Return to Cumbria.

 When Lisa and I headed north for our break of over 3 weeks to Scotland at the end of May we had several butterfly targets. Those that do not live in the south, and are only found either in Scotland or the Lake District. Our main targets were achieved on this trip, giving Lisa 4 brand new species, but we also had hoped for a sighting of the High Brown Fritillary on our return south, but not surprisingly we were slightly too early, especially with this being a late year following the cool damp spring.

We already had the possibility of heading north again for the Scotch Argus, which is a species that is only seen from very late July, and one that I had only seen once before, several years ago, and had been keen to see again. This is as the name suggests, mainly a Scottish species, but there are 2 colonies in Cumbria, at Smardale and Arnside Knott. Arnside Knott was the site where I had seen them before, on a great trip several years ago with Nigel. Arnside was also the site where I had seen the High Brown Fritillary before, as well as at Holme-stinted Pastures, which is close to the M6 and close to the other sites that we could see the Scotch Argus at.

With a return trip to Cumbria planned for the Scotch Argus, it dawned on me that it was just possible that we may also get a High Brown Fritillary. These would normally have finished by the time of the Scotch Argus, but Lisa didn't mind how tatty the butterfly would be if it meant getting one more species nearer the full British list, so we planned to go to Holme-stinted Pastures first. I knew the site from the trip with Matt in 2021, when we stopped there after a Scotland dragonfly trip. That day we saw a couple of High Brown Fritillaries. We had also arranged to meet up with Mark, that we had met at Latterbarrow a few weeks before. We were there a couple of hours before Mark, who also had another enthusiast with him, called Tim. After a bit of a discussion, and as we had seen very little in those 2 hours, Lisa and I decided to head to White Scar, where there had been recent reports of High Brown Fritillaries.

The biggest problem we had was a lack of time, mainly due to the weather. The forecast was very poor for the following 2 days, which is all the time we had. The weather though on arrival day was not too bad, so we knew we had to get as much done as possible on that first day, despite the fact we were tired following a 5.30am start, followed by a very long drive. We were then relieved to find we could actually park only a couple of hundred metres away from the site at White Scar. Even better than that though was on our arrival, seeing 3 other photographers photographing a High Brown Fritillary!! We quickly joined them and saw 2 or 3 Fritillaries in the area. We just had to make sure we were watching High Brown, and not the very similar Dark Green Fritillary, that were also flying there. After a few minutes we saw a definite High Brown land on the ground, this butterfly was showing the concave forewing, as against the slightly convex wings of the Dark Green. The butterfly then flew to a nearby Buddleia bush to nectar on the flower.

High Brown Fritillary.

The butterfly was actually in pretty good condition considering how late in the season it was. We certainly weren't expecting to see this very rare butterfly so easily, and now we had a bit of a dilemma. With the sun still shining, do we stay here and just enjoy watching the Fritillaries, or do we drive 45 minutes plus away to Smardale Gill for the Scotch Argus. The forecast for the next 2 days was not looking at all promising, and as the Scotch Argus was really the main reason for the trip, we decided to go on to Smardale. This was a site that I had read about many times, but had never visited before, so I didn't know that after the drive it was then quite a long walk to where the Scotch Argus could be seen.

 After arriving we had a chat to a couple that had just returned to their car after seeing several Scotch Argus. They pointed us in the right direction, and off we went. By now the breeze had picked up quite a bit, and out of the sunshine it was chilly. The sun had also by now been covered with more clouds, but we did see that there were several breaks coming, so we remained hopeful. After walking for nearly a mile, the disused railway line we were on opened up a little, and the sun returned and straight away a very dark butterfly fluttered into view. Immediately we knew we had our target butterfly, so the pressure was off and we could really enjoy the rest of the late afternoon.

 A little further along the track we saw some Broad-leaved Helleborines and a very large Marsh Fragrant Orchid.

 Once again the track opened up again and after waiting a few minutes for the sunshine, we were rewarded with more than a dozen Scotch Argus flying above us on the bank. It was wonderful seeing so many of them flying here, and was a fitting way to finish the day. Just as we thought we should head to the hotel, Mark and Tim turned up. They had also seen the High Brown Fritillaries at White Scar, but they were also staying close to Smardale, whereas we were further away at Kendall, so we left Mark and Tim to enjoy the butterflies and after a short chat started the long walk back to the car.

