Twelve days ago I was a bit surprised to visit
Danesway Bank, Gloucestershire hoping to spend the day with the recently emerged
Large Blue only to find the place alive with lots of other visitors
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
so I had to curtail my visit with a promise to return...and that's exactly what I did on Monday
Arriving at 9am I devoted an entire day to studying the beautiful butterfly that's
Large Blue following the males as they searched the banks for females, watching the mating process (polite is right
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
) and also the incredible precision involved with the female in egg-laying. During last years visit (with DavidM) I was surprised to notice females egg-laying on Marjoram because I had not read or heard mention of Marjoram as a food plant, this then begs the question; does the female only egg-lay on Marjoram and the larvae leave the plant for ground and then the association process with
Myrmica sabuleti? On closer inspection I did notice ants on the lower plant stem, I'm uncertain of whether or not they were
M sabuleti but its got me wondering
Below is a female
Large Blue egg-laying on Marjoram which has not yet fully broken bud.
Owing to the heat many of the butterflies stopped to do a bit of sun-bathing
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
the temperature reached 24c and the bank was in need of some refreshing rain, drought is always of great concern on the fast draining friable soils that limestone seems to sit with, under severe drought all three symbiotic friends suffer; butterfly, thyme and ant.
![P1200716Large Blue2.jpg (215.33 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Taking a whiff from all that busy egg-laying!](./files/thumb_8479_ddc16819d55f1e709b613fdcdbb71d83)
- Taking a whiff from all that busy egg-laying!
![P1200673Large Blue2.jpg (206.69 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Female Large Blue on thyme!](./files/thumb_8479_7f5a6a6de2c95ff9e87b520de7cf834f)
- Female Large Blue on thyme!
![P1200655Large Blue2.jpg (295.83 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Fully open-winged pose...just beautiful!](./files/thumb_8479_9ab25965d174bc5a4ed15a84cea29dc6)
- Fully open-winged pose...just beautiful!
![P1200790Large Blue2.JPG (144.87 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Large blue on flowering Marjoram](./files/thumb_8479_cb6786adf7bf18adeb6fc75952002ae3)
- Large blue on flowering Marjoram
My final tally for a day that lasted until 7pm was approximately 25 (knocking my tally for both visit's up to 35) I stayed until the butterflies were going to roost, I was interested to see their chosen roosting habitat (would it be similar to that on Collard Hill), the
Large Blue captured below seemed happy on this seed-head with the backlight outlining both the hair filiments on the seed-head and the wing-fringes of the butterfly, I left it in peace ready for sweet slumber
Its always sad to see a beautiful butterfly at the end of it's short life and in the case of the
Large Blue I believe the average lifespan is about five and a half days
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
The insect below was cursed with mites and was badly tattered yet still got about, I watched it investigating several red clover during the ten minutes or so I observed it, perhaps it wasn't fully aware of it's circumstances
![P1200758Large Blue2.jpg (184.03 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Battered but not bowed!!!](./files/thumb_8479_1d81350e1bac078a52daaa7c54b29175)
- Battered but not bowed!!!
The banks were awash with both flowers and butterflies on this glorious summer day, the other species seen were as follows:-
Large & Small Skipper, Brimstone, Small Blue, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Small Heath. I include a few images of other species below
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
but do take a closer look below at the
Oedemera nobilis telling the
Marbled White that it's sat on it's toes...you shouldn't do that to nobility
![P1200605Marbled White2.JPG (165.97 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Note the small green critter struggling...](./files/thumb_8479_5ac80f2b716c2c06a3c773035b2d5e62)
- Note the small green critter struggling...
![P1200890Male Meadow Brown2.JPG (204.07 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Male Meadow Brown](./files/thumb_8479_bd487a60df0207de0b7ec483bc7051b7)
- Male Meadow Brown
![P1200770Paired Meadow Brown2.jpg (257.6 KiB) Viewed 1491 times Paired Meadow Brown (female on left).](./files/thumb_8479_0a6b4462724af683e8506d68226f053b)
- Paired Meadow Brown (female on left).
My revisit was certainly worth it, I learned a little more about one of our most iconic British butterflies in reasonable peace and quiet
Bill
"When in doubt - venture out"