june 2011

[millerd]

Dave.

There is something about that Marbled White that looks slightly different, perhaps a greater than normal extent of white. It reminds me of some of the southern species of Marbled white (no personal experience but have seen illustrated in the literature). Is it a minor aberration I wonder?

Jack

Jack,

I did wonder about that when I took the photo, but having now compared it to individuals from previous seasons, I can find little difference. The present one is very fresh and the markings are very clearly delineated, but the amount of white and position of the white areas is largely the same. Maybe it's an illusion - perhaps our memory of these butterflies is darker than reality, and when we see them again after the ten month gap they seem brighter and whiter? Anyway, here's one from 2009, and the current model again for comparison. Both photos were taken within a few metres of each other.

Dave

[David M]

David,
sounds like that's a great site for the HBF, you certainly did better than me on that account. And there were no signs of Brown Argus either at my site. The amount of space is good and the flatness of the site is certainly a welcome break from my two sites (the first is quite tough on the legs and ankles as it's all on the side of a hill with many small stumps left from where they've been taken out). My legs this morning are very achey!
Perhaps you could either send me details of where your site is or we could meet up one day next weekend. Because it's near the railway line I guess it's quite near to the quarry down the B4265 / St Brides Road. The spot I go to is accessed via Wick Road down Heol y Stepsau - the open ground I went too (were I saw most of the DGF's yesterday) is probably the just the other side of the railway line to were you are, except there's no route across (for humans!). Even though Ewenny / St Brides / Old Castle Down is not a huge area it seems there's quite a few 'hot spots'.
Michael

I don't recognise the part you visited either! I can see where it is due to its position in relation to the Down, but you look to be at the very top of the valley whereas the Fritillary meadow is at the lowest point right next to the dry river bed that runs alongside and underneath the railway.

The easiest way to get to it is to walk down the path to the gun club (although they may not be too keen on visitors if they're firing). If there's nobody there, walk through the field at the back of the firing shed and right at the end climb over the fence and head underneath the railway viaduct.

Once you've emerged on the other side of the railway you need to cross the dry river bed and follow a track. This track leads to the meadow.

[Michaeljf]

Hi David,
Thanks - where we park just below the reserve via Wick Road / Heol y Stepsau, there is apparently (so my wife tells me) another marked footpath by the dry river bed, so that might lead to it. Or it might not. If I never post again it'll probably mean we've got lost in those woods I've only been past the gun club when we've been helping Richard Smith (site co-ordinator) with scrub clearing in the early spring, and on that occasion he opened the gate.
Michael

[Michaeljf]

p.s.I agree with Jack on the Marbled White photo from the previous page. There's an awful lot of white, especially on the lower wings, that makes the Marbled White look unusual. It may not be unusual, but it looks different enough to catch the eye.
Michael

[EricY]

Lovely clear blue sky morning today untill clouds rolled in @ 11am. After seeing a local Red Kite (still not common in Norfolk) early on, I thought my luck might be in. Tried the west track @ Holkham again to Burnham Overy dunes. Found 2 Dark Green Frits nectering on wild privet in east end of dunes nearest to Holkham pines. They did not stay long so only a couple of quick snatched shots, not on best camera setting. On way there down the track I had another fly by fast & saw 6 Red Admirals, several meadow browns & speckled woods. The broad bordered bee hawk moth was again on the wild honysuckle but too high & fast to get a photo. Eric

[David M]

Hi David,
I've only been past the gun club when we've been helping Richard Smith (site co-ordinator) with scrub clearing in the early spring, and on that occasion he opened the gate.
Michael

You don't need to go through the gate - just to the left of the gate there's a section of dry-stone wall that's collapsed. You can get in there and then follow the track to the gun club.

The alternative is to go onto the Down and head along the usual route in the gully that runs alongside the trees. As you know, this track comes to an end further up and you have to turn sharply to the right to carry on along the Down. However, if you go left here you find yourself in a little dip which looks like a dead end. It isn't. Simply go towards the trees and you'll see a gap where you can follow the wire fence all the way down the slope. At the bottom of this slope you will emerge onto the far end of the field that houses the gun club's firing range (this is where Paul has recorded the Purple and White Letter Hairstreaks).

