Pumpkin Picking    21-10-2018

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It’s that time of year again. Just as you think the weather will crack and full blown winter will ensure we experience a purple patch of ‘unseasonable’ weather. So when the task for the day was Pumpkin Picking I packed my camera just in case.

Once there and fully equipped with wheelbarrow we set off wandering across the huge flat field through a myriad of Pumpkins of several varieties of which the Turks’ Head was probably my favourite. Smooth, long, fat and round, blue, orange, red and green with white stripes, warty or ribbed; across the top of the smorgasbord of squashes several butterflies flew. They didn’t want to stop though, they just flew from one side of the field to the other, from hedge to hedge. I didn’t mind as I was enjoying watching my girls running around excitedly picking perfect Pumpkins prior to people pulling the prime Pumpkins first.

I was also enjoying the late sun on my back and looked up and along the hedge. There was a Red Admiral. I cautiously approached fumbling for my camera in my bag and stealthily got into position. All was set, the butterfly was nicely posed looking resplendent in the autumnal glow. As I focused and went to click the sun was swallowed by one of the very few clouds and my image went from glorious technicolour to washed out greyscale. Oh well a butterfly shot is still a butterfly shot and with the drawing in of the season I’ll take whatever I can get.

After that I reverted to Dad mode and transported a barrowful if Pumpkins home – who would have thought that there were so many perfect Pumpkins?   

This actually turned into my final butterfly photograph of 2018 as despite heading out to a few different National Trust sites, keeping my eyes peeled and camera ready during any spells or warmish fine weather and spying several other butterflies (Red Admirals, Specklie and a White) I didn’t get anymore photographs.

Keeping it Local    20-10-2017

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At either end of the year I generally find myself staying quite local and heading to one or all three of my nearest sites; Middle Street, Five Rivers and The Devenish. This afternoon was no exception and though I set off in reverse order noting a fly-by Brimstone on the way which was a nice sighting to get the ball rolling. Once parked I made my way up to the Small Paddock and scanned across the huge patches of Ivy hoping for an Admiral or Specklie to put in an appearance. I soon had to move on as I was getting covered in Ladybirds/Harlequins which seemed to be everywhere. So it was over the gates and into the Orchid Meadow where only the occasional yellow petals showed up against the dull beige background colour from all the dead vegetation. I tried right to the end which is normally inaccessible due to the huge plants that grow here but even they have succumbed to old age. I was just starting to get a little despondent, surrounded by all this death and decay, when a moff burst up from near to the ground and veered or violently in and wide descending arc. I managed to follow it and then stalk it to find a Silver-Y.

As I was appreciating this something a bit more fluttery caught my eye and there was an aged Specklie. I watched it cover the ground across the field making towards the taller scrub which demarcated one field from another and a second (and even more aged?) Specklie took off intercept it an see it on its way. The second settled back down and I made my cautious approach.

Up the hill all seems quiet including the little stretch of steep path at the very foot of the Down. Here the Bramble grows tall and the trees on either side of the path are covered in Ivy so I had high hopes which unlike the spent Bramble heads didn’t come to fruition.  All is quiet and still and even the border between the Beech woodland and Down is empty apart from a Common Darter. Usually there is the odd whit or even a Small Copper hanging on here but it looks like the cutting back and grazing has put paid to the bushes of Hemp Agrimony which act as such a magnet to the butterflies. At the far end of the Down I disturb a Specklie which I’d not seen and as I’m cursing my inattention I catch sight of a funny looking fence post. It’s funny looking as a Red Admiral is basking, open winged on it. I manage to get a few more steps closer to it but it’s gone quite quickly. I stand in the shade of a Beech tree and wait for it to come back all the while watching a Specklie that’s up high in the Ivy and willing it to come down. It doesn’t but the Red Admiral does after about 5 minutes of waiting. At this time of year you never know which butterfly will be your last so I made the most of this one just in case, spending more time just watching than looking down the viewfinder, savouring every detail in the hope that the memories will get me through the dark winter months.

After this encounter I strolled along the top and don’t find another butterfly despite peering in every bush. I eventually end up back where I started and I was glad to be heading off as the Harlequins were starting to get really annoying - I seemed to have at least 3 somewhere on my person at any one time even though I was brushing them off every other step!
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After this it was over to Five Rivers. I started by walking along the river and scanning ahead whenever a break in the riverside trees let the sun pour in across the path. Sure enough on the first such break a Red Admiral flew towards me at head height. It veered up and doubled back before flying in a few ever decreasing circles and landing. It was dead chuffed but just as I’m about to approach a load of tourists come from the opposite direction and the Red Admiral is up and gone. I manage to watch it as it cuts through the air this way and that and a second flies in and they spiral upwards losing themselves in the tree tops. I stay put reasoning that if this strategy worked before it might again and at least one of them will come back. Sure enough one does and this time there aren’t any meddling kids so I can get away with stalking it and so I manage a few shots.

After this I walk to Comma Corner and all along the banks but it’s a bit depressing as Bramble has inveigled itself across the various pathways that are so good for basking butterflies early in the season and once again all the butterfly friendly vegetation has passed over. I see a few Darters but even this late in the season they’re still proving too quick and so I started back. On the way back I stop in roughly the same place as I stopped earlier and a Red Admiral comes down to the deck in front of me. From its looks it was a different individual and on closer inspection I can see a small white dot in the bands of red that prove my supposition.

Then it was away home as time had run away from me and there just wasn’t enough of it left to get over to Middle Street and back. Still I’ll be back there in about 4-5 months time and I don’t think I’d have seen anything different. As I’m strolling back to the house and playing the afternoon back in my head my happy mood is turned up from 10 to 11 as I spy a Small Tort from afar basking on the side of one of the posh houses round the corner from my own humble abode. A great way to finish the afternoon!

Southbourne    07-10-2018

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After a winters’ day yesterday I drove down to Bournemouth in the hope that the colony still persisted in the microclimate at Southbourne and also that they hadn’t been knocked out by the winds and rain and cool temperatures the day before. I dropped all three of the girls off near the Odeon and started for Southbourne. It had been a few years since I’d taken the particular road so I turned on SATNAV which turned out to be a damn good idea as the road I needed was closed for a Marathon. In the end I kept to the streets and ignored the SATNAV’s insistent instructions to “Turn right” because every right turn was closed. After working through a labyrinth of streets I pulled up slightly further along the beach from where I’d intended but at least I was somewhere in the right neighbourhood!

I then made my way to the front and looking left then right set of right as that took me back towards Bournemouth. I was accompanied for most of the way by runners of various calibres. I still can’t work out why it’s called a fun run as all the people I saw looked tired, sweaty, miserable or positively suffering. Not one of them appeared even remotely cheerful let alone like they were having fun not even the bearded fellow in a pink Tu-tu. After a while I finally reached ‘The Bistro on the Beach’ and started up the footpath scanning the banks on either side of the path for anything yellow. I needn’t have bothered as the temperature was still below double figures and despite the sun shining unfettered by the thin streaks of cloud it was still mighty chilly, so cold in fact that I was starting to lose the feeling in my fingertips. After spying some yellow flowers and a few dead leaves I gave it up as it was too cold and settled instead for a walk along the front. It felt good to be striding along back in Dorset.

As I reached the spot where I’d decided to turn around I noticed that my back was feeling much warmer than my front being bathed in the sun. I saw a few bees and more than a few mining bees on the exposed and weathered sandstone cliff faces. I turned round and started back, now with the sun warming my front side and even my fingertips were starting to thaw. I started noticing more wildlife; a few more bees, a crow, and then as I watched and listened to a collection of 4 ‘ticking’ Stonechats a pair of Dartford Warblers materialised out of the scrub. This siting made my day and I started back with renewed vigor.

I’d reached the Bistro and so I set off up the cliff paths once again checking all the sources of nectar but the yellow things that I saw stayed dead leaves and flowers and not the butterfly I was hoping to see. Still cheered by the Dartfords I followed one of the paths right to the top and into the car park behind the Bistro. This was actually the spot that Dave had mentioned and so I scanned across the car park even more carefully. Something went up, it was a dead leaf surely? Nope it was a Cloudy. I watched with baited breath hoping that it would end its flight quickly and land soon. It did and I was able to get in for a few shots. Job done! Dave said they’d be here and they were cheers for the directions!

I spent some time (well time for me but actually 10 minutes or so) watching it as it flew around and about never straying from the bank of the car park. The sun was quite strong by now almost to the extent that a coat wasn’t necessary and the butterfly was acting accordingly. As I watched it it started to land in more and more exposed areas with fewer and fewer obstructions and shadows getting in the way of the shot. The flights also got longer each time and it started to stray away from the confines of the bank veering out across the barren tarmac of the car park, standing out vividly against the dull grey. Eventually I had to leave it and make my way back to the car to pick everyone up from the film so I wished the Cloudy luck and set off across the car park. As I strolled triumphantly across the car park I spied a smaller movement on the bank. As I approached closer it resolved into a Small Copper and a Blue Badger at that. Doubly chuffed I carried on strolling back to the car and made it back in time to pick the girls up.

After this we made a pit stop in Asda for Humus and rolls and then called in at the Waldorf Shop to take advantage of their picnic benches. Food eaten we started packing up and that’s when I spied the biggest Fly Agaric that I’ve ever seen. This species of fungus is often portrayed as a comfy seat for a cheeky Imp or Pixie but this one was so large I think it would have been used as a nightclub!
I know that I only saw two butterflies all day but a cracking one all the same!

Somethings afoot at work – or not…05-10-2018

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So after a very busy few weeks there was a bit of an upturn in the weather and so fingers crossed I’d be able to get out over the weekend for a late butterfly fix. However I didn’t have to wait as long as that as one of the pupils brought in an unusual bug for me to have a look at. At first I thought it was just a Dock Shield Bug but it was more colourful than that with some lovely intricate markings. Luckily a few days later Ernie (from UKButterflies) identified it as a Squash Beetle. I was so busy with the photographing that I almost missed out of the break-time cookies…almost. ;-)

After work I left at the same time as the Science Technician and as we walked through the ICT room heading speedily to our cars she almost trod on what she thought was a plastic toy snake. Only it moved which was a bit a shock. I kept an eye on it (well took a few shots) while she collected a cardboard box. It was almost immaculate with only the head looking a little odd as the old skin hadn’t sloughed off yet. We then encouraged it to slither into the box so that we didn’t have to handle it which could have stressed it out and it would have released a noxious substance in defence. We then carried it to the ‘Wildlife’ area and let it loose in the leaf litter. It didn’t take it long to realised that it was free to go and thankfully so we were; off to enjoy the weekend.

Hopefully there would be a few more butterflies from the weekend… 

Punchbowl    24-09-2018

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Being back at work in full flow for almost 3 weeks meant that the heady days of France, the summer and even the Laverstock trips were becoming a hazy memory. This day was forecast to be dry and sunny with a gentle breeze; perfect conditions in fact for some late butterflies and a chance for the family to blow away the cobwebs. Much of the morning however was spent waiting or the cloud to lift and the breeze to soften but as this pre-midday drear was forecast we set out hopefully…but with coast packed just in case. A good job as the BBC once again proved how great they are with rubbish weather forecasts. They can accurately predict rain, wind and cloud when it’s bad but it seems that their predictive modelling goes all to pot the minute they have to forecast sun or clement weather.

We pressed on up the hill on the first side of the horseshoe with the damp not penetrating our coats like the bitter wind was able to. Honestly it felt more like February than September, no mellow fruitfulness today just a stark reminder of what’s to come. A gentle nudge in the ribs to the memory “we’ll have to get through bad times before the good”.

At the half way point we stopped for a snack and watched a huge group of gulls pass over and on and down the deep chasm of the Punchbowl. Nearer to hand there was a Dor Beetle but no blues or whites unfortunately. So we carried on slightly dejectedly and it wasn’t until we were almost at the end of the walk that I needed to brandish my camera again. Amid the merest of slithers of sun, the very weakest rai d’or, a Red Admiral slowly bimbled up high on the Bramble. A few record shots were all that I could manage before it shot off casing the elusive sun. 

So that was it – hopefully not the final trip of the season as it was disappointing; mostly because I feel into the trap of actually believing the weather report – lesson leaned!

Laverstock    17-09-2018

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It was with some sadness that I took Little L to her tutoring today as it was the last ‘proper’ session. I will miss that pre session chats with L’s Tutor, those 10 minutes or so of putting the world to rights and sorting out the education system I find very soul salving and the tutor and her family are lovely people so it’s always nice just chatting spending time in their company.

As I walked for the penultimate time up the Down I mused over the forthcoming change in my routine my sombre tone mood wasn’t matched by the weather. There was a stiff breeze but the sun shone and it was surprisingly warm, almost hot. However I didn’t see a butterfly across the whole Down not even a white until I was almost at the Gully when something large and orange flew up from the grass and zigged and zagged up the Down. I followed it trying to work out what it was as the size and less so the colour reminded me of a Hedge Brown. As I made the final, slow approach I could see that it was actually a huge Small Copper. I’d gotten used to seeing miniscule butterflies over the summer but not here, it was a giant.

After this encounter my mood lightened and I started working the lower slopes that lead up to the Gully. There was a conglomeration of Wasps around a rabbit hole for some reason and they seemed quite agitated so I swiftly moved on. Then I hit the mother lode, a lovely seam of Copper all on the left-hand side of the Gully. I worked around this working my way up and down and along and back to the start and round and round for a good half an hour. Over that time I reckon that I found at least 6 individuals some of whom I came across a second or third time on my sorties. They were recognisable; there was a large (female) with small marking, another (male) that was half the size of the large female, there was ‘torn guy’, a 2 badger and a four badger and there was the ‘type’ specimen. They buzzed around here and there, the large one made it clear to the smaller male in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested though not by strutting, just vibrating her fore wings. She also embarked on a little hind wing rolling later (at least I think it was).  

I also notched up a faded Common Blue, a pair of Blues in cop, a female Adonis, 2 Small heath and a Meadow Brown. But I saved space on the memory card mainly for the Coppers. They were great company and watching their antics kept me entertained, eased the stress from my shoulders and cleared my mind. I left the Down a new man thanks to those fabulous little guys and gals.
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Only one more session, seriously what I am going to do after that?

Kingston Lacey    16-09-2018

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We needed to blow the cobwebs away after a busy week for all of us; back to work X2, back to school X2 and back to 11+ prep. As the autumn colour isn’t quite with us yet we decided to leave Stourhead for a few more weeks and instead headed to Kingston Lacey. The BBC reckoned that it would be 20+ temps and sunny intervals. Knowing their accuracy recently I packed the rain coats and fleeces and off we sped, stopping briefly on the way at my parents to raid their greenhouse!
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After lunch and the obligatory visit from the House cat we set off on the walk round our usual circuit. It would have to be a brief one today as we’d booked to have a look round the house itself which is a bit of a rarity. As we walked across the lawn things looked decidedly quiet but finally when we reached the first set of floral borders the butterflies appeared. The first was a Comma which put in the most fleeting of visits, stopping for all of about 2 seconds, just long enough to work out what it was before it was gone. A Small White behaved more placidly but after a few shots we were away again. It seemed that the others were on a mission!

On we drove diving down through the Avenue with only a single white to accompany us and again things started to look a little disappointing. Luckily the next stage of our whistle stop tour was the Kitchen Garden with it veggie and flower patches and the pond. As we walked through the gate I could already see whites, Large and Small clustered round the Cabbages not surprisingly. There were possibly even more in the flower patch on the other side of the garden buildings but these were quite fidgety. They would erupt from out of nowhere and then when they landed they only did so for a few seconds at a time before moving to another leaf and repeating the procedure. I was getting a little fed up with this and so took a stroll along the border hedge when I did get a surprise as there was a Small Copper looking a little out of place. It was reasonable nick and so I knelt down and for once my knees didn’t set the butterfly flying off, another surprise!    

The girls headed off to the Pacific Garden whilst I headed off towards the pond with the promise of catching the others up shortly. I checked around the pond which was almost totally dried up and there a single Specklie flew and 2 large Dragonflies (Emperors?). I tried a few Sports mode shots but the autofocus just wasn’t quick enough or intelligent enough – it kept focusing behind the insect. So instead of frittering my time away on blurred shots for the bin I checked out a few Buddleias on one of the allotments. It turned out to be a bit of a Vanessid heaven. As I could see 2 Peacocks, a Red Admiral and a Comma on two of the bushes. The Peacocks detached themselves and one settled nicely on a pile of pots and slabs. The Comma in particular was really vibrant but the Red Admiral played hard to get, always sticking to the ‘wrong’ side of the bush where I couldn’t tread. I realised that I better make good on my promise and so I started back towards the Pacific Garden pausing on the way for the occasional white. 

The Pacific Garden was a bit of a disappointment as the grass and wild flowers had been cut and so the butterflies didn’t visit as it was a bit of a green desert. The girls were off in the Bamboo somewhere and so my wife and I strolled back serenely along the path heading for the house. We were making good time and so I was able to stop for a Specklie on the way and we even fitted in a quick coffee before it was time to enter the House and out the camera away.

Laverstock    10-09-2018

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There are only a few more Tutor time opportunities left and each time I time I dropped Little L and ran up the Down it could have been the last. Whilst it’s been great seeing how the butterflies have waxed and waned over the season it’s a bit of a shame that with the end in sight the species count is in the middle of the inevitable decline. It felt like my visits would finish with a whimper rather than a bang…

Todays’ visit took the usual pattern. Mad rush home, mad rush round home doing as many chores as possible, mad rush round the house collecting all the 11+ materials, mad rush to the car with said materials, mad rush back to the house to the house to actually get Little L…So the mad rushing continued until I enter the Tutors house and Little L takes her place at the long table and then I step through the back door. It’s like I’ve dove into a swimming pool of serenity, the waves of tranquillity pass over me and for the first time over the day I feel like I’m actually able to breathe, I feel alert and awake, alive again. I carryon in this peaceful state across the field and along the edge of the Down, my awakened eyes bright and searching for any movement. The only thing I see on the whole journey is a Small Heath.

I carry on further round the bottom of the Down making towards the Gully and things are slightly better here with a grand total of 4 butterflies of three species; a nice looking female Adonis Blue, a male Common Blue that doesn’t hang around at all and a brace of Small Heath who are experts at hide and seek. Most of this area is now a shadow of its former self and there is a field of skeletons waiting for a nice strong gush of wind to flatten then before they arise slowly resurrecting next spring.   

Up at the Gully proper things are better still with the species count now reaching 5 but with more individuals. In among three Small Heath there are a couple of aged Meadow Browns, a couple of Common Blues and a smattering of Adonis (2 females and 4 males) but the real stars of the show are the Fuzz; four Small Coppers. My fears of going out with a whimper are dispelled by these little packets of party and I spent much of the remaining time with them – in fact almost too long and I end up having to leg it back to the Tutors to collect Little L. So at the end as at the beginning – rush and bloody tear!

​Garston Wood    02-09-2018

Today was the last day of the holiday and so rather than sitting inside coped up and fretting about what horrors faced me on my return to work on the morrow I decided that we would head out to Garston Wood. The weather reporters (I don’t like to call them forecasters anymore as that would suggest a modicum of accuracy) had again got it totally ‘a’ about ‘f’ with a thick blanket of cloud instead of the promised sun.  So instead of butterflies I took my camera to try for some shots on an impromptu fungus foray. There were some real beauties about; dark maroon clusters, sulphurous yellow ones, mini puff balls and one which at first I thought was a bit of discarded grey plastic wrapper.

Almost back at the car park and the sun started to eat its way through the clouds and the sky started to brighten. With the coming of the sun the butterflies started venturing forth and the girls spooked a couple of Specklies as we left the ‘butterfly’ enclosure. Then I spied a pair of Whites up ahead meandering along and occasionally into each other on the edge of the path. One looked noticeably bigger than the other and when I caught up to them at the top of the rise it became obvious why – one was a miniscule Green-veined White and the other a Large White. By now they’d worked their way not only up the hill but also further into the vegetation along the side of the path and I didn’t want to trample in a try for a shot so I let them be and caught up with the others. We paused at the junction to at the main path to listen to the mass of bird song and then started for the car…

It was along this main path that suddenly the dearth of butterflies became no more; there were Specklies everywhere. It started slowly with one Specklie seemingly all on its tod which got attacked by a second which flew out of the foliage. Then there was a third which attacked the second before being attacked itself by a fourth and fifth. These last two interfered with all those around them and then locked into a death spiral ascending for upwards for what felt like forever and then suddenly they shot off in different directions. Each little scrubby area along the path between the trees seemed to hold masses of Specklies; there was easily a total of 20 along this small stretch of path. I felt sorry for the single Green-veined White which was easily outnumbered.
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The final butterfly of the trip was a Specklie. It had to be really didn’t it?  Well when I say Specklie I mean half a Specklie as it was cleaved neatly down the middle…At first I thought it was just playing dead but a prod revealed that it was indeed bisected. With this morbid image running through my mind I drove home hoping that it wasn’t a portent for the next day when the GCSE results would be revealed…

​The Devenish    01-09-2018

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I had about an hour and half free on this afternoon but with a pick-up in Salisbury which meant not enough time to get to anywhere like Martin Down or Shipton…so “where to go?” was the conundrum. It was still a bit early in the season for Five Rivers, there were at least a couple more outings to Laverstock on the cards and so The Devenish seemed the best option; with maybe a sneaky Small Copper?

On arrival there were no cars in the car park and when I stopped and listened I couldn’t hear anything so I was the only one around. I started off by checking the small Paddock even though it seemed it was too early for hibernators and I was proved right with only 2 Specklies seen. While I waited and watched at the gate, I felt a weird crawly sensation on my shins; something pushing their way through my leg hairs. Looking down I found that it was a bloody Tick but luckily it was still climbing upwards towards the hem of my shorts and wasn’t clamped on so I can gingerly picked it up and squashed it. I wouldn’t normally go out of my way to harm another creature, normally I’m all for live and let live but in this case it was definitely Live and Let Die; I felt like I was meting out a little justice for those people that I know that have been bitten and suffered as a consequence.

Next it was on to the Orchid Meadow and almost immediately a male Adonis catches my eye. So I just watch to see where it goes as each time it lands it seems to upset a butterfly that’s already there throwing up two male Common Blues, a Brown Argus and  Green-veined White. This was a useful tactic as I might have missed most of these butterflies as they nectared low down in among the twisted tussle of tendrils.

I carry on my usual Devenish route and next it’s up the hill through the narrow path hemmed in on both sides by tall shrubs and a large Bramble bush. At this wall of Bramble a Red Admiral swoops by almost taking my head off as it does so. Round the corner a solitary Comma feeds, bumbling around on the Bramble and probing its proboscis into between the drupelets of the Blackberries. About half way up the steep steps cut into the Down a couple of female Adonis flutter about but apart from this all is quiet and very little else seems to be flying. The grass is really long and dried to a golden straw colour which highlights the ripples as a breeze plays up and along the side of the Down leaving nothing but a memory of susurration. I work along top of the Down and then back down and along the lower slopes where the tree line starts to make its stand against the grasses but I see only a few whites All the hemp Agrimony which provided perching posts for the Small Coppers in the past have been cleared and the habitat looks all wrong of them here.

I hop over the half way fence and this side looks much more promising as its been grazed by the sheep and so the sward is much lower and there are various wildflowers speckling the green Down with colour. On a good clump of Hemp Agrimony I watch a GVW, Small White, male Adonis and two Brown Argus for a while and then move round to the lower slopes on this side of the fence. Here there’s a Small Copper. It seems slightly battle hardened with a chunk here and there taken from tis wing. As I ‘m watching it wishing t was a bit more intact it gets buzzed by a second Small Copper and this one is in much better nick and with the traces of three blue badges. I spend quite a bit of time here as every time I get close to getting a good shot the other appears and annoys the first.

Back at the Hemp there was a gorgeous Brown Argus along with the more tired looking one but as I’m getting my shots I feel that familiar creeping sensation on my lower leg, back of my calf this time. Looking down I find a second Tick which gets short shrift and I decide to start for home what with time starting to past too quickly. I stop briefly in the Orchid Meadow for another ‘Staircase shot’ this time featuring a Common Blue but this is spoilt as I have to remove and dispatch yet another Tick before is latches on grrrrrr! I wonder how many would have been successful if I’d been wearing my usual long trousers and not my shorts?

Laverstock    31-08-2018

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I took the plunge and headed up the Down first thing, cutting up the ‘old way’ and reaching the foot of the Down in good time. The only problem was that despite the warmth a lot of the Down was still in shadow as the sun hadn’t quite risen high enough yet...
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To compensate for this I carried on taking the mid-level path round the Down to the Gully. On the way I saw many, many Small Heath with one taking off every 5 or 6 footfalls and also a single female Adonis Blue. I paused when almost at the Gully as here as a positive sign that Autumn is knocking on the door of Summer and wanting to come in; a tiny cluster of 4 or 5 fungal fruiting bodies. I can’t recall having seen this species before. It reminded me of a Stinkhorn but rather than the body disintegrating it seemed like it was crumbling and around the base was a little pile of bits that had already fallen off.

Moving on I reached the bottom of the Gully. My plan had been to see if I could relocate the roosting blues from yesterevening but a small, dark orange blur distracted me. It was a tired looking Small Copper that kept hovering about and hassling the Small Heath. It seemed to be a different individual from the three that I saw yesterday so this is a good showing of Small Copper for this site.

I carried on and started seeing Adonis glittering among the grasses but even this early (8:45) they were still really active particularly on the lower slop where the grass is really quite short; possibly because it heats up quicker here plus there’s less cover when creeping up on the butterflies. When I reached the ‘roosting’ point the same clump held 2 male and a female Adonis, a Small Heath, a male Common Blue and a Brown Argus. I started to stalk in but another unseen Small Heath put all the Adonis up when I was just getting into position. Still I got some shots of those that remained.

After this I started back taking a slightly lower track that runs parallel with the mid track. As I looked down the slope I could see more and more Adonis twinkling out from the grasses. A few Meadow Browns and a Small White added themselves to the day list, it seems that they’re late risers! I tarried slightly with the Adonis before making my way back.

And so the final holiday class has passed, and now there are only a few more Tutor sessions left. I’ve gotten into the habit of a weekly visit, I think it’s something I’ll need to reinstate next year.

Laverstock    30-08-2018

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I hadn’t ventured up the Down during the morning Tutor session as it still felt cool, it was a little cloudy and I had loads of trip reports to start writing up. However a day of doing chores saw me fairly chomping at the bit to get up there during the afternoon session. When I set out the sun was a little hazy but it felt reasonably warm, still warm enough for a T-shirt but only just and as I stepped foot onto the Down an electric blue bullet shot out of the sward to greet me. A great start to the walk. Further along there was another, then a Common Blue and a brace of Small Heath. All very nice but also all very active and difficult to approach. Then something different appeared. It was a stunning Small Copper. I say stunning not just because of the big blue badges but because of the contrast between the orange and the background brown. It was stunning because the background was so dark, almost as dark as the black fore wing marks and it wasn’t dark and dusky there was a clear contrast between the fore wing and its margins cracking!

