Cotley Hill Butterflies

Date: 08/05/2017

Location: Cotley Hill

Weather: Blue Skies, 15c
Butterfly Species: 
Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Small Copper, Brown Argus, Marsh Fritillary, Red Admiral, Peacock, Green Veined White, Small White, Orange Tip, Small Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Holly Blue, Brimstone

Observation:
With my Butterfly season in full swing another trip to Cotley was required hoping for Marsh Fritillary or Small Blue.
On arriving only a couple of cars in car park so boots on and headed on to hillside Orange Tips & Peacock on path up through and a couple of Common Lizard scurrying from path into undergrowth. Plenty of Green Hairstreaks I'd estimate at 20+ 

 Dingy Skippers also into the 20's 

A few less Grizzled Skippers. 

Good Numbers of Brown Argus also 20+

Followed on around to Horse Chestnut tree also a good spot and lots of Small Heath chasing each other. Met Andy (Plant Man) and got some great info for my other trips, Scotland & the Lakes, Spot on cheers! 
He also mentioned he'd saw Small Blue's further round so headed that way. After a few minutes of looking Species number 18 perched up on forget-me-not!

Only saw one so headed on back around scanning grass and bushes suddenly a Small Copper appeared. Species number 19 only let me get a few snaps and disappeared at speed as they do.

Yellowhammer 

And Linnet calling from trees also, mustn't forget the birds!

Time ticking on thought 
I'd quickly check other side of hill another Butterflyer stood checking something out Marsh Fritillary he said! I chatted keeping my eyes peeled when he said "Its behind you!"

20 Species! Very happy. 
Got a few nice snaps of this stunning Butterfly before it was time to go.
Such a Great place and 16 species seen today.
My target was 20 Species before I head off to Mallorca 10 days to go and 
20 hit..............what next?

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Butterfly 47 plus a Osprey from Shapwick

Date: 11/08/2016

Location: Fontmell Down + Shapwick Heath

Weather: Very Windy 15 mph at Fontmell cloudy then overcast Shapwick

Other Species: 
Fontmell  Butterflies: 
Small Blue,Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Chalkhill Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Silver Spotted Skipper, Small White.
Birds Fontmell :
Linnet, Yellowhammer, Kestrel, Redstart.
Bird Shapwick:
Osprey, Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Great White Egret.

Observation: 
Weather forecast looking good for Silver Spotted so headed down to Fontmell down, but as i drove down weather turned very windy with gusts to15 mph not good also cloudy !!! But made the effort and after 2 hours it paid off, just !

The Silver Spotted takes my yearly total to 47 Butterflies, need one more this year 
Clouded Yellow for 48.
Next year i'm 50 years young, so going for the 59 butterflies in the uk i hope !

Here a close up of the Dark Green Fritillary which kept flying past me until it landed in a very brief period of sunshine .

Only saw one of these, but Small heaths 3 or 4, 1 Small Blue a few Whites but Butterflies not really showing well on Fontmell today.

The ones that were showing well were covered in red parasitic mites. These parasites Trombidium breei feed on the blood of the Butterfly, seen them before on Chalkhills and Marbled Whites, apparently more common on the males.

Anyway after 2 hours up and down the hills time for a change but on way out the Linnet's were posing nicely in bushes so a few shots of these and decided to head to Shapwick in Somerset .

Went to Meare Heath hide first and saw some very distant Marsh Harriers in fact saw 2 plus a squabble between 2 Marsh Harriers and the reason i came the Osprey ! Nice to watch but distant.

The Osprey had just caught a fish from Meare Heath side as i arrived in Noahs hide.

While watching caught view of i think a Sandpiper in middle of lake ,distant but thought weird as no shallow water for it to feed ?

Any hoo but to the Osprey and light was terrible but target acquired !

After watching for some 20 minutes it decided to go catch another fish so took flight.

I also left after it disappeared but as i joined main track back to car Park spotted it flying to Meare Heath !

Still distant for my 400mm but better light and a cracking view as a Marsh Harrier decided to join it for a while then it disappeared over the back of Meare Heath, i Also left at this Point. 

A nice day was had and talked to some nice people : )

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Week 30 - Mostly Damp!

Date: 27 + 28th July

Location: Mendips & Dorset

Weather: 
27th - Overcast + Windy, 
28th - Very Overcast, Drizzle + Windy.

Other Species:

(Mendip Hills) - Chalkhill Blue, Grayling, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Whites, Small Skipper, Dark Green Fritillary.

(Fontmell - Alners Gorse) - Silver Washed Fritillary, Gatekeepers, Red Admiral + Marsh Tit - Of Note!

Observation:

Normally do my walk on Wednesday but rain forecast so headed down to Priddy and Draycott Sleights for a few Butterflies as when walking up weather not as bad as predicted, well overcast with no sun and a bit windy but what the hell!

Very few Butterflies about a couple of Dragonflies buzzing around saw Emperors and this nice Common Darter. 

Plenty of Grasshoppers, this I think Meadow Grasshopper.

Green Veined Whites still collecting minerals in good numbers, with Gatekeepers being the most abundant closely followed by Meadow Browns and Small Skippers.

Saw 1 Dark Green Fritillary briefly and still a few Marbled Whites, wind making it hard to get a steady focus.

Next down to Draycott a stunning views from up here,Cheddar Reservoir, Crook Peak then Brean Down  and Steep Holme out into Bristol Channel, Wales beyond.