 I was only slightly frustrated that I hadn't taken any photos, as none had settled in a position that would give me a good photo. However, just as we started walking back, a very smart Scotch Argus suddenly was flying around me, and then headed back to some bushes, where it settled in a near perfect position. So as not to disturb it I only used the camera with the telephoto on, but that was in my rucksack, but I managed to get it out quickly so I could get a couple of quick shots before it flew.

Scotch Argus.

Marsh Fragrant Orchid.

The following day, the forecast was pretty accurate with rain and very high winds with just the occasional sunny interval. We were not sure what to do, but then decided to head back to White Scar to see if we could find the High Brown Fritillary. Well, that was not going to happen, but we did look for some time. We did get a good bonus though when I disturbed a tiny male Black Darter dragonfly. I guess it had come from the nearby marshes. It flew up in front of me and landed on a low bush, where it stayed for a few minutes before moving to another bush. The light was pretty dire at this point, and with the wind blowing and light rain falling it was not easy getting any useable photos, but a few were actually okay in the end.

Male Black Darter.

Around midday, it suddenly warmed up a little, and some sunshine, albeit, very weak sunshine appeared. I then disturbed a large Fritillary from the ground. It too settled on a low bush. This turned out to be a surprisingly fresh female Dark Green Fritillary. I called Lisa over and after getting a couple of shots, it took off and landed on a Buddleia bush where it promptly went back to sleep. An hour later it was still in the same position, when I showed it to another butterfly enthusiast that had turned up.

Female Dark Green Fritillary.

We had also seen several Grayling on both our visits here, and although it wasn't a target it is always nice to see these butterflies as they hide in plain sight!!

Grayling.

After a couple of hours at White Scar, and with the weather improving slightly, we headed over to Arnside Knott. We had spoken to someone at White Scar the day before, who had seen several Brown Hairstreak that morning, nectaring on Hemp Agrimony.

 On arrival at Arnside it was clear that we would be very lucky to see any butterflies at all in the high wind, but with the shape of the hill at Arnside, there was a chance that we may find a sheltered spot. We climbed up the hill with our hopes falling as by now it had clouded up again, as well as the chilly wind still blowing. We were quite near where the man had seen the Brown Hairstreaks the day before, when we bumped into another two enthusiasts that asked us if we had seen anything. The answer was no!! They had also drew a blank here, and also at Smardale that morning. We were then even more pleased we had made the effort to get to Smardale late on the day before!! 

We mentioned we were going to check out the Hemp Agrimony in the area where the Hairstreaks had been seen the day before, and then, the sun actually appeared. Almost straight away, a very tired looking Painted Lady appeared, followed by a Common Blue, but no Hairstreaks or Scotch Argus showed. After another 30 minutes it was clear that it was just a bit too windy, so we suggested to the other 2 that it might be worth looking slightly lower down the hill to see if we could find some Hemp Agrimony in a more sheltered spot. Only around 30 metres lower we moved into a little sheltered spot and as one of the guys walked past some Hemp Agrimony I spotted a butterfly on one of the flower heads. I quickly told him to stand still, and on checking the butterfly it turned out to be a male Brown Hairstreak. We then spotted a 2nd Hairstreak on another flower head.

 On a day that held very little promise, we had suddenly changed the day for all of us into a much improved day. The only photo I managed of the Hairstreak was after it had settled nicely on a leaf, where it stayed for a couple of minutes before flying high into the trees, where we could observe it for the duration of us staying in the small enclosure.

Male Brown Hairstreak.

Later, we did hear back from Mark, who had been back at Smardale for the day. Eventually, after many hours there he saw a handful of Scotch Argus in the late afternoon.

We had initially thought we would have a bit of time on our final morning to do some butterfly searching, but with heavy rain falling, and the forecast saying it was going to rain all day we headed back south early, calling in to see Matt and Emily at Alton on the way home.

An extremely successful short trip in pretty poor weather again, which also brought my equal highest British species seen in a season of 52. Will a Long-tailed Blue turn up for me to beat my record?