Just go straight across the field (it's only about 20m wide here) and climb the wire fence and you'll again find yourself able to go underneath the viaduct.

[Michaeljf]

David,
thanks - but that route sounds a bit more like an undercover SAS mission than the route to a half-official butterfly clearing!
Michael

[Willrow]

David,
thanks - but that route sounds a bit more like an undercover SAS mission than the route to a half-official butterfly clearing!
Michael

Love it...

Also thought both David's and your saturday reports from Alun Valley/Ewenny were highly informative, there's now't like good military style surveillance before sending the UKB's in

Bill

[David M]

David,
thanks - but that route sounds a bit more like an undercover SAS mission than the route to a half-official butterfly clearing!
Michael

Love it...

Also thought both David's and your saturday reports from Alun Valley/Ewenny were highly informative, there's now't like good military style surveillance before sending the UKB's in

Bill

Maybe it's a good thing that it's so hard to reach. After all, we're talking about one of the last remaining sites for an extremely scarce butterfly (and certainly the only one known in Wales).

The effort required to get to the inner sanctum only makes the reward all the sweeter! I'd never have found it had I not met the transect walker during a visit to the Down in May.

What I didn't tell you was that I met another butterfly enthusiast on the Down yesterday who had come from Herefordshire to photograph the High Browns. He was frustrated due to the lack of Fritillaries on the Down itself, so I told him I'd take him to the other side of the valley but I went a different way (via a field that I presumed led to the viaduct) due to the gunshots I'd heard earlier at the firing range. The field didn't lead to the viaduct though and we ended up stuck in a dead end surrounded by nettles. At this point I told him we'd have to follow the sunken dry river bed (as I knew this led under said railway). We disappeared into the vegetation and had to negotiate what resembled a sluice gate. Once we'd climbed over this, the river bed only continued for about 30 yards before it met the railway. Taking its place was a tunnel about 50 yards long which we had to walk through (dark and a bit scary) to get to the other side of the railway. Even when we emerged, we were then faced with battling through seriously heavy vegetation including tree branches and a dead sheep! The terrain didn't improve so I scrambled up the muddy bank and beat my way through the scrub with this chap in hot pursuit (carrying his tripod all the while!)

Thankfully, once beyond the scrub we only needed to walk 50 yards down the slope before I realised we were in the meadow.

"Here we are", I announced (making it look as though I'd known all along).

Thankfully, he'd spent his career in the army so I guess he'd been through this kind of routine many times before.

He seemed genuine when he thanked me anyway.

[Ian Pratt]

In the really wet weather today I saw my first greater puddled brown! Also saw my first lesser muddied skipper! I checked my calendar to see if it was April 1!
Fresh white admiral yesterday at Walters Copse Newtown IOW.

[Michaeljf]

He seemed genuine when he thanked me anyway.

David,
No wonder...he probably felt lucky to still be alive after all that My two (nay, three) areas are a far easier to approach apart from the fact that you're walking on slopes and it's a bit tough on the legs & ankles. The entrances in all cases are clear enough for several walkers. I'm not sure how good the third area is because I've not been able to visit it yet in 'summer' (I use the term loosely) due to a fallen tree blocking the road last Saturday. The only problem so far is that there aren't many Thistles or Brambles in the main reserve yet to halt the HBF's from just flying across the bracken. And presuming we will get more sun in the next month, we are only at the start of the flight period I will try and find the meadow you speak of, but from the Wick Road side. I'm not sure walking over dead sheep is really my thing
Michael

[Willrow]

FAO; David M & Michaeljf,

Hi Guys, it's getting funnier by the day, 'extreme butterflying' can now be officially associated with our High Brown's at the Alun Valley. It seems only right and proper that a species of such esteem are no soft touch, but David could easily diversify into 'safari guide' by the sound of his adventures I'm wondering what the gent from Herefordshire must have thought Ewyas Harold is a mere dawdle in comparison, it was very thoughtful of you David to take him to 'the inner sanctum' via what sounds very much like a bona-fide assualt course...but - 'no pain...no gain' eh! Great story.