After this things quietened down a little as I followed the foot of the Down along the bottom track. The odd Small Heath would appear occasionally along with the odd blue or white. At one point a Peacock flew at me and I don’t know who was more startled me or it. As I wandered I noticed that I was starting to squint and my shadow was projected before me. It felt slightly warmer as the sun started to come out and this meant that the butterflies might be more active still. I didn’t mind and worked up to the far side of the Gully and into a real purple patch. On the far side at the bottom the grass is short and therefore the nectar sources are obvious as they stick out of the air. There were a couple of male Adonis here along   a few Common Blues, Small Heath and the ever present (at least it feels like) Meadow Brown. A slatey dark butterfly caught my eye and I watched as it landed and then approached – it was a female Adonis. This little beauty was quickly followed by a really small Small Copper.

After this I checked the tiny path that cuts across the side of the Down and again there were a few blues in amongst the browns and also a Small White and then the next 10 minutes or so passed in a blur of butterflies. It started with a female Chalkhill which was posing nicely and not going anywhere. As I looked away and across the grass male Adonis and Common Blues seemingly popped into view. One minute they weren’t there and then as they opened their wings to bask ‘boom shanka’ there they were. I then scanned around and spotted a white flag amongst a stand of taller grass. As I approached a Small Copper shot off and I could make out a Small Heath as well as 2 Brown Argus and three Common Blues all congregated in this one little patch.

As I started back I had to cross the gully and here there were good numbers of male Adonis on view, glinting out from the side of the hill when my movement meant the light caught them right. This happened all the way back with the odd Adonis seeming to blink into existence. A cracking evening, hopefully the weather is okay tomorrow morning and I’ll be able to catch the same set of butterflies waking up.

Tilshead    28-08-2018

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I had arranged to meet Trevor for some Walls at about 9:30 but today some things didn’t go to plan. Our winter wood supply took ait longer to sort out with logs not only filling the wood store but also having bags of them secreted in numerous places round the house. Hence I didn’t get to the Churchyard until about 10:30. At that point the weather wasn’t showing any inclination of unclouding or at least not for long enough to bring the Walls out. So we cut our losses and I followed Trevor over to his Tilshead site.
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It proved to be a cracking site right from the get go with a spacious Tarmac car park and Adonis Blues all over the place within 10 paces or so from the car. The field is pretty level which makes a nice change from traversing Downland after this species and I could stand back and scan ahead with little sapphires glinting out from the straw coloured background wherever I gazed. Trevor and I set to calling out every now and again when we found a particularly nice specimen – which when it came to female Adonis was quite often. Some of the males were looking a bit jaded, as were their smaller cousins but the females were looking fabulous. They were all chocolate and slate coloured with showy chequered margins.

There were other members making a supporting cast, a few Meadow Browns, Small Heath, Whites and the other Blues but for me the female Adonis were the real stars of though they didn’t glitter confetti like in the grasses as the showy males did when you found one looking ‘clean’ and lush they were a joy to behold.
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All too soon our time was up so thanking Trevor for letting me in on what is a real gem of a site I headed back to the aftermath and chaos of ‘Wood Day’.

Shipton Bellinger The Final Visit   25-08-2018

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For my last trip to Shipton for the year I was hoping for a last ‘Hurrah’! However things didn’t start well, things didn’t really go to plan. The BBC weather people reckoned that the sun would shine uninterrupted right up until about 2pm before it would cloud over. However as I left the house there was no sign of the sun and there was a reasonable breeze. Then when I arrived I found the dog sled meet was in full swing, I thought that they had already been and gone but no there were the tape barricades and caravans drawn right up against the hedge. Muttering various curses and hexes under my breath I gave the Hotspot Hedge a miss and made my way up the hill towards the various little clearings as I hoped that I might escape the whining and barking and howling. On the way a Comma momentarily distracted me from my inner moaning. Something about it struck me as odd and then I realised what it was; it was it had little silver-grey ‘studs’ along the margins of the wings.

I carried on up the hill and upon reaching the first of the little clearings I settled down to wait for the sun to break through the cloud. A couple of coffees later and I realised that the sun had been a long time coming. When it finally did break through it didn’t hang around long and so I moved from one clearing onto the next and repeated the procedure (minus coffee). Each time the sun came out a little more quickly and lasted a little longer but despite this it never really got strong enough to encourage any Brostreaks to come out from their hidey-holes. To keep me company there were Specklies a plenty some looking really fresh as well a smattering of other various representatives of the Browns, a few blues and a lovely looking Brown Argus.

From here I moved on to check out the old hedges and after a bit of a walk I bump into two other enthusiasts and we chat and bemoan the Dog Sled meet before I carry on my way eyes peeled over the full range from the trees tops to down on the deck. It’s still cloudy at times and I manage to walk the entire length of the double hedge seeing only three butterflies. On the return journey there are Specklies everywhere making it appear as if there had been a mass emergence though they showed all stages of wear and tear.

On my journey back I’m stopped by a couple of locals out walking with their families. Seeing me staring into the bushes they ask me what I’m looking for and so I say ‘Brown Hairstreak butterflies’. Normally people only really hear the butterfly part but round Shipton word has spread about the Brown Hairstreak and so I’m quizzed about all kind of aspects of the Brostreaks lifecycle. They wish me luck in the quest and I start on my way back to the Hotspot Hedge. As I’m almost there, having avoided several sets of Huskies on route along with the stares from various owners I spy the same pair of enthusiasts from earlier. They’re standing looking up into a small tree and as I stroll up and ask “Any joy?” I’m already pretty sure that I’ll get an affirmative. So is the case and there at the top of the sapling is a female Brostreak (one of two that the others have seen) staring down at us. I stretched my arms out to try for a shot and was happy with what I got even if she wasn’t exactly pristine.

After this we spend the next 15 minutes or so chatting in between getting photos of various female Brostreaks that seem to have suddenly appeared. At one point we three were all photographing different individuals only a metre or so away from each other. This little triangle has proved good for Brstreaks before and seemed to be so popular as there were still a good selection of nectar sources around as well as lots of the Blackthorn whippings that the females like to lay on. Occasionally one of the Brostreaks we were photographing individually or en masse would take off, flutter round in a few circles and would then land somewhere else. It was hard work following them with their zippy, jinking flight and I got the impression that they knew when we were watching them as their flight became even more erratic. Sometimes they would disappear from view but then another would appear and off we would go again.

One of the gents (I need to take a note book specifically for names as I’m so useless at remembering them) headed for home but we, the remaining two, carried on. The Hotspot Hedge was calling me and so we both braved the braying Huskies and evil glares and stepped over the barricades so that we could examine the Hedge. Well when I say barricades I really mean the thin strip of red and white tape hat was strung at less than knee height between a few sticks…Our audacity paid off almost immediately as there was a female sitting nicely on a Bramble leaf. She moved about a far bit and was very restless but we didn’t mind as it gave us the opportunity to get a greater range of shots. These culminated with the reason for her fidgeting, she was looking for an appropriate place to lay. Job done she came back out into the sun and had a little tidy up of her antennae before flying up high and out of sight.

Looking near to where I’d seen my first Brostreak of the season I spotted another female (smaller chunks taken from her hind wing) and this one was eventually more inclined to bask opening up her forewings and trying to orientate her to capture the maximum amount of sun. I love the contrast between the chocolate ground colour and the bright orange markings.

So it seems that the luck wished to me earlier in my visit came to fruition and I said my goodbyes and headed back homewards happy that what had started as going wrong had eventually turned out nice again.

Laverstock    23-08-2018

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This was going to be a weird one – the first trip out after holiday outings generally are. You’re walking along in habitat you’ve become unaccustomed to, feeling cooler than you’ve become used to and looking for species that you’ve gotten used to seeing which aren’t actually there. So it was this time and as I set out to walk Laverstock there was a strong breeze whipping along the path, the sky wasn’t entirely blue and there wasn’t a Fritillary in sight!
A Specklie waited for me on the corner but looked cold in its chocolate and cream livery rather than the more Marmalade appearance of the continental form. Then I had to wait until I was across the field and way up the down before I saw my next butterfly, a brace of male Adonis which took off from my footfall.

As I carried on round the butterflies started coming. There were still Meadow Browns hanging about, some looking fresh, reasonable numbers of common Blue and slightly more Adonis. The most numerous butterfly by far was the Small Heath which was great news after worrying about their decline over the last few years. Almost at the Gully I was able to add a zipping Brown Argus as well as Chalkhill to the daily tally. After this I looked in on the thistle area but whilst I could come up with a faded Common Blue I couldn’t relocate any DIngies. I carried on zig zagging across this lower side of the Gully not following any particular search pattern but all the little cut through had grown over so the area has now become a Labyrinth. Saying that it did hold a couple of Specklies and the odd Blue as well the ubiquitous Small Heath.

As I carried on round to the Gully proper the number of Adonis started to pick up and then I found what I was looking for. A Sapphire gleaming amid the grasses; a fresh male Adonis basking with wings open wide and settled in a rabbit scraping; its own personal sun deck. It was nice seeing such a vibrant looking butterfly and the colour was really brought out by the contrast with the chalky background. After this the autumnal chill got to me and so I made my way back to try and warm up. I’m not used to this 20 degree cold anymore WINK. I stopped here and there on the way but didn’t lift my camera again until a found a pair of Meadow Browns enjoying a bit of ‘how’s yer father?’

Laverstock and on to Shipton…    10-08-018

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​I just bloody knew it! After days of insane temperatures with almost constant blue sky today was when it all changed and it was also the day when Philzoid and I had arranged to meet up for the annual pilgrimage to Shipton. As I walked down the path from the Tutor’s house and started across the field there was only a Hornet Hoverfly and a single Blue. I carried on diagonally across the Down making my way towards the Gully. I saw all the Blues and Browns that I’m now used to seeing here but it’s still really hard going being cloudy, blustery and cool. As I’m trying my luck on the slopes and generally making my way back I bump into the Tutor’s daughters and we head back together a different way. There’s lots of Blackthorn on this route and I’m left wondering if this could be a potential Brostreak site?

After this I rush back and out again to meet up with Philzoid and as we catch up and race over to Shipton the weather gets a bit worse…When we arrive we head straight out and check the main hedge. It feels like we need about 30 minutes of sun but if doesn’t look like we’re going to get it. Along the main hedge there are Meadow and Hedge Browns but not much else, not even a Holly Blue up high or a Common Blue down low. I make a quick check in on the girls and then we move on up the main track up the hill to the area I’d visited previously. As we carry on the weather improves somewhat drying up and the odd sunny patch with it’s accompanying spike in temperature.
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Walking our way through the clearings we find little groups of Specklies but never the individuals I’m used to seeing but generally 4 or 5 packed on one bush or Bramble. There were loads of Meadow Browns, most looking very small, almost Hedge Brown in size and only a few of the latter species. This was quite good as they’re very capable of flying by, catching your eye and allowing you to mistake them for a Brostreak; they’re the original False Hairstreak! In the more open clearings and on the exposed side of the hedge there were plenty of Blues with Small Heath and Brown Argus intermingled. But despite plenty of hedge gazing, neck crunching and intense scrutiny not one single Brostreak revealed itself. I thought that we were going to dip out and our spirits dampened even more and also quite literally as the heavens opened after a particularly prolonged sunny and warm period when we were just 25 m away from the main Hedge! The sky fell on our heads!

We ran and dove back into the car and sat it out steaming ever so slightly. Due to where we were parked and the wind direction I could check the mirror and see what weather was heading our way. There looked to be a break and a slither of blue sky so out we tumbled and were ready and waiting at the hedge when the cloud cracked. But the blue sky came and went before the butterflies had a chance to come out and as a heavier, more persistent rain set in we once again took refuge in the car.       

We still had time, approximately another 3 hours in the Golden Zone and so we made to sit out the rain and had lunch. It gave Philzoid a chance to show off his holiday snaps; possible Moorland Cloudy, Large Wall, Mazarine Blue – I couldn’t wait to get out of the car ;-) Once lunch was done and we chatted about this and that I checked the mirror again and I could see a bigger, lighter patch on the horizon and heading our way. We were out and waiting at the hedge when it hit. This time the girls accompanied us so we had an extra 4 eyes for scanning. We started at the spot which has been so good this year and a Painted Lady dropped in. As it flew off we started seeing more activity on the Brambles with Meadow Browns and Holly Blues seemingly coming out of the woodwork. Then, as if just popping spontaneously into existence, there was a male Brostreak. Having found it we have to watch as it flies off! A Sliver-washed bundles into view trying to distract us and the Brostreak has gone. We carry along the hedge a short way and manage to relocate it. It seems to like one patch in particular, returning when hassled by a Meadow Brown, he just does a slow circle round an adjacent bush and then plops back down two branches away from where it started. He outs on a little show for us; taking moisture from the leaves left by the showers and generally bimbling about amongst the blackberries. He even opens up for a bit basking, or at least attempting to bask, in what little sun is showing.

We carry on to the end of the Hedge which always looks promising for females with the thorn whippings and various things turn up; Holly Blues, Common Blues etc. but no more Brostreaks. On our return the male is still in the same place so after a little re-acquainting we leave him in peace and call it a day. None too soon as the cloud layers up and the temperature starts to drop. As the rain starts again we’re already driving down the track homewards. Everyone’s happy, Philzoid and I got the Brostreak and the girls got lunchboxes filled to brimming with Blackberries!

​Laverstock    09-08-2018

​These Tutor holiday classes are a great substitute for the Monday afternoon sessions. Especially when there are two in one day; but not today. During the morning it was cool and cloudy. Luckily it brightened up by the afternoon session and so I was away up the Down.
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I headed straight up the old track and then worked my way along the other Bramble lined path reaching the foot of the Down. On the way there were Hedgies and Meadow Browns a few Blues, Brimstone and many Whites. As I reached the foot of the Down a female Adonis appeared and about half way up it was joined by a second brood Dingy. It was a delight to see because the leading edges of the wings appeared to glow a peachy copper colour when they caught the light. I carried on and walked across the Down heading towards the Gully trying for a few in flight shots of Small Heaths on the way.
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Down in the Gully there were a multitude of the 5 species of blue flying; 3 Adonis, 4 Chalkhills, 3 Brown Argus, too many Common Blues to count and a single Small Copper. I had a busy old time following them around and trying to get them in a reasonably composed position. So much so that I almost ran out of time and had to do a bit of Fell Running (can you do that on Downland?) to be back in time to collect Little L.

Mottisfont    07-08-2018

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As it was a nice day and we owed a childminding day to my sister in-law we roped in my mum so we could transport both our girls and my nieces to Mottisfont. The house was exhibiting the artwork of Judith Kerr, she of ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ fame.

We started off with a picnic on the lawn and after this and the obligatory post lunch walk back to the car laden with blankets, bottles and empty flasks and lunchboxes I was able to grab a quick look at the strip of Lavender that demarcates the main lawn and the terrace. There were two Common Blues, 3 Meadow Browns and loads of Whites although a Cloudy wasn’t, alas, among them unlike on one previous memorable occasion.
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After this we wandered up tot eh Walled Garden and I was able to slope off for a little wander. A Comma fed on the Buddleia in the exact middle so it was unreachable either from the grass or the path. In the second section two Common Blues were around. One was pristine and so was sitting aloof high up and far away on a Rose so only a record shot was possible. The second was tatty and much more down to earth. A Red Admiral went over and there were non-stop Whites in both parts of the garden and these led to a strangely autumnal feel despite the heat. So to escape said mentioned heat we went into the exhibition.

The final activities of the day were supposed to involve the muddy climbing area – okay and then the stream damming bit – but this was closed. So instead we sat while the girls rampaged. Well I say ‘we sat’ but I didn’t as I‘d seen a Holly Blue which evaded me but 2 Commas which I was able to get onto once they’d stopped having a bundle. One had been peacefully resting on a leaf when the other came marauding by. A little later I caught up with the second piratical Comma as it was down on the deck. Seeing these two again made it feel autumnal. Whites continued to flutter about and a Meadow Brown sat down for dinner on a picnic table.

Too soon it was time to go and a tumbling menage a trois of Specklies waved us off as we left.

Broughton Down    06-08-2018

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It was going to be hot so I went as early as I could and arrived at 9:15, not exceedingly early but there’s a lot to do in the mornings at the moments despite it being the holiday 11+ Test to do, breakfast, washing up, beds to make etc.) Once there I cut up through the wood ignoring the Specklies that tried to distract me every few paces as I was after more Silver Spots. As I broke through into the sun from the shade of the Beech trees I realised that I was the only one there and so just made my way along the track relishing the peace and tranquillity. There was a Silver Spot almost as soon as my feet hit the main trackway across the hill and then another and another and again almost ad infinitum. They were all over the place and seemed to prefer the longer scrub on the left hand side at the top of the hill to the usual tussocks with the thin scrapes where I normally found them.

I carried on through gate and checked out the Hemp Agriony and the little field by the Hump and they were even flying here (which is a first) in amongst the various whites and Small Heaths. Up to this point I’d seen all males; smaller and more worn, their upper sides showing hairs loss on the abdomen and scutum. Their margins were a little frayed and they’d gone from a lovely lime colour to looking a bit grey on the underside. In amongst these mid-life crises and geriatrics a beautiful fresh female flew into view. I could tell she was a female even before I got a proper look as she was noticeably larger than all of the Silver Spots I’d seen she so far and when I did get in close enough I was able to confirm.

I carried on strolling along the same trackway eventual ending up at the triangular field at the back of the reserve having first slipped down and scrambled up the steep gully which bisects this part from the main reserve. Once here I carry on working my way all the way down and then back up the field stopping only occasionally to marvel at another little gem of a butterfly including some deliciously fresh 2nd brood Adonis. I hear a ‘wet yer lips’ announcing that somewhere in an adjacent field there’s at least one Quail. I reached the end of the track, the tip of the triangle and I realised that I’d just been ambling along and looking but not taking any photos! So on return I set to actually getting some photos. First up was a really small Common Blue female, she was tiny, even smaller than a Brown Argus. Next to catch my eye as a dusky Common Blue. It was a fantastic looking butterfly the margins were brown not white, the ground colour was a glistening slate blue and it had hardly any orange lunules.

“Onwards and upwards” as Eric Robson would say and indeed so it was with a blinding male Adonis Blue and then the Chalkhills show up. As I’m flitting between Adonis and Chalkhill, hoping to catch at least one with its wings open, which in the heat was never going to be likely, something tiny hove into view. It was pretty active at first so I didn’t see it settle and the dark blue, almost browny blue through me at first before finally it came to rest. It was a Small Blue and not a species that I’ve encountered here before.

I checked around the scrapes before the gully and here there were more Chalkhills and Adonis scattered in amongst the Silver Spots. Pleased with the little sojourn into an area which is usually a bit quiet I started back to the main part of the reserve, the Down itself. As I worked my way back I paused at the little hillock adding Small Heath and in the large patch of Hemp Agrimony a devine Painted Lady. I also noticed a Small Heath which kept flicking its wings open every now and again but try as I might I just couldn’t capture it with its wings open. Instead I had 40 or so blurred shots of something orange on a fuzzy pinky background. I turned my attentions back to the Painted Lady but there was also a multitude of Whites and Blues taking advantage of the nectar here as well as a Silver Spot.

Back on side of the Down I wind through the animal trails to the more open side of the down. It looks a bit like a green motorway and here there were even more Silver Spots. And I mean MORE. To be honest I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many as this! I sat down and poured a coffee and did my best to count them. It was virtually impossible as they zipped around maniacally, veering off in a suicidal fashion and disappearing from view. There were so many off them and they even came to me while I sipped coffee and vainly tried to count, taunting me it felt like! I persevered with trying to count reaching the highest tally of 26 but sometimes I’d only get to five before I’d get confused by their antics. As I drained my coffee I set about to a bit more wandering and stooping and took a few more shots before finally needing a break from the sun and the heat and so I turned by feet homewards.

The Specklies put on a good show on the way back but it was also great to walk in the cool shade under the Beeches. What a brilliant morning, I don’t think that there are any more pleasurable impossible tasks than trying to count active and numerous Silver Spots!

Shipton Bellinger    04-08-2018

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Another day and another trip to Shipton Bellinger to see if a few more female Brostreaks had finally emerged. I took the girls with me as they like Shipton and I can accrue a few extra Brownie points this way. The only down side is that K is now old enough to sit in the front and so has taken charge of the music. Actually I needn’t have worried she picked a cracking selection with Donovan, The Cure, The Beatles and my all-time favourite Queen song; “It’s Late”. The highlight though was windows down, volume up ‘Two Minutes to Midnight’; you know that you’ve succeeded as a parent when your children can sing along to Iron Maiden.

We went in the back way and parked in the shadows of the wood and the girls set up camp here whilst I strode out into the sun, eyes peeled for any jinking little orange jobs. Something immediately caught my eye with the aforementioned jinking flight but it appeared more grey/brown than orange. Luckily it landed on a small piece of Blackthorn and as I moved closer in I could make out white lines on the wings so I knew it was a Hairstreak but which one. Even closer and it became a Purple Hairstreak. Shipton throws a curve ball again! I looked along the hedge and the treeline and I could make out only one or two Oaks anywhere near the vicinity  so where this errant traveller had hailed from I couldn’t say. Still a Purple Hairstreak as first species for the day can’t bad. Well actually a Specklie and Hedge Brown were the first but this is a better narrative and I didn’t get any shots of them…Another couple of enthusiast arrived and I put them onto the Purp and while they were getting their shots I spent a little time with a Holly Blue. When I returned to the Purp it had moved to an even better position; not at an angle, not partially obscured by the leaves and perfectly lit.  

A few other sets of people arrived and we all stood around looking at the Hedge and trying to second guess how the Brostreaks would behave. Would they play by the rules and start coming down at around 11am or as it was getting warm would they come down earlier and then disappear when they got too hot? Even worse would they not come down at all? Who could say but it’s a far way away from what I’m used to, I used to be able to set my watch by the arrival of the Brostreaks down low. I poured a coffee and it started going cold and as usual things started to happen. There were orange things blurring by possibly Vapourers or possibly Brostreaks I didn’t know. Then Jonathon (?) who’d I’d met on my second Shipton visit arrived with his wife (I’m sorry but I am hopeless as remembering names) who was anxious to get a Brostreak as having already seen a Clouded Yellow was going for 50 species in a year. As luck would have it while we’re talking I spy a little shark fin…male Brostreak and it opens up ever so briefly!

It does a runner further back into the hedge as I call the others over and then we settle back for a bit more Hedge watching. We start creeping along the length of the Hedge and back again all the time eyes straining and checking every leaf, every Thistle head, every Blackberry just hoping to catch a glimpse of something orange. Small Meadow Browns and Hedge Browns do their annoying impressions and Holly Blue, which are all over the Hedge, try and distract us as much as possible. Even a Brown Argus tries muscle in by hopping up onto a Bramble desperately seeking some attention. Eventually I spy a male but again it’s gone up high before the others can get onto it. I try further along the hedge and get onto another male and then an even closer one down nice and low on a stunted Bramble. While I’ve got this one the others have located one as well so we do a swap though I think I got the bum deal as mine was much more pristine. It was also showing the preference behaviour I’d seen on my last two visits. If t got spooked by a Meadow Brown it wold go up higher into the hedge but then about 5 minutes later it would return to the same Bramble flower. It did this several times before Jonathon and his wife returned and then carried on in a similar fashion for a while. I mentioned that I’d seen a Wall here the last time and that was on their ‘50’ list so we ever so slowly started towards the track that ran parallel up the hill to the various little clearings. On the way we sighted a fifth male and a possible fly-by female along with a Red Admiral and two girls who insisted on surreptitiously placing burrs on their dads back!

As we reached the top of the hill and the first clearing the girls disappeared off to set up camp number 2 and a Wall appeared on cue to go on the ‘50’ list. It seemed like a bigger marmalade version of a Meadow Brown but as it momentarily stopped and closed its wings I was able to confirm it’s ID. Mind you it’s constantly patrolling behaviour was probably enough to make the ID. We three carried on slowly working through the various small clearings hoping to catch the Wall at rest but also adding a further two male Brostreaks and a third on the other side of the hedge on our return. The girls called “Wurzel” so I knew that my time was almost up and when I got back to their camp I said my goodbyes, wished them well with the Wall and the having gone a few steps on the other side of the scrub called them back as the Wall was down on the deck. It was just playing silly buggers though and was off again. Leaving for real this time we left them chasing the Wall and headed back down the hill adding Peacock and Comma to the days tally.

After their patience and reasonable behaviour (I’m still finding burrs now!) later in the afternoon I took the girls to a quiet stretch of the river so I could cool down and they could really run amok! What a cracking day! But where are the females??

​Laverstock    27-07-2018

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After such a successful day yesterday I suspected that this mornings’ visit would be quieter. There was also a palpable feeling of change in the air. I was still wearing sunglasses at 8:30 in the morning but today I was constantly taking them off and putting them back on again as the sun was hidden by the clouds. There was also a noticeable change in the temperature. With the sun out it was scorching and when the sun went in there was finally some blessed relief from the incessant heat of the past month. 
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As I walked down the path and started at the by-way along the edge of the field the small Ivy clump had a Common Blue on it and that was how things continued when I started bisecting and traversing the Down. I’d look back down the slope and there would be a multitude of white flags and little sapphires blinking in the slightest of breeze against the sandy coloured background. In amongst the Browns (both Meadow and Hedge as well as Small Blues) there were also the occasional Whites and not all of the Blues were Common, some were much paler showing them to be Chalkhills.

Eventually through my wanderings in reverie I ended up at the far side of the Down at the bottom of the gully. As I followed the course of the bramble filled demarcation hedge a little brown job detached itself from the ground and zipped off, jinking left and right but still heading ultimately in the same direction. Having encountered one only the day before I immediately guessed that it was a second brood Dingy. As I watched it another little brown job took off and set after it. There then ensued lots of argy bargy, chasing back and forth and flying round like a miniature cyclone a la Taz. I took a few Sports Mode shots and then one of the pair settled. So two second brood Dingies hopefully a female will also emerge and then the second brood will continue.   

After this I checked out the scallops and worked my way along the line of Knapweed and further up the gully. I got very annoyed with the Meadow Browns and Blue was not just the colour of the butterfly I was trying to get a shot of but also the air! I watched a pristine Chalkhill settle and start to open up its wings, a Meadow Brown bumbled over like an overfriendly puppy wanting to say hello and the Chalkhll was off to another flower. I’d follow it and watch it settle, stalk in closer and just get into position, start focusing and then a Meadow Brown did the same thing! This kept on happening so in the end cursing Meadow Browns I started to work back along the side of the Down and back towards the Tutor session.  

A female Common Blue was present at the side of the field on my return leg and I paused for a moment or two to take in the wonderfully fresh Specklie which was at the junction of the path up to the Down and the path to the Tutors’ house.

No earth shattering sightings but still nice to see none the less and with a trip to Wales imminent and a change in the weather this could be the last butterflying trip for a good few days…​

Laverstock Down Part 3    26-07-2018

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SOOOO it had already been a cracker of a day with two 2nd brood Dingies from two different sites, Wall Brown and probably 8 Brostreaks. Now I was back at Laverstock for the afternoon holiday class. It started well enough with a Comma on some Buddleia on the first stretch of path. But as I cut across the field and started up the side of the Down it became quite quiet. Really quiet actually right up to the point when a tangerine cream butterfly hove into view – a fantastic Painted Lady looking really fresh and brimming with vitality. I spent some time with the Lady and she was quite coquettish pretending to be shocked by my advances but not really moving on that far each time.    

