Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

Thank for the comments Mike, David and Bugboy .

June 3rd -10th A trip up North part 3.

Number 58 - Chequered Skipper.

Over the past five years, since my early interest in butterflies became re-ignited, and with kids now grown up and having more time to do what I want (well, sometimes), I had managed to see 57 species of UK butterflies. The only mainland species that I had yet to see was Chequered Skipper and so it was that this year I had decided to make the effort. As with all our trips, I try and plan to give myself the best chance of seeing other species as well as my main targets but the timing comes down to various factors including booking time off work in advance.

Anyway, plans made and B&Bs booked we headed north as described in the previous reports and after spending a couple of nights in Silverdale we carried on to Scotland on the Sunday (June 5th). We made good time on the drive up which enabled a stop off at Glasdrum Wood, where we duly arrived at about 2.30pm on a sweltering hot afternoon.
Within a few minutes of walking up the path and onto the section beneath the telegraph poles I had seen my first Chequered Skipper quickly followed by my second as they both engaged in a little squabble over territory. In the space of an hour here I saw between 15-20 although the vast majority were worn males looking well past their best. I took a few record shots but in the hot conditions they were mostly settling with wings half shut and the harsh afternoon light didn’t help with the photos.
It was obvious that the skippers had been out for some time and I remember reading somewhere that Glasdrum is an early site for Chequered Skippers compared with some of the sites a little further north. It would also become increasingly obvious over the next few days that the season in that part of Scotland was well ahead of the rest of the UK.
Oh well, at least I had already seen my main target and I was hopeful that I would get chance for better photos over the next few days.

My next chance came the next morning (Monday 6th) when we drove up to Glen Loy. After finding another worn male in one spot we drove further along the track and checked a couple more spots without any luck. I had just decided to return to the first spot when we came across a car parked up and a couple of figures looking along the verge. I stopped to chat and they turned out to be none other than UKB members Rosalyn and Phil who very kindly showed me to a spot further along the glen where they had seen some CSKs the previous day. Over the next couple of hours spent in their very good company we saw a number of skippers, fairly worn males but also a couple of females that were in a bit better condition.

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper male - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

By mid-day it was again getting very warm with the temperature getting up into the mid-twenties so we departed for a drive up to Loch Arkaig for a look around. Whilst up there we stopped off at Alt Mhuic where I saw a couple of male CSKs but these were again very worn and tired looking. I must admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with Alt Mhuic, something just seemed ‘off’ about the site and I have heard others say similar things about it. We also had a drive along to the end of the loch, just to see what was there, and checked a couple of spots along the way but without turning up any skippers. We did see plenty of big Northern Eggar moths bombing about at high speed though.

The next day (Tuesday 7th) we drove down to Cuil Bay in the morning where I found a couple of faded Marsh Fritillaries plus a Painted Lady. The forecast had said that we may get a thunderstorm or two during the day and with some dark clouds building to the south and clearer skies to the north we headed back to Fort William for a cuppa. I couldn’t resist the temptation to return to Glen Loy for another look and so early afternoon found us back at the spot that Rosalyn and Phil had shown us the previous day. This time I managed to find a few skippers that were in quite reasonable condition, both male and female.

Chequered Skipper male - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper male - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

I also found a male that looked fresh but sods law meant that he totally refused to open his wings fully.

Chequered Skipper male - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

It was during this session that my attention was drawn to a butterfly flapping about over the other side of the track and following it I was pleasantly surprised to realise that it was a Large Heath ssp. scotica. I soon saw a couple of others and took a few photos, a couple of which I posted in the June sightings thread last week. More on these to come in due course.

Anyway, back to the Chequered Skippers. Glen Loy is such a fabulous place that I found myself returning again the following morning when who should I bump into but Pete Eeles and Mark Colvin who were in the area on a tour of Chequered Skipper sites. They were also interested in my Large Heath sightings and so we all went along the glen to the spot where I had seen these. We all spent a couple of very pleasant hours here before it again got very hot and butterfly activity seemed to mostly come to a stop, so myself and Jane went off to find a somewhere for a bit of lunch (and a cold beer).

