CallumMac

[millerd]

I'm glad I didn't imagine the Walls, Callum! I wonder if the population is based in the meadow rather than the pit itself. Worth a look in the spring... A healthy number of Common Blues too by the looks of things.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

That is a lovely Small Copper Callum and good job getting the Walls

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

The north of the country has a lot going for it, Callum, especially when the weather is hot like it has been recently.

Love your Walls but your Northern Brown Arguses make me particularly green with envy, especially when the sport a white spot!

[CallumMac]

I wonder if the population is based in the meadow rather than the pit itself. Worth a look in the spring... A healthy number of Common Blues too by the looks of things.

Thanks Dave. That would seem to fit with my observations on Sunday - they would pop down over the lip of the pit to bask on bare chalk on the slope but often returned to fly over the meadow itself. The CB colony is looking very healthy this year!
Thanks Wurzel, every Small Copper is a lovely Small Copper though
Thanks David. I guess most UKBers, if they have seen NBA at all, will have seen the Cumbrian unspotted (or should that be spotless!) population. All the Scottish ones I've seen have been right at the end of the flight period - I must try to get up there for some freshly-emerged ones some time!

07/08/2018 - sampling the Scotch

Argus, that is! We were up in Oban this week on our Speckled Wood quest. Monday afternoon took us to Shian Wood, a wonderfully remote SWT reserve 20 minutes north of Oban, featuring ancient mixed birch woodland and damp meadows perched above a sea loch. Despite the muggy weather and occasional showers, the butterflies were on the wing in decent numbers - these Scottish types are tough, tough, tough! Scotch Argus, Green-veined White, Peacock, and obviously Speckled Wood seen, but the light far too poor for photography.

Tuesday morning, and we went slightly further north to Glasdrum Wood of Chequered Skipper fame! As before, lots of butterflies but not much sunshine. Speckled Woods were around in good numbers where the wood opened up into small clearings and meadows - the habits of this population are so different to what we're familiar with down south.

Scotch Argus were mostly found in the same places, and occasionally we even saw the two species scrapping for perches!

We found this nice micro-moth in one of the meadows - Catoptria margaritella, a locally-common specialist on cotton-grass.

With our surveys finished and the weather closing in, we headed into Oban to try and connect with one of its strangest residents. Black Guillemot is a very rare bird in the UK - but here it nests in pipes set into the harbour wall, mere inches below the feet of the thousands of tourists passing through on their way to and from the Hebrides! We thought we might be a bit late in the year, but happily one pair was still hanging around with a very large chick that must be only days from fledging.

By now the sun had re-appeared, so we decided to return to Shian to see what it looked like in nice weather! In a couple of hours wandering around the reserve we didn't add to our species list from the previous day, but the sheer numbers of both Speckled Woods and Scotch Arguses were jaw-dropping.

I've seen a few comments in the last few days on this forum expressing concern about the plight of Scotch Argus in England. Whilst it would be sad to lose the two Cumbrian populations, you can rest easy in the knowledge that there is no pressing risk to this species in Scotland!

A couple of final treats from Tuesday evening and this morning, seen on the shore outside the Oban youth hostel - Hooded Crows are always a treat, and (record shot only) I was extremely excited to see an Otter!

[bugboy]

I was at Shian Wood a few weeks ago, during my Mountain Ringlet quest. It really is a beautiful little reserve, I almost expected to find fairies perched on the moss and lichen covered branches . I was actually after the Marsh Fritillaries which supposedly inhabit there but never got a sniff of them . I didn't see many butterflies there but there were at least 3 batches of Peacock larvae so it's no surprise you saw them there.

With regard to the English Scotch Argus, things are looking decidedly worrying at Arnside but they seem safe at the other site at Smardale.

[Wurzel]

Scotch Argus number 3 fairly jumps out of the screen Callum I can't imagine getting that close to a Tystie Callum, on the two occasions that I've seen them it was though a scope

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Great that you caught up with fresh Scotch Argus, Callum. It's a lovely but much under-rated butterfly.

It's been a couple of years since I saw it last, so I must endeavour to put matters right at some point.

[Neil Freeman]

...I've seen a few comments in the last few days on this forum expressing concern about the plight of Scotch Argus in England. Whilst it would be sad to lose the two Cumbrian populations, you can rest easy in the knowledge that there is no pressing risk to this species in Scotland!...

Good to know Callum, I would love to make the trip sometime to see Scotch Argus in the country it is named after, it only seems right.

Whilst I was concerned about the low numbers of Scotch Argus at Arnside Knott during my recent visit, I believe that they are doing much better at Smardale Gill.

Interestingly I have also seen a couple of photos on twitter of Scotch Argus apparently taken at Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales. According to Jeremy Thomas in 'The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland' this colony became extinct in 1955 and consisted of a distinctive race.
Do you know if this is a re-introduction?

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

On that latter point, Neil, I should reveal that I had an ID request lately from that very area and it was most definitely a Scotch Argus.

This butterfly may well be present in locations beside its two known ones in England.

