Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, no worries, I'll get those Grizzlies one day, Great shots , Martin Down looks lovely from your shots, love the one of the Holly Blue. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Kev I'm lucky that I live so close to it so there are a few more posts from there in the pipeline Knowing how far behind I am with my PD they'll probably be up around November time
Cheers Goldie I was a bit off as I predicted that you'd get one this year...mind you you still might if they have a very early second brood - fingers AND toes crossed

Martin Down 26-04-2020

With the weather set to change back to normal British weather next week – as in wet and cool – we decided to make the most of the sun and have our exercise at Martin Down and so off we toddled in the morning pulling into the car park just before 11. With the glorious sun shining down we set off along the path that hugs the boundary hedge making for the tunnel and from there to cut across to the Dyke and the Hotspot. The first butterfly we encountered was a male Brimstone feeding eagerly from a Dandelion on the edge of the track and he was quickly joined by a male Orange-tip which was in full-on patrol mode. A second OT was following hot on his heels possibly hoping to knock the first out of his territory? Just past the old gate I spotted a browny blur ahead of me. It buzzed around with a moth like flight in ever decreasing circles before it finally settled with an almost perceivable ‘plop’ down onto the path. I was intrigued by the markings on its wings as they looked like little raindrops turned on their sides. After a few shots we skirted round it and carried on with my first Lesser Whitethroat ‘wee-chugger-chuggering’ as we continued.

The girls branched off to follow the track that runs parallel to the hedge Tunnel on strict instructions to holler if they saw a Dingy, Grizzlie, Copper or even the first Marshie of the year. I took the tunnel path but it was surprisingly quiet. There was the occasional white – Brimstones of both genders and OT’s, a pair of Specklies near the end of the ‘tunnel’ in a very similar place to where I’d encountered them previously and then finally at the end another brown blur gave away my second Dingy of the day.

I met up with the girls and we took the path up the slope along the side of the old hill fort but while they turned left onto the main path that runs all the way up the hill I kept on going until I was in the Dyke before I turned left as it were. As seemed to be the way today there were good numbers of Brimstones flying in the surrounds of the Dyke – in fact they probably the most seen butterfly of the day so knowing that you’ll forgive me if I don’t comment on every single one now but there was also a Peacock and this time the little buzzing blur was a grey colour –it resolved itself into a Grizzlie. I climbed out of the Dyke at the hotspot and examined the Hawthorns at the end where I wasn’t disappointed to find a brace of Greenstreaks. Well they found me actually – as I inadvertently walked into the middle of their skirmish. The victor took pride of place back on his perch so to the victor the spoils and I immortalized him on my memory card.

At this juncture the girls were well ahead of me and were already a good way up the hill so I walked back down into the Dyke and started working my way up the hill. My journey up this time was much slower as I’d stop occasionally to follow a Dingy or a Grizzlie and at one point a representative of both species sat close by each other but unfortunately the Grizzlie was shaded by a low hanging branch. On and up I went with another Dingy, then a Grizzlie, then another Grizzlie before Peacock gate crashed the Skipper fest! I’d reached the bit of the Dyke where the paths branch off from each other; one path blocks off the Dyke here so I had to climb out, cross the path and then climb back down. This second half of the Dyke rises steeply up to the top of the Down and it was here that I saw my first Dingy of 2020. I looked around and sure enough there as a Dingy – the same one as before?

After this I caught up with the girls and we setup camp for a snack and so that they could have a breather after the hot, sweaty climb. While I waited just long enough for a coffee to cool down to drinking temperature I scanned across the hill below me – there were plenty of whites abroad, a Peacock traversed the side of the hill and a Specklie bombed straight over head and dove down into the scrubby trees behind us. A Buzzard took off from our right, a Cuckoo called from further down the Down and the short spaces of silence between the birdsong was punctuated with the drumming of a Woodpecker in the small wood nearby. I left the girls and their snacks and had a brief look around the top of the Down to our right. I’ve not been to this part before and so I was pleasantly surprised to spot at least 6 more Grizzlies and finally a Dingy. I only managed a couple of shots before it was off but it was a lovely looking Dingy – the markings on the forewings joining together to form white(ish) stripes.

I walked back round to the girls and climbed up to the top of the bank on the other side of the Dyke. Strolling along here I scanned down the slope into the Dyke but it was so high I wouldn’t have been able to have seen anything smaller than a Marshie so instead I concentrated on looking where I was going! A Greenstreak surprised me by flying up here whereas I’d always thought that they liked to fly at the bottom of slopes. I tight-rope walked along the top spying out the ubiquitous Brimstones and the odd OT from above and then where the path crosses the Dyke I climbed down and started walking back up the hill. ON the way I located the Dingy for a third time as well as finding yet another Grizzlie. I also succumbed to the Brimstones and actually tried for a few shots of a female which was ovi-positing or at least ovi-posturing as I couldn’t see any eggs left behind when she’d passed by.

