watching more videos explaining how to spot extremists in training I took a few shots through the glass of the Small Torts, which now numbered three, as they clung onto the spindly floral spikes.
When lunch had come and the beige had been snaffled I once again headed back to the Lab and grabbed my camera for a look around the Quad but the breeze which had been slightly problematic earlier was now much stronger and was whipping the tops of the Buddleia and dragging the temperature down with it. Needless to say in the cool, dull grey and windy Quad the butterflies had nipped off to find somewhere more salubrious...”’til tomorrow then” I thought.
Work 02-09-2021
Once again we were spread out in the Main Hall for most of the morning and then after wolfing down two helpings of the deceptively hot vegan curry (I nice slow burner) I once more entered unto the breach (well Quad) and after a quick check of my camera settings I was spotting butterflies. Once again it is grey and cool with the lifeless matt grey sky belying the fact that the wind had a life of its own and was almost trashing the tall spindly Buddleia. I counted a maximum of 5 Small Torts but it was tricky as the butterflies were having to grip on for all they were worth and occasionally a sudden surge threw them overboard. From here they’d find a bit of peace and quiet down on the deck or on the wall of the library. When they did I approached as stealthily as I could, got the shots and then backed off so they could recover from their manic jostling.
Work 03-09-2021
Another case of “of course this would happen”…the pupils were finally back shattering the peace and gone were the iron grey skies. Instead the sky was blue and clear, it felt lovely and warm and even the wind had calmed down more than a little – typical! Luckily I was now a Year 7 Tutor which meant that once I’d gone over the rules and taken them on a tour of the school I’d been able to settle back down in the Lab and in between fielding questions about what/how to fill in their planners I could occasionally have a look out the window. I took to walking round with mask on and camera over my shoulder. The maximum count was 6 Small Torts on the Spindly one and a Small White.
At lunch I headed out for a proper look around and to check my ‘work patch’. There were a few Small Torts hanging around on the library wall and I dallied there a little before making my way along the familiar route out the back, over the gate, along past the Nursery first and then the Primary school to the Pits. They were really quiet with only the odd white (one of which may have been the Small from earlier) flying along the edge of the field. It remained quiet all the way along the hedge with nowt about. On the return leg a few whites did appear as did a Specklie on the corner by the gap through the trees. Back at the Lab the Small Torts were still hanging around the Buddleia – but there were only three now although there seemed to be a few on the roof…Then the bell went and it was noses back to the grindstone.
Spindly Buddleia
Holding butterflies galore
Whipped by the wind though
“Where did the summer go?” that was what I was left wondering as I filed into work for the wonders of a TD day. Wherever it had gone it had taken the weather with it leaving in its stead a cool and limpid sky, featureless and dull, the type of sky which literally sucks the colour from anything like a Dementor sucking the joy away. During the break I was able to get back to the Lab to sort a few bits and bobs out and on the way I noticed a few bits and bobs hanging around the Buddleia so I made a mental note to check them out during lunch. The old Buddleia which was cut back almost to the ground last year hadn’t fully recovered and the main shoots only reached to just above my waist. This was perhaps a tad too low for the butterflies and they all showed a preference for the spindly plant that was growing just outside my window.
After break I was sent back to the Lab to watch the Prevent Training video. While it took an age to load the various parts and buffered away I gazed out the window at the spindly Buddleia on the opposite side of the pane. I was cheered to see a couple of Small Torts and in between watching more videos explaining how to spot extremists in training I took a few shots through the glass of the Small Torts, which now numbered three, as they clung onto the spindly floral spikes.
When lunch had come and the beige had been snaffled I once again headed back to the Lab and grabbed my camera for a look around the Quad but the breeze which had been slightly problematic earlier was now much stronger and was whipping the tops of the Buddleia and dragging the temperature down with it. Needless to say in the cool, dull grey and windy Quad the butterflies had nipped off to find somewhere more salubrious...”’til tomorrow then” I thought.
Work 02-09-2021
Once again we were spread out in the Main Hall for most of the morning and then after wolfing down two helpings of the deceptively hot vegan curry (I nice slow burner) I once more entered unto the breach (well Quad) and after a quick check of my camera settings I was spotting butterflies. Once again it is grey and cool with the lifeless matt grey sky belying the fact that the wind had a life of its own and was almost trashing the tall spindly Buddleia. I counted a maximum of 5 Small Torts but it was tricky as the butterflies were having to grip on for all they were worth and occasionally a sudden surge threw them overboard. From here they’d find a bit of peace and quiet down on the deck or on the wall of the library. When they did I approached as stealthily as I could, got the shots and then backed off so they could recover from their manic jostling.
Work 03-09-2021
Another case of “of course this would happen”…the pupils were finally back shattering the peace and gone were the iron grey skies. Instead the sky was blue and clear, it felt lovely and warm and even the wind had calmed down more than a little – typical! Luckily I was now a Year 7 Tutor which meant that once I’d gone over the rules and taken them on a tour of the school I’d been able to settle back down in the Lab and in between fielding questions about what/how to fill in their planners I could occasionally have a look out the window. I took to walking round with mask on and camera over my shoulder. The maximum count was 6 Small Torts on the Spindly one and a Small White.
At lunch I headed out for a proper look around and to check my ‘work patch’. There were a few Small Torts hanging around on the library wall and I dallied there a little before making my way along the familiar route out the back, over the gate, along past the Nursery first and then the Primary school to the Pits. They were really quiet with only the odd white (one of which may have been the Small from earlier) flying along the edge of the field. It remained quiet all the way along the hedge with nowt about. On the return leg a few whites did appear as did a Specklie on the corner by the gap through the trees. Back at the Lab the Small Torts were still hanging around the Buddleia – but there were only three now although there seemed to be a few on the roof…Then the bell went and it was noses back to the grindstone.
Spindly Buddleia
Holding butterflies galore
Whipped by the wind though