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Great photos from Arnside, Neil. It's a shame I missed my usual trip there this year - I'd have seen the NBA for the first time (but I think I'd have missed the Scotch Argus). Your timing was perfect!

Dave

More great shots Neil, bring on part 4!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi! Neil, great shots from Arnside, your making me want to come home sooner to get the Scotch Argus,Goldie

Thanks Dave , like you say, you would almost certainly have seen NBAs but quite possibly have missed the Scotch Argus, they were a bit thin on the ground still when I was there last week.
Cheers Wurzel part 4 coming up.
Thanks Goldie , no need to rush back for the Scotch Argus, from the reports I have seen it looks like numbers are building up this week but still not at peak yet.

Thursday 30th July – A few days up north part 4.

Thursday was our last day up in the Arnside area and with the weather forecast looking good I decided to pay another visit to the Knott. So far I had spent most of my time on the higher parts looking for Scotch Argus as described in my previous reports but when visiting here in previous years I had found one of the best spots for Fritillaries to be a large clearing in the lower woods. I was up on the Knott by 10.00am and wandered down to this clearing seeing the usual Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers along the way.

I soon saw a bright orange butterfly skimming over the bracken but this first one turned out to be a Comma,
I wasn’t long before I saw some definite Fritillaries and I reckon that there were at least two each of Dark Green and High Brown in the clearing. The Dark Greens were both females which looked tired and faded but still in slightly better condition than some of the tatty examples I had seen higher up on the Knott the day before.
With some fairly large clouds occasionally covering the sun they would cease their high speed flying about and settle on the fern fronds and the trick was to have one in sight when this happened so that I could then approach for a photo.
If the sun stayed in for any length of time they would eventually close their wings so it was a case of patiently waiting in order to get an underside shot.
The High Browns were both males and in better condition, with one looking quite fresh apart from a damaged hind wing and the other one more faded but without any damage.
After a while here I went back to meet Jane and we went off for a bit of Lunch in Arnside. Later, with it turning into a very pleasant afternoon and being our last day in the area, Jane said I could make the most of it and go back up on the Knott for a couple of hours before setting out for home.
I decided to have a last look around the usual spots for Scotch Argus and enjoy the views from the higher slopes, which at one point included watching a Kestrel quartering the slopes below.
In the warm sun I found a few more Scotch Argus this time, maybe a dozen or so all told, still all males. They were even harder to get photos of with their almost constant flying in the sun and when they did settle they tended to close their wings to avoid overheating, although I did manage to catch a couple basking when the odd cloud covered the sun.
I also found a few more Northern Brown Argus including one which apart from a mark on one forewing looked in quite good condition.
There were a few Fritillaries flying around, one of which settled briefly and proved to be a female High Brown.
I was heading back towards the car park when I spotted a Dark green Fritillary hovering around a patch of brambles and when she disappeared into them I approached and watched her wandering about on the ground amongst some violets. I think she was laying but couldn’t be sure as she kept vanishing into the shadows where I couldn’t get a clear view.
We then set off for the drive back down the M6 to the midlands.

In the end it was a great few days with the weather on the whole turning out much better than we had feared it would be from the forecasts we had seen before going.

My timing was a bit early for Scotch Argus this year with only males seen and in comparatively fewer numbers than my previous visits. On the other hand I had the unexpected bonus of a fair few Northern Brown Argus which I am usually too late for when I come up here around this time.
Also this time, apart from the species already mentioned, I only saw a couple of Speckled Wood, one fresh male Common blue (at Gait Barrows), just a couple of fresh Peacocks, comparatively few whites and no Brimstones, all of which, gave me the impression that the season in the area was a week or two later than usual.

Bye for now,

Neil.

HI Neil,
Superb images from Arnside Knott, complete with three species i have never seen.
The Dark Green Fritillaries must have emerged later at Arnside than down here as they are still in
good condition.

Very enjoyable report.
TREVOR.

Neil your photos are fantastic, I think the High Browns were late coming out this year and I didn't see any Dark Green Fritillaries at all at Gaits Barrow when I was there, If I thought they may be out when I got home it'd be great and I could combine them with the Scotch Argus

Where about's is this little Hide away that the Fritillaries like Neil and where you've found them before? I'm
intrigued, is it through the lower Gate are the higher gate from the car park, I'll be there in a shot when I get back Goldie

Cheers Trevor , Yes, the DGFs would normally emerge later at Arnside than down south. The season in general usually runs later the further north you go; in fact in the midlands I am often a week or so behind the south east.