[Goldie M]

Nice South Argus shots Callum, I'll miss them this year so nice to see them in your post Goldie

[CallumMac]

Thanks bugboy. Shame about the Marshies. I thought the habitat looked promising and there was plenty of DBS, but didn't spot any larval webs.
Thanks Wurzel. It's so strange to see them so close, I almost switched to the macro lens!
Thanks David, Neil. Glad to hear the Smardale population is healthier. The Grassington population is a relatively recent unlicensed reintroduction. I'm not sure which race they are - I've not been to see them - but obviously they won't be the original unique race. What are people's views on unlicensed reintroductions on UKB? We've had a number of them in recent years in Yorkshire.
Thanks Goldie. That's a shame - you must be just about the nearest UKBer to their Smardale and Arnside populations!

[trevor]

Congrats. from me too for the Scotch Argus images.
Your Speckled Wood looks interesting as well, an ab. possibly ?.

Trevor.

[David M]

The Grassington population is a relatively recent unlicensed reintroduction. I'm not sure which race they are - I've not been to see them - but obviously they won't be the original unique race. What are people's views on unlicensed reintroductions on UKB? We've had a number of them in recent years in Yorkshire.

Thanks for that, Callum. I didn't know they were a reintroduction but I suppose it makes sense given their historic distribution.

[CallumMac]

Thanks Trevor. Actually those are two separate Speckled Woods - it’s just how they look up in the Oban population. One of many ways in which they are noticeably different to what we’re accustomed to in England.

[CallumMac]

Sad family circumstances meant that I had once again to travel down to Devon this weekend. Normally a trip down south in the summer is something I relish but this time I was dreading it. However, being one to always make the best of any bad situation, I managed to find a couple of opportunities to seek out - and find solace in - some nice wildlife.

13/08/2018 - RSPB Bowling Green Marsh

In the late afternoon on Monday, my parents, my partner and I went out for a quick stroll around Bowling Green Marsh, part of the RSPB's wider network of reserves fringing the Exe Estuary. The sun was out and we encountered this Red Admiral at the top of the lane into the reserve.

After the lane turns and runs along the back of the reserve, we began to see Speckled Woods at regular intervals.

We went down to the viewpoint over the Clyst estuary and were very surprised to see this fox patrolling the far bank. "Far" is a relative term, as it passed within 20 metres of us, staring us down in the certain knowledge that we were no threat in that terrain!

14/08/2018 - Pinfarthings Banks

With the long, long drive back up to Yorkshire facing us today, I had been giving some thought to whether it might be possible to break the journey somewhere more interesting than Hopwood Park Services! But with the weather forecast looking grey and overcast I had stopped short of making any clear plans. As the M5 junction to Stroud appeared a mile ahead, though, the sun broke out. L, who is very good to me, agreed to pull off the motorway for a short detour! We parked up just above the village of Amberley on the edge of Minchinhampton Common and walked up onto the Banks. It took all of 10 seconds to find what we had come to see!

The Adonis Blues were flying in really good numbers - I estimated a count of at least 30, which were 90% males. Many were very fresh and posed nicely. Hard to do justice to the astonishing colour in a photograph but I think a few of my efforts came close!

Amongst all the excitement, I was able to add another very interesting observation to the 'wing-roll' saga - a male wing-rolling vigorously and constantly whilst in cop! The photos aren't brilliant so I will post them on the wing-roll thread for information, rather than here.

The road ahead was long, and luckily the sun disappeared again after about 15 minutes on site, making the decision to press on for home that much easier!

[ernie f]

Hi, Callum. Great pics of Adonis. I used to live in Chalford about 20 years ago, a village at the bottom of Minch Common. At the time, butterflies were not on my radar, it was birds and flowers for me, so I had no idea there were Adonis so close to my then house! I shall take a look at that wing-roll pic of yours.

[David M]

Nice Adonis images, Callum, and that's a marvellous view of the fox. They're much more shy when I see them here in south Wales.

[CallumMac]

Thanks Ernie. If you left Chalford 20 years ago then the chances are there weren't Adonis Blues close to your house! I believe (and somebody will correct me if I have the dates/sites wrong) that they first appeared in the far south of the Cotswolds in around 2001. It wasn't, and isn't, known whether they (a) got there themselves, (b) were put there, or (c) had been there undetected all along! Since then they have flooded through the area and can now be found in decent numbers at a range of sites. In my (limited) experience Pinfarthings Banks on the western edge of Minchinhampton Common is pretty much the best spot, though BC's Rough Bank reserve also has a good population.

Thanks David. I think this one was a young male and it looked pretty thin. Possibly a little bit desperate, struggling for food and driven out onto the estuary mud in hope of a stranded fish. In any case it clearly knew that with 10 m of mud and 10 m of river between us and it, there would be plenty of time to escape if we showed too close an interest!

[CallumMac]

21/08/2018 - Hollesley Common, Suffolk

Fieldwork has had us working around the Ipswich area over the last couple of days. A slightly early finish today, with the sun still shining, was too much to resist and we headed to Hollesley Common, which I had previously visited and seen good numbers of both Graylings and Small Coppers.

This visit was no different!

The pine branches and cones on the ground made for some interesting photographic scenes...

The biggest surprise was this Meadow Brown, still clinging on. They've been over for a couple of weeks at least in Yorkshire.

[Wurzel]

Cracking sets of Adonis, Grayling and Small Coppers Callum Bowling Green Marsh is a great site, the merest mention brings back lots of happy memories - Little Stint, Spoonbills and best of the bunch Glossy Ibis so thank you for making me recall

Have a goodun

Wurzel