Rejoining the girls we made our way down the slope and again our progress was punctuated by the occasional stop for a Grizzlie or Dingy. At the top there Grizzlies were easily outnumbering the Dingies but now on the lower slopes and at the foot of the Down the Dingies became dominant. In fact from the bottom of the hill back I counted 5 Dingies and only a single Grizzlie. Mind you all told I must easily have seen double figures of each over the course of the exercise trip.

A Holly Blue looked out of place perched on a tiny Hawthorn, and a OT waved us off but all too soon we were on the road again heading back home past whites galore.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

The essence of spring there, Wurzel - Dingies and Grizzlies, with Green Hairstreaks thrown in. Though midsummer is full of other excitement, I always feel a certain regret that those spring species are over for another year. Great shots there to revive that spring feeling!

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I am trying desperately to catch up as I was hoping to only be two weeks behind this year the problem is that just as I come close I suddenly manage to fit in a run of trips and then I'm back to square one again - it's a lovely problem to have

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Fovant 01-05-2020

A mate of mine on Instagram recently pointed me towards a great little site for Dukes that I’ve seen mentioned in times past but never knew how to ‘work’ (where to park, where to start, pitfalls of the site and where are the hotspots etc). He sent me detailed instructions and maps on where to find the Dukes once I got there and a brief look on google maps and AA Routeplanner indicated that it was easy to get to and most importantly I could do the journey in less than 25 minutes as it was about 10.5 miles away. So under current rules as long as I spent at least an hour on site (I’d hopefully be in the presence of Dukes so this would be very easy) I could drive there to take my exercise.

I did a bit of work as soon as I got up and then set out aiming to arrive at around 10, stay for about an hour or two and then catch up on missed working time by carrying on into the evening. However what I hadn’t planned on was the road works that meant Wilton was inaccessible so I had to drive to Great Wishford and double back adding 6 miles and more minutes than I cared for to the journey time – especially as I was racing the thickening cloud. But finally I could see the ‘Badges’ carved into the chalk on my left which meant that I was almost there. I pulled into the lay-by, grabbed my gear, crossed the road, climbed over the gate and set off down the tractor rutted by-way. I realised I’d been visualising it back to front and the slope up instead of being on my right was actually on my left – strange how sometimes you can imagine things so differently to what they are? As the hill curved round I started up the slope into the bowl of an ancient quarry working. This was where I should start to see Dukes…But there was nowt here; had the week of mixed weather and torrential downpours knocked them all on the head? I walked up the side of the Bowl and made my way along the diagonal path which wend its way up to the top of the down. I’d only gone a few steps when I spotted a small butterfly which in the dull light looked quite dark. Brilliant a Duke and a lovely dark male lacking most of the orange panels on the hind wing.

I carried on further up the hill on a diagonal track which seemed to peter out about half way up. It looked like someone had thought this would be a great track, got half way up realised it was a bit too steep, a bit too hard going and so they’d left it, walked back to the bottom and started on another which climbed more gently up. Also it seemed to be divided up every now and again by clumps of briar or Hawthorn and on the hill side of the track were hollows which provided shelter from the strengthening breeze. There was a second Duke, more orange-y in appearance when it flew – a bit like decaying leaf or old wicker colour as it erupted from almost under my boot. It didn’t hang around or land as it was caught by the breeze and was swept vertiginously up the side of the down. I didn’t mind too much as I soon got onto a third just as the track petered into a wall of briar and steep slope. The Duke flew to my right down the steep side of the down onto the lower and more gentle ascending path which was also on the top of a bank with the slope on one side and a hollow on the other. It was into this hollow that the Duke plopped down and so I clambered down after it. Luckily the sun had been covered by a small cloud so the butterfly became more docile and I was able to get a load of shots before the passing cloud moved on, the sun warmed the butterfly and it set off on its frenetic business.

I climbed back up to the original track and worked back down the hill to see if I could relocate the other two Dukes. Which indeed I did although the 2nd Duke again proved problematic as I was just moving in for a shot when another butterfly happened to pass and the Duke went mental at it. The skirmish was very short and I followed one of the butterflies- the loser wondering if it was another Duke but when I caught up with it I realised straight away that it was something different, slightly larger and much brighter orange it was my first Small Heath of 2020.