After then going into Fort William where Jane wanted to do a bit of shopping for pressies to take home, she said that she was feeling tired and wanted to go back to the B&B and that I could disappear for a couple of hours. With it now getting a bit later in the afternoon I figured that I would go back for a last session in Glen Loy as this was easily my favourite spot and was only a few miles away.

I think I saw mostly the same skippers that had been about earlier in the morning…

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

… but there was also one female that stood out as having more extensive yellow patches on her forewings,

Chequered Skipper female - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

Plus another nearly fresh male,

Chequered Skipper male - Glen Loy 06.06.2016

The next morning we would be heading back to Silverdale for another couple of nights before heading home. My initial impression on getting to Scotland and seeing the faded condition of many of the Chequered Skippers, particularly at Glasdrum, was that I had left it a bit late for them this year. In the end I saw some in quite good condition but there is no doubt that the season up there was well in front of that in my part of the midlands which almost caught me out.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Pete Eeles]

Great report, Neil! If only Glen Loy was midge-free - Mark and I did return before we headed back home and, believe me, you don't want to be there very early in the morning!

Cheers,

- Pete

[essexbuzzard]

What a contrast to this time last year when,even at Glasdrum, Chequered Skippers were only just starting. But they have had the best of the weather in the last month or so. When we were there last year,it was still snowing on the hills! Just shows the fickleness of the west Scotland weather in spring. At least you found some at Glen Loy, where people were saying they hadn't been seen yet last year.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots Neil I've just got to hope that they can hang around for about 30 years until I've retired as I think that may be my first opportunity to see them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Glorious stuff, Neil. You sure filled your boots.

Welcome to the '58 club'!

[trevor]

Some wonderful shots of the Chequered Skipper, a Butterfly that is pretty remote from Sussex.
Fresh or not, you had a very worthwhile trip. .

[bugboy]

Great stuff Neil, I'm gonna have to start thinking about how I'm going to get to see them now

[Mark Tutton]

Hi Neil
Must have just missed you as I was at Glasdrum on the 6th - made the nine hour drive from the south coast on the Sunday!
Real shame as I remember spending a fantastic day at Fermyn with you a couple of years ago (my avatar is from that day) - if I remember rightly the weather was not dissimilar?
Kind Regards
Mark

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Pete, there were a lot of midges around later in the afternoon as well but the Avon 'skin so Soft' seemed to keep most at bay
Hi Mark, there was a bit of snow left on the north face of Ben Nevis but not much. I really didn't expect to get sunburn up there but as you say it just shows how the seasons can vary year on year.
Cheers Wurzel, I reckon they will still be around then. Having seen the area with my own eyes, I wouldn't be surprised if there are undiscovered colonies all over the place.
Thanks David...and they were wellington boots a lot of the time as well
Hi Trevor, I think they are pretty remote for most people but yes, particularly far from Sussex.
Thanks Bugboy, it took me a couple of years of thinking about before I planned my trip.
Hi Mark, it is a shame I just missed you. I remember that day in Fermyn well...and the circumstances of your avatar

June 3rd -10th A trip up North part 4.

A tale of two tullias.

1-scotica.

As mentioned in my previous report I was in Glen Loy during the afternoon last Tuesday (June 7th) when I spotted an unfamiliar butterfly fluttering about on the other side of the track to where the Chequered Skippers could be found alongside the river. I followed it for a while and soon realised that I was looking at a Large Heath, which surprised me a bit as although I was aware that the scotica sub-species of this species could be found in the area I thought that it was a bit early for them. I took a few photos when it settled occasionally and watched as this first one was joined by a second and after a brief tussle they split up.

