17-27th June 2022, Devon
I'm just back from 10 days in Devon - one week staying in Lynton on the North coast, and a few days on the edge of Dartmoor in the South. It wasn't specifically a butterflying trip, but I took what opportunities came my way while out and about.
19th June - Valley of Rocks, Lynton. Having seen a few orange flashes fly past in the windy grey conditions the day before, I returned in better weather and found a good number of Dark Green Fritillaries in good condition, and frequently basking in the sunshine. I'm not sure why the first one looks so luminous, but it's rather lovely!
Dark Green Fritillary, Lynton, Devon 19-Jun-2022
Dark Green Fritillary, Lynton, Devon 19-Jun-2022
Dark Green Fritillary, Lynton, Devon 19-Jun-2022
I was also pleased with a couple of nice bird shots
Stonechat, Lynton, Devon 19-Jun-2022
Linnet, Lynton, Devon 19-Jun-2022
21st June
Since it wasn't far away, I wanted to see the Heath Fritillaries on Exmoor, and decided to follow the guidance from the National Trust about Bin Combe
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holnic ... tterflying. Phrases like "This one is tough, very tough. The habitat is tall, dense bracken on steep slopes where there are no paths" and "Keep a look out for adders here", and "There is a vague path at first but once you pass a rock outcrop, near the start of the woodland, the path vanishes. Don't worry, this is normal for Bin Combe" made me decide to leave the dog and family behind and tackle this one alone.
I found the start of the route, and descended into the steep combe. It wasn't long before I spotted one or two Heath Fritllaries, although they weren't numerous, and were past their prime.
Heath Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
Heath Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
The weather was quite hot, especially in the shelter of the valley. I was wearing full length trousers and shirt with everything tucked in for fear of ticks, and getting quite hot in the strenuous bracken-bashing terrain. Then I noticed my water bottle was missing and must have fallen out of my bag goodness knows where. I tried to retrace my steps but couldn't find it, and started to think this was a bad idea: to be alone on Exmoor off the beaten path, no phone signal, no food or water, and terrain where it would be easy to twist an ankle or worse. I decided to keep going, and luckily came across my water bottle. The further I went down the valley, the more lost I became. The bracken was high, the tracks non-existent, the terrain steeper and rougher. A startled a Red Deer that must have been sleeping in the bracken, and it startled me! I was seeing the occasional Heath Fritillary, and a rather lovely Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
Dark Green Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
but I was starting to feel anxious about how to get out and back onto a proper path. I'd sunk into marsh mud near the stream so my feet were soaking, and I'd bashed my knee falling into a hole near a hidden rock. In short, I was not enjoying the experience and decided it was a foolhardy venture, and wanted out. I couldn't decide whether to keep going or try to retrace my steps to go back the way I had come, but eventually hit a proper track and looped back up towards the start. I passed a Heath Frit on the path, and a Green Hairstreak or two. I finally got back on the the road where I'd parked, and walked towards the car. I was just texting my wife to let her know I was safely on my way, when something caught my eye and landed in the road ahead of me - another Heath Fritillary well out of its domain. If I'd known I could have seen one from the road, I could have saved myself a lot of bother! It was flying quite weakly and looked a bit tatty, so I suspect it was on its last legs and had been blown up the valley, but it posed quite nicely.
Heath Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
Heath Fritillary, Bin Combe, Devon 21-Jun-2022
I think the NT guide had it right: "Bin Combe walk, extreme butterflying"
A few other butterflies seen during the holiday. Of course the expected browns and whites, torts and admirals. I was surprised at the number and freshness of some Green Hairstreaks
Green Hairstreak, Lynton, Devon 23-Jun-2022
In South Devon, near Coleton Fishacre NT, there were a few Silver-Washed Fritillaries, and nice to see a few Small Coppers
Small Copper, Coleton Fischacre, Devon 26-Jun-2022
Particularly fine Small Blues with the delicate dusting and your Brown Argus looks good for ab.snelleri (if you're into this sort of thing 
) 
I don;t know about you but they seem to be able to suspend time as they fill up your viewfinder 
- are your photos on the link (pbase?)? 
The detail on the Emperor is fantastic - brilliant job to catch all the orange scales costa and the the edges of the wings 
