Thanks guys, Heaven knows what the second brood is going to be like if we have a half decent summer
18th May
The good spell of weather had come to a crashing end, just in time for my planned trip deep into Wurzel country and a fabled hillside. I'd sweet talked my chauffeur into believing a day trip to Wiltshire would be a wonderful idea and we'd been keeping a very close eye on the weekends weather, which seemed to change by the hour. In the end, Saturday was the chosen day to go and see a Marsh Fritillary for the first time in four years. We arrived at the legendary hill under cloudy but warmish conditions at around half 9. Things didn't seem overly promising but I bounced out the car and set off up the path hopefully
A bit of wandering threw up very little but I was encouraged by the sight of a few Brown Argus who had decided it was warm enough for action. Half an hour in and my target was acquired, a freshly emerged male fluttered weakly from under my feet and for the next 10 minutes enjoyed a rich and varied photo shoot
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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![IMG_0018.JPG (137.31 KiB) Viewed 2718 times A background of cloud.](./files/thumb_13753_161195905e097179229864775627a5c4)
- A background of cloud.
Over the next hour or two the cloud would occasionally thin, awakening various butterflies. Not many individuals but the species count gradually increased. Small Blue, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreak, Adonis Blue & Small Heath all putting in appearances.
Obviously I was concentrating on the Marshies who appeared intermittently, perhaps half a dozen in the end but mostly looking in good condition.
Every now and again though another species would demand my full attention, a Green Hairstreak playing peek-a-boo and what are you supposed to do when a fresh male Adonis plonks himself on the path in front of you and opens his wings wide
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
. It would have taken something like a Camberwell Beauty for me to ignore him
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
!
Hunger pangs told us it was lunch time so we took the short drive into Warminster to find a pub for lunch, ending up in the same corner of the same one as four years ago. Still good portions at a reasonable price
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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Whilst eating the weather had decided to brighten up with actual blue sky on display. Rather than going back to The Hill I wanted to browse Battlesbury Hillfort which overlooks the town. I left my chauffeur contentedly reading a book in the middle of the lower meadow whilst I climbed the slopes, adding Common Blue to the day’s species list before more Marshies started appearing, making the most of the brighter spell. Courting and mating was going on all around, egg laden females making easy targets for the numerous and sun energized males.
The bright spell ended rather abruptly but not before I stumbled across a small glut of Walls. One female in particular caught my eye, being rather larger than average and particularly well marked. I spent a good 10 mins stalking her but not once did she settle anywhere unobscured by grass.
Although it had clouded over it was still early enough to try another site on the way home, Martin Down. Sadly I've still never seen a butterfly here. A rather stubbing rain cloud drenched us and stayed overhead whilst we sat in the car, drying off and hoping it would clear. It didn't, a rather damp end to an otherwise pleasant trip into Wiltshire