Martin Down 16-07-2023 Part 2
As I’d reached the half-way point I thought I’d better have a little look around and so to this end I followed the little track to the end when it opened out across the rest of the reserve, cutting diagonally across to the Tunnel Track that ultimately leads back to Sillen’s Lane car park. On the corner where the scrub ended there were a few butterflies hanging around on the large, towering Bramble bush. I counted 2 Red Admirals, a Small White, H.Comma and a second Small Tortoiseshell but then I was blown round the corner as the track had funnelled the breeze along its length. Round the corner the scrubby thicket made a triangle shape with its point settling at the little path though from the Dyke and so I wandered along here to get back on track, examining the little scallops carved out of the thicket on the way. These acted like little harbours, points of refuge for the butterflies to go about their business without the wind tearing them away ad carrying them off over the sea of grass. The first one held a Red Admiral that had been in the wars, almost ripped to bits it was whilst the second scallop was bigger and so held a larger range of species. In this one little patch there were 4 Hedgies, arranged across the vegetation a little like the flying ducks on the wall in a Coronation Street set, as well as a Meadow Brown and a Small Blue. There was also a Small Copper but that hid away until I turned my attention to a different Small Copper at the very edge of the scallop on the track. As I moved in to get my shots the other one came out of hiding and buzzed it, eventually replacing it on the path.
Having made my way back to the side of the Dyke I set off up its length once again heading towards the Butts. I quickly fell back into the pattern of waling, scanning and stopping occasionally when something a little different caught my eye. I also tried to record all that I saw, but this meant that I was spending an inordinate amount of time staring into my notebook. Still the butterflies added up with Small Heath, Chalkhills, Smessex Skippers, a female Brimstone, 5-6 Whites as well as a brace of Peacocks and another DGF. Once at the Butts I ambled across the thin turf behind the butts and a couple of Chalkhills played nicely for me. The first caught the light magnificently, glittering with a metallic lustre whilst the second led me round to the other side and the sheltered spot by one of the ‘steps’ up the Butt. There were Hedgies galore here as well as the odd Marbled White and Meadow Brown, Ringlets, Smessex and a Small, Green-veined and Large White all sitting in a row. On the other side of the narrow track a Chalkhill and a Small Copper sat preferring the taller grasses to the thicker, pricklier Bramble hedge. It felt like all sitting in tight bunches was de rigueur today as that was how I was finding the majority of the butterflies. I walked to the next spot without seeing another butterfly and then when I walked into the sheltered little spot off of the path all of a sudden there they all were, all sitting within spitting distance of each other. It couldn’t have been that they were sheltering form the wind as they were on the leeward side and so they’d have been very unlucky to have been blustered by the slightest of breathes of air as the hedge was almost solid in it construction. Whatever the reason I didn’t mind as it made getting my shots so much easier. I could line one up and then be onto the next one by just moving the lens slightly to one side and refocusing. There was a slightly different make up here with a Red Admiral, H.Comma, a brace of whites and two Small Coppers. The second of these was a very swarthy individual which possibly got a little overdone whilst in the chrysalis?
From here I worked my way back across to the Dyke and started my way back down the gently sloping gradient to the Hotspot and eventually home. The number of Peacocks had risen and now I saw a maximum of three at once and there was also another dusky butterfly, this time it was a female DGF which had spent time in a chrysalis that was a little too hot. She was a very sultry looking butterfly, but also very temperamental and the slightest thing set her off, skimming across the top of the Dyke and disappearing over the other side. I spent a little time at the Halfway spot picking up the usual stuff before moving on down along the Dyke. The wind had picked up slightly now and the breezes were lasting longer, with much less settled time between gusts so rather than struggling in the wind I followed the main track so as to be on the leeward side as much as possible. This was partly as this would be where most of the butterflies would be but also because I’d followed a Holly Blue from the Halfway point and this was where it headed and eventually settled, albeit a bit out of range for my lens. I picked up some good stuff in the more sheltered accommodation adding another DGF and Small Blue almost immediately and then as I carried on walking noting 3 more Small Blues, Small Copper, Common Blue, several Chalkhills, a Small Tort, a Peacock and a very yellow Green-veined White. This initially made me stop and stare but alas it was the wrong kind of yellow, more lemon than mustard.
Once back at the Hotspot I kept on down and then up out of the Hollow before checking out the area where several of the various tracks converge. Among the vanessids and Whites there were some great looking Brown Argus (3 in one view) as well as 4 Small Blues all in one view. There must have been more but their diminutive size and their love of the taller and bushy tussocks of grass meant that finding them would be like looking for a butterfly shaped needle in a haystack – almost literally.
I was on the homeward stretch now and as always I found a little more spring in my step so before I knew it I was back at the triangle where it had begun a few hours earlier. The hedge itself seemed even more productive now as the Brimstones had finally woken up and their obvious colour make the hedge appear busier even if it wasn’t as they were so noticeable. A few of the Red Admirals had dispersed as now there were only 3, the brace of H.Commas had done a Spice Girls (2 became 1) but the others were fairly well represented – Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, at least 5 Brimstones (with more flying over the grass all about), Holly Blues, a solitary DGF, the odd Ringlet, a Small Copper and numerous Hedgies. When I eventually tore myself away and made it back to the car a Painted Lady and succeeded in their last ditch attempt to get onto the days tally. I‘d come wondering if the wind would be detrimental but actually it made things easier –who knew?
Green hills forever
Sapphires twinkling in the turf
The Chalkhills are here
Have a goodun
Wurzel
That last one has really striking dark borders, and overall there's quite a bit of variation there. Your descriptions of their behaviour is also intriguing - I've never taken the time to watch them for a while going about their lives like that. 
I think because there were so many of them I didn't know where to look first and so in a befuddled state I just sort of mooched about and watched more than tried for shots so I started seeing things 
even though the weather is good at present only the Whites seem to be having a great time 