After a while I bade her adieu and carried on round the Down. Sticking to the high path and looking down the hill onto the butterflies below. There were all the usual species on show and round by the gully a reasonable. Showing (for this site) of six Chalkhills.

As I watched a butterfly flew in and out of the corner of my eye I saw that it didn’t fit the expected ‘species’. It was a Cloudy! I got a few grab shots before it was off like a rocket and I tried my best to follow it for a few in flight shots. This meant that I covered most of the ground back to the end of the Down focusing solely on this particular butterfly. It just didn’t stop, it was like a perpetual motion machine.

What a fantastic finale to a most awesome day! I don’t think I’ve ever had a better start to the holiday what with 23 species in one day including some oddities.

 Shipton Bellinger (Part 2 of the all dayer)    26-07-2018

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Having done Tutor Session 1 I had the rest of the day until 3ish free; so where to go? Well at this time of year where else but Shipton? I already had my Brostreak so now it was time to go for some more.
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To save time I cut straight to the chase and parked behind the hotspot/border hedge in the shade. Two gents, one later remembered as Maurice, say there is nowt about which got me wondering if the Brostreaks were returning back to their usual habits and putting in a decent shift in the golden hours between 11 and 3? So I wandered along the hedge checking for any little orange triangles and paying particular attention to any areas where the grass looked trampled. I didn’t see any Brostreaks though on this first sweep through but there were good numbers of Holly Blue, Hedge & Meadow Browns along with the occasional Large White and Brown Argus in amongst the grasses bordering the hedge. Towards the end there was a mass congregation of Blues, mainly Common, feeding on a bit of dog poo. They took off now and again in a reverse cascade of blue.

I completed my ‘transect’ and then ended up back where I’d started and also where I’d seen the male Brostreak the day before. And there it was, possibly even the very same male. I called out that I’d gotten one and spied Paul who was onto his own. I looked back as Maurice and his mate arrived and there was a second. Three males all within 5 metres of each other. We all hung around here for a while and were joined by a SWF, Red Admiral and a Smessex while the three males became two when Pauls pushed off. Then the second left leaving the remaining one which had a real penchant for one particular Thistle Head. After a while various people appeared and all the while the Brostreak hung around the one flower. One bloke arrived (John – I’m so bad with names) and got straight onto the male. Then there was a semi-anxious wait while he had to wait for his mate to arrive. Mind you he needn’t have worried as this male wasn’t going anywhere.

After a while people drifted off and so I did as well. I sauntered round to the other side of the hedge and started up the hill. I cut through into a partial clearing and bumped into Andy (who regularly does the transect here) and Paul. A Wall Brown flies by landing just long enough to make an ID and so I decide to check this area out. We meander our way along the track, ducking under Hawthorn occasionally and emerging in tiny, sheltered clearings. We find a Brostreak or two in the first of these and by the time we’ve done a complete walk round and made our way back we’ve added even more bringing the tally to 2 males and 2 females. A second brood Dingy also out in an appearance but was too quick for my lens. I did note that the females don’t seem to be acting in their usual fashion – possibly the heat is getting to them? Normally they’re the first down to the nectar, showing up the honey coloured or tatty males with their pristine, glowing livery. Yet today both females were up high (about head height) and were skulking in the shade. Still a grand total of 6 males and 2 females isn’t to be sniffed at this year when the Brostreak Rule Book has been virtually burnt and discarded.
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Cheerfully I loaded up the car and set off for home…there’s another tutor session for little L still to go so another chance for me to get up the Down.  

Laverstock    26-07-2018    Part 1

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This was to be part 1 of a full day of butterflying! I’d been waiting for this moment for almost a year, the first day of the summer when I’d finally be free to day all of the butterflying that I wanted…just a pity that the season is almost over and that the holiday is now only 5 weeks long, oh and I’d have lots of chores to do and some work and there would also be family outings…Whatever the plans had been laid, recces done and things were moving along nicely so I was going to try and enjoy this day. So first up Holiday Tutor class which may be a pleasant chore for Little L but for me meant the opportunity to get up the Down and start ticking off butterflies.
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And so it began with a few Browns on the path along the at the back of the Tutors and then a Holly Blue on the Ivy at the start of the track across the farmers field. From there I worked my way along the bottom of the Down making towards the gully. Hedge Browns and Meadow Browns posed open wings sucking up the early morning sun as they sucked up nectar and through the sea of long grasses the occasional Blue roosted, still closed wing perhaps waiting for the temperature to increase just a degree more. A Marbled White in very poor repair flew around one of the islands of Bramble which was a notable sighting as it could be the last of this species that I see this year. The islands of Bramble seem to work their way down the Down and about half way along the track they merge with the hedge running along bottom length of the track forming short tunnels. You have two choices here, either climb up and round and then re-join the track on the other side or stick to the track and duck and dive threw to the other side. Today I chose the latter option as it’s a good way to catch the butterflies unawares. It paid off as in the exposed patches of Down between these tunnels I found a nice selection of Blues just waking up, including a Small Copper.

As the path wound on with the hedge on one side and the Down towering on the other it levels out at it reaches the gully. Here I noticed a little brown job. It’s erratic, fast and jinking flight surprised me. I first thought Skipper and not a small Brown but the brown colour stumped me momentarily. Perhaps a very worn Smessex? It landed close by and I crept up remembering as I did that last year I’d seen a second brood Dingy – fast, zig-zagging flight, little brown job, that must be what it was. And indeed it was.

After this I made my way to the gully which wasn’t exactly overflowing with Chalkhills but was still holding reasonable numbers for this site and it did have a second Small Copper in amongst the Common Blues which were almost as numerous as the Meadow Browns. I kept on moving climbing up one side of the gully and making my way back to the entrance but this time from the top and along the side of the Down. I’d look down and laid out before me was a butterfly display of wonder as separate butterflies would take off and bumble into others disturbing them and so on in a chaotic and poor choreographed Mexican Wave. Occasionally I’d stop and admire one particular butterfly or just breathe deeply and take in the whole scene.
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All too soon I was back in the cool of the Tutors house checking through my photos. What cracking hour, possibly the best start to the holidays ever?                                                                

​Shipton Bellinger    25-07-2018

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And so the end of the year finally arrived, somehow I’d made it and survived. As we had a half day I decided to take the back way home and use the time to my advantage to try and tick off Brostreak. It may have ended up as just a recce as I’d heard that the Brostreaks weren’t following their usual rule book and the heatwave had them running for the shade and therefore disappearing well before the usual end of the Golden Time at 3:00. Just to be on the safe side I’d also arranged a visit the following day so I wouldn’t be too worried if I didn’t find my quarry and I could at least get the lay of the land and start the change of gears into Holiday Mode.
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I pulled off the Bulford/Tidworth road and parked behind the Hotspot Hedge. As soon as I got out of the car I was into the butterflies with various Whites flying by as well as a faded DGF in amongst some blues. I was quite surprised as I thought everything would be hiding away out of the heat. As I rounded the corner and looked down the hedge there was plenty of activity low down with more Whites and Meadow Browns the odd blue and Small Heath as well as a gorgeous fresh Small Copper.

I carried on further along the hedge seeing more Brimstone and Meadow Browns low down and the occasional Holly Blue up high and while I was scanning along I spied another enthusiast near the other end of the hedge. He was standing stock still with a large lens positioned a few feet away from the bushes. “I reckon I know what he’s onto” I thought and so I made my way over. As I got closer I recognised him from a few trips before (Daneways and here) and so re-introducing myself he kindly pointed out a male Brostreak which he’d been watching in the same spot for almost an hour. I got my shots and we chatted and I went back for a few more but my head connected with a Bramble and the butterfly flew back over the large mound of Bramble. I apologised profusely but Tommy (I think it was, I’m useless with names) said not to mind as he’d be back.

So after about 5 minutes the male was indeed back. We stood back and let him settle for a good while and in the meantime while we chatted we watched various other butterflies pass by. A Comma, Holly Blue, Red Admiral all joined the ranks of Meadow and Hedge Browns and various Whites. The Brostreak was still in the same place so we went in for a few more shots and then stood back again to give him some space and Tommy said his goodbyes and headed for home. I stayed for a bit and while I watched the Brostreak moved a little further back into the vegetation and into the shade so I left him in peace and had a quick walk around the small scallops on the other side of the main track.

There were plenty of Blues around as well as a Smessex and a few Specklies in the more shaded overhung parts of the trackways. On the final walk back along the hedge the Brostreak was gone but I walked through a cloud of 20 or so Blues; mainly Common Blue males thought here were a few Brown Argus and at least on Holly in the mix. It was quite a novel experience to be surrounded at head height by so many fluttering insects, I was just glad they were butterflies and not Horseflies! I also briefly checked out the other side of the hedge and this meant that I was able to add Small Tort and Peacock to the visit tally.

Hopefully I’ll find a few more tomorrow but actually a pretty fine haul for the time of day and in the incessant heat. It’s nice to know that the job, barring an unusual migrant/ Cloudy, is done and now I can relax and enjoy all the butterflies I find, though there might not be that many as they might have all burnt out. Hopefully I’ll be wrong about this

Broughton Down    22-07-2018

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What was supposed to be an entire day butterflying had turned into a trip with L and my wife to Mottisfont with a stop off at Broughton on the way back. This further metamorphosed into a few hours at Broughton and so I set off as soon as I was able reasoning that I needed to get there either before the forecast cloud covered the reserve (so Silver-spots wouldn’t fly) or the un-forecast sun got too strong (and Silver-spots would fly rather too well).

I got out of the car at the lane and as I was putting my boots on scanned across the hedge. A Holly Blue out in an appearance along with the usual smattering of whites and browns; the odd Brimstone adding a bit of va-va-voom to the proceedings. From there it was away up the steep hill which doesn’t get any easier and in fact seems to get longer and steeper each time I visit. Up near the turning I met a couple that seemed a little lost and so I showed them the way that I go to get into the reserve. I second guessed myself in the end as it seemed a little unfamiliar but in the end we got to the middle gate and broke through from the gloom of the Beech trees into the air at the top of the down mid-way along the reserve. I wished them well and said I’d give them a holler if I found any Silver-spots and then set to walking slowly along the main path and the thinner animal tracks. It didn’t take long until I was calling out that there was a Silver-spotted Skipper.

After a few more shots were taken we split up again and I set to investigating the trackways again. There was the odd Silver-spot, a few really small Common Blues and even tinier Brown Argus in amongst the ghosts of DGFs-past. I set to making for the shorter turf to the right of where I’d come in. This part of the down sweeps down to the left to the bottom of the site with smalls ditches on either side a bit like a grass motorway. Here there was more of the same and a Silver-spot would zip here and there occasionally put up by an annoying Blue or Meadow Brown and a DGF would ghost across the short turf now and again. Some of these DGFs still had their orange colour whilst some were so faded they appeared almost grey, hence my spectral allusions.

I worked my way back to where I’d started and settled down near a near circular scar in the turf where I suppose a Bramble had been recently grubbed out. I poured a coffee and started to enjoy my extra hot Lime Chilli Pickle sandwich when a Small Heath put up a Silver-spot that had been sitting almost right next to me. My earlier wanderings on the short turf area had let me warm up as it were and so somehow I was able to follow it with my eyes and mentally marked where it alighted. So with camera in one hand, sandwich in the other and the contents of my first bite nicely burning the inside of my cheeks I set forth. It had landed in the fold of a leaf on a small shrub and from my first position it looked like it was all snuggled up in its sleeping bag! It moved forward a little and stood on tip-toes while I got a few more shots and then it was gone.

Having reacquainted myself with my coffee and lunch eaten I gathered my things and set off further along the track towards the hump and the small field at the extreme west of the reserve. There were more blues around here and if I’d had more time I would have remained here and set up shot next to the clumps of Hemp Agrimony. Over a very short period I had four species of Whites, Hedge and Meadow Browns, DGF and SWF and Common Blue and Brown Argus visiting just the one stand. I carried on and as I got closer to the small field the Common Blues seemed to be phased out and the Chalkhills phased in. It was down the steep bank and straight up the next side and then the field levelled out. The Chalkhills didn’t stop for love nor money after my first encounter so I tried my luck with the DGFs and they were slightly more obliging. They kept fluttering slowly round in circuits seeming to hone in on a particular point and then they settled down in amongst the grass stems. In amongst all these species flitting about a Smessex and Silver-spot both put in an appearance as well as a Red Admiral.       

After this I slowly made my way back the way I’d come stopping occasionally; the first time to watch as a Marbled White flew by, the second time to watch a Holly Blue and finally to nail a SWF that had escaped my lens earlier. I met another enthusiast who was yet to see and photograph a Silver-spot and so I showed him the best area and then a Silver-spot too. I found another for him and once he’d gotten his shot I took a look around and realised that everything was flying rapidly, I felt really hot and so it seems that the un-forecast had come to fruition. The sun was shining strongly and the butterflies had gone manic. I ever so slowly made my way back towards the gate, a few steps and stop, a few steps and stop etc. It’s always hard leaving a site and this is the best way I’ve found of achieving it; do a really slow exit and before you realise it you’re on your way back to the car. So it was today and I was in the cool shade under the Beech without it being a wrench or feeling that I’d been robbed of butterflying opportunities.

But the butterflies didn’t stop there. On the final stretch down the hill it seemed that there was a Specklie at every open patch in the tree tunnel and as I was changing my boots a Small Copper landed at the bottom of the hedge but got ‘moved on’ by a passing Common Blue. Fingers crossed Brown Hairstreak next…

Garston Stop-off    20-07-2018

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I don’t know where to begin explain how and why I was able to make this the shortest of stop-offs at Garston Wood. I was basically on my way home from a funeral and having held myself together throughout that and the wake and the journey home with my parents I needed a moment to get my head together before I got home to my family.
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I pulled into the car park, collected my camera and wandered up the main track. A SWF landed on the deck I leant in to get a few shots and realised that the camera battery was dead! At first I was annoyed at myself but then a wry smile passed over my face and a chuckle emerged from my throat as I imagined the person’s whose funeral I’d attended laughing and saying “nice one Bert”. Loaded up with a fully functional battery I retraced my steps but the SWF was gone so I kept on walking further up the hill scanning the brambles and tall thistles that lined the path. Another female SWF landed nearby and as I was getting a few shots a male dove in and hassled her. He didn’t get anywhere despite his smoothest selection of chat-up lines and at one point he sat dejectedly on the same leaf as the object of his affection possibly trying to hypnotise her into submission. That didn’t work either and so he buggered off. When I spied another couple going through the courtship dance a few moments later I wondered if he was trying again – so fickle these butterflies that are trying to meet their biological imperatives!  

These shenanigans helped boost my mood and the moments when I was focusing on focusing I was away; on Brownsea Island, camping on the Purbeck, sitting in the works van, standing watching a Ring-necked Duck at Poole Park, having a beer in the Haymoor on my 18th etc. all places I’d been and all things I’d done with Bill, nos da, ow Cothman Bill.

Laverstock – Twice in two days!

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09-07-2018

When I arrived for tutoring there was a distinct absence of the Tutor – trapped on her way back from Wales on the M4. Instead one of her sons ran the session but with the offer of a ‘freebie’ later in the week. I secretly thought great - another trip out but it was down to little L so I’d check with her to see what she wanted to do later.

The Down itself was quiet and the light cloud and the quite strong breeze didn’t really help matters. I followed the same tried and tested ‘new’ route – across the field and along the foot of the Down heading towards the gully. Whilst there were butterflies about they didn’t hang around and whereas normally I could watch them land and then stalk close enough for a few shots today the minute they got about 20 cm in the air the wind would catch them and they were gone! It seemed that the best idea was to seek the sheltered spots on the leeward side of the taller scrub patches. This worked well and soon I was finding good numbers of sheltering butterflies. Whilst it was good to find them it presented me with a dilemma. As the butterflies were seeking refuge from the wind the last thing I wanted to do was stalk them and spook them. So if I saw a butterfly land I would try a few shots before they realised that I was there and then back off and leave them to it. This meant that I only picked up a couple of Hedge Browns and a Comma, all three of which stayed where they were once I’d gotten my photos.

I got back in time for the first time in an age slightly disappointed with the trip out but little L had decided that she wanted to take the offer of the Freebie session so I’ll be back up there tomorrow.
 
10-07-2018

Same week, different day and again driving to the Tutors…and the weather was much better behaved, the wind was gone, the temperatures were back up and the sun was out. Today I took the ‘old’ route as I decided to give the gully a chance to ‘re-butterfly’. It’s been reasonably quiet there recently; soon it will have Chalkhills and more blues than you can shake a stick at but today I was going to concentrate on the part of the Down that I concentrated on during the Spring.
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On the path down I stopped for this and that the first species being a Marbled White. Some have gotten to the point now where the black has turned to more of a grey or dark brown. The golden Skippers are still looking good, the females in particular and they are still as entertaining as ever. As I reach the gently sloping foot of the Down before it gets going proper Whites start appearing more. One flies in briefly for nectar and as I focus on it takes off. I don’t think anymore of it until I get back and check through the photos and there is one of those ‘if I tried for that I’d never have gotten it’ shots with the White freeze framed in mid take off.

I carry on up the steep side of the Down pausing about half way up where the blues like to fly. This is a good vantage point as you can scan down below you and see the blues either flashing azure or lilac amid the green background or as little white flags fixed rigid as the grass stems sway in the slightest of breeze. There are a fair few about today and the main problem is choosing which one to go for. I make my choice but as I make my approach another Blue tempts me either by being closer, in better condition or in a better position.
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I stay on this side of the Down and nearer the top in one of the little scallops a DGF drops in briefly for a quick feed. It’s not there for very long because a Comma (one that holds a territory here?) dive bombs it. I managed a couple of shots before this happened but despite the DGF coming back a further three times I didn’t add any others as the scenario is repeated each time the DGF puts a Tarsi onto a thistle. Whilst waiting for the DGF to return I take advantage of the thistle heads which prove a delight to various passing Whites and the surrounding Bramble which encases the scallop is popular with a/the marauding Comma.

All too soon time has ticked away and I taking the hard and dusty track across the field back to pick up little L. Mind you this was a great little bonus trip and more than made up for the dire situation yesterday!

Godshill    07-07-2018

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So it’s reached that time of the year again albeit seemingly a fair bit earlier this year? Time for Garylings and so Godshill it was. The heat was still on as I wandered across the Cricket pitch and down the path. The stream is now not even a trickle, more a collection of tiny ponds and so after walking on dusty, sandy paths I now walked over a ‘hardcore’ road for a few paces. After this I went round the triangle (try dong the maths on that!) without any luck. There was the odd Silver-Studded Blue, Large Skipper and the usual Meadow Browns and Hedgies aplenty as well as a fly-by Red Admiral but no Grayling. As I came back to the initial tip of the triangle I finally caught sight of a Grayling; slightly larger than the Meadow Browns and with little periods of glide when in flight. I headed in the general direction in which it had gone and away from my preferred ‘triangle’ patch but I couldn’t relocate it. With the job half done I carried on my course reasoning (incorrectly as it turned out) that the Grayling could be over in anew part of the heath.

I ended up following the partially dried up streambed seeing good numbers of Silver-Studs along the way and most were looking like they were not long for this world and would soon set off to meet their maker. I got distracted for a while watching mud-puddling Green-veined Whites and by the time I’d realised that I’d not taken any shots most of them had had their fill and left. Never mind as round the next bend a Holly Blue graciously landed and spent what felt like an age engaged in salt taking.

I made my way back round the triangle and up the brook in the opposite direction seeing and photographing some cracking Dragonflies but this wasn’t getting me the Grayling I’d come for so it was back to where I’d seen my first one. There was one again in roughly the same place and after that I stumbled onto a couple more and set to raking up the shots; on poo, on heather, forewing exposed, clear shot, in grass, “where’s the Grayling?” etc.

In the midst of all this I worked out how they manage sometimes to totally disappear. A Grayling would take flight, zig and zag, veer this way and that. Then it would fly directly at me and at the last second veer away in a sharp circle round my head. I’d turn and look round behind me and it would be gone. This happened a couple of times but on the last occasion I happened to look at the floor and there was the Grayling. Ordinarily I’d be scanning metres away, staring into the distance trying to spot the errant Grayling above the heather tops. So it seems that after the kamikaze run and the sharp turn the butterfly stalls and drops to the deck. The next time a Grayling spooked the same thing happened but I was ready for it. It flew towards me and instead of turning and staring ahead I turned and looked directly down and there it was. Cheeky little blighters!
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I carried on enjoying my time with the Graylings picking up a range of shots again and also adding a Trousering to the list. I reckon this was the Grayling making up for their cheeky behaviour…

After this I checked out the Brook again for some more Dragonflies and then I made my way back up the hill. Grayling ticked off but also plenty of SSBs, Large Skipper and Smessex. The oddest sight of the day though had to be a Marbled White flying over heather with not a scrap of grassland in sight. 

Work    06-07-2018

I finally managed to get out and have a look about today, I was tempted having seen a Holly Blue flitting about outside my window and a Comma almost came into join my year 8 class. It was so hot I didn’t make it down to the far end of the field but from what I could see it was a summer scene; golden and straw coloured grasses swayed in the gentle breeze, the susurration providing a break from the noise of everything slowly cooking. In the broiling heat some of the grasses had collapsed so walking through the pits was much easier. On the way I watched a Large Skipper flying this way and that occasionally upsetting a Ringlet or Meadow Brown and then I was at the Brambles Patch where a beautiful lemon Small White was looking resplendent while it took nectar.
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I moved on round the other side and watched as various Smessex Skippers zipped around. I manage to follow one for what felt like an age and then it would do the kind of aerial turn that would leave a jet plane tumbling out of the sky in 6 or 6 pieces and it would be lost from sight. To try for shots I instead took to checking out all the Thistle tops and Ragwort. If I saw a little orange triangle I’d cautiously approach and try for a few shots before the butterfly caught on and did a runner. In this way I managed to catch up with a definite Essex as well as an aged Small.

All too soon I could feel my head starting to melt and so I made my way back to the relative cool of the shade of my lab. I’d only been outside for 20 minutes but that was all I could manage. This heat is getting a bit extreme now!

Laverstock Down   02-07-2018

There are only a couple more of these afternoon tutor sessions left before the summer break so I needed to make the most of the remaining times and try and hurry up and catch up with the remaining few species. So far things were looking pretty good and I’d also had a bonus in the form of the unexpected Silver-stud. However I still needed to pick up a couple of species; DGF, Chalkhilll and Painted Lady, and even though there would be opportunities to visit during the ‘holiday classes’ I was slightly concerned that vagaries of the weather would play havoc with my plans. The summer holidays are generally pretty poor weather wise.  Today I intended to follow the tried and route of along the path behind the gardens, turn right through the kissing gate, carry on straight up and then turn left onto the site and follow the track down the gentle slope and then up the Down. On path behind the gardens there were Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and at least 3 Smessex. As I manoevured through the kissing gate 2 H.Commas played in the dappled shade alternatively landing and then being harried by the other. Up on track that gently slopes down to the foot of the Down before it rises like a behemoth I observed a Holly Blue fluttering around the Brambles patches. Meadow Browns played hide and seek with me among the grasses, Smessex zipped here and there the fresher ones flashing and added a little glitter to proceedings whilst the Marbled Whites still played hard to get. It must be the heat as I can’t recall any other year when they have been so twitchy. I remember getting right up in their grill during some summers but during most outings this year a few paces away is as close as I can get.

Around the foot of the Down were more Smessex and another Holly Blue (or was it the same one?). There was also another H.Comma holding a territory and now the grass spread further I started seeing a few more Blues with two Common and a Brown Argus. I strode ever upwards, which despite the practice doesn’t seem to be getting any easier and Small Heath scattered before me. A larger, slightly paler looking Comma glided across the Down and settled on a ginormous Thistle. Something didn’t compute about its colour, shape or jizz and so I cautiously approached it. Boom a DGF! I got a record shot and then ever so carefully stalked closer but then an H.Comma hassled it away. Whilst I was slightly grateful for the comparative view I was at the same time annoyed that the feisty little bugger had spooked my quarry!

As I carried on up the path the DGF dropped in momentarily again but this time I didn’t even get a record shot fired off before the H.Comma was again on the scene. Perhaps he was confused and thought that the DGF was a competitor? I carried on upwards through the overgrown path which has become really dense and overgrown where a Comma was holding territory. Eventually I broke through the dense vegetation and into the sunshine again at the very top of the Down before carrying on along to the top of the gully. Over 10 minutes or so I’d gone from jungle explorer to fell walker and no to downhill skier as I slalomed down the Down. I was surprised to see only a couple of Blues and the odd Small Heath so I carried on with the walk back scanning about and looking for DGFs along the way. As I worked through the shrub tunnels, dipping between sunlight and shade I stumbled upon a DGF on the way in one of the breaks eagerly taking nectar. A little further on there was a second right at the bottom on the periphery of the Down. It got spooked by a Marbled White of all things and promptly nipped over the hedge to glide over the wheat and disappear from view.
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Not too shabby for a wander round the Down and to top it all another DGF flew along the path behind the tutors house! So another one ticked and off the list, only a couple more to go! Species that is not tutor sessions.

Bentley Wood    01-07-2018

This looked set to be a cracker even though I was pretty convinced that I was still a year away from my 3 year cycle of grounded shots. Because of the heat I got there early and pulled into a surprisingly empty car park. As I got my camera out of the boot a SWF flew lazily around the car park, 3 Purple Hairstreaks bickered above me and a Purple Emperor landed in a tree directly above my car. So three of my target species seen and I’m not even ready to leave the car!

I start down the path and a Red Admiral raises my pulse for a fraction of a second as it’s settled on the main track. There are shed loads of Ringlets along the path and I find a couple of Hedgies in among them. About half way along the main track which I know is a good spot I stopped and waited and chatted to another enthusiast who’d arrived at the same point from the opposite direction. A couple more arrived and bait was put down which was promptly accepted by a Red Admiral. Also around and about here were loads of Purple Hairstreaks. I don’t really recall having seen so many here before. A few came down to the Bracken low down but most don’t hang around for long. One did and I can see why; he’s particularly shot, with hind wings devoid of any scales whatsoever. I was surprised that he could still fly!

Then a Purple Emperor did a couple of fly-by’s and so it looked like it was going to be a matter of waiting and seeing. One of the blokes has to risk a run to the car for his water and after a little while we get a call as in a little scallop 12 paces from the car park there’s a Purple Emperor down on the deck. We race over and then slow our pace as we draw near to let it settle. It’s found something icky in the foliage so we wait some more for it to really settle. As we do another couple appear from the car park and he plonks himself right at the front of the group, in the perfect position and right in the way. I manage a few shots from different angles but the Johnny-come-lately hogs the prime quadruple purple position. Eventually it decides to have a look slightly further along the path and I think “great I might get onto a decent angle this time”. But no, now another late arrival gets too keen and doesn’t give it any time to settle so it’s off. We all wait a while to see if it will come back but it appears to be spooked for good. Annoyingly it transpires that the Johnny-come-lately-prime-position-hogger isn’t even a true butterfly enthusiast he’s actually a birder that makes Purple Emperors his one exception! Doh!

