Thanks Goldie, a great combination of family time and good butterflying made for a very enjoyable holiday
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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Thanks for the comments David and Dave
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
. The protracted emergence of Lulworth Skippers is certainly interesting although it must be noted that they are not flying this long at all sites, Durlston is a known late site for them. I guess it is down to local microclimates. Having said that I also found a Lulworth Skipper at Durdle Door later in the week, details in a forthcoming report.
Regarding Meadow Browns, Jeremy Thomas notes in ‘The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland’ that they disappear at most sites by the end of august but that emergence is greatly prolonged on warm southern chalk downs although the actual reason is not known.
Marbled White is another species that is regularly seen here long after they have ceased flying elsewhere.
Dorset part 3 - Tuesday 1st September continued.
After collecting Jane, Sarah and little Frankie from Monkey World we went off to have a bit of lunch and then returned to Durdle Door. Sarah was usually keen for Frankie to have an afternoon nap, or at least rest for bit, so that he could stop up a bit later than he usually would at home. He is at that age (5) when having a mid-afternoon nap can make all the difference to whether he is tired and whingy later on in the early evening when we would usually go out somewhere for a meal. This meant that I could take advantage of a couple of hours to go off for a walk somewhere and today I had decided that I would drive round to Osmington and have a walk up the path to White Horse Hill.
I have visited this site a number of times over the past few years and it has become one of my favourite spots in the area with beautiful views from the top of the hill. The south facing slopes have also reliably produced good numbers of Adonis Blues plus I have never yet failed to see a few Clouded Yellows here.
I parked up in Osmington village by the start of the bridleway that leads towards the hill and in the first stretch that is lined with trees saw a few Speckled Woods fluttering about. After a few hundred yards the path opens out and I started to see plenty of Adonis Blues, many of them basking on the path or taking up minerals around the damp patches that were left from the rain we had during the night on Saturday and Sunday.
![Dorset 2015 454 resize.JPG (935.58 KiB) Viewed 631 times Loads of Adonis on the path along here.](./files/thumb_10101_288a5d6521cbf62d40c5197c7cbcce4b)
- Loads of Adonis on the path along here.
![Dorset 2015 465 resize.JPG (616.41 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_5643b96844a61e649f3d44f74faa1bb6)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 476 resize.JPG (910.27 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_3b2376deaecf53fc47e8d40659efea3a)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 493 resize.JPG (789.96 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_92e66d6e28f0b75cf88d470f64a8e37f)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
There must have been something like 30 or 40 Adonis Blues along this stretch and as I reached the corner where the path turns left and goes diagonally up the down I saw even more, absolutely loads of them all the way along the slopes. Most of those I saw were fresh looking males with few showing signs of wear but I did find a few nice fresh females in amongst them.
![Dorset 2015 538 resize.JPG (636.23 KiB) Viewed 631 times Looking back down the path acoss the slopes.](./files/thumb_10101_6de75d286489591fed9b7189ff0f7b25)
- Looking back down the path acoss the slopes.
![Dorset 2015 593 resize.JPG (644.52 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blues - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_766879574c3e37c01b9cc7bd7861718d)
- Adonis Blues - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 542 resize.JPG (633.27 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_e11e1fa8873e0cd2fbf0fd6e87ef48db)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 615 resize.JPG (757.76 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_bc8ab2cd272d72d597b70ca3e62795af)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 631 resize.JPG (559.28 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_5541ce1c48897e0355e5c3e3b888c664)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 626 resize.JPG (583.43 KiB) Viewed 631 times Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_0e3902fc82c00c1599bd10b9a294d49b)
- Adonis Blue - Osmington 01.09.2015
As well as the Adonis there were Meadow Browns in good numbers and around a dozen or so each of Small Heath, Common Blues and Brown Argus. True to form for this site there were a couple of Clouded Yellows speedily flying up and down along the slopes, one of which settled briefly in front of me where I managed to get a couple of quick photos. I saw two in the air together a couple of times and I think that I saw a third one further along the path but the speed with which this species can fly along the hillsides means I am not absolutely sure it was not one of the ones already seen.
![Dorset 2015 567 resize.JPG (546.44 KiB) Viewed 631 times Clouded Yellow - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_1b32f29e64bc984196f66c6f5a2fd602)
- Clouded Yellow - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 569 resize.JPG (569.65 KiB) Viewed 631 times Clouded Yellow - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_19ce3f5566e0b034e8aac5b00e601b84)
- Clouded Yellow - Osmington 01.09.2015
Also seen were a couple of faded Marbled Whites and a couple of even more faded Gatekeepers. Three or Four Painted Ladies were flying about the lower slopes and flitting from flower to flower, usually just that bit too quickly to grab a photo although I did manage a few record shots.
![Dorset 2015 519 resize.JPG (638.14 KiB) Viewed 631 times Painted Lady - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_e8c2f393396424821e40f140a233c129)
- Painted Lady - Osmington 01.09.2015
Three different Small Coppers were also seen, meaning that so far I had seen them everywhere visited down here.
![Dorset 2015 620 resize.JPG (623.94 KiB) Viewed 631 times Small Copper - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_de214a01390b55e777254c9f62110fb0)
- Small Copper - Osmington 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 618 resize.JPG (623.75 KiB) Viewed 631 times Small Copper - Osmington 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_07ef59090a6621e5969d3d0009309bb1)
- Small Copper - Osmington 01.09.2015
Around 5.00pm the clouds had started to build up again and a cool breeze was making itself felt so I headed back down the path towards the car and back to Durdle Door.
About an hour later, back at the holiday park, the sun popped out again and whilst the girls were with Frankie at one of the play areas I went for a quick look at the Buddleias at the back of the park. By this time most of them were in shade but to one side there was a bit of discarded plastic decking and I spotted some splashes of colour that turned out to be five Small Tortoiseshells soaking up the last bit of sun for the day.
![Dorset 2015 646 resize.JPG (869 KiB) Viewed 631 times Small Tortoiseshells - Durdle Door 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_42d5b665708f051987341cb195de69dc)
- Small Tortoiseshells - Durdle Door 01.09.2015
![Dorset 2015 645 resize.JPG (906.78 KiB) Viewed 631 times Small Tortoiseshells - Durdle Door 01.09.2015](./files/thumb_10101_dbe54457b2555b5a3c40b27a8fc427b5)
- Small Tortoiseshells - Durdle Door 01.09.2015
A nice little touch to what had been a splendid day with a couple of great sites visited and plenty of butterflies seen.
And I still hadn’t walked across the hill to Lulworth Cove and Bindon Hill yet, maybe tomorrow…
Neil.