Nomad

[Wurzel]

Philzoid and I managed a fair few photos - but I'm so far behind with my PD that it'll probably be August next year before I get to post them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Enjoying your diary nomad, lovely photos of butterflies and their habitat

[nomad]

Looking forward to those Brownie photos Wurzel. Thank you Maximus, I am pleased that you are enjoying the images

[nomad]

Large Blue Memories

Well, I am pleased that the Large Blue has had at least a good year at Daneway Banks. This is a very beautiful site above the Golden valley that I first visited many years ago. As a young boy an uncle gave me a copy of Edward Newman's ' British Butterflies ' ( 1871). How I enjoyed that book, especially as it contained a gazetteer of butterfly localities. Then, one locality stood out, Sapperton near Glos, a few miles from Cirencester and not that far to the north of where I lived. I read that M.G. Musgrave had found all the large Fritillaries in the Sapperton woods and Large Blues there and nearby at Daneway. I knew this was a long time ago, but I was determined to go there and see them in the school holidays. I am afraid my father worked away, so being young and adventurous I would get a bus. Indeed I did, I changed buses at the market town of Cirencester and got on one of the few from here to Stroud which stopped at Sapperton. All these years later, I remember it was like stepping into a different world. I alighted by the old church framed by old yews and stone cottages. I walked down hill towards Daneway, stopping to have a look in the woods, which were full of Silver-washed Frits, but there seemed to be no High browns and opposite the old inn was grassland where abundant Dark greens flew at high speed. Today, this patch of grassland is now scrubby woodland. On the bank above I found anthills and searched among them in the very hot sunshine, but where I thought were the Large Blues. I imagined Mr Musgrave searching for and probably chasing Large Blues here , but that was a century ago. In the afternoon I sat in the churchyard waiting for my bus home , very disappointed not to have seen the Large Blue of my dreams. I now know that the Large Blue was still here in the 1930s through specimen data and was probably wiped out along with rest of the Cotswold colonies by the end of the 1950s because of the introduction of that horrible disease ' Myxomatosis '. Within a few years with the loss of all the rabbits, the Large Blue's habitat changed, the grass grew too long and dense for this butterfly to survive. I also came again some years ago when I was older , but then to botanize. In the spring I found some remarkable variation within the colony of Green-winged Orchids, they ranged from white to pink through to dark purple. At the end of July, on one of the steep Daneway banks, there used to be a tiny colony of the very rare pink Cut-leaved Germander on stony bare soil that was covered by wire netting.

So today, for me it is a great thrill to see the Large Blue at Daneway banks and much praise is due to the dedicated team that have made this possible. My last visit here was in the middle of June, then I saw a few males but no females seemed to be on the wing. The few males were active in the periods of sunshine and seem to cover quite an area. I climbed higher up and just managed to get out of the way of a herd of loudly neighing horses led by a stallion that came at speed down the path . At the top , I noticed a pristine male, hanging on to a piece of grass. It had now clouded over and he had his wings firmly closed. From his condition he probably only emerged from one of the many anthills that very morning. I waited by him for around a hour and remembered all those years ago when I searched just below unsuccessfully as a boy . Now there was only joy, the sun at last broke forth and those glorious darkish blue wings opened and then he took a short flight to a small hawthorn to bask once more. Later lower down I found another male resting in the grass with closed wings. Below are some images of that memorable day.

Short grass and anthills, the habitat of the Large Blue at Daneway.

That Large Blue male.

At last he opened his wings.

Basking.

Second Male.

Small Blue.

Marbled White.

June means Dog Roses.

Wild Rose.

Pyramidal Orchid

Daneway Banks in the Cotswolds.

[Pauline]

Another fascinating account Peter and quite nostalgic too. Lovely photos too

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots and a really interesting read about a site I've yet to visit Nomad I did see my first Large Blues this year but at Collard which seems to be having a bad run

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice memories for me too, Peter.

Bill (Willrow) and I spent a glorious day at Daneway earlier this summer and were so impressed we feel it is deserving of an annual pilgrimage.

[nomad]

Thanks Wurzel, Pauline and David. I think I may have met Bill on Old Castle Down above the Alun Valley a couple of years ago and also a little later in Bentley Woods looking for Purple Emperors, I believe we photographed the same one. If it was indeed Bill, he went all the way there by train and that's how I go there too, although I only live in North Wiltshire.

[CJB]

Hi Nomad,

I am lucky enough to live 25 mins from Sapperton and went to Daneway a few times this year when I was lucky enough to see the Large Blue. It is a wonderful site and I have championed it this year when I have had the chance. It is a great site and hardly anyone goes there, which is as good as it gets.

Wurzel kindly pointed me towards Bentley Woods for the SPF's and PF's and I have urged him to make a pilgrimage to Daneway!

Great read.

Flutter on!

CJB

[MikeOxon]

Evocative writing about Daneway - it is a lovely place, although (selfishly, of course) I do hope it does not get too popular

Mike

[Mark Tutton]

What a lovely post about Daneway my partner was born and brought up in Nailsworth just a mile at two away and has vivid memories of collecting fire wood in Siccaridge Wood over the road from Daneway so we have visited two or three years running - just a lovely place - and a great pub just over the road
Kind Regards
Mark

[nomad]

I agree with all. Daneway Banks and the whole of the Golden Valley is a very lovely area. During a few visits here since the Large Blue has made a comeback, I have seen a few photographers and people generally coming here to see this wonderful butterfly, especially as they can get a pint and lunch in the old Daneway inn below. On my last visit here, I also met two entomologists that were using pheromone lures to attract the Six-belted Clearwing moth. If they were successful this would be a new recorded site for this species. I do hope that they were.