Grinding my teeth and soundly a lot like a coarser version of Muttley I carry on my route, with some of my shots showing blue dampening my rage. Back at the half way point a PE is doing a fly-by and as well there’s a distant White Admiral (year tick number 4). At the Switchback I take a right and head up to the memorial seeing more SWFs. I pause briefly on my mission for a White Admiral that is almost within reach of my lens. I notice a glowing H.Comma out of the corner of my eye to my left and then I’m back focusing on the Admiral. When I finally get to the memorial, or rather the Wytch Elms just past them it seems that the sucker they were using last year is succumbing to DED fast. I manage to add Whitter to the year list with the sighting of a singleton so hopefully the suckers slightly further along the track may offer hope for the species here. Feeling slightly down and wondering where I’ll find a new Whitter site in Wiltshire I head back stopping on the way for this and that; a SWF here, a DGF there, another female SWF etc.

As I walked this final stretch I replayed various parts of the trip through my mind; “5 year ticks isn’t too bad” I muse to myself “if only I’d had more luck with the Emperor”. I decide that as I’m almost back at the car park earlier than anticipated I may as well check out the ‘Purple Patch’ again. Something big and stripey flies round me and then lands back on the nasty stuff. It’s a PE and I have it all to myself. Just in case I call out “Emperor down!” but no-one comes. It moves from the ickyness to a log which is unfortunately in the shade. As I’m surreptitiously sidling round to see if I can get a flash of blue a second comes in and busses the first!. Looks like Karmic pay back after the Johnny-come-lately incident earlier.

After this one lands down on the deck and I get a few shots. Then a 4 x 4 appears, ooohhhh nooo! But instead of ploughing on by the driver pulls up and waits as the Emperor flits about on the path posing here and there. I even get trousered. After wait felt like too short an audience but which was probably a good 10 minutes the Emperor moves off further down the track. I thank the driver profusely and he smiles “An Emperor was it? No problem”. What a dude.

Blissed out after my first ever private audience I stumble into the car park where I have the unfortunate task of having to answer the dreaded question “Have you seen any Emperors down as we haven’t yet?” Bashfully I mention that they just missed one. They set of hurriedly thanking me, I so hope they got an audience too…  

Lavender Farm    24-06-2018

It was the right time of year for the Lavender Farm visit as by now the florets would be bursting and you would be able to practically see the oil evaporating of the flower tops. Plus we had a reason/excuse to visit for a Cream Tea; I still can’t find a vegan Clotted Cream. So off we headed and true to form the weather was a bit iffy when we arrived with thin clouds and drizzle. Never mind we sat under cover and munched and slurped and devoured while the Sparrows that were sheltering with us jostled round our feet hoping for, but not receiving any crumbs. As the last mouthful was finished and plates were pushed to the middle of the table emptied of their contents I looked out across the gardens and a Meadow Brown moved in line with my gaze. The cloud had depleted and turned from ominous grey to white and little patches of sky had coloured themselves back in blue. Smiling I picked up my camera and suggested that we should take out walk through the gardens.
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We set off to the Lavender field first, the girls walked up the row tentatively trailing their hands along the flower tops and then breathing the heady scent deeply. I followed them up the rows but looked out for any butterflies that they spooked. Normally it would be the other way round but today I was feeling the relaxing effect. It wasn’t just the sun starting to warm my back (as the sky was now replete of cloud) nor the hypnotic vapours but I found the colour of the flowers very restful on my eyes even in the brightening conditions. The occasional Meadow Brown would flutter lazily across the rows still surprisingly camouflaged. Then a butterfly ‘popped’ out and promptly disappeared again. It was a Small Tort that had briefly opened its wings.

We carried on wandering up and down the rows circling back and just completing circuits. Along the way a few Whites of various guises flew by, the odd Hedge Brown and Meadow Brown. At the top of the final row something smaller zipped by. It was acting far too manically for this site but eventually even this frenetic butterfly calmed down, a lovely Small Skipper.

We carried on round the gardens at the top of the field and things became a little hazy as we moved around almost slumbering on our feet due to the combined narcotic effects of warm sun, full belly and Lavender scent. I started looking out for the Whites and spent a bit of time with them. There were a few Brimstone about thought they seemed to keep their distance and spent much of their time nectaring in the parts of the field that were closed off. There were also a couple of Small Torts that held territory at the top of the wild flower patch where. I just kept bimbling along watching a butterfly feed and then remembering to take a photo or two.

Eventually we tore ourselves away and headed home. “The girls will sleep well tonight” I thought; and they did and so did I.

Larkhill and on to work…29-06-2018

With the summer fast progressing and rushing away from me today I took a little time to catch up with some of the Browns again. With the heat and arid conditions set to stay I felt that things were going to be tricky with Marbled White in particular as they’re proper Rock n Roll butterflies; life fast die young. Today when I pulled in at Larkhill in the hope of catching up with them it was pretty quiet despite (or because of?) the heat, it felt like midday rather than before 8 of the clock. I checked out the start of the Westbound path and among the erratic skippers and Small Heath a few Ringlets hung around looking a little tired already and I only saw my first three days ago! Perhaps I’d been a little tardy in looking for them this year but then things seem to be all over the place with some of the spring species emerging late whilst the summer ones have had barely a catnap in the cocoon.

Down towards the strip of nettles on the main field a few Marbled Whites flew which I was surprised by. I expected Marbled Whites but nowhere near as few as I saw. It was also quiet on the Skipper front. This little area last year was heaving with Smessex so much so that I didn’t know where to point my lens first. This year they seem well down by comparison and also much more alert. So whilst it was easier to select a target the approach was all the more difficult. In the end I managed to find a Marb that was so intent on nectaring that I think a coach load of enthusiasts could have arrived and it still wouldn’t have budged.

After such a dismal return for all much concerted efforts I retired to the car stopping first of all at the corner of the hedge. Finally some easy to photograph butterflies as they’d been in the shade so were cooler. It seemed that this was the place for the Browns to hang out as there were Ringlets on almost every branch. Occasionally a Ringlet would open up and sun itself and it would phosphoresce almost in purple and green tones as it refracted the early morning sunlight wildly. There was also the odd Meadow Brown so usurping a Ringlet’s sunbathing spot.

Having worked through the morning I headed out to the Pits for lunch and drawing near to the Bramble bush I just stood and watched and enjoyed the show out on by the Essex Skippers, almost forgetting to take any photos, so swept up in their bustling and jostling. Well I almost forgot…

Work over the next few days…27-06-2018

After the exertions of the previous day; a Science/Geography fieldtrip followed by searching for Large Blues in the oven that was Daneways I had a fair amount of work to catch up on and lots of photos to sort through so on Wednesday I didn’t make any stop-offs or head out at lunch. However it seems that if I won’t got to the butterflies then they’ll come to me. When I entered into the chaotic miasma that is my Lab after a day of being covered my attention was drawn immediately to the top left hand window. There fluttering around bedazzled by the early morning sun streaming through the pane was a Large Skipper. He must have gotten in during the previous day as all the windows are closed at the end of the day. Standing on a stool I reached up and quickly cupped my hand over him. After about 15 seconds he stopped buzzing and then I was able to offer him my finger tip which he crawled onto. A couple of shots for my ‘in the hand’ collection later and he was back outside and off he zoomed to continue with his business.

The next day I’d managed to catch up with all the marking and answered all the emails that a day off timetable causes and so I treated myself to a quick trip out to the field at lunchtime. The grasses that had been lush green have taken on a lighter hue and in places have turned creamy or traditional straw coloured. As I moved across towards the large Bramble patch at the Pits the usual Meadow Browns were about as were a couple of errant Large Skippers. As I rounded the Bramble a smaller, brighter Skipper shot past me and then alighted a few feet away. It looked less ‘orange’ and so I reckoned it was an Essex which I was able to confirm when I saw the short, fine and straight sex brand. There were a couple zipping about but this one was the best behaved.

I took a further stroll through the trees and down along the border hedge where Meadow Browns had been warmed to near manic hood and so were impossible to approach. A few whites also fluttered about but never settled for long enough to get anything on them. One must have thought that it was far enough away to be safe and escape my lens and so stopped to take some nectar. Wrong and gotcha!
 
After this it was back to the Bramble and a while with the Skippers. They seemed to have warmed up in the 10 minutes or so that I’d been down the Hedge and so getting shots was proving to be nigh on impossible so I resorted to the tried and tested measure of just sitting and waiting by a  likely looking nectar source. It worked!

Then it was back into work…until the next time.

Westmill Wind Farm & Daneway 26-06-2018

Another week and another trip co-run with the Geography Department. This time we were heading north with all of year 10 to the Westmill Co-operative Windfarm. It was scorching when we arrived at 10 in the morning and having gotten into groups we set off along the stone tracks to complete various activities. A Small Tort brightened up what was therwise a drab field where we considering soil type and the under laying geology of the site. A little further on we all looked at the biodiversity using bug catchers and Pooters. There were Ringlets, Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Hedge Brown as well as a smattering of whites.

After lunch we moved on to look at the Turbines and take wind speed measurements. There was a surprising difference in the wind speed even over two metres, a point which I’ll bear in mind on future butterfly visits. After this we quickly checked out the solar panel field and in between the panels were grassed areas jam packed with butterflies including a lovely fresh looking Red Admiral.

Once back at work and with the pupils queuing for their respective buses I nipped off and got changed into my butterfly trousers and boots and then I was away. It felt quite strange to be heading North and I had to fight my instincts and follow my usual route home. Instead I was off to Daneways for a few hours as I was over half way there from my home already. I made good time missing the main rush hour traffic and before I knew it I was already heading down the narrow roads and trying to work out where to park. I thought I’d risk it and carry on to see if there were any spaces in the little pull-in/car park opposite the main gate. Shock horror there were and so I didn’t have the uphill hike to face. Things were looking good. Out of the car the bubble was slightly deflated as the heat hit me full on in the face. It was like stepping into an oven. I hoped that the butterflies would still be flying but reckoned that open wing shots would be off the cards. Through the gate and staring at the banks a medium grey blue butterfly flew, landed and started taking nectar. Job done!

I then set out to see if I could find any more and so started slowing traversing the banks following the tiny animal tracks. I didn’t turn up any more Large Blues. There were a few butterflies still flying but nowhere near the number I was hoping for and I guessed that they were all hiding in the shade. I twigged that finding more of my quarry was going to be hard graft and so decided to remain focused on Large Blues. If it wasn’t a Large Blue I’d note it but not follow nor try to photograph it. As I moved across the site I wondered if this was a good move as there still no more Large Blues but then I hit a little hotspot as the track climbed up and carried on towards the little wood to the top field. Here a couple of Blues flew very occasionally stooping to take nectar of investigate pockets of Thyme.

After this all this walking back and forth and following Large Blues up and down the site I sought some shade to cool down and so wandered ever so slowly up the wooded path to the top field. Slightly cooler I stepped back in the swelter and worked my way across the top field. It was so quiet here that I broke my ‘only a Large Blue’ rule and spent a few moments with a large Dragonfly, a Broad-bodied Chaser. Now I was at the top of the site I needed to get back down and so I walked to the other end of the field and started the vertiginous descent back to the base of the hill. Here, where it was obviously most difficult to follow them, were a couple of Large Blues and after much slipping and sliding, near fatal falls and ankle wrenching chases I reached the bottom with a meagre supply of additional photos. Walking back round to the hotspot I spied a few more Blues and so spent a little more time here just making sure that I had at least a few shots to show for my exertions and troubles.   

After this I decided to head for home and a nice, ice cold beer little knowing that a certain someone was sitting in the pub below contemplating the very same search operation that I had just completed. The after work trip had paid off, just but I reckon next year I’ll try when the weather isn’t too hot or isn’t too wet.       

Laverstock    25-06-2018

So having almost caught up (Large Blues –aahhhh) it was back to the usual business of a Monday afternoon so Tutor time for Little L and away up Laverstock Down for me. I took the usual route along the track and to the main path up towards the Down but it was surprisingly hot still, who’d have thought that we could get more than a few days good weather in the UK? Still I saw all the usual suspects on the way up to the Down with all four of the Browns represented in double digits and a single solitary Specklie at the break in the hedge which the cows enter and exit the reserve.
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Once up on the first little bit of Down I saw a few Common Blues and a couple of Adonis to boot but the surprise came in what I at first took to be a Brown Argus. It was small and brown and lacked the cell spot which would make it a BA. However the spots where massive in comparison with those you’d expect to find on a BA. I took a few shots and watched it for a while and then realised that I’d seen this species only two days previously. I became convinced that it was a female Silver-studded Blue. But as I was out on the exposed Down in the glaring sun checking back the images on the camera proved to be next to impossible and I couldn’t try and find a shaded nook to have a confirmatory look as I didn’t want to lose sight of it in case it was a Silver-stud. It carried on walking round amongst the grasses occasionally ovi-posturing but then as quickly as it had appeared it was gone again.

I carried on round and found my way to the lower path that follows the foot of the Down round to the gully. The path and its Bramble and Hawthorn thickets acted like service stations for butterflies which were moving through the endless sea of grass. Here I found a couple of Large Whites, a Comma, Large Skippers and a definite Small amongst the Smessex and at thicket number 2 the second surprise of the afternoon. Up high on a Hawthorn was a butterfly with a familiar looking profile. It thought it was up high but I found that by climbing up the slope it more readily appeared in view. It was a late Greenstreak and possibly the last of the season.

I needed to get back to pick up Little L but also to check the possible Silver-stud images and so wished the Greenstreak well and then slinging my camera over my shoulder I set to racing back. I was stopped momentarily though by a what I initially thought was a Small Heath with open wings but three surprises in one day would have been too much and the look of open winged-ness was actually because it had lost most of its hind wing leaving the inside lower surface of the fore wing exposed…if you get my meaning.

Once back in the cool shade of the tutor’s I looked through the shots of the possible Silver-stud. I don’t know why I doubted myself as the spotting pattern was spot on for Silver-studs but to make it even more evident there, towards the rear of the wing was a definite blue spot, the Silver-stud. What it was doing here I don’t know? The nearest colonies are in the New Forest, in fact Landford is the only Wiltshire site and that is a fair way away for a butterfly not known for making a large journey and one which might be considered almost sedentary. That’s butterflies for you, they’re always doing he unexpected!  

Lulworth Cove    24-06-2018

Things were going well with my weekend of catching up. I was on two out of three target species so far; DGFs in the bag, Silver-studs done and dusted with the added bonus on another addition to my in-cop collection and now could I make it ‘three for three’ with my favourite species?

The sun shone strongly and so we packed up and hit the road before 9 to hopefully arrive before all the grockles. The only concern I had was that should I find any Lulworths they’d be solar turbo charged? On the walk down to the Cove a DGF briefly landed on a small patch of scrub on the way down and it seemed to confirm my fears as it was practically bombing along. When we got down to the beach we headed to the left instead of the usual right-hand side, wandered about 100m along and then set up the new parasol. While the girls sorted themselves out ready to paddle I did my little magic trick and poured myself a coffee. I had barely put the cup down before a tiny, olive skipper flew by, landed briefly and then carried on along the beach. A Lulworth, job done, three for three and all thanks to the ‘pour a coffee and they will come’ trick.  

Once everyone was set to doing their appropriate beach activities I set to mine and set off to the other end of the beach noting a Small Skipper taking salts down at the tideline and a Marbled Whites looking very out of place as it flew over the briny. During the walk I kept stopping each time I found a source of nectar and the butterflies seemed to home in on these little oases in the desert of stones and sea. Along the way I found a few more Lulworths with a smattering of other species.

A cliff slip further on was better and here there was a blue amongst the browns which started a couple of Meadow Browns off. There were also 5-6 Marbled Whites and 7-8 Ringlet amongst the many, many Skippers; mainly the much smaller, slower flying Lulworths. I reached the end of the beach and headed up the stairs, well more a ladder laid almost flat then what I would think of as a staircase. At the top of the stairs I found a courting couple of Lulworths but the female was having none of it! So I’d got my hat-trick but not the ‘in-cop’ shots that would fit nicely into my collection. As I carried on up the path narrowed and every now and again it would open out with views over the cliff and there were flat grassed areas behind you. I checked out two of these and the Lulworths were proving difficult so I worked back and at the first one I tried again. I had much better luck here as I watched a male fly towards a female, they did a little buzz around and I thought I would see a failed courtship but no after about 10 seconds they were joined together at the top of a grass blade – ace another one for the book! A dog disturbed them slightly and so they moved slightly further away and slightly lower down. I headed back stopping at the slipped cliff and noting at least three DGFs or possibly four which just served as the icing on the cake. I got back to the rest of the family and discovered that I needn’t have gone a searching for Lulworths as there was one in the shade of our parasol; joining us for lunch!

Suitably refreshed and more coffee drunk I headed out a second time but this time I made my way the other way round the beach and tried out my ‘old’ hotspot. Despite my successes on the other side here it was quite quiet with only a couple of pairs of Lulworths and two Common Blue, the female of which had some interesting spots on the underside. I even got round as far as Stair Hole adding only a couple more Lulworths and a Large Skipper.

I was able to take a third trip out and number three was back along the first path. In amongst the Lulworths on the way I added more of the same species also noting a few taking salts on the wet clay where the spring springs or down on some of the ridges of exposed chalk in the tideline. I also risked climbing up the cliff slip in search of DGFs which off course liked to feed on the nectar from the plants that hung over the edge of the cliff! No slips or falls later and I walked up the cliff path again and this time I got as far as the third little ‘clearing’. A medium sized brownish-orangish butterfly caught my eye – my first Hedge Brown of 2018! Chuffed I made my way back stopping on the way for another courting couple. I wished the male well but despite sitting patiently and then making the smallest of gestures the female wasn’t interested in the slightest, poor chap.  

Once everyone was sun soaked and salt entrusted we decided to head for home. We walked back up the original hotspot cliff and round past Stair Hole before heading home hot and happy! The girls because they’d had a fun packed or relaxing day at the beach and me because I’d done the treble and bagged my third ‘in-cop’ shot. To top it off when I got back and anxiously checked the scores England had put 6 past Panama!

​Slop Bog    23-06-2018

With DGFs in the bag I set off with the girls in tow to continue with operation catch-up procedure - part 2. Hopefully this sequel wouldn’t be like others and would be as good as the original; hopefully it would be an Empire Strikes Back rather than a Ghostbusters 2…

It was the girls’ music choice on the way and so it was Taylor Swift hence I kept the windows up and my head down in case I was recognised. It got very hot very quickly so again I was concerned that it was too hot for the butterflies as it was certainly getting too hot for me, I was even considering trimming my beard (shaving would be a bit drastic) but I again I needn’t have worried as having already seen a couple of Specklies in the shade when we started off on the boardwalk little blue butterflies seemed to be covering the heather. “Brill part 2 completed, now for some shots…” I thought as we leant on the rails and watched the little gems frolicking in the Ling. I was itching to get off the boardwalk and onto the heather, to hear the unique scratchy rustle that it makes against your trouser legs that always reminds me of the hours I spent on similar heaths while I was growing up. 
Almost as soon as I was off the boardwalk I had my first shot and so job done proper, Silver-studded Blue.

After this things became a bit of a dreamy blur down to a mixture of the heat, heather smells and reminiscence but slowly, possibly too slowly for the girls, we made our way from one side of the heath/bog to the other. I was aiming for the little pine spinney on the far side as here it was shady for the girls and there were picnic benches which could act as a base for further forays but I kept getting waylaid as yet another group of blues would pop up and pose. I was surprised at how few females there were about and also how worn some of the individuals were already, that comes from living in this coarse, rough habitat I suppose? 

I also started seeing a behaviour I’d not seen before; a failed courtship. The male would slowly sidle round atop a heather plant whilst the female would protest violently against his advances, flapping her wings in flurry of fury. He would carry on encircling in a patient fashion and then eventually with a scream of “You just don’t get it do you?” she’d bugger off to another Heather. Sometimes he’d follow if he was quick enough but occasionally he’d remain morose and feeling misunderstood.

We’d reached the Pines and in between bites of sandwich I wandered around in ever increasing circles snapping away at what I found. Another couple of females in amongst the very many males, a female Clouded Buff…sorry Jam and Custard that evaded my camera, a male on Bramble which seemed incongruous for a Heather specialist and a lovely female that started to open out. This being the middle of the day and very warm I wasn’t expecting too many open wing shots especially from the females so this was a real bonus. Buoyed by my success I went and finished my lunch actually sitting down to eat for once.

After lunch was eaten I ventured forth again and worked my way into what was, in previous years, the bog part of the reserve. This year it was almost as dry as the main ‘Silver-studded Heath’ part (this is its’ actually name I’ve not named it this) and even when kneeling I didn’t get the expected wet patch. The problem I had on this visit was actually knowing what to focus on as there were so many Silver-studs, the heather was crawling with them. They were also quite flighty in the sun and so I switched from patient stalk to smash and grab. I’d find an animal track through the heather, follow it and swing my camera left and right and then click away at whatever befell my lens. There were some nicely marked males and one or two females which had a surprising amount of blue on their uppers.

I also found another pair of Large Skippers which were better placed and in better light than the pair I found at work. Seeing this pair made me think how good it would be to find a mating pair of Silver-studs and so I started scanning for a twosome. It started slowly with lots of singletons that kept buggering off before I could focus on them. Then a male played nicely and then I spied a courtship in process. At first I was tempted to hang around but things didn’t seem to be going well for the male and so I wished him luck and moved on.

Then I had one of those moments. I was scanning across the heather tops looking for the little flags that were in actual fact butterflies and there was a large white blob, dismissing it at first as a tuft of cotton grass I started to turn my head and as I did the breeze caught the ‘fluff’ and it flashed blue. I looked at it more closely and it resolved itself into a mating pair like one of those optical illusion magic tricks; now you don’t see it now you do! Chuffed I moved in and crouched down to get a better angle and as I did so I noticed another pairing a short distance away! Fantastic another addition to the ‘in cop’ collection!

After this I headed back to the girls and we put it to a vote as to whether to stay or not, unfortunately as all the food had been eaten I was outvoted 2 to 1 and so we packed up and cleared off. The return journey was almost as slow as the incoming one as I stopped every few steps occasionally to take a photo but mainly to just observe and breath it all in. As we were just about to step up onto the boardwalk a male opened up just off the path, it was the freshest I’d seen all day, a first rate stunner.  

On the way back it was still their music choice but this time a selection from Iron Maiden, The Beatles and the Artic Monkeys. We even had a little taster of Metallica! So two out of three done, ticked off, cards marked, the doubles done on for the treble tomorrow!!

Duke Site but not for Dukes…22-06-2018

As the weather hadn’t been great for a few days and work had been hectic I realised that I’d gotten behind with several species – DGFs were flying, Lulworths were out, Silver-studs were in danger of finishing before I’d get to see them…So I planned things out as my wife told me she wanted to visit Lulworth at the weekend.
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Hence today I was leaving for work at the usual time but instead of the usual hurried stop-off at Larkhill it was much more leisurely and when I couldn’t locate the DGFs I carried onto my Duke Site. We had a late starting TD day and it served as a sneak peek into what retirement could look like; rising early and pottering around looking for butterflies without the constant ticking of time passing gnawing at your brain. If this tiniest of glimpses is anything to go by then I can’t wait. When I was able to pull into the tiny lay-by at Larkhill I started by checking out the large nettle patch that runs at ninety degrees to the road and parallel to the gully bottom. It was quiet with only the odd Meadow Brown and Marbled White showing. I cut across the fields ignoring the Red flag flying to where the DGFs fly and where I saw my first the other day but I had no luck here and again there was just a thin smattering of the various Browns. Discontent I headed back towards the car and the bushes that fence in the path from the road. Sure enough as expected there were a few Ringlets but nowhere near the covering I’ve seen here before. So Larkhill was a bit of a disappointment – too early in the day possibly?

Larkhill as I said was quiet but by contrast my Duke site was filled with butterflies. The blues to a large extent had gone although ghostly looking common blues were still around in places but they’d been replaced by the Browns – Ringlets, Marbs, Meadow Browns and Small Heath abounded and then out of the blue came a big ginger beastie – a DGF. I followed it for a while and then got onto several more in amongst the grasses.

Record shots in the bag I set out towards the Cypress tree but stopped on the way for first one and then a second close encounter of the DGF kind. The light was perfect and they were so new that the black margins reflected back the colour of the plant they were feeding on so when it was Vipers Bugloss they had an electric blue sheen to their margins. Further up there was another at the top of the path as well a Common Blue and my first Small Skipper of the year. And up at the edge of the woodland a DGF flew about leading me this way and that round and round the Blackberry bush. Eventually checking my watch, I realised that I needed to make my way back and so I apologised for leaving the game and wished the DGF well.

It had been a cracking stop-off and the DGfs just seemed to keep on coming. I’d look around and about and there would be a ginger beastie cutting through the air and scything the tops of the long grasses. When I stopped back near the car in one view I could see 9 DGFs, it wasn’t so much tricky to get my shot as tricky to work out which one to try for! “Brilliant and part one of catch-up weekend complete, on to phase 2!” I thought to myself as Motty waxed lyrical about Red, Red Robin on Desert Island discs. I got to work still 25 minutes early and so was first in the queue for fresh coffee and muffins that were still warm. Then it was time for a quick chat with my colleagues before my preview of retirement ended and it was back to work.

Work    21-06-2018

​I didn’t have long at work today and so I only managed to check out the Pits where the Meadow Browns are now hanging out mainly on the Bramble which is serving like an oasis in the middle of what is fast becoming a desert. A slight over exaggeration but when you scan across the predominant colour is sand yellow/pale beige and the ground is either rock hard or dust. I checked around the far side but that was devoid of butterflies being in the shade and so it was to the sides and the front that I devoted what little time I had to it. I’d hang back pick my quarry and then swoop in, click a few times and swoop back out again before the butterfly had t time to register that I was there. This technique paid off and I was able to get a few shots of the ever flighty Meadow Browns. Normally they calm down a little bit as the season progresses but not this year. The heat seems to have them firing on all cylinders at all times and they’re off as soon as you even glance at them! It also seemed to work for the Large Skippers and I was able to get onto a male and a slightly less mature but still not in the first flush of youth female.

The Meadow and this area have been a revelation this year and I’m hoping that a few more butterflies will be here next year, the progeny of the pioneers.

Larkhill    20-06-2018

Somehow I managed to fit in a quick stop-off but as the Law of Sod dictates as I was able to squeeze this in the weather was decidedly iffy. Anyway I needed a little mental break so I pulled in and risked the road crossing to see how things were at Larkhill. The main track heading West towards the old car park was quite quiet and I couldn’t fathom whether this was because species were on the wane or whether it was the weather almost literally putting a damper on things? It was a bit cloudy and possibly threatening to rain, in fact I’m sure I felt a few drops? I say threatening and doubt myself about the rain as writing this now in July, in the middle of a heatwave only matched by the 1976 one, this may be a mental mirage.
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A few Blues still flew looking a shadow of their former selves and Meadow Browns were on the ascendency. As I strolled the Nettle bed there were 3 or 4 fresh Small Tortoiseshells which seemed slightly shocked by the weather as well, trembling and shaking their wings possibly in an attempt to meet flight temperature? From here I cut across the field to the hill top where there were some nice looking clumps of Knapweed. This little spot has produced DGFs in previous years and so I carefully checked every Meadow Brown that looked slightly orange just in case. I was wasting my time doing this as when a DGF did appear it was so different looking as to be untrue. It was very fast moving, cutting powerfully through the air and glowing bright orange in the dinge. Whilst I was chuffed to have added it to the year list I was gutted that I couldn’t get a shot. I’d follow it with my eyes, note where it appeared to go down but by the time I got anywhere near it was off again a right rate of knots. Perhaps there was a second which would take off and give the first a chance for a breather before they swapped again etc?

