CallumMac

[Andrew555]

Fantastic to see those Mountain Ringlets Callum, well done.

[Pete Eeles]

Having completed the day's surveys, my colleagues headed back to their car whilst my parents and I headed onwards for the summits of Whin Rigg and, up a spectacular ridge-walk above the Wasdale Screes, Illgill Head.

Excellent report, Callum! I may well be retracing your steps on Sunday/Monday! I've always wanted to get a photo of Irton Fell from Whin Rigg!

Cheers,

- Pete

[bugboy]

I am in awe of your Mountain Ringlets, a distant dream for us southerners !.
It is quite surprising how often one hears, ' I've seen every UK species, except
the Mountain Ringlet '. I suppose it's because of their remoteness.
For me I've yet to see any of the Northern species, must put that right !.

You must take some mrgreens Callum !

Trevor.

I've seen every UK species except for Mountain Ringlets!

[Neil Freeman]

Just catching up on your diary Callum, I love the shot of the 4 Marsh Fritillaries at Chambers Farm Wood and great shots of the Bee Hawk Moth

Great report on the Mountain Ringlets at Irton Fell, brings back memories of when I was there a few years back. I really must get back up there to see them again sometime.

Cheers,

Neil

[CallumMac]

Thanks all. Was really fantastic to see them and I would recommend a visit to anybody asking!

It is quite surprising how often one hears, ' I've seen every UK species, except
the Mountain Ringlet '. I suppose it's because of their remoteness.

I agree - and I find it particularly confusing that those people have seen Chequered Skipper before Mountain Ringlet. You have to drive past the MRs and on for another 4 hours to reach Glasdrum! Perhaps some folk are put off by the 'Mountain' element - though having done both, I can confidently say that walking from the foot of Denbies Hillside back to the car-park on a hot day is harder work than climbing Irton Fell...

I've always wanted to get a photo of Irton Fell from Whin Rigg!

...something like this one?

If you get up Whin Rigg and have a bit of energy left then it's definitely worth continuing to Illgill Head. The MRs are, I would estimate, a week or so fresher up there, and the views of Scafell and Great Gable are smashing. But then retrace your footsteps back to the car-park - the extra distance to turn it into a full loop is not worth it!

[Goldie M]

Great shots Callum, I also have yet to see the MR and I live in the North (shame on me) Your shot have spurred me on
Goldie

[kevling]

Callum,

Sorry your diary passed me by, so now catching up with it.
Your Marshie encounter at Chambers Farm Wood was incredible by all accounts. Lovely group picture of the fab four!
And then the Mountain Ringlets by the hundreds too.
Before you go on your next outing, save me a place in the car, you obviously have the Midas touch this year

Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Mountain Ringlets I can't quite justify the travelling to see this species yet, plus I'm waiting for driverless cars so that I can have a kip on the way up

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[CallumMac]

Thanks Kev. If you can get to the North Lakes for first thing tomorrow then the targets are Small Pearl-bordered and if we're lucky, a late Marshie or two
Thanks Wurzel. I agree, it's a long way to come for a butterfly. Hard to justify. I'm lucky that my parents live so near by to some great butterfly sites!

[CallumMac]

08/06/2018 - Maryport

The weather forecast for Friday was a bit iffy, so in the morning I went for a long bike ride (actually not that long, but in the Cumbrian hills you feel like you've gone twice as far!). About halfway round the sun came out, so I spent the ride home weighing up options for the afternoon! I plumped for Small Blues - with only one site (that I know of) in Yorkshire, and that a very recent, unofficial reintroduction, I figured this to be my best chance to connect with this delightful species in 2018.

There are three main colonies in the North Lakes, two within sight of each other along the coastline at Workington and Maryport and a third further south at Whitehaven. I opted for the Maryport site, which is slightly less industrial! I'd not visited before but had a pretty clear idea of where to look. At the site entrance, I quickly located a small patch of Kidney Vetch - and no sooner had I done so than a Small Blue flew in and settled there! I spent an hour or so walking through the site and saw good numbers of Small Blues, many still quite fresh. Lovely!

This female had a perfect beak-mark in her hind-wing from an earlier brush with death. There was a male Stonechat holding station in the middle of the colony, so I wondered whether it was his beak!

I took a series of this female performing the much-discussed 'wing-roll' behaviour - I've turned it into a gif which I'll try and put into the relevant thread later. Here she is mid-roll:

09/06/2018 - mostly moths!

We were up in the high fells for much of today - amazing views but few butterflies! The hazy conditions meant a couple of Small Heaths were more approachable than usual.