The following morning we returned to Glen Loy to try and see some more of these Large Heath, as well as to see if I could find some more decent condition Chequered Skippers. This was when I bumped into Pete and Mark as described in the previous report and we all spent some time looking over the area for the Large Heath. The habitat here was damp and mossy but much firmer than that where I have previously seen Large Heath (of the davus sub-species) at Meathop Moss in Cumbria and Whixall Moss in Shropshire where going of the path can be risky.

ssp. scotica habitat in Glen Loy

In the end we reckon that we saw at least 15 individuals, far more than I had seen the previous day which indicated that they were right at the beginning of their emergence.
It soon became very warm again and by mid-day it seemed as if the Large Heath had mostly gone to ground, in fact all butterfly activity seemed to be having a siesta, so Jane and myself departed for a bite to eat and a bit of shopping in Fort William (the price of looking for the butterflies).
Later that afternoon I returned for a last session at Glen Loy and found the Large Heaths back on the wing again. They were quite active again in the still warm conditions but a bit less so than they were earlier so I managed to get a few better photos.

Large Heath ssp. scotica - Glen Loy 08.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. scotica - Glen Loy 08.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. scotica - Glen Loy 08.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. scotica - Glen Loy 08.06.2016

2- davus.

A couple of days later, back in Silverdale on our stop off on the way back south, the Friday (10th June) morning had started off dull and drizzly so we decided to go around to RSPB Leighton Moss which was just down the road from our B&B. After spending the morning there it began to clear up and with the promise of some sunny spells we had a drive around to the other side of the Kent Estuary to Meathop Moss as I had seen that Large Heath had been sighted there over the previous couple of days.
The Large Heath found here are ssp.davus which are a deeper colour and have far more pronounced eye-spots than ssp. scotica
I soon saw that most of the boardwalks onto the moss had been replaced with new ones, although there were some old ones still in place, and wandering along these I soon saw many assorted Damselflies, Dragonflies and Day-flying moths, most of which were becoming active in the rapidly warming early afternoon. I then spotted the distinctive flappy flight of a ‘brown’ type butterfly which came close enough to confirm it was a Large Heath. Over the next hour or so I reckon I spotted between 10-12 individuals, a couple of which came close enough and settled for me to get some photos.

ssp. davus habitat at Meathop Moss

Large Heath ssp. davus - Meathop Moss 10.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. davus - Meathop Moss 10.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. davus - Meathop Moss 10.06.2016

Large Heath ssp. davus - Meathop Moss 10.06.2016

Seeing both the scotica and davus sub-species of Large Heath within a couple of days of each other was a most unexpected bonus and fascinating to compare the two in the flesh. The Scottish ones looked pale in flight in comparison and almost looked like a different species, rather like an overgrown and pale Small Heath. The fact that these were already flying was another indication of the early season up there this year.

Bye for now,

Neil

[millerd]

Extraordinary stuff, Neil. Envious isn't the half of it! Beautiful photos too - over your trip you saw all four of the butterflies I have yet to see... Amazing.

Dave

[bugboy]

Those davus are stunning little insects, the eyes positively glow in your pictures!

[David M]

You've done really well to capture tullia like that, Neil.

To me, they're amongst the most frustrating of the UK species - flying about hyperactively when it's warm and settling amongst grasses when it's cool and/or cloudy.

What a contrast between the two forms. It's almost like one is seeing two different butterfly species.

[Rosalyn]

Hi Neil, Was good to meet you and Jane. You have certainly made the most of your trip with some lovely pics of our northern species. I have ordered the Skin So Soft as recommended not in time to keep the mozzies at bay today. I agree with you late afternoon at Glen Loy was midge heaven and I believe I won the tick count at 7, always assuming you had your customary nil

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Dave, I am sure you will catch up with them all eventually.
Hi bugboy, I was lucky to catch them still fresh, this is one species that gets worn and faded quickly.
Thanks David, they soon warmed up and became far less co-operative.
Hi Rosalyn, it was great meeting you and Phil too. I am a non starter in the tick count, still not had one...hope I am not tempting fate by saying that.


June 3rd -10th A trip up North part 5.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries.

