Saturday 18th June 2011 – back to Ewenny
Just to add a few comments to David’s report – we got down to Ewenny about 1.30pm, after the heavy showers in South Wales of the morning had passed. As soon as I was in the main reserve I saw some Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries and 4 Large Skippers and my first Meadow Brown (in Wales) for the year. Since last week a lot more of the Bramble flowers and even some of the Rosebay Willow-herb flowers were now in bloom. Walking above the main reserve past the crop field I again saw several Dark Green Fritillaries, but there was already quite a breeze blowing and once disturbed from the path they would often fly into the crop field. I also saw a very pretty small adder.
As the breeze got harder, we thought we’d see if we could find the Butterfly meadow David mentioned last week, so we took a path down from the main path (where we’d walked to the previous week), and low and behold, after about 5 minutes walking down (what was now a very wet and muddy) path, I was pleased to find the previously described meadow (I recognised it from David’s photo). This really is a great spot – and unlike the other paths - very nice and flat (!) and with plenty of ‘flying paths’ and plenty of thistles in the middle. By coincidence David soon turned up, and we then watched several Dark Green Fritillaries arrive and then move quickly off. There were plenty of very new-looking Small Tortoiseshells taking nectar from the thistles. After an hour or so David showed us where the path continued to a possible Hairstreak site along a very pretty moss-covered path along the dry river bed. However - by now the wind had really picked up.
We said our goodbyes and David left for home: I stayed with my wife in the Butterfly meadow for about another 30 minutes, and saw a High Brown Fritillary briefly and another unidentified Fritillary stay on the Bracken. I also watched a lovely Red Admiral for a while on the dry bracken path, but we soon returned home: the weather had ended up being sunny and warm enough for the butterflies, but unfortunately the wind really stopped the High Browns from appearing in numbers. I might have to wait until I come back from holiday for this species!
Michael
Meadow Brown resting on the grass at Ewenny.
The butterfly meadow - a lot flatter than the other walks, but well concealed in the woods.
Plenty of lovely Small Tortoiseshells flying along the cleared paths.
An unconfirmed Fritillary. Not entirely sure if it's a DGF or HBF.
Red Admiral resting out of the wind.
An easy to ID Dark Green Fritilary.
hope one of you guys can arrange to bring a bit back from your holidays with you 
, but I'm Ewenny-ied out, so I hope to catch up with you at a later date!!