Laverstock    18-06-2018

Having seen my first Ringlets and Marbled Whites at Daneways the day before as well as not seeing any Large Blues because of the weather it was no surprise that today when I had but an hour up the Down the weather was vastly improved. True the sun wasn’t shining brightly and it did spend most if it’s time hidden behind the clouds but it did reveal itself at times and the clouds were thin and light also it was both dry and warmer than yesterday. So muttering “typical” and bemoaning the Law of Sod I started working my way up the Down along the first part of the track. A Common Blue flew by, well more of a Ghost of Common Blue past really. Then I started clocking the Browns. They were much more active than usual and so I dispensed with trying to follow them or watching and then pouncing and instead turned the Playbook Method Number three – catch them unawares. I’d round a Bramble camera ready and as soon as I’d see a butterfly I’d lean in focus and click away. Sometimes they saw me coming, other times I’d get a few shots off and more rarely they’d be so stunned they’d sit still.

One such butterfly that I ‘caught out’ was a quite attractive looking individual. Not because it was nicely marked or glistening and oil sheened as they can be when fresh but because the hind wings were ghostly pale. Another ‘Pathological’ deformity?

After this I stayed on the main side of the Down only venturing as far as the first scallop before the track wound its way to the hilltop and the other side of the Down. Here and about a few Small Heath flew as well as a several Marbled Whites and an additional pair of Large Skippers. 

It was a restful and almost restorative hour spent up on the Down. I say almost because the Large Blue, or rather lack of, is still nagging at me; what to do about that I wonder?

The Living Rainforest

This year my department and the Geography Department ran a joint trip to The Living Rainforest at Newbury for all the year 7’s. Whilst we were there to encourage the pupils to learn outside of the classroom and experience something different than what Pewsey has to offer I also took my camera along in case there was anything extra interesting. As we walked round the two large glasshouses we saw Java Finches, Toucans, Ringed Teal and various other critters in amongst a surprising eclectic collection of Flora. At the end of the guided tour we headed into the Mangrove Room where the butterfly collection was housed. I’ve visited a few butterfly houses over the years but this was more of a room as it only housed 7 butterflies. However strangely there were 6 different species represented. As expected there was a Blue Morpho, a Malachite and a Heliconius species.

The others were new to me so rather than rush whilst being shown round I decided to wait and come back later when the pupils (and therefore me) had some free time. We carried on round on the tour and the star of the show was the Armadillo which was snuffling about in its enclosure.

We had lunch outside and while the pupils sat and munched and completed their workbooks I munched and mooched around near the flower bed. A Red Kite soared overhead as a Meadow Brown flew from the top of one shrub to another. A Large White fluttered down from a tree and worked from one leaf to another coming ever closer. I crossed my fingers and waited for him to come into range suspecting that he would play silly buggers and tease me by looking like he would land close by and then zooming off but he behaved himself. So I was able to get my first recognisable Large White shot, at least I think it was my first shot?

After lunch ‘free time’ ensued until the coach arrived so I headed back in and strolled round before finding myself back in the Mangrove. There of the ‘new’ species were present and so I set to tracking them down. One was very accommodating showing both open and closed wings, another was very flighty appearing black and white in flight but electric blue in places in the right light and the final was shut up under a large palm leaf. The first was a Rusty-tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus) and I think the second was a Blue Moon butterfly but I don’t know about the third (it could even be the same as the second juts the underwing showing).

A quick walk round to make sure there were no pupils hiding with the Sloth or had set up camp in the play park, count them on and we were whisked off back to school to arrive in time for the buses. An interesting day though next time I might suggest a morning safari to Daneway Banks at this time of year…

Daneways    17-06-2018

All week Philzoid and I had been planning our trip to Daneways. All week I’d been monitoring the BBC Weather app and the MET app as well. All week it had been showing Sunday as the best day of the week with the drear lifting and sunny intervals with the lightest of breezes. All week things were looking great as with the sunny intervals the Large Blues should have been throwing both open and closed wing poses. I went to bed and things were still looking great and then I awoke on the Sunday and things had drastically changed though the rain and dark cloud was expected to lift by the early afternoon. So fingers crossed and reasoning that we only need about 15 minutes of sun break to spy our quarry we set off North.
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When we arrived it was still dark and dingy and so we set off into the drear. Once on site we set about trying to locate the Large Blues but to be honest we were happy to just find a butterfly! Nonetheless we starting searching, slowly moving along the banks from one end to the other and then stepping up to the next layer and repeating the manoeuvre. Along the banks there were Meadow Browns, the odd Small Heath a Blue but a female Common but not a Large and my first Ringlet of 2018.

We ended up at the top of the site working our way along towards the small pond but it was quiet here too with only a Large Skipper, Small Heath and a male Common Blue which was grimly hanging onto the grassheads. After a chat with the Warden we headed back down the steep slope to wander back towards the entrance. On the way we were accosted by a pair of Marbled Whites, our first of 2018. Back along the journey were a few more Browns; a Meadow Brown, a Small Heath and a Ringlet. Back near the start we did have a little Purple Patch with a male and female Common Blue and a Brown Argus, hardly an astounding highlight but judging by the weather and the dearth of butterflies appreciated none the less. We decided to give it a rest and head down and have a drink before coming back for the hoped for improvement in the weather.
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After lunch we headed back up the hill ready to fill our boots in Large Blues once the blue sky showed and the sun burnt the cloud back. However the only blue skies encountered were the blue sky thinking in regards to the improvement in the weather. It stayed dull and dire but in terms of weather and butterflies for the rest of the day. Another complete circuit around saw only 6 butterflies according to my notes. There were probably more as I didn’t record any Meadow Browns but I still think that we’d have difficulty in getting into double figures. A male Common Blue greeted us as we walked/trudged despondently up the hill and as well as 2 Marbled Whites, a Large Skipper and the male Common Blue still clutching the grassheads at the top of the reserve. We also came across an unusual looking Ringlet. It was a bit two-tone with one wing almost bleached white.

With that we headed home stopping on the way so that Philzoid could see and photograph Corn Bunting at Larkhill and still it was grey and dull and the wind had picked up. It was third time unlucky I guess and it had to happen eventually, you can’t keep going out on every trip and things always fall into place. Still acceptance aside it was a bloody long way to go for my first Ringlets and Marbled Whites of 2018!

Work    15-06-2018

A couple of days later I managed to get out again to see how things were moving along. The Pits seemed to be the main area of activity with a couple of whites flying about but not stopping as well as a few Meadow Browns. From there I followed the barely visible path through the long grasses, round past the large Bramble bush, through the line of trees and out to the field proper. The ‘usual’ Specklie was hanging around by the break through the line of trees but I was more interested at what was happening down by the Meadow.
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It was looking mighty fine with different shades and hues of grasses reaching to almost waist height. Again it was strangely hypnotic to stand and watch as the breeze caught the grass tops, playing with some and leaving others, constantly changing and shifting the shading and tones visible. Along the hedge the odd Meadow Brown took nectar from the freshly opened Bramble flowers as if they were Hedge Browns and not the Meadow variety. On the return leg a smaller, more orange butterfly stopped me in my tracks. It was actually only a Small Heath but was a first for the school fields and was a species I’d hoped to see as it would indicate that things with the Meadow were going well. It was ridiculously jumpy but I tried for a few shots in any case as I wanted a record shot as it was a site first.
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On my return back the Brambles slowed me down and almost made me late. I didn’t get physically entangled but metaphorically as there was a really well behaved and posed female Large Skipper.
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Way Home    13-06-2018

The very shortest of stop-offs on the way home merely because I felt cheated as I had been unable to stop in the morning because I had to run a breakfast Booster session for the Chemistry exam. Then it was blue skies and sun. Now it was grey and sticky with a gusty breeze.
I pulled up at the half way point and scurried across the road entering the relative calm of the Larkhill paths. As I started up the slight incline heading west a Small Heath was my first butterfly of the stop. It was quickly joined by a second and as I paused for an attempt at a shot a whistled “wet-my-lips” call rang out from the brush, a Quail, and my first British one to boot, though it didn’t show itself.

I carried on adding butterflies to the tally; a Common Blue, Large Skipper, a few more Small Heath, Adonis Blue, Meadow Brown etc etc. A few steps and another butterfly would erupt from its hiding place within the longer grasses, Again “wet my lips” rang out even closer this time. Again it remained hidden but I didn’t mind. Just knowing it was there was a pleasure, something finally after many years to tick off my British Life list. I almost converted back to birding…well almost!
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I was in danger of my stop-off breaking my 10 minute limit so back I headed seeing different individuals of the same species and then it was the mad dash across the road and homeward bound.      

Larkhill and onto Work    12-06-2018

The blocking off of the car park come lay-by at Larkhill has proved to be a bit a pain for me as now I can’t stop as easily. Also I can’t complete the route that I’m used to and it feels like I miss out some of the best habitat? Anyway I risked getting a car in my boot today making a quick stop-off before work.  
I walked back up the hill heading West noting how the grass was growing across the path and was almost above my knees. There were a few Small Heath flying here and there and every now and again a blue gem would take off from where it had been hanging as a flag a flutter just out of reach. At least 2 of these gems were the shocking electric blue of the Adonis. There were also good numbers of Large Skipper and as I almost completed the walk ‘there’ before starting the ‘back again’ section, they were the second most numerous species.

As I turned to make my way back a small brown butterfly flew from one side of the path and alighted almost before on the other. It was a Brown Argus looking slightly tired with its margins worn but still sporting some huge lunules on the wings. I still reckon the combination of bright orange and chocolate brown can’t be beaten.

The quick saunter back to the car didn’t throw up anything new and with the highest totals noted down I got back in the car and headed on to work…
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At work the day passed me by as I got my head down and got on with it and then lunchtime arrived and offered some respite which I gleefully took. So with camera in hand I was off to the Pits. I was accosted on the way to the Bramble bush by a Meadow Brown looking ever so dark in the gloom though it did give me a flash of colour from its forewing.

At the Bramble a Large Skipper put in an appearance but before I could latch onto it properly a flash of Scarlet distracted me. It was a Cinnabar Moth but as usual it didn’t hang around long enough for a photo. My distracted wandering in the vain attempt of getting a shot had brought me to the large nettle bed and as consolation a Specklie was nicely posed on the pile dried grass cuttings.

As I turned the warning bell sounded and so it was back to the Chalkface.

Laverstock    11-06-2018

My younger daughter and I both like Monday afternoons. She because she gets to visit her tutors house and me because I get to wander Laverstock Down for an hour immersing myself in the current species. Today a Painted Lady flew out of a drive way as we pulled up and I wondered what sort of omen this was? Did it portend to surprises and different species or was it to be that everything I saw would fly away before I could get a photo?
Still musing on this conundrum I started up the Down and on the first stretch of path proper on the reserve a Large Skipper greeted me and then a couple of blues. The both fell into the ‘fly away subset’ and were joined slightly further down were a few Meadow Browns and a couple of other blues as well as a Large White and Speckled up near the wood. Nothing seemed to be stopping that was until I spied a tiny grey blob on a drying cow pat – a worn and tired Grizzlie but one I was glad to see here taking salts from poo as it was a welcome addition to my ‘butterflies on poo’ collection.

After this I decided to give up counting and just concentrate on the butterflies and trying to get shots of the Browns. Each year I write about how I must spend more time on this species or that etc. and the Browns are often well represented in my good intentions. However now I remembered why I don’t; they can be damn frustrating! They erupt from nowhere, take off just as you focus, and land deep in foliage when they eventually do settle! They can be a nightmare!
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As I wandered round the Down I did my best to ignore the Blues flying and focused and persevered on the Browns. Slowly I started to build up the number of shots I had, the chances started coming, the grab shots paid off and I managed to start getting into the right places at the right times. So I got some Meadow Brown and Small Heath shots. The Small Heath were acting slightly unusually in that that weren’t all resting wings tightly shut but with one wing slightly leading the other so I could get a glimpse of the forewings ground colour. This was even more pronounced in one individual whose forewings curved out from each other.

I started to enjoy myself and then that’s when I realised that it was time to start back. But I didn’t mind as I’d spent some time with and out effort into the Small Heath, I’d kept a promise that I’d made to myself.

Work 08-06-2018

Just a quick lunchtime check round to see how things were progressing and they were going well despite the dull conditions. I didn’t see many butterflies, only 5 in total, but a couple of them that I did see were pretty special…

I started off checking out the pits but only got as far as the large Bramble bush before I was stopped. I noticed a Large Skipper sitting there on a leaf not doing an awful lot. I was just about to take a photo and shifted my position to see if could get a bit closer and a better angle and there right in front of me were a mating pair of Large Skipper. I was dead chuffed as this was the first pair of Larges that I’d seen and a welcome addition to the ‘Butterflies in Cop’ book that is slowing getting completed. All the while that these two were joined the third wheel, the original male that had caught my attention looked on.

After this I took a quick stroll along the main hedge finding a Specklie just through the trees and an unknown White further along the hedge. Giving it up I made my way back and the couple were still locked together and in the same spot though the other male had finally realised that he was too late.

Work and Larkhill    06-06-2018

As the weather had decidedly cheered up by lunchtime I wandered out to check out the meadow. The grasses are really coming along and there seemed to be about 4 or 5 different species as well as some nice patches of mixed flowers. It still feels like very early days and I wasn’t expecting to find many blues around as they’ve got to find the field first and then settle down and lay some eggs before they’ll become a regular sight; we can but dream. Instead of the butterflies there were plenty of Moths around, generally the Crambid grass moths and up to 17 Silver Y’s but the stars of the show were a Cinnabar and a 5 Spot Burnett.

After work I was delayed whilst waiting to see if any year 11’s would attend a revision session. They didn’t and as I knew that I’d be back in Salisbury too late to pick my wife and Little L up from the school run I stopped off for 5 minutes or so at Larkhill. As I reached the main track which runs parallel with the road I noticed a Small Heath and then I took a right turn following the track down to the little hollow and then turning round and coming back. This put me onto 2 Large Skippers another Small Heath and 2 Common Blues. The Blues were shining like Sapphires in amongst a sea of green. They stood out so easily because the wind had flattened some of the longer grasses around them and they were perched here each in their own auditorium.

I then followed the track Eastwards a little way though I didn’t get far as a Small Blue caught my attention. See was hanging around some Kidney Vetch but was quite tricky to capture on film as she would constantly be turning and taking nectar here and there before moving to the next flower head.

I strolled up the track, the long grasses brushing past my trouser legs and polishing my shoes and things all got a little hectic. First came a male and then a female Adonis. The male was better behaved than the female, posing nicely whereas the female kept hanging out too low down in the grass so an unobstructed photo was impossible. Further on another pair of Adonis took off from in front of me; I mean if you don’t want to be disturbed don’t sit right here in the middle of the track. Then there was a Small Heath, fly-bys from 3 Brimstone, 4 Common Blue and a Small White and another pair of Large Skipper. It left me feeling a little stunned as I didn’t know here to point the camera first and all this in 3 minutes.
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Sensing that my time was almost up I made my way back and there was the Small Blue still in the same patch of Kidney Vetch. I watched as she shuffled around from one flower head to another and then she made motions with her abdomen reminiscent of ovi-positing. I couldn’t make out if she actually laid any eggs and I didn’t want to disturb her and have a closer look so I made a mental note and hopefully I’ll be able to check this out on another visit, if I remember that is.

Laverstock Down    04-06-2018

Monday is Tutor Day! There are some real advantages to this regular Monday evening Tutor session. Firstly during the winter months or if the weather is dire I get loads of work done, second I get to chat to the Tutor which is always entertaining and finally when the weather plays fair I get to shot up the Down. So today once we’d dealt with various foibles of the Education system with its ridiculous ‘marking to the curve’ I was off checking the mats at the top of the garden on the way – a record breaking 12 Slow Worms tonight!
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I took the more usual route up the across the field, hang a left and then down the gentle ridge to the bottom of the Down. I’d just hung the left when a golden orange blur shot across the path. I followed it while it had a bit of a tussle with a Common Blue and watched as it landed, a lovely looking Small Copper which was a first from this site this year. A great way to begin!

From here I carried on down before the Down rose steeply ahead of me. Along the way there were a couple of Common Blues and a Specklie was again down near the trees which the cows like to shelter under. And then I was climbing up the Down. A Dingy was having a go at any Common Blue that dared enter its airspace and when it wasn’t being feisty it was supping nectar for all it was worth. Slightly further up I could make out 14 Common Blues sitting or roosting amongst the tall grasses. There was also my first Wiltshire Meadow Brown sitting out the ever so slightly cooler period while the sun was behind a cloud. As I continued up I would stop every other step as another butterfly hove into view and by the time I reached the top most section I’d seen  couple of DIngies, a Brimstone, Meadow Brown, 9 Small Heath, 4 Adonis and a 15th Common Blue which I know wasn’t a recount as it was my first female of the visit.

At the top the path is encroached upon by Bramble and Hawthorn on both sides with the occasional scallop cut out. In one of these I found a Large Skipper which sat up and begged to have its photo taken. I left it and carried on fighting my way through the ‘path’ making it out the other side and being greeted by another Large Skipper. I would have tried for a few shots of this one but I was approaching half time and I wanted to get to the gully.

Things seemed quieter on this side possibly because the wind had picked up and was quite blowy at times. So instead of butterflies every few steps I had to walk a whole 4 metres at a time before seeing another butterfly. Luckily it was only a quick hop over to the gully and soon I was zig zagging my down the gully to the bottom of the Down. I got about three quarters of the way down and the sun came out and with it the butterflies. The first was an aged Grizzlie but it was quickly joined by Common Blues along with the occasional Small Heath. Further down I went with the taller grasses here seeming to be favoured by the Common Blues. There were a further 2 Grizzlies and some more Small Heath and Dingy. The turf became much shorter here and here there were more Adonis Blues flying though none stopped.

I checked the time and realised I had 15 minutes to make the trip back so it became a case of head down and route march back – whilst this meant not stopping for butterflies a long most of the return stretch at least I got my Government recommended 10 minutes of brisk walking. I did stop twice more the first time for a miniscule Brown Argus and the second for my third Large Skipper.

I arrived back with a minute to spare and so slipping through the French windows I took my place with the other pick-up parents.

Kingston Lacey    03-05-2018

After such a cracking day yesterday I fancied a bit of a quiet one so once the chores had been done and the girls had finally done their homework we packed up a lunch and headed out to Kingston Lacey. Once there we swept up the drive with the tall grass on one side swaying and looking faintly purple whilst on the other the field was blindingly white from a multitude of Ox-eye Daisies. The place looked fantastic! After we ate the girls read their books and my wife read the paper so I checked out the little bank on the side of the Ho-Ho. A single male Common Blue caught my eye and so I popped down and watched it fly up the ditch and back before it settled almost in front of me.

After I’d returned the lunch things to the car we set out on our walk which was a new one that had only just been completed. We cut across to the woodland area but instead of turning left and making back towards the various gardens we took a right and the path dove down through the wood plunging us into its green depths. Every now and again it felt like we broke to the surface and light streamed through the gaps in the canopy like a forest clearing in miniature. Each time this happened Specklies would appear. First there were two tussling together and vying for the airspace. The second time one flew in whilst a second was perched at in what must have been its favoured spot. I surmised this because the perched butterfly took off and attacked the incomer almost as soon as it had drifted into view. I let out a chuckle because as soon as this pair were slugging it out for the prized territory a third Specklie nipped in and stole the perch. After a further wander the path snaked round a view times and then there were 2 Specklies but the trees were thinning out now so final as the path opened out onto the fields a final Specklie wished us well by the gate.

 The path then took us past the field of Ox-eye Daisies that we’d seen on the drive in and there right on the edge was a dark brown butterfly. I pointed the camera at it a looked through the viewfinder and as it came into focus I’d bagged my first Meadow Brown of 2018. Slightly further in was as a second and so I kicked off my sandals and ‘snake footed’ my way a little further into the field so I could get a few closer shots without trampling the background to my photos. It paid off in both respects.

We crossed over the drive and then the path dove once more into woodland and so we were back to seeing Specklies in the small sunlit spots were a cleared or fallen tree had opened up the canopy. From here the path once more broke out from the trees this time onto a boardwalk and shortly we were walking through Rhododendrons eventually ending up in a most familiar part of the estate. From here it was a short walk to the Kitchen Garden. While the girls sought shade I checked out the flower beds and the small pond. There were a few Small Whites around and a Brimstone made a pass and down at the pond there were 2 broad-bodied Chasers, a Large Red Damselfly and a gaggle of Azure Damselflies.

On the final stomp back to the car (I really mean stomp as little L had had enough!) I paused in the Pacific Garden were there was another distant Meadow Brown and a Small White that was actually sitting still for more than 3 seconds! All in all a very restful and relaxing afternoon.       

Onto the Duke Site    02-06-2018

After Bentley it was a quick cross country run to my Duke site with my first Painted Lady as a fly-by at a roundabout on the way. We drove up the tank tracks and parked letting the dust settle for a moment before we were both out and raring to go. The first area was the small triangle of short turf and bare earth to the left of the cars. I’ve checked this area out a few times before and it generally produces the goods as he butterflies seem to like to drop in here to bask and feed away from the rustle and bustle of the long grasses and the arid, dusty tracks. So it was today with Adonis and Common Blues, Brown Argus and the odd Dingy, Small Heath and Grizzzlie.

There is also a little stand of trees towards the bottom of the hill here which offers respite from the wind that can cut across the open fields or shade when the sun burns down. I’ve found Small Blues here before and again so it was again today. The tired looking little butterfly put in an appearance contrasting nicely with the garish Adonis Blues. They were out in force here with a mating pair, chocolatey females and some electric blue males including one which was adopting an unusual pose. It sat on a flower top with wings open wide, so wide.

We tore ourselves away remembering that there was a whole site to visit and not just a corner somewhere in a field in Hampshire (well technically Wiltshire but that wouldn’t fit the song lyric). So we followed the tank tracks and the animal tracks heading gently uphill towards the Cypress tree, the short turf and the miniature valley. We stopped occasionally for such delights as a group Adonis Blues clambering over unidentified scat, an aged Grizzlie and an even larger group of Burnet Moths hanging onto a Skyscraper of a plant. Among them was the most confluent Burnet that I’ve seen.

We followed the track up to the corner where there were once Dukes a plenty and paused a while longer here. There were all the ususal suspects from Common Blues to Brown Argus as well as such delights as a Wood Tiger and the now ubiquitous Marshies. Onwards and upwards we went criss-crossing the field with the odd Large Skipper already holding territory before diving into the Beech woodland to seek shade and also a couple of Orchids – White Hellaborine and Bird’s Nest – both of which species we easily located. The miniature valley held a different range of species from the last time I’d been here and now there were blues and Brown Argus and a cracking looking Small Copper.

The walk back to the car was jovial and we chewed the fat spotting and photographing butterflies in a much more relaxed fashion. Pootling about with another Small Copper, another tried looking Marshie before walking through Adonis Blue heaven where we were accosted by male and female Adonis. All too soon goodbyes had been wished and I was in my car heading home with memory card full.

​Bentley Wood    02-06-2018

After the surprise visit last week I knew that the Small Pearls were out at Bentley and so it was that I was bombing over there first thing in the morning to get a few ready and on a plate for my mate Philzoid when he arrived. As last time there was a Speckled Wood to greet me on the way in but this time it was a Small Pearl rather than a Pearl that bombed by and back the way I’d come as I came up to the Visitor sign. I set to wandering around the top part of the Clearing and the little area just over the ‘bridge’. It threw up a few Pearls and a lovely Small Pearl which landed on a fence post showing off its livery to the best advantage. Flying around in the same place as a week ago there were also a couple of Marshies. So far things were looking good for when Philzoid arrived and the weather was lending a hand as well with the sun intermittently hiding away behind the clouds a grounding the otherwise incessant butterflies long enough for some shots. 

As I was shooting away at the Marshies another enthusiast came up and pointed at a small butterfly hanging about in the reeds and asked if it was a Small Pearl. Yep it was indeed, and it had shut up shot beautifully positioned with wings tightly closed revealing the stupendous underwing markings. As we moved towards it his dog got a bit keen and off it went, luckily not too far as the sun was having one of its breaks and so we were soon taking it in turns to click away from a variety of angles. Come on Philzoid you need to get in on this!

A third enthusiast arrives and with him the sun and so the Small Pearl was offski. We talked and watched the Marshies and a Honey Buzzard flew over-head and as I looked back to ground there was Philzoid arriving from the car park. Once we’d seen a few Marshies we set off checking out the various other parts of the site though not really seeing much before ending up back in the centre of the of the Clearing. Once here we started watching and waiting and a few Pearls were seen before Philzoid finally got onto a Small Pearl. We also found something of an unusual species for Bentley Wood, a ridiculously blue female Common Blue.

We then decided to settle down and really try to get one of the Small Pearls that kept buzzing around on film. It was a great idea in principle but we kept getting side tracked, or at least I did as a Specklie would pop up, a Marshie would sit nicely or a Pearl would land on a passer-by’s trouser and to top it all off a golden blur announced my first Large Skipper of 2018.

Eventually one of the Small Pearls settled down long enough for us to get a few shots even if it was partially obscured by various reed stems. The trick was to move around until the majority of the reeds were out of shot. Having had success earlier in the morning I let the others that had gathered get their shots. Luckily another one was about and this one was playing much nicer, taking nectar here and there and most importantly it was taking its time. At one point it really endeared itself to me as it landed on a Spotted Orchid!

As we were leaving a very fresh Grizzlie appeared to delay our exit and two Argent and Sable gave us a bit of a run around before we eventually managed to tear ourselves away and make for the next site… 

Laverstock Down    31-05-2018  Part 2

After a my early morning walk up the Down while the butterflies were waking up I headed home and spent the rest of the day getting jobs done so that when the time came for L’s next holiday class I could wander the slopes in a relaxed fashion. Throughout the course of the day the weather improved so much so that I was hoping for plenty of open wing shots rather than the closed wing ones I was getting in the morning. On the walk up the slope this time it was a Specklie that greeted me and from there onto the Down proper. Straight away the butterflies were around and about with 2 Dingies mobbing a Common Blue. This is how it went pretty much wherever I walked with Blues everywhere, a few steps and then there would be a couple more, a few more steps and then a couple more and so on. There were also good numbers of Dingies but for the whole of the first part of this walk I saw only three species.

I carried on right round the side of the Down reaching the gully on the far side adding Small Heath to the tally. As I walked down the gully there were four Dingies, three of which were involved in a mass brawl, two more Small Heath as well as a couple of Common Blues and several male Adonis. I also stumbled across a mating pair of Adonis and watched as another male tried to muscle in to no avail.

It was all going better than expected. I was hoping to see a few Blues but nowhere near the numbers that I was seeing. To put it into perspective it felt like the blues were almost as common and ubiquitous as Meadow Browns are later in the season. Round the foot of the next hill were another pairing of Adonis and more males besides as well as Common Blues, 2 Dingies and a Small Heath or three. A late but not yet an ex-male OT also put in an appearance.

