Cheers Essex
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
It's difficult for me to make a judgement on numbers at that site as that's only my second visit for butterflies. Possibly they emerged earlier and so there were fewer about or perhaps they hadn't reached their peak yet?
The Devenish 16-07-2017
Having spent time the day before out at the Lavender Farm I felt the need to get out once again and see what was out there. So I packed the girls into the car (one Padawan and one Oracle) and we headed out to the Devenish. As I pulled into the car park The Oracle gave a positive for Chalkhill but not for Clouded yellow, hopefully not a forebear of things to come and with her prediction cast she led the way up through the wood and over the gates. My young Padawan demonstrated her gate traversing skills which she had learnt here on a previous visit and once we were in the Orchid Meadow they set up camp by the stile; one reading some Teen-Vampire- Roman God- Monster story and the other the Beano. Instead I set about mooching and scanning across the flower tops for butterflies teetering on the top. The first I encountered was a Small Copper which turned out ot be the first of many. A tired looking Brown Argus fluttered past and put up a Common Blue. The odd Hedge Brown and Meadow Brown flew by and there was also a roving Brimstone and Small White. So far pretty much the usual with perhaps the exception of the Copper. As I carried on scanning a white flag caught my attention and as I approached it became apparent that it wasn’t one but two butterflies; a pair of Common Blues in cop.
I started to make my way back to the girls when a ghostly blue drifted across the meadow, appearing from higher up on the side of the Down. It was my first Chalkhill but as luck would have it as I moved in to take some shots the cloud covered the sun and I didn’t really get to capture the true colours and the shots felt a bit washed out.
After a quick check in with the girls I headed up the track and the steep path right up the side of the Down. I must be getting older as my knees sounded like Castanets as I took the ‘stairs’ cut into the chalk. Once at the top I then took a left turn and followed the track that cut diagonally across the side of the down. Another Chalkhill flew by, male again and then I found another Copper, slightly tired looking but still holding on. A Brown Argus caught my eye and when I turned back to the Copper it had moved slightly and rejuvenated in the interim.
As I started back up on the far side of the Down and then worked my way along the top the precious little else about and I didn’t see anything other than Meadow Browns right up to the pint when I started my descent back down towards the Orchid Meadow when I was joined by several Whites, a male Chalkhill and yet another Small Copper.
As I been gone for a bit I checked in once again and my Padawan had finished the Beano and so joined me in exploring the far end of the Meadow. She spent a lot of the time collecting burrs and then calling me back to ‘point something out’ to me. This apparent interest was all a ploy and I found myself covered in little prickly/sticky green cones with little L in stitches. Mind you on the plus side her eye sight is sharper than mine now and she quickly pointed out one of the smallest Brown Argus that I’ve ever seen. It was more akin to the smallest of Small Blues in size.
As we headed back guess what we saw? Yep another Small Copper. There must have been an emergence of them here as this was number 5 for the day. After years of struggling to see the odd one at a site to come to this small reserve and find 5 really easily was a pleasure.
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As we were leaving another or the first Chalkhilll put in an appearance amongst the ubiquitous Meadow Browns but again the light was weird and it always looked washed out again. I’ll have to have another try for this species. Once we broke from the tree tunnel into the field on the other side the sun ahd come back out and I was tempted to head back but there were two tired ladies that decided that they were going home and so I was outvoted. They did let me have five minutes in the final field though where the Ragwort(?) proved to be very popular. There was a lovely Brown Argus but unfortunately I couldn’t quite get it into the shot with the the other selection of species and so I settled for an individual shot of it and then a four species shot to account for the others.
It really was time to go and so we bundled back in the car. The Oracle was correct again and the Padawan had learnt how to spot a Brown Argus as well as how to infuriate dad…I’m still finding burrs now!
Have a goodun
Wurzel