Cornwall (ST Mawes) Butterflies

[LCPete]

Hi we are going on holiday to St Mawes Cornwall (the other side of the river to Falmouth) for the first week in June next year
Can anyone reccomend any places to see butterflies ?
Dont mind what sort just hoping to explore the area and see a few
Can PM if its easier, thanks
Pete

[Matsukaze]

I was there in mid-July this year, so the butterflies were a bit different.

From the site list here, Breney Common and Cabilla Woods are well worth a visit - at Breney Common, some of its rarer fritillaries should be out at the time you are visiting. It is also a superb site for dragonflies. Helman Tor which overlooks the common attracts migrant butterflies and moths - 2 hummingbird hawk-moths there the day I visited, the only ones I saw all year.

Roger Lane from BC Cornwall put me onto Penhale Sands, on the north coast (park at SW783566 - field to your north). Large numbers of blues/Brown Argus. There is an unusual form of Silver-studded Blue that flies in strong numbers here - very few left when I visited but thousands of Brown Argus.

[wavelea1]

LCPete

Lucky you - smashing place and lovely area of the country. I 'honeymooned' at Shaldon - slightly further north - two years ago in early May.

If you are mobile we called in at Haldon Forest on the way down - bit commercial and don't go at weekends but good for Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries as was Castle Drogo (NT). We didn't find any Pearl Borderd Frits though...

Wavelea1

[LCPete]

Thanks for your help Wavelea1 and Matzukaze
We cant wait to go its been ages since we visited Cornwall
Will definately visit Breney Common I have never seen Marsh fritillaries before and they should be around when I go
I'm also into dragonflies so hopefully will see some of them too
Penhale Sands sounds good we've got a good place near us (Prees Heath) but it will be worth visiting Penhale to see if the silver studded blues there are different to ours
Pete

[LCPete]

Hi is there any particular area of Breney Common to find Marsh Fritilary ? or are they easy to find by just searching round. I will probaly only get one day to see the butterflies as we are going with the wifes family. Hopefully I will manage to spend time at Penhale Sands too.
Pete

[Matsukaze]

Sorry, it was well out of season when I visited (July). The site is not huge and should not be too difficult to search for Marsh Fritillary, though it is a proper habitat mosaic and the sort of place it is easy to get lost in.

[LCPete]

Got back yesterday had a great time weather perfect
I managed 2 trips to Breney it was magic to wander through the common and see the marsh fritilaries , thanks Wavelea1 and Matzukaze
Also found quite a few butterflies in local fields including loads of painted ladies
I bumped into the warden Dave at Breney who helped me find the best area thanks again