It has also given Lisa her most successful butterfly year by a very long way, and she now only needs 3 species to complete the British mainland list.

Return to The Dolomites.

 In early July I co-leaded another wonderful butterfly tour to the Dolomites with Naturetrek. This was my 3rd time on this trip, and as ever, it was a fabulous experience being in such a wonderful part of the World. Every day there were superb landscapes and some stunning wildlife to admire.

The hotel we use is also set in a stunning area, with some of the best meals around, being attached to a Michelin star restaurant that uses the same chef for the small family run hotel.

The morning view from my room!!

The Hotel.

As it was, the weather during the early part of the year in the Dolomites was just as mixed as in the UK, with wet cool conditions that had pushed the butterfly season back a little bit. We did see several species that we would have expected to have finished, but it also meant we missed a few species that we would have expected. However, during the 8 days spent out in the field we still saw many delights up in the mountains and also in some of the lower areas.

As ever, when I am leading, or co-leading a tour I take very few photos, but a few that I did take and like are below.

On the way from the airport at Venice, we stopped near the gateway to the Dolomites, climbing up what was probably only classed as a high hill. On the way up we saw many Woodland Grayling that were warming themselves up on the road. As we got higher other species started to appear, and near the summit we all got out of the vans to see what we could find. The roadsides were full of many species, with some lovely False Heath Fritillaries that were my favourites at this first site. In previous years these have been very worn, but here, along with the Southern Heath Fritillaries were very fresh. This included a female Southern Heath Fritillary that was crawling up the grasses. Possibly only just emerged, she climbed up, rejecting the advance of a male, and then opening her wings wide once she had reached the top of the grass and had transferred herself onto some Bedstraw.

A newly emerged Southern Heath Fritillary.

Female Southern Heath Fritillary.

Whilst searching around we also had a very fresh Chalkhill Blue and a few other delights as well as hearing a Corncrake, just a couple of weeks after Lisa and I had heard them on the Isle of Iona on our Mull trip.

Male Chalkhill Blue

Large Wall Brown resting on the crash barrier!!

Pearly Heath.

One of the best butterflies on the tour was the Asian Fritillary. A species that only one couple had seen on last year's tour. The late season certainly helped here though, as we spotted several on our first day in the mountains. We also saw them in other areas that they were not known from, so perhaps it was a particularly good year for them this year.

Asian Fritillary.

On the same day further down the valley we found a mating pair of False Heath Fritillaries. I was really keen to get some shots of this couple, as the female was extremely fresh. As well as getting a nice image of the under-wings I was pleased to get the female as she opened her wings to reveal that she was actually an aberrant form with extended orange markings.

Mating False Heath Fritillary (aberrant female).

Mating False Heath Fritillaries.

On another day I managed a different False Heath Fritillary open wing showing the normal pattern.

False Heath Fritillary.

The most showy butterfly on the tour had to be a stunning Apollo. Unfortunately, it didn't settle in a particularly nice position, but I was still well pleased to at last get an close up image of one of these iconic butterflies.

Apollo.

Apollo.

Apollo.

After many searches on Mull for the Slender Scotch Burnet, and failing, it was quite a surprise to find that there were several of them in the vicinity of the hotel, as well as further along the valley. Not the very rare sub-species that is found only on Mull, but still nice to see.

Slender Scotch Burnet.

Wood White.

Black-veined White.

Roosting Black-veined White.

Amanda's Blue.

In one meadow I spotted a female Six-spotted Clearwing resting on the top of some grass. A beautiful small species that is rarely seen.

Female Six-belted Clearwing.

Back in the valley, on our return to the airport, we stopped near a river. Here there were many butterflies in the lowlands. Here I saw my first ever Large Chequered Skipper and Great Sooty Satyr. Here we also had Swallowtail, Provencal Short-tailed Blue, Scotch Argus and some of the group also had a Purple Emperor.

Provencal Short-tailed Blue egg laying.

Large Chequered Skipper.

Great Sooty Satyr.

As mentioned earlier, the weather had been cool during the early part of the year, and there was much more snow on the mountain tops this year. However, the scenery was just as stunning, and perhaps even more so due to this!!

