www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi everyone, I'm told that Glasdrum Wood is THE place for Chequred Skippers - is it worth me making the trip there ( from Kent ) before the end of June or am I too late for 2011 ? Thanks.

I made the trip in 2007 and, if you are going all that way, it is worth visiting other sites in the area.

I found that Ariundle (Airigh Fhionndail) NNR was my favourite site, with the Butterfly Conservation Allt Mhuic site on Loch Arkaig a close runner-up. Glasdrum is smaller and more enclosed, with the main colony along a clearing under a power line.

I was there at the beginning of June 2007 in glorious sunny weather, so it may be too late this year. I'm sure that others will be able to give up-to-date info.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I will visit the sites that you mention but I think I'm too late this season so will try for the Skippers next year. I am planning to visit Scotland this summer so will try for other butterflies that I haven't seen, Mountain Ringlet and Large Heath for example.

Hi Hoggers,

If you DO make the trip I'd very strongly recommend Killiechonate Woods for Chequered Skippers. If they're still flying, of course!

Access starts at Spean Bridge railway station. From the car park, head uphill through trees on a rough (but very obvious) track. There's a sign saying "Woodland Walks" or some such. It will take probably 15mins to amble up to the top of the track whereby a wide, level trail heads off right (dead ends after 1/4 mile but Chequered Skippers are at the end) and left (does a long loop through level terrain before opening out into a recently deforested area and heading left and downhill). Whilst on the level stretch check the trackside flowers for skippers. Once the track passes the cleared area (good for dragonflies) you'll be back in the trees again. We had good numbers of Chequered Skippers in the numerous glades, and a few more when we reached the road at the bottom. Walking along the road will lead you back to the train station.

I'd suggest contacting somebody from the Scottish BC branch. Check http://www.highland-butterflies.org.uk

Good luck! PM me if you like

Gibster.

Gibster wrote:Hi Hoggers,

If you DO make the trip I'd very strongly recommend Killiechonate Woods for Chequered Skippers. If they're still flying, of course!

Access starts at Spean Bridge railway station. From the car park, head uphill through trees on a rough (but very obvious) track. There's a sign saying "Woodland Walks" or some such. It will take probably 15mins to amble up to the top of the track whereby a wide, level trail heads off right (dead ends after 1/4 mile but Chequered Skippers are at the end) and left (does a long loop through level terrain before opening out into a recently deforested area and heading left and downhill). Whilst on the level stretch check the trackside flowers for skippers. Once the track passes the cleared area (good for dragonflies) you'll be back in the trees again. We had good numbers of Chequered Skippers in the numerous glades, and a few more when we reached the road at the bottom. Walking along the road will lead you back to the train station.

I'd suggest contacting somebody from the Scottish BC branch. Check http://www.highland-butterflies.org.uk

Good luck! PM me if you like

Gibster.

Hi Gibster, what date was this - thinking of next year?

Thanks.

Steve.

Hi Lawts,

that was 3rd June last year. Here's an extract of the day from last year's highly readable website (plug, plug!! ) Check it out at http://www.butterflyblitz2010.webs.com

Thursday - 3rd June

We eventually finished a rather hearty breakfast and, following directions from the kindly B&B owners, headed into Killiechonate Woods in search of butterflies.

To access the site we parked in the Spean Bridge Golf Club's car park and headed uphill through the trees on the Circular Woodland Walk, pausing just long enough for Sam to take a rubbishy pic of a singing Wood Warbler, ok - a 'record shot' of a singing Wood Warbler!

Within moments two SCOTTISH GREEN-VEINED WHITES subsp thomsoni flew past us. I netted one in order to properly view the extensive dark veining. We saw many more throughout the day, most exhibiting extensive dark veining but some - presumably males - had underwing veining similar to those found in southern England. Orange-tips were commonplace flitting through the rides, whereas back in Surrey they are now quite uncommon and approaching the tail end of their flight season.

We continued up the trail until it abruptly stopped at a T-junction at its summit. A sign to the right indicated the track was a dead end. We headed right anyway for maybe half a mile noting a Peacock, several Large Red Damselflies and many Green Tiger Beetles on the track ahead of us. Scottish Green-veined Whites and Orange-tips remained numerous. The track terminated at a dark pine plantation. A heather patch had formed in a grassy clearing just downslope from us. I scanned the vegetation through binoculars and within minutes had located a Chequered Skipper sunning itself on a flowerhead. Hurray, I'm counting that one as self-found! We closed in for pics and disturbed a second skipper, more pics! A flock of Crossbills and the only Large White of the trip flew overhead as we explored the clearing more fully. No more skippers so we clambered back up to the trail, finding three Chequered Skippers chasing each other or nectaring on small blue flowers.

