www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi all,

Has anyone ever visited this site? and if so can you give me anymore information (where to park, best way in, best route around site etc.).

Feel free to PM me if appropriate.

Many thanks in advance of any help...

All the best,

Felix.

Hi

I visited last Saturday on the BC event.
A few PB and SPB Frits, but loads of Heath frits. (50+) Also painted lady (but I guess you already have seen plently of these this year).
A few pics on my website www.nigelspencer.co.uk and a couple on the identification forum on this forum.

Park at the National trust car park at SX500832.
If you are a BC or NT member take your card otherwise you will have to pay an entrance fee. Walk through the NT estate and then onto the BC reserve. There is also a NT cafe at the car park. When you get to the BC reserve, keep walking along old railway until you see plenty of butterflies. There is a bird hide on the walk through the NT where Pied Fly is easy to see.

I hope this helps

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

That's great, thank you very much for the info. Thanks also for the Pied Fly Catcher tip - that will be a real bonus to see them. Since it would seem that the Heath Frits are well out I had better get my skates on..!

All the best,

Felix.

Thanks once again Nigel,

A trip to the site on Sunday morning rewarded me with good numbers of athalia. It was fascinating just to sit and watch these beautiful butterflies go about their business.

In the afternoon I hopped over to Haddon Hill but despite a search failed to find any at all. Does anyone know if the Heath Frit still occurs there...?

Many thanks all,

Felix.

Felix
In previous years I have had good success at Haddon Hill (Moor) around map ref SS978(5)287(8) - (the numbers in brackets are for GPS that can handle 8 fig OS Refs). Usually finding dozens (but never hundreds like Kent) in the first two weeks of June.
Last year I found only one individual, and this year I have also only found one individual - this was last Friday afternoon, and it was a fairly faded specimen.
Sadly I only had time to explore the usual area, and think they may well have moved well west looking for better habitat as the bracken is now very tall. East of the usual spot looks great, but is a geographic dead end.
I planned to visit again this evening, but it is pi55ing down and thunder and lightning.
Tomorrow evening I plan to visit Bin Combe but may also visit Haddon if time permits.
Yesterday I saw HF on the SW slopes of Crawter Hill
Next weekend we are spnding 4 days in North Exmoor, and hope to see 6 species of Frit - HF, MF, HBF, SWF, DGF, SPBF.
OK so the MF will be 300 yards outside the park - but it will still count for me!

Still there according to the 2008 transect returns. I don't know the Exmoor sites but understand the heath has to be managed in rotation over quite a wide area and the fritillaries move around in response to the changing conditions on the site. 2008 was pretty bad for them apparently owing to the appalling weather in the flight season.

Thanks for the helpful info Roger,

If I get the chance I may treck down to Haddon Hill again befor the HF season closes. Do you know off hand who the county recorder is or who best to submit records for the site?

Cheers,

Felix.