Thanks Goldie , when I met Rob Petley-Jones at Gait Barrows as described in my report on the previous page, he was very concerned about the lack of Fritillaries there.
The clearing at Arnside can be found by either,
- Walk back to the cattle grid and go over the stile on the left and down the slope. There is a gate near the bottom through the woods to your left and into the clearing.
or
- Go through the small gate at the end of the car park and walk straight on then bear right and go downhill into an open area. Half way down there is a path that branches off to the right, follow this until you get to the trees where there is a small gate in a stone wall. Go through the gate and follow the path down through the trees until it opens out into the clearing.

Right then, time for a bit of a catch up from last weekend…

Friday 31st July

We returned home late on Thursday (30th July) and then on Friday morning we had to get a bit of shopping in and do a bit of ‘stuff’ around the house. I also spent a bit of time pottering about in the garden and was pleased to be greeted back by a new Speckled Wood.
It soon became apparent that numbers of whites had increased during the week with all three common species chasing each other about through the garden. Female Holly Blues had also joined the males in their wanderings.
Later in the afternoon we went round for our usual Friday visit to my Mom and I took the opportunity, whilst the women were chatting, to have a look around the park down the road from her house.
Again, all three whites were plentiful as were Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns by the areas of long Grass. There were also a few Ringlets hanging in there but these were now very tired and raggedy specimens.
Small and Essex skippers were buzzing about in good numbers with the former now looking to be on the way out and the latter still going strong, no doubt due to the fact that the Essex normally have a slightly later flight period.
I was also pleased to find a fresh looking male Small Copper in one spot defending his territory. Second brood Small Coppers had been thin on the ground locally so far and I was hoping that they were just late rather than having a particularly bad year...I have since seen more but that would be getting ahead of myself and they will have to wait their turn.
There are a number of mature Oaks in this park and I have often spent a bit of time looking up at them in the hope of seeing a Purple Hairstreak flitting about. I was eventually rewarded this afternoon by a silvery shape fluttering about the higher branches in typical hairstreak fashion and when it settled I managed to get a couple of (very) long distance photos to confirm the ID. The shot below is a tight crop of one of these which just about shows the PH in the middle of the frame.
I was well chuffed with this sighting as it confirmed my suspicion that Purple Hairstreaks were present in the park.

Sunday 3rd August

It was Jane’s birthday on Saturday (1st August) so disappearing off butterflying was out of the question if I wanted to retain any brownie points for the rest of the season . On Sunday, after the usual weekend stuff, I had a couple of hours free so went for a walk along the footpaths at my local spot at Castle Hills in what has become typical conditions, that is, mixed cloud and sun with a blustery breeze and temperatures around the high teens.
The usual Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers were around in good numbers although not quite so many as the previous week. Loads of Small and Essex Skippers were in the grassy meadows with a lot of both species now looking worn and faded.
There were half a dozen or so fresh looking male Common Blues scattered about and I also found what looks to be the same male (only a bit more worn now) with the spots on his hind wings that I saw here the previous week. He had moved into a new territory centred a couple of hundred yards away from the first and a new fresh male had moved into his old spot. I wondered whether the new one had kicked him out or whether he had moved on of his own accord and the new chap had just move into the vacant spot.
Marbled Whites were still about albeit in lower numbers and looking faded now,
All three common whites were flying in good numbers and a few each of summer brood Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells completed the tally for the afternoon.

No Small Coppers at this site yet, in fact all second brood stuff seemed to be a bit slow appearing around here.

Bye for now,

Neil.

Friday 7th August.

After a busy week back at work I finished as usual at mid-day on Friday and popped round in the afternoon to see my mom. Whilst there I went for another quick wander around the park by her house to see what was about this week.

All three common whites were flying in good numbers again, although the only ones that seemed to settle were the Green-veined that would visit the few remaining bramble flowers that had not yet set fruit.
The numerous Gatekeepers were still looking to be in fairly good condition,
Half a dozen or so Speckled Woods were seen along the edges of the wooded areas.
In one spot there is a large stand of Rosebay Willowherb that was buzzing with Small and Essex Skippers. Some of the Essex Skippers in particular were looking remarkably fresh; in fact going by their condition I would not be surprised if some had emerged during the week since I was here previously.

Just 30 minutes or so spent here this week before I had to head back to do a few little household jobs.