As I was almost at the bottom I thought that I might as well walk round to the Bowl, see if the increasing temperature had brought out any other butterflies and then do another circuit. The Bowl was still bereft of Dukes but instead a faded and tired Small White actually sat still long enough for me to get some shots.

So off I went again. I reached the spot where I’d encountered the 2nd (and also the 4th if it was different?) Duke and it was still here. It had a tear in the hindwing which meant I’d be able to differentiate it from any other and after a few shots I offered it my finger and it crawled on so I was able to try for a few ‘in the hand’ shots. I placed it back down in some cover and as it had started to rain I crawled under a Hawthorn and had an early lunch whilst the shower passed – good old Extra Hot Lime Chilli Pickle with added Nooch.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, love your last shot, it's unusual to get one on your finger like that Raining here today and storms forecast, can't wait for my journey to Kent, near the end of July. Goldie

[millerd]

That's a good selection of Dukes (and Duchesses I think), Wurzel. I particularly like the penultimate one with the close-up of its head - I like the way they perch with their legs set foursquare and perfectly balanced. Maybe they all do this, but Dukes always seem to strike a pose!

Cheers,

Dave

[Chris L]

That was a lucky break getting the Duke on your finger Wurzel. Had it been pre 'Extra Hot Lime Chilli Pickle' you might have been on to something there as I am fairly sure that this will never have been used as butterfly bait before !

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie I just offered it my finger and it crawled on - desperately trying to warm up as when the sun went in it was much cooler
Cheers Dave I like that pose as well Dave - their legs are held perfectly parallel - it's a joy to behold for the neat freak in me
Cheers Otep Can you imagine if it was - it would probably have the opposite effect to the one desired with butterflies roaring round in search of water Saying that you certainly get a bit of a sweat on after a few mouthfuls - so perhaps that might work as an attractant?

Fovant 01-05-2020 Cont'd

The next blue patch of sky arrived and so I rolled out from under the Hawthorn and set about looking for some more Dukes. I swiftly found two one of which I may have already encountered as it was in a similar place to before in the hollow between the hill and the banked path but the second I’m fairly sure was a new one (so definitely 4 maybe 5) but it didn’t stop for too long as a Dingy decided to have a bit of a go at it. They spiralled up for a little bit but the Dingy realised that it had met its match, (I mean come on, the Dingy is named after a bit of carpet and the Duke is name of nobility!) and promptly came down onto the deck followed by the gloating Duke. It was a sublime 2 species shot but I couldn’t get it as I was still down in the hollow and too far away for them to be in range. I clambered out but my clumsy stalk set the Dingy off with the Duke once again showing it was made of sterner stuff standing its ground. As I finally got in close enough the Duke took off and the breeze suddenly gusted blowing the tiny butterfly straight into me with it landing on my arm. So I knelt down and lowered my arm in the hope that the Duke would hop off which he did, just as a large cloud swallowed the sun. The temperature dropped and so the Duke sat still patiently waiting for the sun to return.

After getting plenty of shots I pulled my iPod out of my pocket and caught a bit of video. When the sun made a reappearance I thought the butterfly would be off and so this proved to be however it wasn’t necessarily the temperature or the suns warmth that made the butterfly take to the skies as when I looked back at the video I could see an ant hassling the Duke just prior to it flying. So happy with my haul of shots I made up the slope and back towards where I’d encountered the second Duke (ole Split Tail) who was again there being hassled by another Duke (so 5 maybe 6). Split Tail again came out on top and settled down for me to get a final set of shots before I made my way down to the bottom of the hill and started back along the tractor ruts. A Red Admiral was waiting for me to add itself to the days tally and then a male OT patrolled along the track by the entrance/exit gate.

I crossed over the road and walking past my car carried on over the gate onto the Fovant Badges site proper. There was a large bowl cut into the side of the hill from another of those old quarries and in this a Dingy was holding a territory. I climbed out and walked up the hill but it was quite breezy by now and the wind was blowing straight up the track so the banks offered no shelter but just funnelled the wind right up the slope. Down near the gate things were a lot more active with several whites flying around a small stand of trees. I was able to pick out a Large Whites looking so much bigger than the two Small Whites, a male Brimstone and Orange-tip also did fly-bys.

The Badges in the distance...

The Large White came back and was briefly joined by a female but she didn’t hang around. What was strange is that the male followed her but then came back a couple of moments later and flew back to roughly the same place she’d been and seemed very interested in a leaf that had folded over showing the silvered underside. I managed to grab a few shots when he landed and then off he went but kept returning to roughly the same spot? All the while a Dingy was pestering me round my ankles.