In the late afternoon the sun came out and we headed up the lane behind the house to check out a colony of Chimney-sweeper moths. I first spotted the moths here on my bike ride yesterday but wanted to try and establish how large the colony was. Quite good numbers, but confined to a stretch of road verge of only 20 metres or so.

Finally, I just had to share this Beautiful Golden Y we trapped last night!

[essexbuzzard]

Just catching up on your wanderings, Callum. Great scenes from Irton Fell. I’ve been there a few times, too. Fantastic place- with views to match!

[Janet Turnbull]

Hi Callum, I've just been discovering your posts and I am absolutely blown away by your Marshies! And pretty much all the others! You have clearly been in the right places at the right times, unlike me who has managed to be in the right places at mostly not quite the right times this year

[CallumMac]

Thanks essex, Janet. I just seem to be on an amazing run of luck with the butterflies this spring - keep wondering when it will end! On which note...

10/06/2018 - Finglandrigg Wood

I had a little bit of time to burn this morning before I needed to leave the Lakes behind and head back for Yorkshire, so Dad and I decided to head to Finglandrigg Wood NNR. Of the 20 or so Cumbrian sites where Marsh Fritillary have been reintroduced, this is the public one, and it's had good numbers reported this year (not quite Chambers Farm Wood good!). There were still plenty around - I conservatively guessed that I saw 40, which would have been a fraction of those flying - and although most were starting to show their age, a few were still fresh.

However, my attention was completely distracted away from the Marshies by a good number of stunning Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries! We got there quite early, so they weren't quite super-charged yet, and I was able to get a couple of shots I was pleased with.

It became clear after a while that there was a good range of the more common species present as well. A pair of Wall Browns scrapped for territory, but neither stopped for a photo; likewise, my first Meadow Brown of the year refused to pose. Dad spotted a Large Skipper being 'skulky' and was able to locate her egg.

And a Small Copper - slightly tatty, but even so and as always, a lovely surprise!

Back in Yorkshire this evening, and tomorrow it's back to work for a rest!

[Janet Turnbull]

Another lovely Marshie, Callum!
The Coppers are gorgeous, they'd brighten anyone's day whatever condition they're in

[Wurzel]

That is brilliant sounding name for a reserve Callum Great shots of the Frits - Marshies in particular seem to be having a really good year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You know summer's arrived when the SPBFs are starting to fade! They've had a good year, as have Marshies so let's hope the weather trend continues.

[CallumMac]

Thanks Janet! I love the Coppers too. It's telling that I was in a meadow full of Marshies and Small Pearls, and still spent a good ten minutes following the Small Copper round!
Isn't it just, Wurzel? I think its literal meaning is something like 'the wood on the ridge above the meeting-place'. It's a really nice reserve, too, and full of butterflies.
David - indeed! They looked quite fresh at the time (especially by comparison to the Marshies), but you can certainly see some early signs of wear in the photos.

[David M]

There is so much going on on the PD page that I've only just noticed your Mountain Ringlets, Callum. Well done!

They look a little worn so I presume the flight period must have begun at the back end of May, which is pretty early even for Irton Fell.

I really must get back up there one day...hopefully during a spell of early June weather like we've just enjoyed!

[Maximus]

Hi Callum, I agree with David, great report and images of the Mountain Ringlets, one I have yet to see. I'm one of those who has driven by on the way to Glasdrum
I am in full agreement with you about the 'trek up' Denbies Hillside, totally lung-busting

Mike

[CallumMac]

I presume the flight period must have begun at the back end of May, which is pretty early even for Irton Fell.

Thanks David! 24th May was the first report but I'm not sure whether a site like that will be checked every day, even in the immediate run-up to the flight period...

Thanks Mike! Whereas I have never seen Chequered Skipper - despite having been to Glasdrum Wood, at the wrong time of year!

15/06/2018 - Walmgate Stray

I've been really busy at work this week - I have a project student working for me over the summer on a pilot study into the relationship between wing length and body mass in moths, so I've spent most of the week teaching her how to trap and identify moths. We're already generating some really nice records for the University of York campus, including two species of hawkmoth, Eyed and Elephant:

I've also been trying to do the Wildlife Trusts' #30DaysWild challenge, taking a photograph of the natural world every day and posting them on my Twitter page (@Macgregor_Cal). This found me out on Walmgate Stray at 17.30 this evening, in a howling gale and under thick cloud, searching for something - anything! - for today's post. Sadly my Orange-tip larva, Orpheus, is nowhere to be found - there are cattle grazed on the Stray and his plant had been trampled. Walking on, though, I was surprised to startle up a brand new Meadow Brown - not my first of the year, but the first that was moving slowly enough to approach for pictures!