It’s two months now since we moved into our new home and much of the important works have been completed. Still got loads to do, like changing the back door and repairing the back fence but as time wears on in the year I am able to spend more time exploring the area for butterflies.
Thanks to Mark for suggesting Selsley Common for Dukes. It’s only two miles away, basically just the other side of the valley so was easy to get to. I scoured the sunny slopes and dips to the south and west and found….
ONE!!!
But it was a very fine, fairly fresh one and seemed to want to pose for me. I don’t know why but I was actually relieved to see this one, single, individual DoB. I know at my old haunt at Noar Hill I could have counted upwards of 50 or more of them by now but I think that since I knew they were in my new area too, to have seen none this year would have been quite a disappointment. I must have walked a couple of miles in my search and of course I found it on my return, flitting about in a pit next to where I had parked my car!
In the other pits at Selsley Common I found Adonis Blue, Small Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Heath, Mother Shipton and so many Dingies I lost count. In fact his species seems the most prevalent of all in this district at the moment. Not exactly ‘teeming’ with them but not far off it either.
Thank you also to David for pinpointing a Rodborough Common location for Dukes. I went to that place you showed me but unfortunately no Dukes. Plenty of Dingy Skippers, Brown Argus, Small Heath and two Mother Shiptons though.
Got a picture of a Dingy from underneath with the glorious late springtime sun backlighting it. What word might describe the look of a Dingy underneath in such circumstances? Well…
… ‘Dingy’ I suppose.
I have to say I am thinking of starting a petition to re-name this butterfly. I don’t really think it is fair to call it ‘Dingy’. Maybe ‘Mottled Skipper’ would be better, or maybe ‘Dusky Skipper’? A bit of research online indicates that there is already a Dusky Skipper that flies in other parts of the world so probably not that. Anyone have any other ideas?
Other stuff
One morning I looked out of my back window to see three foxes running around going potty in the woods behind my house. What was that all about I wondered. Then I saw it. A chicken or some such creature was also running about, I guess trying desperately to evade the foxes. But it looked a bit small and I was not aware any of our neighbours kept chickens. In fact it had the look of a Red-legged Partridge but I had never before seen one in a woodland. I suppose I shall never find out what it actually was but I hope it escaped the clutches of our feisty foxes.
We had the sensors to our outdoor security lights fixed and now almost every evening they go on by themselves when a fox walks under them!
I had cause to go outside to the garage in the evening after dark recently and saw a big moth flying around one of the security lamps. It flew off quickly afterwards so I don’t know what it was. I keep telling myself one day I shall buy a moth trap but never have. Perhaps, finally now is the time.
One of the things highlighted in our house survey before we bought it was the clematis growing up the back wall of the house. It’s lovely at this time of year of course, bursting with flowers but it is too close to the wall AND a drain so it has to go. We had planned for someone to come and remove it when, almost at the last minute, a pair of Blackbirds started to build a nest in it so of course we abandoned our plan. We have now had the joy of seeing them fly to and fro feeding their young. When our Blackbird family has finally gone then so will the Clematis. It’s a bit sad but it has to be done as it’s even pushing the downpipe away from the wall.
Recently I mentioned they let the cows out to roam freely on the Commons and because the roads across it have no walls or hedges, the cows can loiter where they please, including on the roads themselves if they want – and quite often they DO want. There is a 40 MPH blanket speed limit as a result. The local constabulary have helpfully erected a huge sign by the side of the road to remind drivers of what a cow looks like.