Another view of the hotel from the nearby meadow.

Hopefully I will return again next year!!

Feeling Autumnal.

 It is certainly feeling that summer is on the wane already, and that Autumn is very nearly with us. The local downland now is coming into flower with Devil's-bit Scabious and Autumn Lady's-tresses and many of the wild flowers are getting their seed-heads, although most of the trees are still a little way off changing colour.

Autumn Lady's-tresses.

Some of the late summer insects are also increasing in number now, with several Hornet Robberflies being seen, as they hunt smaller insects. As in previous years, grasshoppers seem to be a favourite prey item for them!!

Hornet Robberfly with grasshopper prey.

Female Wasp Spiders and their amazing webs are also now a common sight. These also enjoy a tasty grasshopper for lunch. They even add additional strength to their webs to help stop the grasshopper from jumping away. They do also, of course, take other insects as food. I did see a female Wall Brown in a web recently, and other small butterflies and flies are also taken, and even the male Wasp Spider can be a snack for the much larger female if he isn't very careful.

Female Wasp Spider with small fly.

Female Wasp Spider hanging around..

A little later this year, which seems to be a trend, the Adonis Blue butterflies are now starting their 2nd brood. I saw my first 2nd brood last week on Wednesday, just a single one seen, but now already numbers have grown at the same site to around 50. Hopefully many more to come still. On a very breezy and dull afternoon, I found several going to roost. The breeze made it very difficult for photography, but eventually a slight lull in the breeze allowed a few attempts, however, only one effort was worth keeping.

Male Adonis Blue.

Iping Silver-studded Blues.

 Going back in time to when Lisa and I returned from our epic Scotland trip, the day following our return, Lisa was busy, so I was heading back to Seaford.

However, as I had missed seeing the Silver-studded Blues in 2023, and as I was already halfway to the site, as I was in Worthing, I decided that it would be a great opportunity to head to Iping Common, near Midhurst, to catch up with this delightful butterfly.

I would have liked to have got there at the crack of dawn, so I could try to find them at roost, but as the weather was not going to be amazingly hot, with quite a bit of cloud, I thought I would probably see them at roost some of the day anyway.

Seeing reports from across the country, it seemed that the Silver-studded Blue was actually having a reasonable year, unlike most species of butterfly.

I headed straight away to an area where I have seen the butterfly in years gone by, and it wasn't long at all before I started to see some of them flying low over the heather. I was really hoping to see a mating pair, but alas, that was not going to happen. Most of the butterflies were very flighty, despite the weather, but I was soon photographing a female butterfly that was sticking to a small area as it nectared on the heather.

Female Silver-studded Blue.

Occasionally the butterfly would pause and open its wings to gain heat from the sun through the light cloud cover.

Female Silver-studded Blue.

I actually spent around 30 minutes with this individual, as it gave me many opportunities to photograph her. Both as she carried on nectaring and then basking open winged.

The same Female Silver-studded Blue.

Eventually, I left her in peace, and headed further along the path. As usual here, the butterflies were often in small groups, and it was after leaving the main path, that I found a male that allowed a closer inspection.

Male Silver-studded Blue.

After a longer walk around the common, I was back to where I had started with the female. By now she had moved on to another area, but I was then treated to a very fresh male butterfly. He was nectaring on the heather, giving me the odd opportunity. Not quite as confiding as the female, but still very nice.

Male Silver-studded Blue.

By now heavier clouds were building, and eventually the male went to roost in the heather. On looking up to the sky, I could see that lighter clouds were coming soon, and as they arrived, the male opened his wings quite wide to show off its beautiful blue top wings.

Male Silver-studded Blue.

It was fabulous being able to catch up with these butterflies after not seeing them for a couple of years. I was very lucky that the weather helped, by not being too hot and sunny, and it was also good to find some in immaculate condition.

A couple of weeks later, Lisa also had the opportunity to seeing some Silver-studded Blues, at the other main Sussex site on Ashdown Forest. By now these were not quite as fresh, but still not bad. The weather however, was not at all good, with cold strong breezes and even some light rain. I ended up not taking any photos, not actually that unusual, but Lisa did get some nice images.