A fair few Chalkhill Blues around being the most abundant! I'd estimate numbers to be 30+.

This the female of the species again weather making it difficult to shot well.

Was returning back down hill and a Grayling caught my eye, just the one but nice all the same.

Was slightly sheltered here and manage a couple of half decent shots.

Above making a right racket a Buzzard and Crow battle, the Buzzard won!

28th July 
Weather forecast was worse today so decided it might be wrong and headed down to Fontmell Down for the Silver Spotted Skipper, Weather not wrong got out van it rained and very windy did the route anyway NOUT! Well Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns was about it. 
So carried on with plan and to Alners Gorse for Brown Hairstreak. It rained on way down but turned to drizzle so walked around, no one there surprise!
Did see this distant Marsh Tit, again Gatekeepers lots, few Whites and Red Admiral's but little else.

Couple of Marbled Whites on far side trying to hide in grass.

Decided to call it a day and managed this shot of a Red Admiral on way back to van. Hope next week better. My butterfly total this still stands at 44.

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Butterflies On The Mendip Hills

Date: 21/07/2016

Location: Mendips - 3 Sites

Weather: Started Warm, Broken Cloud, Ended Drizzle + Cloudy

Other Species: 
Marbled White, Small Skipper, Larger Skipper, Essex Skipper, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Green Veined White, Dark Green Fritillaries, Small Copper, Gatekeeper, European Peacock, Chalkhill Blue, Grayling, Common Blue, Small White, Comma - 18 Species 

Observation: 
With a hot tip on some Dark Green Fritillaries headed down on to the Mendips and within 10 mins spotted a couple plus many Marbled Whites and an assortment of Skippers Large, Small and Essex. Main target today were Dark Green Fritillaries, Chalkhill Blues and Grayling so 10 mins in was doing well! 

A great looking Small Copper, seen 2 at Priddy.

But Dark Green Fritillaries take the best butterfly award today ! 

Stunning things as are most Fritillaries..

Wouldn't really stay still as cloud was incoming and sun was disappearing.

But end total was 5.

Turned around and a stunning Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) was perched up! 

Saw a few Dragonflies today Common Darters mostly. But the Emperor being one of UK's largest at 78mm or 3" is a monster!

On the damp ground there were many Green Veined Whites grouped together taking minerals from soil.

Always a bit of grass in the way but Marbled Whites mating. The Marbled Whites were the most abundant here.

Right next year tick, was the Chalkhill Blue so headed the 4 Miles to Draycott Sleights, very cloudy now! But on arriving seem to be only person there, soon spotted a few Chalkhill Blues around 10 or so mostly hiding in grass.

A few other things about, the Silver Y Moth, wonder why it's called that?

A few Stunning a very colourful Peacocks, the fly amazed and probably wished he was a bit more colorful!

Wandered up and down slopes hoping for a clear shot, did bump into some more people also looking but eventually managed a perched Chalkhill! 

Nice next tick was Crook Peak about 7 miles away, it's now raining mmmm not promising!

Rain sort of stopped on arriving, so headed up towards top of Crook's Peak scanning hillside for Grayling but now a bit windy also. Got 3/4 way up just as it flattened out and a Grayling!

One shot and flew! 

So hard to see their camo is amazing against the rock, although this shot he does stand out a bit, luckily!

20 mins of searching about to give up and spotted another with passenger! Trombidium breei the small parasite does not impair flight although a greater number of them can kill the Butterfly. Have seen them before mainly on Marbled Whites.

So 3 year ticks mission accomplished!! My year total now stands at 44 with 4 more to get this year being Clouded Yellow, Brown Hairstreak and Silver Spotted Skipper year ticks and Wood White (second brood) being a new tick.

 I hope to end year on 48. With 2017 being my 50th year my target is the big 59! :)

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Fontmell Down & The SSS

Date: 12/08/2015

Location: Fontmell Down

Weather: Temp Rising all day to 25c - but some cloud and gusty wind. 

Other Species: Brimstone, Large White, Meadow Brown, Chalkhill Blue, Commom Blue, Small Skipper, Silver Spotted Skipper, Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, Dark Green Fritillary, Brown Argus, Small Blue, Small Copper.

Observation:  Up over Spread-Eagle Hill, blue skies and a full car park ! Waited 10 mins and a space opened up so headed off in search of Silver Spotted Skipper. Seemed to be two groups of people on opposite hill but carried on alone searching with nothing. Saw lots of Chalkhill, Common Blues and Brown Argus then a Clouded Yellow with wings open but missed the shot !

The wind was a little gusty and the butterflies were not posing for long.

More Chalkhill Blues than anything else on lower slopes.

5 or 6 Small Copper's around

Then after speaking to the other groups who were BC-Somerset  BC-Dorset  they found our first Silver Spotted - Camera Bad Setting ! Doh !

After another hour searching backwards and forwards along hill 10 or so hands seem to waving at me ? I rushed over and in a jar they've found another! After it was released it disappeared completely! A tricky thing to find on Fontmell may try again in week or two .

  

A Pretty Chalkhill on Knapweed 

Back towards car park now and down little track, the old Quarry on left always a good bet for Small Blue. Feeding on Kidney Vetch

And finally Brimstone Male

I Checked on Google Earth to see how far I walked, 5 miles, felt like 20!

But with nice people stunning views and some beautiful butterflies a Great Day was had!

Thanks For Looking !