Backtracking past the original trail we continued onwards for another half mile or so on level ground. One small patch of gorse held three Green Hairstreaks defending their territories. We bumped into John and Sue Kemp from North Uist (now there's a place with potential for finding your own stuff!!!) who told us they'd seen a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk here yesterday. No such luck today although we found small numbers of Adela cuprella dancing over sallow bushes, a good moth record indeed.

We noted another four Chequered Skippers in the verges before continuing along the trail and entering a much more open area, the scene of much plantation removal. Water-filled ditches provided us with several Four-spotted Chasers and more Large Red Damselflies before we entered the wooded area once more. Here we stumbled across a bluebell glade in the shade beneath spreading oaks and counted fourteen Chequered Skippers in an acre of bluebells!!! Stunning. More than satisfied, we left the woods and walked along the river noting Common Sandpiper, a pair of Dippers and a few more skippers too.

Feeling a bit adventurous, we 'wild-camped' beneath the trees before setting off to The Commando Bar once more for food and beers. Tawny Owls, a Woodcock and a gazillion midges welcomed us back to the tent...

Hi Hoggers,
If you have read my personal forum update you will have realised that I have visited this year a number of the sites mentioned. Although Glasdrum Wood is probably the closest to Kent it is not my favourite location. It can be crowded and watch the ticks. Its well known for them and I managed to pick up one.
Plus I failed to see any Chequered Skippers in less than ideal weather. Given the right weather you are almost certain to see them late May -early/mid June.
We visited Ariundle Wood for the first time this year to see the CS. This is a good site with CS starting almost immediately from the car park. I can recommend this location. We also saw Small Argent & Sable.
Allt Mhuic on Loch Arkaig is another good site that also has Azure Hawker at the same time for a good bonus. The site Gibster mentions at Spean Bridge is also recommended by others who visit the general area.
Numbers seemed low on our visit this year and are probably almost over by now. It may pay to start planning for next year.

Dave

That's very helpful Gibster thank you for such a detailed answer- I've noted the site and I emailed the BC branch too - many thanks

Dave, thanks for your reply - I will definitely read your diary entry and organise myself better next year too!
And thanks for the Tick warning - I got savaged by one in Norfolk a couple of years ago - Unpleasant!
Cheers

I saw my very first CS near Spean Bridge. We had driven directly from Oxfordshire and took the side road near Spean Bridge station to pause for a cup of tea. There was a small lay-by by a bridge at NN247811 and, in a clearing by the roadside, there were our first CS! It was the last British mainland species for me to photograph. (There's still Ireland for Real's Wood White)

Ariundle is a wonderful place - Atlantic oak forest, laden with epiphytes and moss-clad boulders - a real rain forest, though not tropical! The coast road is spectacular too, with views out to the inner Hebrides.

Mike

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a week in the Highlands this year. It certainly seems to me that given the wild nature of this area, there's no need to go to a nature reserve to enjoy seeing Chequered Skippers.... find a good habitat and then wait for the rain to stop and the sun to come out!
I found one this way over 1.5 miles from the nearest dot on the Highland BC map (see link), so I reckon this little butterfly is likely to be rather underrecorded.

Unfortunately I've only just noticed that BC are asking for habitat survey infomation at the moment, so have missed out on contributing on this.... in 2011 at least!

http://www.southwestscotland-butterflie ... ands.shtml

Alexander Henderson

the prevailing opinion up here seems to be that CS at Glasdrum are pretty much over for the year.
That doesn't mean that there aren't a few somewhere but they were out very early this year ~4th of May.

The beauty of Glasdrum is that it's so accessible - indeed CS often seen in the carpark- however this is a double-edged sword as the wayleave at least was showing significant wear & tear from (presumably CS orientated) visitors a few weeks ago.

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m_galathea wrote: I found one this way over 1.5 miles from the nearest dot on the Highland BC map (see link), so I reckon this little butterfly is likely to be rather underrecorded.

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Unfortunately this is the norm for most of Scotland where we reckon that lots of species are underrecorded - too much land, too few people with knowledge looking ...