A tip-off from Alan Thornbury of Glanvilles in Surrey sent me scurrying back to Wrecclesham this morning for the fourth time this year. On the shady pathway lead-in to the site, a solitary Speckled wood flew on ahead as it had done on all the previous visits. This time I hoped it would be a good omen ….. and it was
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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Within five minutes I spotted a Glanville nectaring on buttercup, but with the cameras in their bags to protect them from impending rain, the butterfly had made off before I was properly set up . My daughter Izzy came along with me and was very helpful with looking after my camera bags, lens caps, moving obstructing blades of grass etc. She was also kitted with a raincoat which proved a wise move as the clouds came over and the heavens sprinkled.
In the interim period of finding another Glanville I snapped those two grassland favourites: the Burnet Companion and the Mother Shipton moths, the overcast conditions keeping them reasonably quiet.
![2012.06.06 IMG_3862 Burnet Companion Moth, Wrecclesham trim.jpg (239.17 KiB) Viewed 490 times Burnet Companion](./files/thumb_10062_cc3747d33420ffe94f8a1164a3479433)
- Burnet Companion
![2012.06.06 P20228 Mother Shipton Moth, Wrecclesham trim.jpg (289.34 KiB) Viewed 490 times 'old hag face'](./files/thumb_10062_407432748ce456b0007c757606a703cc)
- 'old hag face'
![2012.06.06 P20239 Unidentified moth Tawny Marbled Minor.jpg (166.82 KiB) Viewed 490 times Small Noctuid, Tawny Marbled minor perhaps? any ideas?](./files/thumb_10062_bf28db51b59448d16910e5a8fd9248b9)
- Small Noctuid, Tawny Marbled minor perhaps? any ideas?
Later on the persistent searching paid off as I spotted a male Glanville on a thistle
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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![2012.06.06 IMG_3875 Glanville Fritillary (male), Wrecclesham trim.jpg (293.26 KiB) Viewed 490 times Male Glanville with slight wing damage](./files/thumb_10062_89f810c046ec1b34a5c327716e9868da)
- Male Glanville with slight wing damage
The torn wing may have been a result of a wind blown crash landing into this prickly plant
![Question :?:](./images/smilies/icon_question.gif)
.The butterfly was quite torpid until the sun returned. A couple of minutes of solar blast and the butterfly fluttered rapidly from daisy to daisy, belying it's behaviour earlier.
![2012.06.06 IMG_3884 Glanville Fritillary (male), Wrecclesham (underside) trim.jpg (248.88 KiB) Viewed 490 times On onoe of the plentiful Ox-eyed daisys](./files/thumb_10062_9ca3a05e584c92378de191981931fdea)
- On onoe of the plentiful Ox-eyed daisys
Further searching got me another male, this one is better nick than the previous
![2012.06.06 IMG_3895 Glanville Fritillary (male 02), Wrecclesham trim.jpg (269.25 KiB) Viewed 490 times Glanville No. two](./files/thumb_10062_2b3d426a60e453fbd87e5d992b99f3db)
- Glanville No. two
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After 2 hours searching I reckoned I'd saeen only two butterflies … not the great numbers of last year but possibly more to come?