Yesterday, Saturday 21st June, my son suggested that we visit the
Alun Valley site, to look for
High Brown Fritillaries. It's a straightforward journey for me along the M4, although there was heavy congestion around Bristol and quite long queues at the Severn Bridge toll booths. After leaving the M4 at J35, we stopped at the White Horse in Coychurch for a very good (and generously sized) ploughman's lunch in their shady garden. It's then a short distance along the A473 before turning south onto the B4265 through Ewenny, in the direction towards St Brides Major. After emerging from woodland, with Old Castle Down on the left, there is a large lay-by at SS898763, on the right-hand side of the road. There is then a path up onto the Down, skirting the woodlands along its Northern edge. At the top, this opens out into a broad track, with a continuous fringe of bracken, gorse, and brambles on the left, before the drop into the trees.
![CastleDown1.jpg (194.07 KiB) Viewed 856 times View along the path at Old Castle Down, Bridgend - 21st June 2014](./files/thumb_11310_8b94b439afa62f6abb4ba64612ce7e0a)
- View along the path at Old Castle Down, Bridgend - 21st June 2014
There is another narrow path between the bracken and the trees, which can give close encounters with butterflies but means that you are looking into the sun, when scanning the bracken. To the North, there are extensive views over Bridgend, towards the mountains of Southern Wales. The brambles were flowering profusely but, for the moment, the male fritillaries are too intent on searching for females for any lengthy feeding stops. On a hot, sunny afternoon, they were constantly on the move, so that it was impossible, for me at least, to distinguish between High Brown and Dark Green Fritillaries. In fact, I would suggest the generic term: High Speed Fritillary (HSF).
![CastleDown2.jpg (189.76 KiB) Viewed 812 times View North from Old Castle Down, Bridgend - 21st June 2014](./files/thumb_11310_997d2e66f12b7d73dd689ded18366d82)
- View North from Old Castle Down, Bridgend - 21st June 2014
We decided to make a 'base camp' and enjoy watching the fritillaries zooming around, sometimes in groups of three or more, until the temperature began to fall later in the afternoon. Many of the bracken fronds carried a defending
Large Skipper, which sallied forth after every passing butterfly, including the large fritillaries!
![LargeSkipper2014.jpg (179.73 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_898ec785ae3970b09ed5b2a5bfe71889)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400
Occasionally, a fritillary would pause momentarily and we would scan it with binoculars, to try to decide whether HBF or DGF. This is by no means easy and one of my photos of a
Dark Green Fritillary (taken at long range) illustrates some of the problems:
![DGF2014-1.jpg (171.62 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Lumix FZ200 max zoom - 1/500s@f/4 ISO125](./files/thumb_11310_f3f03a2fe69b4a94062c47c6994a933b)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Lumix FZ200 max zoom - 1/500s@f/4 ISO125
Visually, this Dark Green Fritillary could easily be taken for a High Brown, The edge of the wing is torn, giving it the 'concave' look of HBF, while the light shining through the wing causes some of the upper surface spots to show through, as if they are underwing HBF markings! Unfortunately, I did not succeed in obtaining a good underwing photo of an HBF on this visit, though my son did, which was welcome proof that their presence was not just down to wishful thinking!
We soon realised that yet another Fritillary was present - smaller and slightly less rapid in flight (though still quick by SPB standards!). These
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were in surprisingly good condition, for such a late date, and were still quite plentiful, roaming across the stands of bracken and feeding on the brambles.
![SPB2014-1.jpg (173.16 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_ff73ea5512a16d8fcff951a57aa7025f)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400
I was fortunate to spot a pair of SPBs with amorous intent and then tracked them as they descended into a patch of long grass to mate. It was not easy to get into position for a photo but I eventually managed to get a fairly clear view of them both. I suspect the one on the right is the male, since it has a much larger eye. They had chosen a very discreet spot, partially wrapped around by a grass leaf!
![SPB2014-2.jpg (177.36 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_96520336212053bc3debfa992d93f718)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/350s@f/9.5 ISO400
It was while I was struggling to capture shots of this pair that my son called to say he had an HBF underside in his sights - but I decided to stick with my own 'find'. Other butterflies that we saw included
Brown Argus, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, and
Ringlet. Another insect that my son spotted first was a large Golden-ringed Dragonfly (
Cordulegaster boltonii). When he first tried to draw it to my attention, I failed to see it, because it was so much larger than my brain was expecting!
![GoldRinged2014-1.jpg (158.97 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Lumix FZ200 - 1/320s@f/4 ISO125](./files/thumb_11310_59e2c1f79cf3482b569fda91b58ed59b)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Lumix FZ200 - 1/320s@f/4 ISO125
After initial distant shots with my Lumix FZ200, it became apparent that it was so intent on consuming its prey, that a close approach with the macro lens on my Nikon was possible. This shot shows the bee, which is being consumed.
![GoldRinged2014-2.jpg (219.64 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400](./files/thumb_11310_79f2beb6f1fafd62cc7b15b2d544268d)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400
As evening approached, the butterflies showed very little signs of slowing down but seemed to melt away into the trees to roost. I think it will need a return visit, a little later in the season, when the males have succeeded in finding their mates and are ready to spend more time in other pleasures, such as nectaring. When we finally left the site at around 7:30pm, Meadow Browns were still basking on the bracken fronds - perhaps the longest day of the year was not the best choice for seeking resting Fritillaries
![MBrown2014-1.jpg (191.37 KiB) Viewed 856 times Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014<br />Lumix FZ200 max zoom - 1/1000s@f/2.8 ISO125](./files/thumb_11310_b7c8c59bd95007cacbd1eff8ee7b2d7b)
- Old Castle Down - 21st June 2014
Lumix FZ200 max zoom - 1/1000s@f/2.8 ISO125
Mike