Saturday 30th May 2015
After a freezing cold night's camping near Ivinghoe, we made the short journey to Dunstable Downs parking at the NT visitor centre. The day was brightening up, but it was still pretty cold with a stiff wind, so I wasn't hopeful of butterflies, but I'd come with my family for a walk so we set out along to top of the Down. Shortly after rounding a corner to a more sheltered spot, I saw a lovely bright Common Blue, which raised my hopes of other butterflies being around.
Common Blue male
So keeping my eyes peeled, I soon saw something I hadn't expected for this site - a little colony of Small Blues. All were past their best, but I haven't seen SBs for a few years, so that was a nice surprise. This one had a lucky escape:
Small Blue and spider
A little further on, a patch of low vegetation and flowers produced a Grizzled Skipper and several Dingies
Dingy Skipper
From there it was down the hill and along the Icknield Way at the bottom of the down. A grassy patch turned up another unanticipated sighting - a Small Heath which rested on the path in their usual way
Small Heath
One of several Brimstones seen throughout the day:
Brimstone male
Towards the end of the walk I abandoned my long-suffering family to go looking for Dukes. There are some gullied paths on the down with sheltered sunny banks full of cowslips and other flowers, so I was expecting some good duke activity. There were quite a few Dingy Skipper, and a Grizzled or two
Grizzled Skipper
"Take me to your leader!" - lots of Common Twayblade with its alien-like flowers
Common Twayblade
Eventually I found one sluggish but fairly good-condition Duke of Burgundy who didn't want to come out to be photographed in the open.
Duke of Burgundy
After that it was back to the camper van for lunch, then I went back to the duke site to try again, the weather a little warmer now but still pretty windy and cool. I came across this little chap
Green Hairstreak
and this rather fine Dingy
Dingy Skipper
Eventually I turned up a few more Dukes, but none looking in great shape
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Considering I hadn't expected to see anything that day, it was pretty good result in the end, and a nice walk with the family and some kite flying made for an excellent day in a beautiful part of the world. It turned very wet and windy in the night and the following day, so we were lucky - unlike the rather miserable cyclists doing the Chiltern 100 ride whom we saw as we made our way home on Sunday morning.