I checked the time and I had 15 minutes to get back so I steeled myself to make the walk back and not get distracted. On the walk back I purposefully took the path at the bottom of the Down as it was in shade and so therefore I reasoned there would be fewer butterflies but despite this I still noted a few more Dingies, Adonis, a Small White and a couple of male Brimstones as well as the Common Blues all over the place. It seems that using the shade was actually a bad idea as an OT was also quite relaxed and approachable down here out of the sun so I lost another couple of minutes watching it nip from flower to flower taking nectar. It still seemed in good nick though slightly short in the wing margin department. Right at the very edge of the reserve a Common Blue wished me farewell until the next time…possibly tomorrow morning as it’s verbal reasoning or failing that Monday when it’s back to business as usual.

Laverstock    31-05-2018

I’d missed my usual visit to the Tutors on Monday as it was a Bank Holiday however today I would possibly get two cracks of the whip as Little L had two classes – Maths first and English last thing. As we set off at 8:10 it was cloudy but still bright with the odd patches of blue sky showing through the haze. It had been raining earlier and the pavements were still wet but it still felt warm, muggy really. Having walked Little L in I carried on out through the French windows, hopped over the fence and I was away up the down scanning every tall grass in the sward for a little white flag. On the way a Green-veined White woke from its night time slumbers, Whitethroats churred, a Buzzard took off from the one the boundary trees and started slowly circling a rising on the barest of thermals and a pair of Bullfinch whistled mournfully. 

It wasn’t until I was about half way up that I started seeing butterflies in roughly the same place that I’d found them a week or so previously. I started scanning and counting but had to keep starting again as I would happen to look back at a grass stem and there would be a butterfly on it that hadn’t been there before. In the end I left it as a best count of 19 male and 7 female Common Blues but I scribbled this out in my notebook and just wrote ‘shed loads’! There were Common Blues all over the place. At one point I watched 9 on the wing at once in the same view. It was almost joyful if tempered slightly by a distinct lack of Biodversity; where were all the other species? Perhaps it was too late here for Grizillies and Dingies, too dull and the wrong sort of habitat in this area for Greenstreaks or damp for Small Heath or too early in the morning for Brown Argus?

After a while I’d worked through the longer grasses and on the shorter turf I stumbled across a stunning female Adonis so the reserve suddenly became twice as biodiverse! She was a real beauty, fresh out of the box and I maned to move round and down the slope slightly so I could get an underside view as well. After this I checked out the next section of taller grass on the other side of one of the main paths. This too held good numbers of Common Blues including another tiny female which at first I thought was a Brown Argus. She seemed to be missing a section of one of her hind wings although I’m not sure if this wasn’t a deformity as the remaining part seemed to make an unusual angled shape?

Along this part of the track the sward was much lower and there was a sea of buttercup and clover. An electric blue flash heralded the arrival of a male Adonis and a second one also did a fly-by- It was difficult to know which one to go for so in the end I settled for just watching the first and it moved from the shorter grasses to the even shorter grasses and clover on the main body of the track. This was great news for me as I could approach it easily, get some nice unobstructed shots and then move away without disturbing the butterfly. As I was doing this the sun crept though ever so slightly and lit the butterfly up. Right before my eyes it went from a pastel/powder blue to a vivid electric blue.

After this I followed the path across the side of the down for a short way just seeing what I could find. Still no Brown Argus but Common Blues all over the place with a couple at least in every patch of yellow flowers. I also found a Yellow Shell and 5 Spot Burnet Moth and a Fragrant Orchid (I got wet knees from kneeling down to check the ID and it did indeed smell beautiful).

Then my time was almost up so I beat a hasty retreat back to the Tutor’s. Hopefully the weather will hold out and there might be a Part 2 today…

Mottisfont    28-05-2018

​So 13 years ago today my older daughter K was born, turning my world upside down but for the best! Today as part of an elongated Birthday celebration we headed over to Mottisfont for a picnic before a meal out in the evening and Splash Down and vegan Pizza the following day. The app said it was going to be cloudy with heavy rain showers and thunder from 2pm onwards. Again this was total bollocks and when we arrived it was delightfully warm and breezy and the sun was rapidly eating through the light cloud.

We set up on the lawn near the Ho-Ho (or Ha-Ha or Hi-Hi or whatever) and after various savoury munching tried to light all 13 candles on the cake. We’d get to 10 or 11 and the breeze would pick up blowing the whole lot out. So in the end we settled for just the one. Birthday wish made the girls both went off to explore, my wife had a catnap and I went off for a quick mooch of the bank on the opposite side of the Ho-Ho. It was looking mighty fine with tall grasses and Ox-eye Daisies. Flitting and around was a male Common Blue looking sky blue one moment and as the light changed it turned to turquoise. I also spotted a Bee Orchid hidden down amongst the high sward. As we left a poignant scene unfolded before us. The on the pristine bank were small children ripping up flowers while their parents filmed them presumably for ‘Insta’ whilst mothers trampled through to sit and hold their children for yet more ‘Insta’ shots while the vegetation below their posteriors was slowly crushed to oblivion.

Slightly depressed we made our way up to the Walled Garden where the roses were in bloom, their fragrance trapped by the brick facades. The warmth and scent, plus the fact that trampling wouldn’t be an issue here as all stuck to the gravel paths lifted my spirits again. The girls went and did their thing while I wended this way and that. There were a few whites about, all the ones I saw that settled long enough were Smalls though there was a definite Large mooching and throwing its weight about. A Holly Blue kept jinking around leading me into a false sense of security and my second Red Admiral of the year cut across the garden to get to the woodland beyond. It was all going really well until I got called back by K as my wife was feeling the heat.

We packed up and sought refuge in the shade and before cooling down even more by taking the streamside path back towards the exit. What a fantastic day which was going to get even better as we were heading out later for a meal so no cooking of washing up!

Bentley Wood    27-05-2018

Many hours in Ikea is not exactly my ideal Sunday but sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, put your head down and think about the Brownie points you’re accruing when it gets really bad (generally as you enter ‘Market Hall’). So it was today but my Brownie points were due to be cashed in almost immediately because as a reward for my patience we were stopping at Bentley Wood on the way home…
There were only a few cars in the car park and the book told the usual tale – the odd Skippers and Pearls so onwards we went with a couple of Specklies popping up on way in and a busy looking Pearl. The girls set up their camp in the idle of the clearing by the bench under the tree showing their mum how to do it. With everyone settled I set off for a bit of a wander. The first butterfly I found was a bit dark for a Pearl I thought and was also sticking to the Bugle in amongst the reedy looking grass. I tried for a few shots and looking through the viewfinder as I took them I thought ‘Small Pearl’. A flash of underside and I was convinced but the images were pretty dire; mainly grass with a little bit of butterfly. It bombed away and so I started off round the rest of the Clearing to see what I could find. There were a few Pearls about some not looking too bad and down round the bottom quarter I found a Dingy.

It was while I was here that I stumbled across a Marshie, and then another joined it as it fancied a little bit of the other. I couldn’t believe it! I’d seen my second set of Marshies in a secret location that was all a bit Secret Squirrels in Bentley Wood. Yet here were two nonchalantly hanging around in the Eastern Clearing. I spent some time with them as the sun went in and out of the clouds picking up a nice range of shots. And then I pointed them out to another enthusiast and made my way back to the camp for a bit to eat before setting out on round two.

This time I spent most of my time close to camp in the main section of the Clearing following round a couple of Pearls and trying for the underwing shot that proved so illusive the a fortnight previously. It was while I was doing this that I came across a second Small Pearl which put in the most fleeting of appearances. It was there one moment feeding nicely on some Bugle offered up a closed wing shot from a couple of different angles and then was gone almost as quickly as it had arrived.

Chuffed to have gotten the Small Pearl in the bag (top and underside shot) I mooched around in the area that the Marshies had been hanging around at. After a bit of time with them I was drawn back towards the middle of the Clearing again as the Small Pearl was back. This time it settled out in the open, God bless Bracken, and so I was able to see that it had the smallest of nicks in the left fore wing and so was a second individual. I took many shots of this butterfly but it didn’t move at all so almost all of my shots look the same.

Once more back at camp I took the girls for a quick wander to point out the three Frits on show and then we packed up and headed for home. We crossed the little wooden bridge (well three logs parallel) and made our way along the path that runs past the notice board. A small green moth zipped out from the Bracken and perched like a Greenstreak would at the tip of a branch only at the tip of a frond of Bracken. I focused in on the butterfly and couldn’t believe that what I was seeing was actually a Greenstreak, here in the middle of a clearing in the largest contiguous woodland in Wiltshire! I know that there are surrounding downs but they’re a fair way away.

Surprised and happy we finished the journey home. And there was me thinking that this would be a routine stop-off and possibly a waste of precious Brownie points; my first Small Pearl of 2018, three Marshies and a Greenstreak, the later looking very out of place. I wouldn’t have believed the report if I’d have read it in the book!

Martin Down    26-05-2018

The last time I was at Martin Down it was a cracking morning after the preceding dismal afternoon. I was on my way back to see how things had moved on and hopefully to pick up a few more Marshies as they were only just getting going on my visit to the Hill. As I drove along the Blandford Road I scanned ahead and saw a large body of cloud. So I switched from radio to iPod (Iron Maiden of course, Killers natch) and put the pedal to the metal to race the cloud. Pulling up in the car park I was like a machine; boots on with one hand, camera out with the other and then I walked-ran across the car park and down and across the hollow to start my way along the Dyke. Almost immediately I saw two Frits. One seemed orange cream and the other more red.

Phew! A few shots in the bag and now it was time to relax and enjoy the butterflies before the cloud covered the sun and spoilt things. I switched myself from ‘Sports Mode’ to ‘wander’ and set off. My progress along the Dyke was faltering as there was so much to see with butterflies all around. The Dingies and Grizzlies from before were joined by Brown Argus, Common Blues and Small Blues. Occasionally a White would add tone to the colour palette and then the finished product would a hove into view…another Marshie looking like a paint it by numbers masterpiece. 

After the Butts I was shocked to see all the scrub had been cleared so now the sheltered scallops were gone and with them the butterflies. It seems they’d all moved to the Dyke as this was where I saw almost all of the butterflies. As I came to the little half way island where another path crosses the Dyke I found some cracking Burnt tip Orchids and an avid Botantist was raving about a pretty unassuming yellow flower. Apparently it was a ‘3 star species’; a Field Fleawort. I suppose to a botanist it’s a bit like the cache of seeing the little brown job that is the Mountain Ringlet?

There were now a few patches of cloud cover which would lead to a slight temperature drop when they came over though nothing like the forecast. Good job I’d ignored it again. This bit of Dyke looked like it had been recently cut back and the bare patches of earth made great landing spots for an Adonis Blue. So time eking away I made my way back along the Dyke stopping for anything that sat still long enough to get my lens on it. This meant that my progress was possibly even slower than on the outwards journey. It was great! I could literally feel my blood pressure and heart rate dropping, stress evaporating from my shoulders. I carried on delightedly seeing Small Blues, Brown Argus and even more Marshies showing lots of variation.

Eventually I looked up beyond the path and its margins and I was almost back at the car park! So I put my head back down and sought out the species that I’d come to see to make sure I had my fill before I went for home. Another cracking visit! I’ve fallen back in love with Martin Down, even if it is in Hampshire ;-)

Larkhill    23-05-2018

The quickest of quick stop-offs on the way home. I pulled into the lay-by and took my life into my hands to cross over to the Larkhill paths. The sun shone and burnt through my shirt so all the butterflies I saw were pretty active so instead on a concerted effort to capture a particular species or shot I just wandered, counted the species and took photos of whatever presented itself…
​
Things would take off from an unseen launch pad amongst the grasses and I would follow them to check their ID and see if they landed. Doing this I racked up all the usual suspects for this time of year including both the spring Skippers, but it was 200m along the track that I saw the star butterfly, a Small Copper. It was great to know this species was still present here after its absence last year. I did a recount on the way back but to prevent double counting I used the higher figure of the two totals. This produced a tally of 14 Small Heath, 2 Brown Argus, 2 Grizzlies, 6 Dingies, 2 Common Blues and of course that cracking Small Copper. Not bad for 10 minutes or so!  

Laverstock    21-05-2018

After my initial encounter with the Common Blues at my Marshie site I was eager to get up the Down at Laverstock to see if I could connect with a few more. The weather wasn’t brilliant but actually the cloud might work have worked in my favour. So after catching up with L’s tutor it was away and up the Down. The usual route didn’t hold any butterflies and I was almost at the start of the Down before I saw my first, a Peacock bombing by. As I started the ascent a Dingy greeted me, still looking in good nick and like a vision in Brown.

On the side of the Down up y the first hollow a couple of Small Heath played ‘it’, one would land the other would fly figure of eights closing in on its target. The other would erupt from the grass, they would spiral and tousle and then one would drop to the grass and the cycle would repeat. I turned my attentions to the Blues, scanning round looking for little flags flying from the grass tops. I had one of those moments where I swear I’d swept a certain patch of grasses with my gaze multiple times and now on the umpteenth scan there was a little flag – a Common Blue. There was another and another and another etc. From nought to 9 Common Blues in the blink of an eye!

Having spent some time with them and getting quite a few ‘butterfly on a stick’ shots I started the return journey round and down the other side stopping for a Brown Argus. After the huge numbers from the weekend I was surprised to see only this singleton but beggers can’t be choosers. I realised that I’d made exceedingly good time and so it was back to the roost to try for a few more…

Looking back over the shots I was surprised by one individual. It had a more washed out look with the lunules looking very pale orange and none of the usual vibrancy of its counterparts. This could be due age/wear but it can only have been around for a day or two? Also the margins and fringes are all still intact suggesting that it is relatively fresh?  

Marshie Site    19-05-2018 Part 2

After a quick drive back to Salisbury Philzoid parked up and jumped in my car and we were off to my Marshie site chatting along the way. There were a few cars parked up in the lay-by cum car park one of which seemed familiar…Philzoid and I made our way up the track expecting butterflies on the way and not seeing much apart from an OT and then the gradient eased off and the narrow track opened out and we started working our way along the hollow. A few Dingies and the odd Grizzlie flew about here but not the hoped for Marshie. Instead there was a fresh Common Blue which was spooked by a really fresh Brown Argus. As Philzoid took a turn at getting some shots I looked ahead and up the hill were a couple of other enthusiasts that I recognised. We carried on stopping for another really fresh Brown Argus and then climbed out of the hollow where we met up with our fellow enthusiasts.

We slowly made our way round to the amphitheatre noting the odd white and my first Marshie and Small Heaths on the way. At the Amphitheatre there were a few more Marshies kicking about in amongst the now ubiquitous Brown Argus and the odd Skipper. A Small heath would take off and upset a Grizzlie which would upset a Dingy which would have a pop at a Marshie and so on in a merry go round fueled by testosterone (or the lepidopteran equivalent). It seemed that the best and possibly only way to get any shots would be to walk up the hill and try and find a butterfly perched up and trying to mind its own business before it got roped into the tussling and brawling which was happening on the lower slopes. This technique worked for a bit and I managed to turn up a couple of Marshies this way as well as a cracking little Greenstreak.

We then strolled on round a bit further and a male Adonis caught our eye but he refused to open up and so while we waited we paused a while, a Greenstreak flew past as did the biggest OT I’d ever seen it looked bigger than a Brimstone! One the majority of my coffee had been drunk and a lot of fat had been chewed our quartet became a trio as one of us said adieu and started for home. We carried on round finding the miniature amphitheatre. Everything we’d seen so far was also found in this little hollow with the added bonus that you didn’t have to go far for the butterfly you wanted to get a shot of, it was merely a sidestep or a step forwards etc.

Round even further we went stopping occasionally and bending down to get a few shots; generally it would be a Brown Argus as they seemed to be everywhere, until the nearby hillfort came into view. Then we knew it was time to turn round and start making our way back. We took the bottom path hoping it would provide a Small Blue. It didn’t but a fly-by Wall, the odd Greenstreak or Marshie and even more Brown Argus were still nice to see.

Back at the mini amphitheatre it seems that the Adonis had finally gotten of his perch as it was locked together with a female making sure that there would be some more Adonis to see here later in the year.

Time was fast running out and so not wanting to be late Philzoid and I said our goodbyes and started back round from the amphitheatre. We got a little delayed in the hollow with a stunning Common Blue that had a cracking set of wing margins. They ran from blue to a thick black line and a blinding white trim.

Right we really must be getting on. And then a Wall landed on the path up ahead of us. With some careful creeping we managed to get close enough for a few shots though the angle it was sitting at was less than ideal.

Okay we’re getting dangerously close to leaving late…But there finally was a Small Blue. It was flying up against the steep side of the hill on one side of the path in roughly the same place as we’ve encountered them before.

And so somehow we finally managed to leave the reserve and with a bit of careful driving still got back in time. A thoroughly cracking day, it was great catching up with Philzoid and the other fellow enthusiasts as well being surrounded but butterflies and getting 5 FFY to boot! 

First stop - Bentley Wood    19-05-2018

Having given the Pearls of Bentley a fortnight to catch up with the rest of the country and finally emerged I arranged to meet Philzoid there bright and early. I got there just after 9 and set about wandering the Eastern Clearing looking for ginger butterflies. It didn’t take long and by the information board a tired looking PBF landed briefly. It seemed that perhaps the previous weekend would have been early enough…

I carried on over the bridge into the middle section of the clearing and here there were another couple of Pearls milling around, generally not stopping long enough or in an ‘easy’ spot for any shots. So I carried on down to the bottom end where an old log provided the perfect perch for one of a pair of Pearls that were patrolling.

Pleased to have my open wing shot in the bag I worked my way back to the middle section and Philzoid arrived. After catching up and noting a few Brimstones, a Large White and Green-veined White we started our search for the Pearls in earnest. Up to now with our combined total of 6 things seemed to be okay though some were looking a bit ‘lived in’. We made our way across to the other of the clearing through the moor grass to the track. In a little square cut cleared area between two blocks of conifers were four more Pearls bombing around low to the ground, grabbing the slightest of sips of nectar occasionally. Further up the track was a 5th bringing the running total to 11.
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Almost back by the main part of the clearing we found a little patch on the wrong side of the fence where there were two more Pearls flying along with a Grizzlie. One of these perched long enough for a quick closed wing shot but both were becoming increasingly active. Also all the new fencing was proving a hassle. Before you could use a deer track and hop over the ditch. Now when a Pearl would fly to the other side of the fence you’d have to run all the way round. It felt like they knew this as they’d zig-zag through the fence from one side to another while you didn’t know whether to stick or twist! Finally, after checking out the bottom end (2 Pearls and a Peacock) and returning one female made it easy for us as she started ovi-posturing which gave me enough time to get into position, semi-crouch and get a few shots.

After spending some time with the Pearls in the main part of the clearing we made our way to one of the more recently cleared areas, primarily because an Argent and Sable had led us there as part of its merry dance. Whilst Philzoid concentrated on this and a Tree Pipit which held a territory here I flipped my camera to Sports mode and spent some time with a courting pair of Brimstone.

So Pearls seen and photographed for another year (hopefully not the last from this site) we set off to a totally different type of habitat for some totally different butterfly species…

Pewsey Downs    17-05-2018

Oh the joys of trapped time! I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but again rather than just using it to play cards I decided to try out a new site – Pewsey Downs. It was a relatively short drive from work of only about 10 minutes and meant driving out along the Alton Road. When I was about half way along I looked out to me right and there were the Downs I was planning to visit with their undulations looking like the body of a woman. I carried on and pulled into the dusty car park and immediately headed the wrong way. Well it possibly wasn’t the wrong way but it was the least productive way as after a couple of whites in the car park the only butterfly I saw on the walk to the down top and back was a Small Tort. Instead I tried for a few shots of some Linnets.

So it was back to the car park and through, across the road and then things seemed to pick up with 2 Small Torts in a nettle bed just inside the reserve and a Green-veined White leading my on across the field like a tiny tour guide. So far so like a typical grazed field. Then I climbed over a style and the vegetation was still close cropped and grazed (by some nearby cows) but there was different feel to the place but still no butterflies. So on past cows round back the hill top before spiralling round up to the top to the ‘nipple’ as I believe it’s referred to locally (hence the previous analogy of the naked woman). It was gloriously sunny now but the wind was quite strong, at times whipping up and round the hill. I found a little hollow that offered the tiniest bit of respite from the breeze and here I stumbled onto a Greenstreak. It was well out of place being at the top of the hill and not the bottom, in grass and nowhere near a Hawthorn. I tried for a shot but it obviously knew it was in the wrong place and so took off to find a more salubrious dwelling. In leaving however it did put up a Wall which I was able to follow and get a few shots of as it clung to the side of the Down. Interestingly it would sit in little patches of dead grass rather than the much more available green turf – presumably to be better camouflaged?
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I carried on round and down other side and then walked along the bottom fence line which was covered by Hawthorns. Along the route two more Greenstreaks put in an appearance. Ordinarily they would have been out of reach of my lens but luckily the path was at the top of a ridge running parallel with the hedge/road and so I was at the same height as my quarry. Mind you it was bit precarious leaning over the drop to get the lens just close enough for a shot.

Near the bottom of the track I reached the really good looking part of the site. It was a series of hollows and dips carved into the chalk and overgrown. As I left the path make my way into the network of dips and mounds a further two Greenstreaks played in the sun and after a quick wander round I’d bagged a brace of Dingies.

It was almost time for me to start back so I retraced my steps up along the ridge. I was almost back to the edge of the reserve and contemplating how I would get past the cows that had converged around the style when a glorious golden butterfly hove into view. It landed up ahead but started to close up before I could get close enough. Luckily I could see just enough of the hind wing to see that not only was it my first Small Copper but that it was also a caeruleopunctata, a blue badger. I stayed for as long as I could but it didn’t open up any more so I shuffled backwards and then walked round giving it a wide berth so as not to disturb it.

Then it was back past cows and through nettle bed spooking an aged Small Tortoiseshell, across the road and jump in the car. I got back just in time to enjoy the feast of beige that is the food option prior to any late events and so back to work…

Laverstock    14-05-2018

Another Monday and anther tutor session. As the weather was being kind again I did the usual drop off and legged it up the Down. On the first stretch I counted a singles of Brimstone, Small White and Green-veined White with four other whites that were too quick to ID. As I started the ascent I found two Dingies who broke apart from tussling to greet me.

​From here I carried on up the steep slope of the Down with the intention of checking out the far side. As I carried on up the path narrowed, hemmed in on both side by Bramble and Hawthorn with the occasional scallop. A male OT flew in one of these and a Large White was in another. I wondered what I would find in the final one and it turned out to be a pair of Green-veined Whites which unfortunately were too high and at the wrong angle to get any decent shots. As I broke through out onto the top of the Down on the other side another Green-veined White was taking nectar with it’s wings held down at an unusual angle.

After this I made across the top of the top and then down the gully but it was very quiet. Somehow I made it to the bottom without breaking my neck. In my haste I’d not changed into my boots and I was just wearing my Converse and on this terrain I may as well have been wearing slippers for all the traction and grip I had. Still I reached the bottom of the gully and the reward for my daredevil Slalom sliding was a Grizzlie and Dingy with another Green-veined White right at the very bottom where the Dark Greens hang out later in the season.

After this I felt like I was in need of a hurry up as the hour was almost up. So I motored on round the lower fringes of the Down. This area always seems less impressive than other areas of the site, possibly because I’m always hurrying through to either get back or get to the gully or it could be because this is where the Down is steepest so less easy to access? However there are some nice little respite areas where the Hawthorn has grouped together where the slope is slightly less steep. These are often worth checking out and so it proved today with another Grizzlie and Dingy hanging around and three Greenstreaks. One stayed high up in the Hawthorn whilst two more were lower down on the Brambles. However I couldn’t get any shots of these two as each time one would perch the other would attack it. I tried several times to capture them in flight using Sports Mode but they were moving so quickly/erratically that I either got the foreground or far distance in focus whilst the Greenstreaks remaining green or brown blurs. In the end I accepted that the apparently easier subjects weren’t going to be easy at all and set about trying for the Greenstreak that still remained aloof. It meant standing on tip toes and stretching out the camera as much as possible but I was happy-ish with the results.

After this I really did get a wriggle on and did my best to ignore any distractions. It was all going so well, I’d made it off the Down and right the way along the PROW at the edge of the field and was just walking down the short stretch of path before the final straight when a Specklie landed right in front of me. As I leant down to take its photograph it turned its head on one side and opened its palps up looking like it was trying to have a chat. I leant in a bit further and bent my knees and off it went allowing me to make my way back to pick up Little L with moments to spare.

Martin Down    13-05-2018

My skulking round the house and muttering hadn’t gone unnoticed hence why I was now motoring back towards Martin Down. What a difference a day makes indeed as today  I was driving with windows down, sunglasses perched on my nose, right arm tanning as it rested on the window with the now obligatory Iron Maiden pumping out of the stereo! I had a feeling that today was going to be one of those golden spells where I would be surrounded by butterflies…
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I started at Sillen’s Lane end and there was still dew on the grass looking like little beads of glass but already the butterflies were flying along the hedge with a couple of Brimstone patrolling by and a third still roosting, hanging from a twig within the hedge. One of the Brimstone stopped for a while on the path and angled its wings towards the sun, still a little bit cool? A Greenstreak stopped on the furthest branch out over the path just as I was about to enter the ‘tunnel’ so it would have been rude not to have taken a shot or two. Then it was onwards down through the ‘tunnel’ which is really sheltered and also is where the majority of my Martin Down Specklies originate from. 

Once in the tunnel there were a few more Greenstreaks thought they were hanging around up high and scrapping. There was also a lovely fresh Dingy looking very like a snuggly carpet, I love their subtle markings. My first ‘pair’ Specklies turned up a short way down the tunnel, well I say ‘pair’ but I don’t think that they were really together. They flew into view tumbling around and spiralling around each other in what I took to be courtship and then one of them just dropped like a stone onto the deck. The other flew round it a few times and then flew off. I took a few shots as it lay there ‘dead’ on the floor and then all of a sudden it resurrected and flew off. That’s one hell of a rebuff! There were also a few Specklies, each time I saw them they were in pairs apart from the very final one right at the far end which was looking forlornly out across the open grasslands.

From the tunnel I broke out onto the grasslands at the edge of the hillfort and so took the path skirting round and made towards the Hotspot, the little hollow at the Dyke. Along the way there were more Dingies, Brimstones, a single Greenstreak and also the first few Grizzlies of the day. Over at the hotspot there were even more of the Skippers along with a Large and a Small White. I poured a coffee and set about enjoying the show as one species would fly in take nectar and then another butterfly would fly in, have a bit of a tussle and possibly replace the first. It was great to watch so many butterflies flying at once.
                                                                    
Cheered immensely I moved on up the Dyke towards the halfway spot were another footpath crosses the Dyke. I strode up along the Dyke looking down along the length and watching even more Skippers and adding an Orange-tip to an ever growing day list. At the half way point I carried on a little further and here was another Greenstreak down on the deck and another on the end of the bushes. I paused a while back at the half way spot a watched what flew along the bisecting track, a bit like a smaller version of the tunnel. A male Brimstone was sitting minding its own business so I took a few shots and then a large fly came and sat on his wings, he didn’t budge even a fraction, just sat there motionless. I suppose this is a survival strategy shown by ‘cryptically marked’ animals; remain still no matter what else the camo doesn’t work.

