Wednesday 5th September – Lulworth Cove.
Most of Tuesday was spent in Swanage after parking the car and riding in on the Swanage Steam Railway, an excellent variation on a Park and Ride.
Whilst there we all continued to notice Large numbers of Red Admirals, most appearing to fly in from the sea.
The plan for today(Wednesday) was to go to the Tank Museum at Bovington first and then continue on to Lulworth Cove afterwards.
Arriving at Lulworth around 2.00pm on another glorious sunny afternoon, the others agreed that I could wander off for a couple of hours whilst they spent some time around the cove itself.
I soon found the steps leading up to Bindon Hill and started climbing up them, noticing almost immediately a couple of Small Tortoiseshells and a single Painted Lady on the Red Valerian growing by the side of the steps.
![Lulworth - 2012 1034resize.JPG (461.28 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_08079af93d4e42c32ea7340083414ec2)
- Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1042.JPG (400.1 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Painted Lady - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_805679c1bd4864ee041d03fd6972a296)
- Painted Lady - Lulworth 05.09.2012
Continuing up through the trees and out onto the hillside I turned right and followed a rough path slightly higher up than the main path.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1093resize.JPG (329.69 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Looking down on Lulworth Cove.](./files/thumb_10101_7826fb5662166bfed8f07c232e0b604a)
- Looking down on Lulworth Cove.
The whole hillside along here was swarming with butterflies, mostly Meadow Browns and Adonis Blues, but also Large and Small Whites, Graylings, Common Blues, Brown Argus and a few faded Chalkhill Blues and Marbled Whites in reasonable condition which I was surprised to still see.
Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshells were also flitting about very actively in the heat.
I noticed that most of the Meadow Browns, Graylings and Marbled Whites had red mites on them, this being the only site so far that I had noticed this.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1059.JPG (365.3 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Marbled White - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_b490fa198863461ec0e50aad1d6b6be9)
- Marbled White - Lulworth 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1063resize.JPG (353.67 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Adonis Blue - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_13aafa48fc3845094d2ba88a28c11cf7)
- Adonis Blue - Lulworth 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1064resize.JPG (374.21 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Adonis Blue - 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_ede7d01ba05128b3829db54f3f186e01)
- Adonis Blue - 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1070resize.JPG (353.52 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Brown Argus - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_8f54a664942a15fb44aedb306172fbea)
- Brown Argus - Lulworth 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1079resize.JPG (403.55 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Common Blue female - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_346fde329914cebbeb7d92aed7636a52)
- Common Blue female - Lulworth 05.09.2012
The female Meadow Brown below is the most ‘orangey’ one that I have ever seen.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1074resize.JPG (394.54 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Meadow Brown female - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_b60236ff40fe46bc1c6bfaaa40d3b557)
- Meadow Brown female - Lulworth 05.09.2012
There were also a couple of Wall Browns patrolling along the path which were very hard to get close to. They always seemed to stay about 20 feet in front of me except for the once when one settled on some gorse and I managed to get an underside shot.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1082resize.JPG (444.07 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Wall Brown - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_c5d6b854b99f7cbb759f506ef02d44f3)
- Wall Brown - Lulworth 05.09.2012
Reaching the spot by the fenced off MOD range where the path drops down a long flight of stone steps, I turned round just in time to see a Clouded Yellow fly close past me and over the fence.
It went over a slight dip and appeared to settle so I waited around in case it came back but when it did reappear it carried on further into the range.
I was chuffed to bits seeing this
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
as I have not seen a Clouded Yellow for years, not since I was a nipper on holiday in Weymouth if my memory is right.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1096resize.JPG (389.09 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Looking along the hill to where the Clouded Yellow flew over the fence.](./files/thumb_10101_ff36c54aba337931d8e429d557ac29b3)
- Looking along the hill to where the Clouded Yellow flew over the fence.
Time was getting on by now so I returned along a slightly different path, seeing another Painted Lady fly up and over the hill and an Adder that raced through the grass in front of me at high speed.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1116resize.JPG (489.04 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Adder - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_ee95904c285b3d22228619219663fe9d)
- Adder - Lulworth 05.09.2012
One species that I did not see any sign of here was Lulworth Skipper.
I see that Essex Buzzard had seen some a few weeks previously but I think they had finished here by now. I had already seen some of these at Durlston as described in my earlier post which I understand is known to be a late site for them.
During the past few days I had noticed numbers of Small Tortoiseshells increasing steadily and on my walk back to meet up with Jane, Danny and Sarah, I saw plenty. In fact walking back up through the cove to the car park there are many clumps of Valerian growing out of the stone walls most of which had 2 or 3 STs on them.
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1121resize.JPG (349.32 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_2d00535e1621dbc540eaf34a5caa818c)
- Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1125resize.JPG (471.19 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Small Tortoiseshells on Red Valerian](./files/thumb_10101_1a5e3994f560e707caca84ca4bb44b29)
- Small Tortoiseshells on Red Valerian
![Lulworth - 05.09.2012 1132resize.JPG (456.72 KiB) Viewed 1105 times Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012](./files/thumb_10101_bc75e8db187e343543e5f671daed8b29)
- Small Tortoiseshell - Lulworth 05.09.2012
This was another excellent couple of hours
The good weather of the past few days was certainly bringing out amazing numbers of butterflies after the dull and wet previous weeks.
Bye for now,
Neil.