Bill

[Trev Sawyer]

Just back from a weekend trip up to the Lake District with Yvonne to try to see Mountain Ringlets for the first time...

The forecast kept changing at the end of last week, but for various reasons, we needed a bit of fresh air and booked bed and breakfast accommodation at the very last minute. The drive up on Saturday was quite leisurely, but as we got closer, the sun was still out and a sense of urgency started to creep in. We were not anticipating actually looking until Sunday, but the weather men seemed quite certain we were in for a windy/wet day, so we thought we would have a gallop up Irton fell if we arrived early enough. Our "gallop", started at 3pm and was actually a slow stagger, weighted down with tripod and far too much camera gear. Living in Cambridge, our legs stop working at about 10ft above sea level - that's our excuse anyway

We were lucky enough to find half a dozen mountain ringlets at a reasonably low level and, due to the cool/windy conditions they were not too flighty to photograph

We also met a lovely couple from Settle (hello Keith and Charmaine )

We returned on Sunday morning to try to beat the promised rain and managed to get up to a higher colony at Greathall Gill. Due to the increasing wind, these proved impossible to photograph but that didn't really matter as the view alone was well worth the climb.

We got back to the car just as the first raindrops started to fall. A fantastic short break and it really did help to recharge our batteries. Really glad we went

Trev (& Yvonne)

[David M]

Which site did you visit, Trev? (doesn't look as though it was Irton Fell).

[Trev Sawyer]

Hi David,
Yes, it was Irton Fell - the photo was taken higher up at Greathall Gill (the Mountain Ringlets up there apparently hatch out a week or so later than those found on the lower slope). We found a few in both areas.

Trev

[David M]

Hi David,
Yes, it was Irton Fell - the photo was taken higher up at Greathall Gill (the Mountain Ringlets up there apparently hatch out a week or so later than those found on the lower slope). We found a few in both areas.

Trev

Interesting stuff, Trev. Must admit from the photograph I didn't associate it with Irton Fell.

Glad you had a productive day. It's a stunning environment irrespective of any butterfly species.

[Trev Sawyer]

I've only just realised how lucky we were... We must have taken the dry weather from Cambridge with us, as it didn't rain where we were until after lunch on Sunday. If we hadn't gone, we would have believed that was the right decision, but actually it was a good trip.

Trev

[jenks]

from David. Thankfully, he'd spent his career in the army so I guess he'd been through this kind of routine many times before.

He seemed genuine when he thanked me anyway

If the guy you met was ex-Army and from Hereford he could have been ex-SAS. You have now single-handedly increased the stock of Welsh leps by impressing him with your your butterfly skills and survival techniques ! Bear Grylls, eat your heart out.

I must make an effort to have my three Weetabix this weekend & take a trip to the Downs if we have a dry spell.

Jenks

[Michaeljf]

I've just noticed that using http://www.streetmap.co.uk you can find a place, then chose where to point the arrow (this may not be new to a lot of you - multimap used to work from grid references and could use satellite imagery, but no longer, sadly ). This will then give you the option of the grid refs or co-ordinates. Might be useful. Shame I can't show the map directly, and it's still not a satellite image, but it does quite nicely. The arrow should point to the Ewenny reserve (grid ref about SS909757) and from there you can see the dry stream that may lead to the HBF meadow.

Michael

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=29 ... &A=Y&Z=115

[admiral halsey]

Willow Park, Langdon Hills. 2 red Admiral, 1 Five spot Burnet, 20 Meadow Brown, 1 unidentified White, 3 Common Blue, 6 large Skipper, 6 Fairy Moth and numerous Burnet Companion.

Rich