I left very thankful to my mate for putting me onto this great site with his excellent set of directions.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Some Cracking shots of the Duke Wurzel, it's great when the clouds make them still for a while and you can get decent shots, just as long as the Sun appears again Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Sometimes a little bit of cloud is a godsend, other times though it can push right off

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Goldie Sometimes a little bit of cloud is a godsend, other times though it can push right off

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

So true Wurzel. Last week we could have done with a bit of cloud. Now it is all I can see, and windy with it

Great report(s) from your new site. It is always good to find somewhere new to visit

Cheers,

Neil

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil I've been watching sightings of Dukes come in from there for a few years now but could never work out the best places for them as the website only has a 6 figure grid reference which is generally where you can park the car Luckily my daughter got me onto Instagram and through there a was furnished with directions and maps which were pinpoint accurate - I could almost see the red pin hovering above my first Duke

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Bentley Wood 02-05-2020

So after the last time I didn’t feel the need to arrive quite as early as previously plus I had the girls again and so an early arrival wasn’t ever going to be on the cards as I’d have to get three people ready to leave and in the car etc. Still by about 9:15 we were strolling down to the Clearing from the car park which is definitely an achievement. As we entered into the Clearing the sun was beating down and in those parts out of the shade the dew had already evaporated and the foliage was dry. There were also butterflies already on the wing and so I set about trying for a few shots once I’d seen to the girls and gotten their little camp set up. As I wandered along the little trackways the criss-cross the Clearing I saw at least three different individual Pearls some of which were behaving more graciously than those from a week prior; posing nicely here and there and allowing an approach of closer than 2 metres (no Social Distancing here).

I ended up wandering down to the bottom section, curtained off by a stand of trees but my hopes of finding a Duke here were dashed as pretty much all of it was still in shade and so I carried on round and back into the Eastern Clearing. I took the little trackway that hugged the stand of trees and as I looked across into the reedy patch a slightly smaller, dark butterfly went up. From the flight it looked like a Fritillary and so I watched it land and took a few steps towards the spot it had gone down at. It was a Marshie but it had landed in amongst the reeds so getting a nice unobstructed shot was going to prove problematic. It’s at times like this I start designing the ideal ‘butterfliers scissors’© in my head – they’d have to have long, thin and very sharp blades with very long handles so you wouldn’t spook the butterfly. Luckily they wouldn’t have been necessary even if they had existed as the butterfly started crawling up the first stem and then started walking about becoming more and more exposed as it did so. At one point I offered it my finger which it crawled onto eagerly to soak up some more warmth. I gingerly placed it on a handy looking perch and after a few more shots left it to its own devices.

After checking in with the girls it was time to get back to the Pearls…So I started following them round the main sections of the Clearing with at least three of them flying about in the main section of the Clearing. They really seemed to like the little triangle Bracken near the Notice Board where they would bask on the deceased orange fronds or feed on the Bluebells.

After this I crossed the tiny bridge and made towards the newly cleared area (well newly cleared a couple of years back). To be honest it didn’t look like it would be the best habitat but I managed to find 4 more Pearls here. They seemed to prefer the furthest side of the field were the small birch saplings are greater in number. They were a little confusing at times as I’d be watching one and another would enter the flight path, there would be a scuffle and they would head off in directions to each other. I was able to track on as it went down right at the back by the fence line. As it dropped to the deck it slowly but surely closed up shop, wings held tightly together.

I worked my way back to the main Clearing down the back path where there were a couple more flying in the ‘scallops’ on my left hand side. Once back in the Clearing I was able to relocate the Marshie which was still down near the bottom section in the reedy patch. I picked up shots of Pearls here and there in my wanderings and whilst investigating the middle section (again clothed in the reedy grass) the sun went in for a bit. T used this to my advantage as I had just spotted a Pearl flying in this little bit. As the temperature dropped so too did it, plopping down on an uncurled Bracken head. I got a few shots and then after a quick look above waited for the cloud to pass. When it did I was in prime position for some side on shots of the glorious under wing.

As I worked back into the Newly Cleared part I again looked up and used the increased cloud cover to my advantage but this time I watched as a much more yellow Pearl sized blob settled down to sit out the cloud. However as I got closed I could see that it wasn’t just the cloud induced drop in temperature that had sedated it but possibly the fact that it was in cop.