One species that I was sure I would see on my trip north was the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. I have seen these before in good numbers at most sites in the Arnside/Silverdale area in mid-June and was certain that if they were not out on our first stay there on the way up, then they would be out on the way south again the following weekend. I was also aware that they are well distributed in north-west Scotland as well so I should encounter them there.

In the end this was easily the species that I saw the most of. I saw the first ones at Warton Crag on the first Friday (June 3rd) and others at Arnside Knott and Gait Barrows on the following day. These were mostly looking nice and fresh and looked that they had only been on the wing a few days at most.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary male- Arnside Knott 04.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary male- Arnside Knott 04.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Arnside Knott 04.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Arnside Knott 04.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary male- Gait Barrows 04.06.2016

Carrying on to Scotland on the Sunday, there were good numbers skimming rapidly about in the hot afternoon sun at Glasdrum. During our visits to Glen Loy over the next few days they were present in every spot along the river where we looked. Apparently some authorities recognise some of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries found in north-west Scotland as form insularum, which is supposed to be brighter and more distinctly marked than the usual examples, but I must admit that I was hard pressed to see much difference to those I have seen before, particularly bright fresh males. There were also a good number of worn and faded examples around in Scotland indicating that they had been flying longer than those I saw around Arnside/Silverdale which also ties in with the fact that the season seemed that bit more advanced up there.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Glen Loy 07.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary male- Glen Loy 07.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary male- Glen Loy 08.06.2016

Back in South Cumbria on the second Friday afternoon (June 10th), just after visiting Meathop Moss, we stopped off at Latterbarrow which is just the other side of the A590, and found a couple flying there.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Latterbarrrow 10.06.2016

Later in the afternoon it had cooled down a bit and clouded over with a fairly thick overcast and during a last visit to Arnside Knott I found a roosting individual and managed to get some classic underside shots.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Arnside Knott 10.06.2016

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary female- Arnside Knott 10.06.2016

It seems that this species is struggling in many of its southern haunts apart from Cornwall where it seems to be doing well. It would appear that they are also doing well in the north-west and particularly in Scotland.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[David M]

Fantastic array of images again, Neil. You really DID have a productive week.

Going north sometimes is essential if you're a serious UK butterfly enthusiast, and I'm glad to see that a connoisseur like you got lucky with the weather.

For all its advantages, the south and east of England are not the places to go looking for the likes of SPBF, Northern Brown Argus, Chequered Skipper, HBF, Large Heath, Mountain Ringlet & Marsh Fritillary.

I've had my 'fixes' often enough with these species, but never all so condensed into a single week. You must feel 100% satisfied with your haul and it certainly looks as though all those hundreds of miles were worthwhile.

[Pete Eeles]

Excellent summaries, Neil! I like the way that you've summarised by species, rather than simply giving us a day-by-day account - I'm not sure why, but I prefer this, I think

[I found a tick when I got home, so it must have been hanging on to me all day!]

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pauline]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your accounts of the various species Neil, made particularly interesting by the way you have organised them and the lovely images which accompany each one. I hope there is more to come.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks David, living in the midlands I have to travel to the southern sites as well but at least I am part way there for the northern ones...mind you, that was the longest one I have done yet and the decision to do the two night stops at Arnside/Silverdale each way turned out to be a good one.

Thanks Pete, glad you like the reports, they just seemed to fall together that way in my head when I started thinking of writing them.

Thanks Pauline, a bit more to come but mostly the odds and sods that will probably go into a final round up when I get a chance to sort them out.

Cheers,

Neil

[Wurzel]

Very interesting reading Neil and great sequence of shots. I still can't get over the difference between the sub-species of Large Heath they're so different in appearance I wonder if they 'see' each other as the same species should some opportunity arise for them to meet?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Great shots Neil, glad you saw the SPBF and you've encouraged me to go to Meathop hope fully this week when we've got our breath back from visiting the South, I only hope the LH are still in good condition and I get better shots than I did last year your's are great. Goldie