trip to Butser Hill

[Philzoid]

Butser Hill is a site I’ve become hooked-on over the last couple of years. Usually it amounts to my second foray of the season following on from Bentley Wood’s Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. But this year the weather has been odd, dare I say dire for butterflies and for us butterfly enthusiasts trying to plan out our visits and maximising our sightings. News from Bentley wasn’t good so my visit to Butser was brought forward. I figured that Rake Bottom is relatively sheltered so emergence times would be less affected by the weather . Mark Tutton suggested a later visit but as I’d already booked the day off work in anticipation of the season ‘start’ so it was now or never. I was still optimistic that my dismal season count of seven species would see a significant boost despite my early showing. Soon there will be a bit of a squeeze for me fitting in Pearl and Small Pearl; Glanville and Marsh Fritillaries.

The weather forecast was for a fine sunny morning with clouding over in the afternoon (but it turned out better). After dropping the kids off at school I grabbed my cameras, packed lunch and wasted no time in getting there. On the drive in buzzards soared overhead and a male Kestrel hovered on an updraft from the hill close to the car-park. Nice start

My first port of call was along the top of the hill where I’d encountered Green Hairstreak last year. This time no such luck. Like last year the hill-top wind was a stiff breeze, but this time it had a cold bite to it. I took a long-route meandering path down to Rake Bottom and started to explore. Pretty soon I was seeing butterflies, lively little Grizzled Skippers intent on doing battle with their neighbours and particularly intolerant of another skipper species, the Dingy. Overall the Grizzled outnumbered the Dingies 3 to 2 and both were in plentiful numbers. It was difficult to get close so I used my Tamron long-lens most of the time. After seeing the pictures, I wished I’d spent more time on my belly getting in with the macro. Sunny day bleaching, soft focus colour fringing … must get myself a decent zoom lens .

View of Rake Bottom, Butser Hill

Both the skippers were new for the season for me .

Lots of bee flies around

My next hopeful was either a Green Hairstreak or a Duke, (but preferably both). One of them did eventually turn up, a Duke which surprisingly not pristine was very welcome all the same . I put in a good search at the point where the path bends before the massive hill climb but only the one was seen. I expect there will be many more in a couple of weeks time.

Four other butterflies were seen, my first Green-veined White of the season; Orange-tip; Peacock and Brimstone.

The Orange-tip was particularly pleasing as I didn’t expect to get any pictures with all the males in patrol mode. However, as I kept my eyes on one praying for it to land, a chance encounter of a lone cloud in a clear blue sky obscured the sun and down he went . In fact, he went into a roost mode which enabled me to get quite close. As soon as the sun would peep through the thinner part of the cloud the wings would gradually open to catch the warmth. But as these moments were only brief it turned into open close open close until eventually the cloud passed and he was back on the wing. The skippers weren’t affected in this way, perhaps because they spent more of their time re-fuelling on bugle and warming up on the chalk.

Away from butterflies and birds now: - like last year’s Cuckoos this year served up another treat, a male Wheatear which I was able to get to within 15 yards of. This is a bird I’ve not seen for a very long time … but perhaps I don’t get out enough .

The day was to end on a sour note. When I got back to the car for my late lunch, gasping for breath from the trek (I’m far from fit you know) I discovered that my prescription glasses had fallen out of my pocket . There was only one thing to do …go back and try and retrace my steps (I’d fallen down a few rabbit holes during my butterfly searching so probably they’d fallen out then). Needless to say it was like looking for a needle in a haystack: - I didn’t find them, ended up having to climb Everest again (my feet are still killing me) and for now am using an old pair .

Species for the season count now at 11. Still no Holly Blue; Red Admiral; Small Copper or Green Hairstreak.

Phil

[MikeOxon]

At first, I read that as 'speccies' for the season and thought, gosh, you do lose them often I once traipsed all over Milk Hill near Devizes for a dropped lens hood and, on that occasion, was lucky, though it had been well-licked by a cow!

Good to know Grizzles and Dingies are out - must look on my local Downs.

Mike

[Philzoid]

was lucky, though it had been well-licked by a cow!

I suppose it would be on Milk Hill
Your story had a lot happier ending than mine Mike … you found your lost item and I suspect Milk Hill wasn’t half the challenge of getting out of Butser .
There is an irony to this story for me. Just the day before going to Butser, I decided I needed a summer jacket but was not having much luck with finding one my size (XL). It seems this size sells out and despite bar-code computer technology, manufacturers haven’t cottoned on that this is where the demand must be (there was plenty of L and XXL in the shops I visited). Anyway I found a jacket that I liked but the wrong size. I was about to have it ordered in and noticed that the pockets were open with no securing studs of zips. I had to apologise to the assistant, explain to her that I would lose stuff out of them, cancel the order and then take her advice to check for one in another shop. In that shop I found what I was looking for correct size; zips on pockets but £65. Pricey, but meeting my needs (so I thought).
Normally my glasses dangle on strings round my neck but it all gets tangled up when you have two DSLR’s and a camera bag also round your neck so I took them off and put them in my ‘secure’ jacket pockets. If I’d had the open pocket jacket I’d have put them in one of my camera bag compartments …oh well .
The skippers; other butterflies and wildlife were a delight to see so overall a good day …. accidents happen .