After this I had the quick walk around with Little L and then we headed for home. It had been a bit of an unusual visit with 15 butterflies seen, one of which was a Marshie and the other 14 were Pearls! How often does that happen?
Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[kevling]

HI Wurzel,

Great diary this week. You've certainly found a great site at Fovant. Those Dukes are lovely. Glad to see you working your charm not only on one of them but a Marshie too. We'll have to start calling you the Butterfly Whisperer

Keep em coming

Kind Regards
Kev

[millerd]

That was a good visit to Bentley, Wurzel! Some splendid Pearls, which deserve a as I didn't get to see any that fresh this year, and a brand new Marshie too. Looks like a female to me and I can remember encountering them behaving somewhat dozily like that when new. A very nice butterfly though.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Kev I was dead chuffed to have finally but he bullet and visited there - if it wasn't for Lockdown I'd never have visited and gone to Noar Hill instead - much better to only need 20 minutes to get there
I think the title of Butterfly Whisperer has already been taken by Dave Miller (millerd); he starts mumbling and Holly Blues literally throw themselves at his feet
Cheers Dave I've noticed a few times now that Marshies do like a bit of a lie-in and are often the last to get up from their roost, a butterfly after my own heart

July 2020

Almost missed it...You can tell it's July as you need to carry a brolly with you whenever you go out

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Marshie's on your finger now, How do you do it love the calendar shot as well, weathers awful here at present, no Sun to speak of Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie The trick is to have really sweaty fingers so the wearing the gloves as part of Co-vid19 prevention came in handy

The Devenish 04-05-2020 Star Wars Day!

One of the joys about Lockdown has been spending precious time with my girls. However sometimes you can have too much of a good thing! So this afternoon it was nice to head out for some exercise over at The Devenish with just my wife so we could both enjoy some peace and quiet. The journey is over within about 5 minutes but even though we’re allowed exercise once a day and the reserve, which is relatively unknown, would be the perfect place the gate at the car park is locked. Luckily there are a few other pull-ins and lay-bys just up the lane from the site entrance and so car dumped we stroll back down the lane enjoying the dappled sunlight on the way.

We take the woodland path up and round to the Orchid Meadow passing a Green-veined White on the way and once over the gate I pause just long enough to spot a Dingy buzzing around in the flower tops. However we’re here for walking and so we start on our way up the vertiginous slope of the Down. If there weren’t steps cut into the chalk I reckon it would be steep enough to warrant ropes and crampons! As we made some headway on the ascent a Brimstone fussed about in the Bramble hedge and a Grizzlie showed off its aeronautical skill when we were about half way up the stairs. We follow the diagonal path along to the far side of the Down and I see a further two Grizzlies and then we walk back along the top surveying the stunning countryside scenery below us. Up here on the Downtop a duo of male Brimstones are scarping and at one juncture a Small White tries to join the fray though the larger Brimstones seem to turn aside their anger for each other and direct it at the Small White. Once the irksome, bantam weight pretender is sent backing the heavyweights resume their hostilities.

After the effort spent getting up here my wife and I take advantage of the Beech hanger wood and the shade it offers so we stroll once more through shade and dappled sunlight cooling down as we go. By the fence which separates the middle and end paddocks there are a pair of rope swings so while my wife idly swings I descend back to the lower slopes of this middle section. Once down I drift ever so slowly here and there randomly working my way up the hill and back to where my wife is still on the swing. My wanderings produce a male Orange-tip and three more Grzizlies, two of which are still in really good nick.

My wife was happy just enjoying the bird song and the peace as she swung so I descended once again and made my way into the end paddock through and over the assortment of gates. It was much livelier here than elsewhere on the reserve which surprised me as usually this is better in the middle of the season when the Browns are in ascendance. A few Specklies flew along the wooded margins of the Paddock whilst a male Orange-tip and male Brimstone quartered the flatter ground at the base of the Paddock. A Peacock erupted from the tussocky grass. As I made my way back to the gates a Dingy and then Grizzlie sat for a few photos. Once again the Dingy was looking faded and tired, rough around the edges whilst the Grizzlie looked in fine fettle. This got me wondering; do the Grizzlies emerge over a longer time period than the Dingies? If so it would explain the much better condition of the butterflies from this species that I as seeing.

I climbed back up the Down and we reluctantly carried on along the top into the next section and took the steps back down to the car park. A blissful way to spend the afternoon.

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

That sounds like a great spot to have to yourself, Wurzel. I'd love to have somewhere convenient with Dingies and Grizzlies for company! I think you're right about the emergence of the two species - wherever I go to see them, Grizzlies are always first to appear, but fresh ones still pop up when the Dingies are starting to look like faded carpets.

Cheers,

Dave