www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I'm going to be staying near Totternhoe at the end of May, which seems like a good opportunity to look for Small Blues at Totternhoe Quarry, Beds. Last time I went there I only managed to find one, but I suspect I was looking in the wrong place. Can anyone give me directions as to where on the site the Small Blue hotspots are?

Hi,

I have visited Tottenhoe Quarry towards the end of May and did not find any Small Blues. Perhaps like you I did'nt find the prime spot. I can however offer an alternative site just a brief drive away if you need one. This is Pitstone Quarry, a location just West of Tottenhoe. There were good numbers of Small Blues there.

Regards Kev

Ah, Pitstone is walking distance from where I'm staying. Is the quarry here (Google maps)? [link corrected]

I can't open the Google link you provided. But I saw them at the NE end of the quarry (adjacent to Brooks Statnalls Wood).

Regards Kev

I have found them without fail along the following route.

Head up the steps from the NT car park, then across the large path, heading through a corner of woodland, and then follow the path along the bottom of the chalk cliff (which is on your left). Don't go along the large track across the field, stick to the much smaller path as close to the cliff as possible. On a sunny day in season, they will fly all along this path and settle on the various shrubs on the right-hand side. On one pouring wet day, I found over 20 roosting here. Pick the right day and you'll see Grizzled and Dingy Skippers, Green Hairstreaks and a variety of common species. If you can find your way over to the old chalk workings (really hard to give directions here!), there are Dukes as well.

Easier to show than to describe...

Dave

Thanks both!

Kev, I fixed the Google maps link.

Dave, if I understood your instructions you're pointing to here (Google maps)?

Dave

as close to the cliff as possible

On my last visit to Totternhoe, there were warning signs at the base of the cliff. Falling rocks didn't seem to have harmed the Small Blues and they all missed me - a much larger target In truth, I didn't see any rocks actually falling but there was a fair bit of rubble on the ground.

One thing has puzzled me. The Small Blues don't seem to favour the areas with abundant Kidney Vetch (which is just a bit further along past the cliff).

I have seen Small Blues around all sides of the quarry but access is a little difficult to some spots. The butterflies have always been in good numbers [at the right season] even in cloudy but warm weather. On one visit, a Small Blue even "met" me in the car park.

Jack

Looking at that map, dilettante, the best spot is before you reach the point marked. However, if you are walking from the car park, and they are out, you would have spotted them well before reaching your marked location. As Jack says, they do disperse a fair bit, and I've seen them in the car park as well. Last year, parts of the path by the cliff had been cordoned off because of falling lumps of chalk, but most was freely accessible.

Dave

Thanks very much. Sounds like I should take a hard hat!

When I visited the area I found good numbers along the large path across the fields towards the quarry in the vegetation at the edge of the path beside the hedgerow and also in the area of fenced off mounds just after the fields as you head towards the quarry. If I remember correctly Dukes were in this area as well. I didn't venture elsewhere.

Thanks again. Dukes and SB in the one visit would be nice.

Last time I was there (my diary page tells me it was 15th May 2011) I only found a couple of SBs, but it was a cold and grey day

dilettante,

Just to add to the confusion and clarify, where I saw the Small Blues wasn't the quarry your google link.
I saw mine in good numbers at Pitstone Quarry, next to the village itself.

Regards Kev