I started to make my way back stopping every now and again for notable sightings, a gloriously marked Dingy, velveteen Grizzlie, a Small Tort, a Peacock and a Dingy feeding from an Orchid. As if in a dream I bumbled from one butterfly to the next and seemed to spend equal amounts of time staring down the viewfinder or staring into my notebook tallying up the sightings!

I was almost back at the car my head spinning as I tried to remember salient facts from the day ready to write my PD when I was distracted by a Holly Blue. As it flew along the hedge I chanced to look down and there was a miniscule dark butterfly in amongst the taller grasses at the foot of the hedge. My first Small Blue of the year. In between taking shots of this a noticed a second Peacock, another Greenstreak and a few more whites; what a monster of a morning!   

After getting home I added up all of my sigthings and no wonder I was buzzing:
B 26, LW 1, SW 7, GVW 6, OT 4, DS 15, GS 22, GH 21, SB 1, HB 1, ST 1, P 2, SpW 8

Martin Down    12-05-2018

I’d been checking the weather app for most of the week and it was looking like Saturday after lunch was going to be the best weather across the weekend. So I suggested taking the girls for a run to Martin Down. Come Saturday morning it was set to become fair from 11am onwards over at Martin. So I did a few jobs and checked again – now it was showing the improvement beginning at 12. Oh well still okay. After returning from some errands in town the app now showed 1pm as the time when the sun would come out. After dropping Lottie at Dance it became 2pm. It seemed that every time I updated it the improvement came later and later. The final time I checked the improvement would definitely occur at 3pm, honest guv, me tell you no lies, it’s totally Pukka…
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So we went and walked through the mizzle from Sillen’s Lane along the hedge to the hotspot at the hollow. Once there the girls set up the picnic blanket in the middle of the path and I wove my way along the small tracks criss-crossing the bank on the side of the Dyke. But still nothing and no sign of the cloud breaking either. Eventually my persistence (or stubbornness or cursing?) paid off and I found a single Grizzlie hunkered down sitting out the drear.

Slightly further along was a second also keeping a low profile. The one upside to the less than balmy weather was that I was able to get some nice underside shots which are next to impossible when the sun shines. The Downside? Despite a Herculean amount of searching I couldn’t locate another butterfly.      

Coffee drunk, books read and maths sheets completed we gave it up and headed home. I checked the app and now Sunday, instead of black cloud and rain as it had shown all week now showed blue skies and sunshine. AAAHHHHH!!!!

Work    10-05-2018

After the joys of the previous day I made my way back out starting again at the Pits area. This time the two whites flying around here were both Smalls and the Specklie was in the usual haunt by the break through the trees.

The sun was a fair bit weaker today and much more intermittent so I was expecting to see less. As it was the Holly Blues were a no show but further along the hedge a watch another Small White enjoying having one of the unmown sections to itself. With the number of buttercups etc. growing so profusely here I’m really looking forward to checking these sections out in a few weeks’ time to see if we can tempt in some Common Blues, Brown Argus and maybe a few Golden Skippers?  Definitely something to look forward too! After this little forward planning moment I refocused back on the present and carried on wandering along the hedge. Down at the bottom the Small Tort was in the same place as yesterday but on another of the unmown sections a beautifully marked Green-veined White was making the most of both the nectar feast and also the sun which had momentarily poked its head out from behind the cloud.

On the return journey things were pretty much the same but with one Small White fewer.   

Work    09-05-2018

Back at work not much happened on Tuesday but on Wednesday one of the younger pupils after break came strolling up to me armed with a cardboard cup. I thought this was a little usual until he showed me what was inside – my first ever Muslin Moth, what a cracking looking Moff! I took a few shots whilst the next class was filing in.

At lunch I grabbed the camera and headed out. It seems that the rewilding of the school field is not going down too well with some people namely certain local residents that see fit to use the school’s private property as a dog walk come toilet or as a recreation ground for their toddlers. Hopefully they won’t do too much trampling damage as things are really paying off butterfly wise. Up at the ‘Pits’ a Small White and OT mooched about, the white occasionally stopped providing me with an opportunity of a photo but unsurprisingly the OT didn’t. 

At the end of this little section where the tree line makes a right angle and follows along the hedge I again found a couple of Specklies but was gutted when a Holly Blue took off from low down. I needn’t have minded as slightly further along the hedge another floated down to sit nicely on a Dock leaf. I didn’t want to spook it so took a few record shots from distance and then gave it a wide berth as I continued on down the hedge. 

It all went a little quiet after this until I’d almost completed the length of the hedge and then I as buzzed by something which erupted out from a large patch of nettles. It dove back in and I was able to find it easily as it stick out like a sore thumb; a Small Tort. The fading of the cream spots to white gave a hint at its age but apart from that it wasn’t in too bad a shape for this late in the season with most of its wing margins still present and no noticeable tears in its wings.

As I was in danger of being late again I cut straight across the field – not too shabby a tally today.

Bank Holiday at Lulworth and after...   07-05-2018

“What’s the weatherperson just said – the Bank Holiday is going to be hot and sunny?”
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“Now they’re just taking the piss!”...

But indeed the weather was hot and sunny so no urine had been extracted. Having been out the previous two days (albeit one of those was childminding) it would have been bad form to have suggested another butterflying trip. Luckily my wife suggested a trip to the coast, to Lulworth Cove and as a back-up I had to take Little L to her tutoring in the evening so I could also nip up the Down. So with things warming up nicely we set off early so as to beat the traffic.
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Once there we made to use the facilities and I noticed that the wildlife area has been flattened and all life grubbed out. From here we carried on our way to our usual little spot in the far right hand corner of the Cove. My wife and I took it in turns to paddle and find sea glass and after a quick rock climb with L I watched the bags while L and my wife paddled almost the whole way round the Cove and back. I was biding my time see and when they got back I vamoosed up the small track to my usual spot. It was disappointingly quiet with not even a Skipper to greet me. I’ve seen 6 species here in the past but it was far too early for three of them though I was hopeful of my first Dingy or Grizzlie. No such luck. In fact after wandering the paths several times I was bereft of butterflies. Surprisingly I wasn’t that bothered by the lack of butterflies as a lizard had clambered out like a Dinosaur on the Jurassic coast and there was the stunning Lulworth Crumple to see as well as erosion taking place before my very eyes at the caves at Stair Hole. I know that being from Dorset I may be considered slightly biased but it is a simply stunning place. Eventually I saw a few butterflies; a distant White and the incongruous sight of an OT set against a turquoise backdrop as it patrolled along the surf line. On the way home I caught a fleeting glimpse of what could have been a Peacock or more likely a Red Admiral though I wouldn’t like to have called it. Sun-soaked we made our way back home revelling in the stunning sights, sounds and smells we’d sensed.

And that would normally be where I’d leave it. But it being a Monday I had to take Little L to her tutoring and so once I’d dropped her off I hared up the dusty tracks to Laverstock Down. As I approached the lower slopes of the Down a male OT flew by and this put up a Peacock not exactly looking brilliant but still impressive in stature when compared to the roving OT. It settled back down after clearing its airspace and so I managed a couple of shots.

Leaving the senior citizen in peace I carried on feeling the path start to head upwards. Just at the point where it really starts becoming a Down (i.e. steeply rising) a small block of scrub causes the path to fork. To the left it cuts across the Down diagonally taking longer to reach the top but at a more gentle gradient. I opted for the right hand path where it just goes up and as I made to mentally shift my pace to a lower gear two brown blurs diverted me and stopped me in my tracks. I was pretty sure that one would turn out to be a Dingy but the other was smaller and really moving so I wasn’t really sure if it was a brown blur, it was just ‘a blur’. I watched and waited and eventually one had enough, they separated and both settled. By almost going cross-eyed I managed to note where one had landed but and then set about to investigate. It was a Dingy, my first for 2018 and one of the species that I’d hoped to find albeit much earlier today.

I started up the tracks again but didn’t get far as another small blur caught my eye. As it was so small I was convinced that this one was a Grizzlie. It landed and I approached managing to confirm my ID and get a couple of record shots before it was off hassling the nearby Dingy (again?). I watched the ensuing battle and then somehow managed to follow the smaller Grizzlie once it broke away landing just a short way from where it had originally come from.

I hung around here for a bit and the behaviour that I’d witnessed continued with a second Dingy also getting into the mix. I’d watch one settle, move in and get a few shots and then it would be off either because another Skipper was hassling it or it wanted to hassle another Skipper. I was a joyous sight to behold and it made me feel a little like a Grandad – the grandkids were enjoying some rough and tumble and then at the end of the day I could pass them back to the parents and let them sort them out.

All too soon the hour was almost up and I was hightailing it back to pick Little L up. Finally I’d gotten my Skippers!

Noar Hill    06-05-2018

Possibly like the butterflies I was caught out by the unseasonably warm weather. This particular weekend date wise is usually when Philzoid and I make our first trip to Bentley Wood looking for Pearls. This time however there was nothing in the book and wandering into the clearing to meet Philzoid things seemed a little quiet...too quiet. We checked all the usual likely spots; the bottom of the clearing which threw up a Peacock, the damper area in the middle of the clearing on the other side of the brook and also the far side but despite notching up an OT, GVWs and Brimstones, a couple of Specklies and another Peacock there wasn’t a Pearl in sight.

I tried some of the (un)ususal tricks; spotting a Tiger Beetle, Specklie and Tree Pipit all good omens usually, wandering past aimlessly and suddenly staring at a patch of leaves, pouring a coffee but nothing coerced a Pearl to emerge for us. It seems that the cold snap had knocked back their emergence. Even my final trick of announcing loudly “right we’re off let’s make a move to the next place” didn’t produce the goods. So where next? We could try my Duke site which is a late one and so possibly wouldn’t be that productive or we could go rally cross and see what all the fuss was about at Noar Hill? Noar Hill it was and so off we set.
We did it in quite good time despite being taken through Winchester city centre, a few horses en route and a Mobility Scooter in the middle of the a single track road in the middle of nowhere!? Philzoid took the lead for the final furlong and before we knew it we were parked and walking up the hill, a male OT coming down to greet us.
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Not having visited here before I didn’t know what to expect and it felt quite strange having reached the top of the hill to suddenly be heading down into a dip. We met someone else looking for Dukes in this first large hollow who communed that they’d all be hiding away from the lunchtime sun. Within 30 seconds we’d located our first and second Duke of Burgundy, one a piece. Our thoughts of doom and gloom and wasted journies were evaporated by this cracking little butterfly. After a little bit here we’d counted at least 5 Dukes three of which took part in some aerial argy bargy and proving what vicious little critters they can be. Another enthusiast appeared overhead at the top of the hollow as the Greenstreak that had been giving him the run around dove down towards us. It was a real flighty blighter but I managed a few record shots.

We then started working through the hollows alternatively clambering up the steep sides, enjoying the cooling breeze at the top before trying not to fall down into the next hollow. The second one we visited held a beauty of a Duke which kept its own little territory, a hollow within a hollow. He posed brilliantly but in the heat open wing shots were at a premium.
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The next hollow held two more Dukes and then we ended up wandering along a fairly level track at the top of this one noting a few GVWs, a Peacock and an OT on the way. A Holly Blue flew up around a tree which was covered in little golden moths that had antennae three times the length of their bodies. (A.metallica!)

What felt like the furthest hollow held another two Dukes and not much else so we started to work our way back. The final hollow that we intentionally visited held 5 Dukes and someone with a super-slow-mo camera. Unlike us he was dead chuffed when the Dukes would take off as that was exactly what he was after. It worked quite well. He’d get a lock on, we’d get our shots and should we inadvertently disturb the butterfly or it decided it fancied a change he’d get his shot. Our second Greenstreak of the day also put in an appearance here.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself in this Duke Haven and I now understood the hype. However we soon encountered the darker side of Noar Hill when we came to leave. It is a very disorientating place with hollow after hollow appearing to be the ‘one we visited first’. On the way we saw a further three Dukes but actually I was more interested in actually finding the way out. Eventually we tagged along with another couple who were going back to their car and we came out about 100metres further along the road from where we’d taken the track up to the site. I was very tight for time so thanking Philzoid and wishing him luck I set off homewards – making it back with three minutes to spare and knocking 6 minutes off of the SATNAV’s e.t.a!
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What a cracking day…might need to return here next year and I’ll bring a bloody big ball of string a la Theseus!      

Coombe Bisset Down    05-05-2018

As my wife was booked onto an aromatherapy course in one of the little villages on the outskirts near Salisbury I was given the dual duty of chauffeur and childminder for the afternoon. So with part one of duty one completed I loaded the girls back into the car and we set off along the high hedged windy lanes. Nearby was a site that I’d only visited once before some years back – Coombe Bissett Down and so with ‘Iron Maiden – Two Minutes to Midnight’ (their choice not mine though I heartily approved) blaring from the open windows turned off up the hill towards the site.

Only it wasn’t the correct turning. Instead I was following a route that I’d last taken almost 30 years towards Great Yews a Scout camp. I’d love to have carried on and inspected the old camp but my memory isn’t that good and it certainly isn’t the chalk downland I wanted to visit. So we pulled a U-ey and started back down the hill but very slowly as here, away from all the hustle and bustle down a largely ignored road there seemed to be butterflies everywhere. I inched the car along with the windows open and pointed out butterflies to the girls as we went past as if we were on a safari. A male OT went past, a Green-veined White rose almost vertically up the side of the hedge, a pair of male Brimstone started a scrap right in front of us and I stopped for fear of them colliding with the windscreen. Then a Holly Blue jinked by and in my rear view mirror I could see a/the male OT returning whilst ahead another male flew towards on a collision course. They met and spiralled upwards. The loser shot off over the hedge the victor settled down for a victory drink whilst just further on a female OT nectared – the reason for all the strife? The girls were enthralled by this greener, lusher and miniature Serengeti but all too soon the spell was broken as another car came up the hill and passed us by.

We got back on the main road and took the next left turn which was the right one this time (if you follow me) and then we stumbled across the next memory related problem. I remembered reading that there was a particular hotspot right at the far end of the reserve which was particularly resplendent in wildflowers and therefore butterflies too So we sailed up the hill past the car park looking to our right down across the down for said field. Only it wasn’t there anymore and neither was there anywhere sensible to park or anywhere to get over the barbed wire reserve boundary. So noting another Holly Blue we pulled another U-ey and drove back to the car park.

By now I’d wasted a good amount of my allotted child caring time and it would soon be back to Duty 1 and the pick up so we made haste down the Down starting along the largest and widest terraced ramp. It was really well grazed by sheep from the look of the height of the sward so we climbed back up the steep bank to look for one of the more roughly grazed terraces. This proved better straight away as a Peacock and Brimstone other did a fly-by. In the surprisingly hot sun I was worried about the girls getting burnt and so I found them a shady little nook under a large Hawthorn and they set up camp so that I could investigate further.

It was hard going with the heat making everything solar charged and OTs , GVWs and anther Peacock all flew by without stopping. The Peacock itself did a U-ey and circled me a couple of times before landing wings closed – too hot possibly? I took a few shots and gave it a wide berth and it stayed put while I carried on towards the bottom of the hill. Something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye a familiar and welcome green flashed at me from amongst the foliage – my first Green Hairstreak of 2018. I fired of a few shots as it flew this way and that but none came out so I waited for it to settle so I could make an approach. It was very gittery but eventually I managed to get in close enough for a few shots I was happy with.

It was all going so well and then I heard “Wurzel” being screamed across the valley and so in a flash I was sprinting back to the girls. Normally the call of ‘Wurzel’ just means the battery has gone flat on the iPod, they want to know where the chocolates are or one of them needs the loo but this time there was real fear and anguish in the call. I was actually a little bit scared.
“What’s up, why’s K crying, why are you crying?” I asked a blubbing little L.
“K’s really upset there’s a lost lamb and it’s crying for it’s mum”
I’d been called away from my commune with nature, my meditation to play Shepherd! On the next terrace down there was a gate, on one side was a Ewe with one Lamb and on the other was another Lamb bleating mournfully. It seems someone had opened and closed the gate behind them properly but the sneaky/stupid Lamb and snuck through and not couldn’t get back. So I managed to herd it down and towards the gate, corral it in the triangle of a kissing gate while I opened up the main gate for it to gambol through. Job down, tears stopped, mother and baby reunited. But I’d lost all of the remaining time and so we had to make our way back up the hill on the hurry up! Hopefully there will be other meetings with the Green One.

We arrived back a little early for the pick up and so I checked out the meadow on the other side of the road. It was a sight to see and I scanned across from left to right counting 57 Whites in the single continuous gaze. Judging by the tiered vegetation that is probably less than half of the number actually present in this one little bit of field. Stunning

Star Wars Day at Work   04-05-2018

03-05-2018 Work
As the week progressed I got a little frustrated with the slow rate of change in the weather but Thursday lunch was bright enough and warm enough mostly for there to be some butterflies. However I hadn’t anticipated the breeze which was really blustery at times. Cutting through the housing estate and heading to the half way point of the back path yielded nothing even though I kept my eyes peeled. After the usual walk to the end of the path and back I’d seen one definite Large White and four other unidentified whites and not one of them stopped.

04-05-2018 Work
Finally Friday had arrived and not a moment too soon. As the pupils left my room at lunchtime I grabbed my camera and headed out to see what I could see and maybe even photograph – although if it was anything like yesterday all I’d be doing was looking.
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I took my secondary route, up through the pits. As I reached the unmown area just prior to the pits a Small White flew towards and then past me. “Here we go again” I thought. Still I carried on wandering round the pits and then a Specklie took off from under my feet and flew into the adjacent field owned by the Primary School. I’d not expected to see a Specklie over this way but I stepped more carefully from then on. A good job that I did as there was a second Specklie. This one didn’t fly off not to be seen again but flew only a few metres away landing at a decent height in the hedge so I was able to get my shots.
After this I walked the length of the hedge and back but didn’t see any other butterflies though there were a few St Marks flies around and I also found a pair in mid cop. On m return the Specklie was still in roughly the same area so I wished it farewell and headed back in to get the job finished. Stroll on the Bank Holiday!     

Enford Stop-off    02-05-2018

After a day stuck in work with the weather such that a lunchtime trip out was off the cards it was with some relief that when it came to go home the sun was out. Unfortunately no-one turned up for the afterschool revision session and so I set off for home taking the back route. As I drove along through the winding lanes I spied the odd Brimstone but it was as I approached my usual stop off pint before Enford that I saw a smaller White, I pulled in and strolled back up the road to where I’d seen the white. It was still in roughly the same place so I was able to get a few shots of a lovely Green-veined White.
I pulled in a second time at my more usual pull in and a 2 minutes stroll back up the road produced another GVW and a pair of sparring Specklies. Things are definitely starting to move as I saw 4 butterflies in as many minutes soon they’ll be all over the place…  

Work    01-05-2018

After the highs of last week and the scorching weather normal service was resumed over the weekend with rain and wind in abundance and the showers continued on into the start of the next week. It was cool and damp still when I set out on Tuesday lunchtime but having been cooped up for what felt like an age I really needed to get out. So reasoning that the back path would offer the quickest ‘fix’ I made my way through the housing estate straight there.
Things didn’t look good and all the usual little haunts and hollows along the bank were bereft of butterflies. At the end of the path a White took off from a Dandelion before I could get a proper look at it and then I made my back to banks. Once here I scanned a bit deeper searching for butterflies lower down among the grasses seeking shelter form the breeze. As I did this I noticed a dead leaf that seemed out of place so I looked a little more closely. My first Specklie of the year.

After a few shots I watched it try to fly but the sun had gone in again and it could only manage a tiny flutter. I offered it my finger and it climbed on board to warm up a bit and cupping my palm sheltered it from the strengthening breeze. Shortly it opened up and seeing that it was alright I placed on a grass stem at the edge of the path. As the sun came out off it went.    

Finally a Specklie!

Vera Jones’s Mill    26-04-2018

After a lunchtime of whites an extra hour out butterflying was a very welcome bonus. Check me out butterflying on a school night what a rebel LOL There was really only one place to go and that was Vera Jones’s Mill. So after a 4 minute drive I was parked up, booted and raring to go. As if sensing my anticipation a Small Tort greeted me as soon as I entered the site but knowing that I was here for OTs it did a number so I didn’t waste any time stalking it, all the more for OT finding. It was slightly cooler than on my previous visit a week ago but even so as I walked along the hedge, down the hill and over the gate I didn’t see a single butterfly. It carried on this way right the way down the hill through the gate and as I followed the board walk round to the right. Nothing, nada, zilch?
As the path left the wood to head out across the fen I spied two male OTs off to my right. I watched them for a while and they didn’t venture far, always returning to roughly the same spot until they felt the need to go and hassle the other, or were hassled themselves. It seemed like this was going to be a really good spot as it was right on the edge of the fen on a muddy track so no trampling to concern myself with, there was a good scattering of both Garlic Mustard and Cuckoo flower, nice big dock leaves and other foliage for them to sun bathe on and the dappled shade offered shelter form the wind and calmed them down. All in all a pretty nice little set up and so I settled down to wait for them to come to me, which they did.

I then made my way out onto the central path and took the boardwalk to the left right the way across the fen. For a while I stood in the sun and watched the whites flying around me. I could make out the more obvious male Orange-tips, of which there were two and a Green-veined White which flew close enough and settled for just long enough for me to make out the markings but there were two other whites that I couldn’t identify. I carried on through the more wooded area to the recently mown field where there were another two male OT’s but all were still in full-on patrol mode seeming to fly incessantly so I retraced my steps back the way I’d come making for the initial spot. On the way a Roe Deer gave me more of a shock than I gave it as it launched itself away. As I caught my breath a Green-veined White stopped for me.

Back at my initial stopping point there were still male OTs flying this way and that. I clocked 4 males and a female at one point, found a nicely marked male which instead of the usual black fore wing spots seemed have little eyes and a second male with slightly less obvious ‘eyes’. Occasionally now the sun would go in for a few moments and then they would slow down and eventually stop. During one of the longer shady spells one male shut up shop as it were on a Cuckoo Flower whilst another was lower down in the vegetation. It was interesting to see it open up, its antennae still pointing directly forward as one unit.

Eventually my time came to an end and not wanting to get home too late I said my goodbyes and departed. Through the first gate at the end of the boardwalk I passed, a Peacock waving me off, before a Green-veined White also wished me adieu on my way up the hill.

All too soon I was back at the car but what a thoroughly cracking hour!

Work    26-04-2018

I hadn’t been able to get out for a while as the weather was playing silly buggers and was destined to do the same thing over the weekend but all of that was going to change today. So in blazing sun I made my way out and along the usual route making for the back path. On the way I saw only a single Small Tort but it was really well positioned/posed like it had taken ‘the Dandelion stairway to heaven’. 

Along the path things were really quiet past the gardens. So quiet in fact that I stopped about a quarter of the way along to take a few shots of a female Oil Beetle as a back-up just in case I couldn’t add anything to the tally. I needn’t have worried as I fell into a purple patch just past the half way point. The path widens here and there is a small but steep bank reaching up to the residents’ back garden fences. As it’s wider more vegetation can grow here and around and about there was another Small Tort along with a Green-veined and a Small White. It’s strange how butterflies seem to congregate in the same spots, I suppose they often have similar needs so the same spot can meet those needs for more than a single individual? Anyway it was great being able to click away to my left and right and straight ahead and get three species without having to take a step.

After this I strolled to the end of the path and saw my first Large White of 2018 et it didn’t stop unfortunately and directly after identifying it took flight. So I strolled back the way I’d come and at the Purple Patch the Small White was still sitting maybe recovering still from the bird strike which had deprived it of the tops of its fore wings? A second flew in, there was a brief scuffle and it was gone to be replaced by a fly-by Peacock. I could have stayed all afternoon but in the end I forced myself back to work. The day got even better when the staff meeting was postponed so I was looking forward to an extra hour at t’Vera…

Tutor Time    23-04-2018

Once a week I take my younger daughter across town so that she can spend an hour with her 11+ Tutor. During the winter I would sit in their front room and get some marking or planning down. It was a very productive hour. However now the winter is almost over I have started making the odd foray out either up the Down or down to the local church yard. So far these occasional visits have produced zero butterflies, not even fly-by’s but tonight I was determined to make the most of one of the few sunny afternoons.

So I thought I’d try my luck around the meadows. Through the church yard I went with no Green-veined or Small Whites, down through the Yew and Holly bushes with no Specklies or Holly Blues. Along the river I went seeing Cuckoo Flower but without finding an Orange-tip nor any Small Torts bedding down among the nettles. I climbed up and over the bridge and walked along the path where there was a distinct absence of any Peacocks on the blossom and then through the fields and past the huge dung heap where there zero Red Admirals. In fact I didn’t see a single butterfly in any of the haunts that I’d visited in the past. I was walking on new territory and getting near to having to turn back when a white something or other drifted down a settled in the Stinging Nettles. At first I thought the stand out white object was just a feather so delicately had it drifted to its resting place. But as I go closer it turned out to be a female Green-veined White.
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Chuffed with my first ‘2018 Tutor Session Butterfly’ I beat a hasty retreat so as to collect little L. The return journey was just as butterfly-less as the outward journey. Things have got to get going properly soon surely?     

Duke Site    22-04-2018

Having spent the afternoon yesterday visiting somewhere the family wanted to go today it was my turn to pick the picnic location. I plumped for my Duke Site, vaguely hoping for an early Grizzlie which might have awoken in the glorious sun or maybe a Greenstreak. Plus it had the advantage of soft, mossy areas of dappled shade in the clearing.
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Things looked great as we arrived, a Brimstone flying by and showing up vividly against almost uniform kakhi green background which was occasionally sprinkled with bright yellow Cowslips. However it was decidedly quiet by the time we’d reached the big Cypress tree between the track and the clearing. We carried on up the track seeing a Small Tort on the way before turning left and heading to the far corner of the clearing to a mossy area favoured by Dukes. I was then free to roam and set out on a couple of forays whilst the girls (all three) relaxed in the sun. I checked out the little valley, the stony bank behind the clearing and the clearing itself first but it was proving hard work.

A couple of Brimstone, an OT and a Peacock later and I was back before embarking on my second foray. This time I worked down the clearing and followed the track round to the right. I wouldn’t normally go this way but I was being led by an un-obliging OT. It just wouldn’t stop! I eventually lost sight of it as it sparred with another white. It went up and over the Hawthorns and the other went low and further into the beech wood. I followed and it settled a few times and just long enough to ID it as a GVW and also get a few shots. A Small White nearby didn’t stop long enough for a photo and soon both whites were bickering away so I left them to it and headed back to the family for lunch, passing another Peacock on the way.

I kept an eye out during lunch and my munching was briefly disturbed by a Brimstone and then another male OT. This one I watched and it was behaving slightly differing than the others I’d seen. It seemed to be completing a circuit flying along the track on two sides of the clearing before zig-zagging across the clearing to its original start point; flying in a jagged tooted triangle. It was also stopping more regularly and for slightly longer. So lunch done I set off to intersect it. A couple of times I was able to get it in the viewfinder, the next few I managed the odd record shot before finally things fell into place – right plant, right orientation, close enough and autofocus running fast enough. Hopefully things will get easier as the season progresses as the butterflies do seem to chill out after an initial surge.

