Woke up to cloud and light rain this morning, but it got noticeably brighter just after midday so I took a trip to the Alun Valley near Bridgend, which is the site where High Brown Fritillaries are resident.
I'd helped with some clearance work on this site in March, and I opted to revisit this spot rather than Old Castle Down, which is on the other side of the railway track.
The vegetation is already making inroads into the cleared areas, with wild strawberries particularly noticeable. The bracken fronds are just starting to unfurl and the aroma of all these wild plants on a humid afternoon was something to behold whilst walking along the paths through the slopes.
It wasn't long before I spotted a Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, along with a Dingy Skipper and a Small Copper. I was amazed to also see a Small Tortoiseshell, looking very ragged which is only to be expected given its obvious longevity.
Old Castle Down is in the distance, but this side is more south-facing, and I suspect that in a few days time, when temperatures rise to 20c as forecast, SPBFs will be found on these bluebell bedecked slopes in large numbers.
Species seen between 12.45 and 2.30 were:
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 5
Peacock 5
Dingy Skipper 2
Small White 2
Small Copper 1
Green Veined White 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Large White 1
Brown Argus 1
Orange Tip 1