Silver Studded Blue at Great Orme

[David Tipping]

I'll be in North Wales during the second week of June and hope to call at Great Orme to seek the silver studded blue. Does anybody know the best areas to look or are they widespread?

[Dave]

Very localised in my experience although I do see them every year. Best place is to try the coast road after the limestone pavement turning and before you start to come to the houses of Deganwy. Any layby here with a few brambles etc should give results. Another is a small quarry about a quarter of a mile before the small church on the left. Also Brown Argus and Wall here.

[David Tipping]

Thanks Dave.

[BRIAN]

Hi Dave
I'm also looking for ssb in July, you mention the limestone paving, is this the remains of the west shore beach, that the council have dumped tonns of limestone on it?, how far from the alice in wonderland statue on the west shore should I be walking towards Degannwy?, any where on the Orme I should check out? I found a grassy limestone meadow, through happy valley gardens on the left after the cafe and before you get to the dry ski slope, almost under the chair lift

[Dave]

Limestone Pavement not paving, it's a geological feature which is well signposted and a mile or two before you drop down to Deganwy.

[BRIAN]

Thanks Dave, I know the road from LLandudno through Deganwy fairly well , so I should be able to find the limestone pavement, just need some settled weather in July, the cliffs outside holyhead should also be worth a visit

[David Tipping]

I've just returned from Wales and didn't have to search too hard to find the SSBs; I just followed the coast road until I spotted them from the car. Here's one enjoying a fag!

[Trev Sawyer]

Yes, they have to smoke outside there Dave... The SSB's in England have until 1st July to do it indoors

Trev

[BRIAN]

Hi Dave, I see you found the ssb, where did you find them,? I've looked on the great horme before but without luck, so will looking on the Deganwy road as suggested by Dave, foodplant if my memory is right is birds foot trefoil which when in flower is easy to spot

[David Tipping]

Hi Brian,
I paid the £2.50 toll to drive along the circular coast road and saw them on the west side of the Orme, perhaps a mile before getting back to Llandudno. It was just a gravelly pull-in on the left hand side of the road, only big enough for one car, adjacent to a steep grassy slope with a variety of wildflowers. As I said, I actually saw them from the car as I was driving along - also a few brown argus and a solitary, very early grayling which disappeared before I could get a photo. Apologies if this seems a bit vague, obviously I could take you there but it is difficult to give the directions in words!

[BRIAN]

Hi Dave
you were on marine drive, this road goes all the way round the great orme and comes out on the west shore, so thanks for that info, hope they are still there in a couple of weeks, I'll post a reply when I get back home

[BRIAN]

Back from n.wales, red face and sore feet, dont ask, ssb alive and kicking, spent a full day on the great orme, spoke to the warden about the best sites, we started a decent on the sw side of the orme, from the summit approx 600 feet above sea level, very windy and overcast, so nothing for about half an hour, we were following the nature trail which heads out to the far west of the orme then zig zags back, we got down to about 100 feet above sea level and spotted the first male ssb, still windy so the little beggar could not keep still for a photo, a bit lower down the path went through a bit of scrub, bramble low bushes and lots of gorse and rock rose, we then saw approx 20 ssb,s including two mated pairs, this was a little more shelterted so was able to get some pics, other species spotted, were hedge brown, meadow brown, brown argus, oak eggar, 6 spot burnet and grayling, once down on the road we heard a screeching from the tree line, then saw this big bird, it was watching a pigeon sitting very still on a telegraph pole, I think it's a buzzard but would take any advice from our twitchers in the group, back to work next week for a rest

[Dave McCormick]

Buzzard, thats class looking shot. Wish I could take a buzzard like that. Grayling looks pritty good too.

[Martin]

Brian...you mention Hedge Brown, which is a new one on me. What is the Latin name for that because I don't see Hedge Brown in my book?

Martin.

[Bryan H]

Martin,

Hedge Brown is another (older) name for Gatekeeper.

Bryan

[Martin]

Thanks Bryan...you can tell I'm new to all this huh?

Martin.

[BRIAN]

Hi Martin, Bryan is quite correct, I've always known this butterfly as a hedge brown, but gatekeeper and small meadow brown are all names used.
all correct I suppose, latin name is Pyronia Tithonus

[Wildmoreway]

Just follow the tramway from the Victoria station up the first steep section, to where you find a turning to the left along what I think is called the Happy Valley, you shaould find plenty of ssb blue there, also anywhere alongside the artificial ski slope. Spent many happy hours there. Also worth a visit to the North Stack at Holyhead by the old breakwater quarry where SS Blue are common.

If you are going by road from the midlands or elsewhere it is worth wasting a few hows diverting to follow the A41 to where ti joins the A4 at Prees Heath in Shropshire, turn south along the A49 towards Shrewsbury for about half a mile and you will find a turn in to a dirt track on the left (just oast some large warehouse type buildings, here you will find the Butterfly Conservation managed reserve at Prees Heath where there is a colony of the SS Blue (thought by some to be a form of Masseyi (as foundonce on the lancashire and westmoreland mossses).

[Butterfly Gardener]

I paid two visits to the Great Orme in June. I was absolutely amazed by the sheer numbers of Silver studded blues and graylings on the SW side. Did not see any Brown Argus though which was slightly disappointing.

[Wildmoreway]

I would expect there to be Brown Argus there now, for the early brood May would be the best time to see them before SS Blues emerge. I also used to see Brown Arguses' alongside the main road by the Lttle Orme, one year (1979 I think) I saw them on 6th may.