Here is an old image of the Daneway Inn from the 1890s. This historic inn used to be called the Bricklayers Arms because of the tradesmen who came here after there hard work building the adjacent Canal. You can see Daneway banks (common ) in the background with the open ground below the wooded ridge. Just imagine when this photograph was taken the British Large Blue subspecies eutyphron flew there.

Regards Peter.

Daneway Inn - Bricklayers Arms 1890s

[David M]

That is a magnificently evocative image, Peter.

How I wish I could explore those banks at the time the picture was taken. I wonder what surprises would be in store.

To be honest, that must be one of the few images spanning 120+ years where not much has changed (visually at least).

[Maximus]

A lovely post about Daneway Nomad, and what a beautiful place it is! We camped behind the old pub during our visit in June, which is still like some hostelry from a bygone age! Daneway is an amazing place to visit and it is great that Large Blues are flying there again, as they probably were in the 1950's, thanks to the dedication of the of the LB team who have made this possible.

Mike

[nomad]

I do believe that when I searched Daneway Common as a boy in July 1966, I was perhaps a decade to late, although I have yet to find the exact year when our British subspecies flew there.

Regards Peter.

[nomad]

Arriving at Sutton Bellinger this morning the sun was trying to break through the cloud while light rain fell. Because of this, I saw my first Brown Hairstreak at 1pm as the weather improved, and she was soon followed by two more worn individuals. I observed the first female walking down a sloe stem laying her eggs low down and then she came back up to bask, partly in the shade. I might have stayed here longer, but that Saturday young white van man had arrived with a trio of youths, who spun around the area on their two quad bikes and off road motor bikes. After their tenth time around the field and well infact the the whole area, the dust and the noise started to get on my nerves and I moved of up hill into a more peaceful area of Wiltshire. There are no boundaries for Brown Hairstreaks, so I searched the scrub and droves in that area. Having no luck for a hour, a female popped down for a few minutes along the track where I had seen females a few weeks ago. Further on I saw another flying over a sloe hedge. There were few fresh Commas about and the Vapourer males were in full spin. Peter.

Female Brown Hairstreak Sutton Bellinger.

Comma.

Comma feeding at blackberries.

Comma.

Small White feeding at Corn sow-Thistle.

Salisbury Plain looking towards Bulford.

Brimstone male feeding at Viper's Bugloss.

Musk Mallow.

Female Brown Hairstreak Wiltshire drove Tidworth.

The female Brown Hairstreak near Tidworth.

The old drove near Tidworth where I photographed the female Brown Hairstreak.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots Peter The Wiltshire branch, especially Mike Fuller, would be really interested in the Wiltshire Brostreak sighting if you could pass the details on to them that would be much appreciated

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[nomad]

Thanks Wurzel, I pass the Brownie records on to Mike I am a member.

[nomad]

Yesterday, I had a walk across the North Wiltshite downland from Calne to Avebury. Reaching the end of the village of Calstone, it is always interesting to visit the National Trust coombes beyond, which are a haven for butterflies. There is a large colony of Adonis Blues here, but now most of the males were well past their best and assuming that duller dark blue. They are still not unattractive in their own way. Many of the females were in fine condition, with the dark bright red margin spots and dark brown of the summer generation. The female are pretty uniform in appearance within this colony. I did find a male aberration krodeli where the underside spots are nearly all missing. I also saw two Clouded Yellows flying at speed, briefly stopping to feed at flowers. There were even a few very faded Chalkhill Blues on the wing. This is a very peaceful area and few people frequent the coombes, perhaps because they are not well known, but could it be the present of the large herd of Aberdeen Angus who have a fearsome reputation on these downs. They simply will not give way and are dangerous to approach with their calves, which they had again on this visit .Last year, when I was just about to enter the reserve from the village, the farmer himself warned me to be careful because he had just put the mothers in with their calves. I thought they were Welsh Blacks but he said they were Aberdeen Angus. I can attest to the fact that the farmer was right and now I stay well clear off them, now having to make detours when the herd has blocked my way. Carrying on regardless is a mistake I will not make again, having just managed to jump that fence in time with the cows followed by their calves and young teenage bulls in hot pursuit . Who said butterfly photography in the U.K was always safe and easy.

Calstone Coombes Wiltshire.

Male Adonis Blue.

Female Adonis Blue.

Male Adonis Blue.

Male Adonis Blue aberration krodeli with mite.

The herd, note the notice on the gate by the stile.

That notice.

Stand-off. I meet a lone young Bull.

The way home- Knoll Down and Avebury in the distance.

Brimstone male feeding at Devil's-bit scabious below knoll Down.

My favourite Adonis Blue images of this year were taken at Swellshill Bank in the Cotswolds and I have included a few of these below. I found a very nice blue female here in the Spring. The males in this species are as you might agree are just simply stunning when freshly emerged.
Peter.

Blue female first brood.

Female May.

Female second brood.

Male second brood.

Male second brood.

Female second brood.

View from Swellshill Bank August.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Nomad, I am really enjoying your diary, great reports and photos of butterflies and scenery

Cheers,

Neil.