As the newspaper and books had been read, the coffee drunk and the lunch eaten we bade farewell to my Duke Site. I’ll be back soon though…

Stourhead    21-04-2018

Finally the weekend arrived and the weather held. I couldn’t believe if. After the usual Saturday mornings doings we bundled the girls in the car and it the highway to Stourhead. As usual the clouds followed us and we even had a brief shower as we made to turn off the A303 but once we were parked the clouds had lifted and we were able to walk around uncoated with short sleeves up.
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We followed the usual route; over the bridge, up through the terraced gardens, on through the stables and following the woodland path. Unfortunately the area I’d been looking forward to visiting most was closed so there would be no sightings of Whites or Specklies fluttering from one side of the avenue to the other. In fact it was very quiet and by the time we’d reached half way round I’d seen only a single Brimstone and that hadn’t stopped to boot!

As the path came down the hill by shallow, wide steps and broke out from the trees an OT flew by. I watched as it patrolled this way and that and it seemed to be following a circuit. However despite this I just couldn’t get a clear photo as it would stop fleetingly, just long enough for me to get into position before setting off on the same patrol but always stopping at a different place. Another OT briefly ventured onto the original territory and a skirmish ensued before the intruder was sent packing. We carried on and by the time we’d reached the caves leading up to Apollo’s Temple I’d notched up 3 Brimstone, 3 Small White and 3 OT’s. Up at the Temple there were a few fleeting views of a Holly Blue to add to the tally but it wasn’t playing ball either. It was a little frustrating though as everything was bombing about. However my frustration was tempered by spending time with the family in beautiful settings.
Later while I was packing the boot K asked after her sweatshirt…she’d left it up at the Apollo Temple. Cursing under my breath and possibly slightly louder we walked-ran all the way back. It was still there and so out of breath we made our second return journey. We did make one important pitstop – a Holly Blue was fluttering down on the path looking like it was trying to find somewhere to mud puddle. The traipsing tourists that surrounded it made it instead settle on a flower where it proceeded to take nectar.

Ever cloud has a silver lining it seems. In this case more of a silvery Holly Blue but there we go…

Working Lunch    20-04-2018

After the highs of yesterday I set out at lunch hoping for more of the same. It started well enough with a Small White. Well I didn’t know it was a Small until I’d tracked it down and it briefly settled in the Wildlife Area. From here I got back on track and cut across to the ‘Pits’ and from there worked my way along the boundary hedge. In the glorious weather there were very few butterflies. In fact I found only 3 Small Torts by the time I’d started on the Back path, a decline of 81.25% from yesterday! Perhaps there had been an emergence event and since then they had dispersed?

Along the path it was even worse and I didn’t see a single butterfly until I reached the half way point when I was buzzed by a Peacock. I carried on along the path scanning the usual little ‘clearings’ among the dead grasses and detritus. By the time I’d reached the end point I’d notched up a single Small Tort. Just as I was about to dejectedly turn back a small blue butterfly detached itself from wherever it had been perched some distance away. It rose up and up a Holly tree eventually disappearing over the top – my first Holly Blue. A quick run and I was back at work with just enough time to wolf down my Hommus sandwich. 

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Vera Jones’s Mill    19-04-2018

After my success with the Nymphalids at lunch I started wondering where the Whites were? I reasoned that perhaps the habitat offered by the back path wasn’t the best and so I hatched a plan. As I had a parents evening I would be experiencing the joys of ‘trapped time’. This is where there isn’t enough time to travel home and back and so usually I catch up on work or play cards with the Maths Department et al. However this time I decided I’d nip out to Vera Jones’s Mill to hopefully connect with some Whites.

It was mighty W when I arrived and as I walked through the gate a Small Tort buzzed me in greeting. Slightly further along another Small Tort took off from an invisible resting place among the grass. Over another gate, down the hill and through the next gate and I was in the noticeably cooler dappled shade of the small wood which encroaches on the fen. Taking to the boardwalk I scanned around hoping for a Specklie though none appeared. Instead at the end of the boardwalk I surprised two male Orange-tips who broke apart from their sparring and shot away at height. 

Annoyed that my first sighting had been so brief I carried on across the raised path which bisects the fen noting a Peacock further out where I’d have sunk up to me knees in bog. I walked up and down glimpsing an Orange-tip on either side of the path (the two originals?) both of which kept disappearing from view as they flew low along the ditches. Another White butterfly appeared as if from nowhere and it didn’t have the cream tangerine appearance of a distant OT, instead it seemed more lemony so I watched it fly into the opposite field, followed it and managed to predict roughly where it would land. When it dropped and started to take nectar I was there ready to get some shots of my first Small White. Chuffed I made my way back to the fen, stopping briefly for a Small Tort before once again enjoying the clomping sound of my feet on the wooden pathway.

I took the path to the right which cut across the fen and dove down into the more wooded area. There to greet me was another Orange-tip bombing along at breakneck speed. I got annoyed with myself as after weeks of bemoaning the dull, cool and wet weather now I found myself moaning that it was too hot! Another OT flew by past me half way through the wood and then as the path takes a left turn I saw my fifth. None stopped, all persistently patrolled and the only shots I could manage were grabbed, blurry distant in flight shots. Maybe a trip next week if it’s 5 or so degrees cooler will see me actually latch onto some OT’s?

At this turn in the path straight ahead is another field demarcated by a wire fence. Clinging to this was a Comma. As I cautiously approached a Peacock flew by and the Comma was off like a shot to see off the intruder. I made my way round the entire circuit a second time but despite the usual early season grab shots of OT’s there was no change in the cast enacting the Act 2. It still felt hot as I strode up the hill and I started sweating for the first time this year!  

​Work    19-04-2018

After the improvement in the weather continued I stepped out at lunch again today and again I went slightly off piste as it were as I again went to check out the old jump pits. Unlike yesterday however it only threw up the one butterfly – a Small Tort. I carried onto the hedge and made to walk through the small line of trees which separated the pits from the pitches. When a Peacock flew through the same gap I followed it as it wove along the boundary hedge only to disappear over the top and to the fields beyond. As I found myself on the opposite side of the field from what I was used to I carried on anyway. After a while, almost three quarters along the length of the hedge I was regretting not taking this walk before as I was racking up the Small Torts, the tally was going over double figures. I’d also had a Comma drop in for a bit, it rummaged around in the bushes and then shot off after a Small tort.

I carried on following the field around to the left finding another Small Tort, then another (number 12) and then a Peacock. It took off, hassled by a Small Tort (number 13) which harassed it for a bit before both landed on a concrete fence post and the Small Tort made what seemed to be courtship advances? I left them to it as I was limited for time. How come I can’t find these things when I’ve got hours to kill and so I’m able to wait and watch? Finding Small Tort number 14 about 2 metres away from the back path I set off on my usual route and so reset the mental counter to zero as it was going to be business as usual along the narrow and familiar track.

After the plethora of butterflies from before it came as a bit of a shock when I realised that I was fast approaching the half way mark and I’d not seen anymore. However I needn’t have worried as a Peacock saw of a Small Tort before taking up position on top of a fence post. After this it was indeed back to business as usual and I added another 5 Small Torts and another Peacock to the lunch time tally.

All told there was a Comma, 4 Peacocks and 20 Small Torts. What a cracking half hour!  

Work    18-04-2018

Things are starting to get a little better. Today was warmer with sunny intervals and walking round without a jumper was actually doable. I planned to do the usual route but got distracted right at the outset as I recalled a friend from UKB’s luck with Dandelions and so I diverted to investigate the overgrown area where the jump pits used to be. I bumped into a Small Tort almost immediately and this was swiftly followed by a pair. They seemed to be locked into courtship with the small male patiently waiting behind the female. I was sure that they would have copulated but unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to wait and watch. Instead I cut back across the field and, with time pressing, dove down through the housing estate to get to the ‘path’. I made a brief stop on the way as a Small Tort hung upside down tantalisingly from a Muscorum offering a cracking composition from both front and back.

Once on the path it was business as usual with a total of eight Small Torts, two of which also seemed to be a courting. Time was ticking by and so I forewent walking to the very end of the path so I’ll never know if there would have been my first Specklie waiting for me. I made my way back along the path this time seeing six Small Torts and a Peacock which was down on the deck mudpuddling. I wondered while I watched it if this would become a more common sight this year after the recent deluges?

With 15 seconds to spare I stepped back into my classroom…that was a close run thing!

Work    16-04-2018

So as I returned to work the weather looked set to improve greatly…what…a…surprise! Still it is the same every year and you just have to grin and bear it and keep plugging away. So it was today. Despite the lovely start to the day by lunchtime the cloud had returned and as I strode purposefully (more to keep myself warm than because of any sense of purpose) across the field the cloud was accompanied by a strong breeze. A Small Tort was startled by some workman up ahead and flew by at a great rate of knots, wind assisted.
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On the path things weren’t much easier as the wind direction was such that the breeze cut straight across the field and hit the path full in the face. During the briefest of lulls in the breeze and when I was about half way along I saw two Small Torts take off and plop down in a furrow in the field. So no photo opportunities there. Luckily further along my scanning of the piles of dross and the little ‘clearings’ among the dead grasses yielded a fourth Small Tort. It was as flat to the ground as it could be and was quivering it’s wings trying for all it was worth to keep its temperature up.

I walked to the end of the track and then started my return journey. Another Small Tort was basking. It then started crawling across the dead foliage taking shelter underneath some stinging nettles. And a good job too as the temperature continued to drop, the wind continued to blow and there was also some drops of rain carried by the breeze. Considering rolling my shirt sleeves back down I heaed back to work.

Within an hour the wind had dropped and the sun - typical!

Mottisfont    14-04-2018

So an entire week after my last trip out finally the weather had improved enough to head back out. The cloud had lifted, the temperatures were rising and the sun was actually shining rather than just hanging limpid and lacklustre. Mottisfont seemed to be the best bet and so with snacks packed we set off. On the journey I could almost feel the serotonin forming as we drove along and there would be a little surge every time a butterfly hove into view. By the time we pulled into the car park two Small Torts and eleven Brimstone so I was feeling pretty elated.
We entered the grounds and there was another Brimstone, a male a bit too far away for my lens to capture but a lovely sight to see. From here we wended our way along the streamside path making our way to the walled garden though we were frequently distracted as after a week of grey dismal cloud to finally see colour and feel the warmth of the sun was brilliant so we’d stop time and again. On one such stop to admire the daffs one of the leaves detached itself but instead of falling down it fluttered off and a realised that it was a female Brimstone. I watched as she flew by and then landed just ahead of me before momentarily disappearing from view again. I realised she was taking nectar and was camouflaged.

Once in the Walled Garden my wife sat and read, the girls disappeared off to play hide and seek (I’d see one of them occasionally hiding behind the bench or climbing up a tree) so I just pottered about drifting through the squares of lawn from one to the next and wandering seemingly aimlessly but all the time scanning for any sign of movement. First butterfly was a Small Tort and then there were a multitude of Brimstone. The males all proved a pain as they would feed frenetically and mostly on the flowers which were in the middle of beds. They were always that little bit too far away for all but the most cropped shots or holding themselves at an unusual angle. Occasionally I’d manage to orientate myself to get a few shots but it was hard going. The females on the other hand were much more accommodating. My meanderings around saw me encountering another Small Tort and possibly 4 Brimstone, though this is a very conservative guess. There was also a Peacock which dropped in momentarily only to be sent packing by a female Brimstone, so it seems that they’re not always well behaved!  

Sun-soaked and happy we then walked across the grounds and ventured out further across the fields to link up with the riverside walk. On the way Brimstones would fly by and by the Ha-Ha there was another Peacock but I was just happy watching and drinking it all in. The girls ran on ahead laughing and joking or held hands and talked incessantly all the way cross the fields, along the river path and over the bridge. All too soon the circuit was complete and we walking up the raised walkway to the exit. As we did I glanced across to my right and there was a white feather amongst the foliage. Only it wasn’t a feather – my first Green-veined White. The girls went on and I hung back and hung off the walkway camera in one hand to try for a few shots. It was tricky but eventually I managed to lie almost flat along the walkway, hold the support with my left hand and the camera in my right and fire off a few shots.
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As I was starting to get a few funny looks I wrapped things up, un-contorted myself and re-joined the others. All in all a fantastic family day out!   

Five Rivers    07-04-2018

One of the great things about Five Rivers is that it offers free swimming for children during the holidays. So once the girls were in the pool and my work was done I nipped off for 30 minutes. I grabbed my camera from the boot and headed straight over to the Banks. The two Scallops were quiet but at Comma Corner a Comma took-off and I spied a second down on the deck in the middle of the track.
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After a few shots I carried on but the sun which had been out oh so fleetingly now hid away behind the clouds and butterflies now became thin on the ground. Near the small Bramble patch near the bench a Peacock resided briefly. I Watched it come down and try to settle before it felt the need to find somewhere more sheltered. I didn’t have much more luck with the two Small Torts which flew in together from the top of the Banks. As they tumbled to the ground I again watched and waited giving them time to settle or maybe move a little closer towards me. Just as I decided that they’d had long enough and was about to make my move a bloody great dog thundered past me and the Small Torts scattered. Oh well some days are like this and as I’d busked this trip anyway I couldn’t grumble.

Five Rivers    05-04-2018

After the success at Middle Street I thought that I’d better see how things were over at Five Rivers so with Iron Maiden blaring I cut across town. I saw the odd Brimstone on my travels and before I knew it I was drawing to a stop amid a satisfying crunch of gravel.
I cut down through the woodland path noting two non-stop Brimstones on the way and then I reached Comma Corner. Whilst here I checked the scallop at the entrance to the Spinney. On one side sat a Comma and on the other a Small Tort. The Comma was adopting an aggressive looking pose; alert, upright with wings held like the sides of a tent. It obviously didn’t like the presence of the Small Tort and as I expected a fight ensued. Unsurprisingly the smaller but much more aggressive Comma won out settling itself smugly back down in its favoured spot once the furore was over. Whilst in the neighbourhood I also checked out the scallop on the opposite side of the Spinney scanning the bank on the way and turning up a second Small Tort.

After this little sojourn I got back to my usual route, from Comma Corner along the Lower Banks and back again. My first run threw up a Comma almost immediately swiftly followed by another and then a Peacock and numerous Small Torts. To top it off two more fly-by Brimstone made a pass.

So as to not double count on the return leg I reset my mental counter and this time notched up at least 5 Small Torts, the 2 Comma and a Peacock. Looking at the photo at the time I suspected that this Peacock was a different individual (which I was able to confirm later). So a minimum count of 4 Brimstone, 2 Peacocks, 3 Commas and 8 Small Torts. Not bad going on a single trip although in previous years I might have added Whites, Specklies and possibly even a Holly Blue by now. 

I then mooched around just enjoying the show – a Peacock side walking, crabwise to find the optimum basking spot, a squabble involving a Peacock, a Comma and 2 Small Torts during which all three of the smaller relatives ganging up and having a pop at the single, larger Peacock and best of all stopping every 10-15 steps as another butterfly hove into view or materialised from the foliage. I didn’t even mind the nettles stinging my knees through my jeans. A fantastic spring day…at last!

Middle Street    05-04-2018

Suitably refreshed after a Waitrose coffee we strolled back and had lunch. Then I loaded my camera into the car and I was away on my first proper trip of the season. As Small Tort and a Brimstone waved me off. Once at Middle Street I made my way directly to the ‘hotspot’ taking in the water filled hollows and furrows on the way. I was therefore still disappointed but not surprised to see it filled with water too. So I carried on round the ‘lake’, past the fishing platforms to make my way to the far end of the site. And then the butterflies appeared with four Brimstones, one of which was female and four Small Torts. The Brimstones were patrolling past me whilst the Small Torts would be interspersed along the path, nestled in the dried reeds and sticks as if they were holding specific territories. 

At the end of the site I turned, reset my internal counter to zero and made my way back towards the ‘once hotspot’. This time I took the higher path so that I could look down into the drainage areas and scan their banks at the same time. I immediately started picking up Small Torts including a pair in courtship. Well the male was doing his best but the female didn’t seem that interested.

As I reached the crossroads of paths I scanned across the largest f the drainage fields and something golden orange caught my eye. As I started towards it a larger, dark butterfly took off and flew back the way I’d come at a tremendous pace. It didn’t seem black enough to be a Peacock and there was a pinky flash as it passed me – a Red Admiral. Chuffed I turned my attentions back to the orange butterfly which became a Comma. I carried on and scanning around the edges of the large Bramble bush a pair of vivid blue eyes flashed out at me from a lovely Peacock. As it flew it looked totally black and bat-like in contrast to the Red Admiral I’d seen only moments before.

After this I walked around the Lake racking up more Small Torts and Brimstones as well as Cetti’s Warbler (with its “one, one-two, one-two-three-four-one-two” song). Back near the Bramble clump there was a Comma which might have been a different individual and it posed readily.

So Middle Street had thrown up all five of the expected early species, a cracking start. On drive back I stopped on the corner of Upper and Middle Street near the sluice gate for only a few moments but in that short time I managed to pick up a further 3 Small Torts and 4 Brimstones! Anyway onwards and upwards!

Waitrose    05-04-2018

I woke to beautiful blue skies with a slight chill in the air which I felt sure would disappear quickly enough. In fact once I’d gotten back from Little L’s holiday class it was almost warm enough for wearing my coat unzipped.
As we were looking after my nieces for the day we decided to take advantage of the beautiful sunny weather and took a stroll to Waitrose to pick up some bread for lunch and the usual ‘free’ coffee. I took my camera thinking that I might cross paths with a least one butterfly. We’d only gotten as far as St Pauls when a flash of bright yellow announced my first Brimstone of 2018. This was quickly followed by a Small Tort which perched itself on the wall. I got a few shots and it flew along landing slightly further ahead and this process was repeated twice more.

After one underpass the second was flooded so my wife and the girls doubled back to take the alternative route. I however climbed over the fence for a second Small Tort. As I climbed the bank after successfully getting some shots to cut back across the petrol station to re-join the others a Brimstone took flight. It flew off and I thought I’d missed any chance of a photo but eventually it returned and landed about 2 metres away from its original resting place. A few shots and it would take off seeming to disappear before pulling a ‘U-y’ and landing a very short distance away from where it had landed before. After a couple more shots in this way I left the Brimstone and caught up with the others and we picked up our bits before heading home for lunch. As I munched I thought to myself “I really need to get out to make the most of this weather”… 
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Working Lunch    26-03-2018

​Having endured more bad weather and with the long range forecast looking pretty bleak (and they’re always really accurate when it comes to dire weather) I took the opportunity to get out at lunchtime and do a quick patrol. I took my usual route round the edges of the playing fields and spooked a Small Tort when half way across. Normally I wouldn’t have been concerned by this but things have been so dire this year I felt a slight pang of anxiety that one had got away. What if it was the only one? I carried on regardless and rounded the corner and took the path behind the gardens. About 10 gardens in I breathed a sigh of relief as there was another Small Tort flitting about up against the fence. To get a shot I had to get in close to the chicken wire fence and focus through the diamonds. When it worked it produced a nice vignette effect (which will probably be lost in the crop); when it didn’t the butterfly was blurry in places.

The next garden along held a Comma but it was too far away a shot. Nevertheless I was buoyed up by butterflies so I pressed on to the half way stage of the path when it intersects with various ‘in-roads’ to the estate; a grassed area like a valley in miniature and a stepped footpath. Here a couple of Small Torts were having a tussle, one chasing the other out across the field before both spiralled upwards and dived down disappearing. At the far end of the path a final Small Tort tried to disguise itself in amongst the dross before I reached the turn-back point. So far a maximum of 5 Small Torts and a Comma.

On the return journey a Peacock landed momentarily on the path and promptly took off again. I didn’t mind though as I had a few distant shots and time was fast ticking (one of the drawbacks to the change in the timing of the school day). Along the path there were two Small Torts and at the start of the playing fields a final, and possibly the first (?), Small Tort posed nicely. So nicely in fact that I spent a bit of time with it and so had to sprint back in time for afternoon lessons.

​Who knows when I’ll be able to get out next?  

Work    21-03-2018

​Three days ago there had been snow, two days ago there had been ice, so much in fact that work had been closed. Yet here I was on a Wednesday lunchtime back out with my camera! This has got to have been the oddest Spring for a good few years. Still one thing I’ve learnt is to always take advantage of any reasonable weather and get out whenever possible! Again I forewent the coat which is another thing I’ve learnt – warm and dry enough to not need a coat means an increased likelihood of seeing butterflies. And so it was today as I hadn’t even left the playing fields before I came across my first butterfly. I was scanning around looking for movement etc. and this time one of the gliding leaves was actually a butterfly. There is a small hedge bordering the local primary school which is still holding last year’s dead and orange leaves. One of these listlessly dropped down to the ground and I watched it as it fell. It looked slightly more orange and jagged than the others so I moved towards it. Brill! It was my first 2018 Comma down on the deck and doing its best to blend in with its surroundings.

Chuffed from here I decided to take a slightly different route reasoning that any recently activated butterflies would probably be looking for a source of nectar and so would head to the gardens of the local residents hence I cut through the local estate. As I followed the footpath round the first bend something caught my eye fluttering around beneath the front window of one of the houses. I walked up the path and knocked on the front door to ask for permission all the while watching the butterfly out of the corner of my eye. It took off and landed on the recycling bin back at the gate. No-one answered so I walked back up the path and took a few shots when the owner appeared. He didn’t mind me hanging around on his garden path once I’d pointed out the Small Tort to him but it did remind me of my youth reading Bill Oddie and his story of “Oi get off my land!”.

I carried on and made it to the path at the back of the estate without seeing any other butterflies but once here the Small Torts seemed to being emerging all at once. As I re-joined the path there were a couple of Small Torts almost immediately along with another at the very end. In order to not double count I reset my mental counter and walked the length of the path back towards the playing fields and then on to work. If a butterfly was spooked I watched to see which way it headed again to try and avoid double counting. There was one and then a pair tussling and spiralling upwards. I quickly moved on from these so that when they finally broke apart one couldn’t overtake me. It went quiet as I walked past the concrete steps but about three quarters along I noticed a pair in mid courtship just into the field and my final Small Tort was in the penultimate garden.

​So a total of 1 Comma and 7 Small Torts none too shabby but not exactly the double digits that some sites have logged recently. Mind you this is only one thin strip of path so six Small Torts along here isn’t too bad, doubly so when you consider their drop off in numbers at the end of last season. So a total of 1 Comma and 7 Small Torts. When I got home it felt like Spring and so my wife and I took a quick stroll across the Town path and back to enjoy the golden late afternoon light.

Work    16-03-2018

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The reasonable weather seemed to be holding and so as it was a Friday I took this lunchtime off as well. Again I headed straight out across the playing fields and down the back path. As usual I was scanning ahead looking for movement, flashes of colour that shouldn’t be there and the blindingly obvious butterfly out in the open. I worked right the way to the end of the path and had started on the return journey before striking it lucky. There nestled on an old, dumped carpet was a dark black triangle. It hadn’t been there two minutes previously so it must have been forced to land as the sun went in and the temperature dropped ever so slightly. It seemed quite happy to let me approach it from various angles and so I made the most of the next couple of minutes. Ever so slowly it opened up and so that’s how I left it, basking and trying for all it was worth to capture the slightest bit of extra warmth. Hopefully it’ll pack that in and find somewhere sheltered as the weather report for the weekend suggest that the ‘Beast from the East’ is back for a rematch…

March    2018

Having seen my first butterfly and Small Tortoiseshell of the year and it being a day earlier than in 2017 I was hoping for more of the same…and then the snow hit. It was great for the first couple of days – two days off work, strolling back in the dark through the snow, beered up and listening to Iron Maiden (quite a surreal experience), sledging and walking everywhere. But then by the third day it hit me ’it’s March, I should be seeing the hibernators emerge at Five Rivers and Middle Street about now!”. So the very next time it was fine and the temperatures almost reached double figures I was off out…

10-03-2018 Five Rivers
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The first available trip out came on the 10th when I again took Little L over to Five Rivers for a quick afternoon blast round the site. As is usually the way the sun hid from the clouds almost as soon as our feet left the tarmac and gravel of the car park and hit the mud of the trail. As we covered the Banks there was no sign of anything stirring. Likely looking dead leaves failed to transform into Commas, dark shapes drifting and gliding by were just leaves and apart from a pair of Bullfinch it was eerily quiet until the weird gurgling screech of a Little Grebe ripped the silence asunder. Giving up I let Little L loose with my camera.
Getting home I warily looked through the images and was quite proud of her efforts; a sombre Crow illustrated the feel of the site, 9 Magpies in a row (the rhyme only goes up to 7 doesn’t it? In which case is this back round to ‘Joy’?) and a picture of what Little L described as an old codge…wait a minute…

13-03-2018 Work

The weather improved through the week every so slowly so that by the Tuesday a trip outside without a coat was doable. So as soon as the pupils left the room for lunch I grabbed my camera and was out of there. I walked across the playing fields, down the path behind the housing estate checking every likely looking leaf on the way. Finally at the half way point along the path just to the right of the concrete steps a pair of blue eyes starred out of the detritus at me, warning me off.

After the initial record shot which was taken purely due to muscle memory/instinct I stood rooted to the spot just drinking in the moment, savouring that fantastic feeling that ‘this was it, it’s started’. The butterfly took off which jolted me back from my meditative state and I watched it circle round, out across the field and back again. If it had started at 1 o’clock it had now landed at 11 so I wheeled round 180 degrees and cautiously approached surprised at how out of practice I was. Luckily the sun was in so I managed to get several shots by the ‘click, three steps, click…’ method finally getting in reasonably close before the sun came out of hiding and the butterfly headed off across the field to be lost from sight.
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A cracking lunchtime…

February 2018

Five Rivers    16-02-2018

This is normally the month when I start seeing butterflies, often with a trip out to Five Rivers. So having gotten back from Wales and my Outlaws and with some reasonable weather I took Little L out with me to see if I could break the 2018 Duck.
Once we were on site we headed straight for Comma Corner and then onwards to the Banks. The Stinging Nettles were barely showing and all around the avifauna suggested winter more than spring as there were still a few Redwing around in amongst the other three resident Thrushes. The fact that I could see a pair of Bullfinches in between the branches further alluded to it being a tiny bit too early.

Still we pressed on any way working our way along the Banks and searching the usual nooks and crannies which the butterflies seem to prefer early in the season. As usual the cloud covered the sun each time we got to a likely looking place and once we moved on it came back out again. Still it was good to stroll and talk with Little L and just feel the wind on my face and the weak sun warming my back ever so slightly. On the Bench at the far end of the Banks lay a dead Shrew. It was an incongruous sight and we couldn’t work out how it had gotten there?

After completing a circuit and several laps forward and back along the Banks we decided to head back and pick the others up before swinging by my Sister In-laws for a cadged cuppa. As we slowed to a stop in traffic a small dark shape fluttered across the road. At the midway point in its trajectory it crossed the line from shade into the sun and as it did so my first butterfly of 2018 became a Small Tortoiseshell. Happy with that!    
 
Mottisfont    24-02-2018

A week later we made a brief visit to Mottisfont. I was hopeful again that as the temperature was just nudging towards double figures and there was a blue sky. However it wasn’t to be and even the Walled Garden was bereft of butterflies. I reasoned that this would be the most likely place to see them, sheltered from the biting breeze, trapping the sun, nectar sources and plenty of nooks and crannies for butterflies to roost in. No such luck but there was some consolation in a lovely Nuthatch.

“Surely it can’t be much longer now?” I thought…and then the Snow arrived…