Later in the afternoon I was having a coffee break in the garden when a nice fresh female Speckled Wood came passing through and stopped briefly before continuing on her way.
Bye for now.
Neil.

Wonderful imagies as ever Neil

Those Skippers do look new, Neil - they've pretty well disappeared round here except for some really beaten up ones. Nice images, too, and do I detect a return of the Specklies?

Dave

More lovely images Neil, especially those from Arnside. Gorgeous Scotch Argus shots and HBF, and that DGF closed wing is stunning Have to say tho' that your photos make the more common butterflies look really special, in particular Speckled Wood and SC

Hi! Neil, When I was in Kent I was surprised the Large Skipper was still about but I never saw a Small Skipper or a an Essex Skipper I thought this strange has the Large is usually out first, it was the same every where, Blean Woods , Dover, Temple Ewell, Your Essex are great really nice shots.
Thanks for the directions for Arnside Knot I hope to go up there shortlyGoldie

Thanks Bugboy, glad you like them

Cheers, Dave, the season usually runs a bit later around my patch than around yours but this year it is even further behind with a number of species hanging on in good condition when they would normally be all but finished by now…and yes, the Speckly numbers are on the up

Thank you Pauline, not having any rarities around locally means I get plenty of practice on the more common species. More Small Coppers coming up and I apologise in advance for the blue spots .

Thanks Goldie , I am only seeing a few tired and faded Large Skippers around my patch lately. Good luck up at Arnside.

Saturday 8th August

With just the one second brood Small Copper seen locally so far, I was keen to look for others so on Saturday afternoon I went to my local spot at Bickenhill near Solihull to see if I could find any.

Wandering down the usual footpath soon produced loads of whites, Gatekeepers, some Meadow Browns, a couple of Speckled Wood, and a couple of male Common Blues.
Half a dozen each of Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks were busy feeding up on the patches of thistles in the meadows,
On one of the thistle patches I spotted a flash of bright coppery orange which proved to be a nice fresh female Small Copper that posed beautifully for a few minutes when a cloud covered the sun before flying off across the thistles where I lost sight of her.
I then carried on to one of the spots where I would normally expect to find a Small Copper or two and lo and behold there was a male waiting for me .
I then spotted another male close by, this one looking like he had been about for a while but still showing some nice blue spots. This one seemed to be the more aggressive of the two and kept chasing the fresher one away every time it tried to settle.
I then circled around the meadows and saw another couple of Small Coppers and half a dozen or so male Common Blues, all of which were very active in the now warm afternoon sun.

Walking back to the car along the path by the side of a farmer’s field I spotted another Small Copper just as a small cloud covered the sun which prompted it to settle. This one turned out to be another fresh female, this time with a lovely set of blue spots on her hindwings.
A great couple of hours in which I ended up seeing half a dozen Small Coppers, a good result for one of my local spots where half a dozen at any one site is the most I would expect to see. They are a good couple of weeks late around here, as are the Peacocks, but better late than never.

Bye for now,

Neil

That last Copper is a serious stunner! Looks like you got so excited about the coppers yourself you went a bit copy & paste happy with the labeling of all those 'Small Copper - peacocks' Can't say I blame you though, they've been rather thin on the ground this year for almost everyone!

Agree with Bugboy. That last caeruleopunctata is to die for.

Cheers Bugboy, edited now...the perils of copy and pasting and rushing things

Thanks David, she certainly was a cracker

Neil.

Having found a Small Copper yesterday, only my 3rd of the season, I was feeling quite pleased with myself - until I saw these fantastic images Your apology is only grudgingly accepted!

Fantastic shots of the Small Coppers Neil I,ve only seen a couple all season

Mike

Thanks Pauline, I must admit I was getting a bit worried about the lack of Small Coppers around my patch, I only saw a couple of first brood and the second brood are a good couple of weeks late showing up.

Cheers Mike, it seems that quite a few people are not seeing many Small Coppers this year...apart from Hoggers that is. I didn't think that they migrated but it seems they have all flown south to Dungeness

Cheers,

Neil.

Lovely shots of the Coppers Neil, also your Peacocks look great has well, no sign of Coppers here yet, I did see them in the Southport Dunes earlier in the year so may go there again when the weather picks up, I didn't get to Arnside Knot worse luck, I think my holiday tiredness caught up with me ( I'd to rest Wednesday,) it was a lovely day as well, I did get compensated though with a peacock on my Budlia their late here as well Goldie