Saturday 24 June 2017

Butterfly Yearlist Update

Thought it was about time I got  an update on here. You know the story, I'm either at work or out in the field especially when the weather is good. It's not so good at the moment and I have had a bit of spare time to get some photos together. Still loads of botany trip photos to sort but that's probably going to be something for the autumn now. I've seen lots of other interesting inverts as well which will follow in a later post hopefully in the not too distant future. I'm up to 44 species of butterfly now but starting to panic a bit because the Purple Emperor as been out for a while now and the weather as taken turn for the worse and doesn't look very promising over the next week either. Recent highlights have been seeing three 'lifers' with Chequered Skipper, Mountain Ringlet and Large Heath. I'm hoping to get another chance to see the latter as I didn't get a photo of the single early one that we saw in Cumbria. Seeing my largest ever number of Swallowtails near Hickling Broad and getting some nice flight shots of them and seeing a stunning aberrant Small Tortoiseshell. Also my first 'proper' Glanville Fritillaries on the Isle of Wight. Anyway here's a continuation of my list and lots and lots of photos!

26.   Adonis Blue                       9th May  Ballard Down Dorset

27.   Marsh Fritillary                 21st May  Cotley Hill Wiltshire

28.   Glanville Fritillary           26th May  Bonchurch Isle of Wight

29.   Large Skipper                    26th May  Afton Down Isle of Wight

30.   Meadow Brown                 26th May  Afton Down Isle off Wight

31.  Small Pearl-bordered
       Fritillary                              27th May  Aish Tor Devon

32.   Heath Fritillary                  27th May  Lydford Devon

33.   Chequered Skipper*           2nd June  Glasdrum Wood Argyll

34.   Mountain Ringlet*             9th June  Irton Fell Cumbria

35.   Northern Brown Argus      9th June  Latterbarrow Cumbria

36.   Large Heath*                     9th June  Meathop Moss Cumbria

37.   Ringlet                               13th June  Upton Fen Norfolk

38.   Swallowtail                        13th June  Upton Fen Norfolk

39.   Small Skipper                     13th June  Holme Dunes Norfolk

40.   Black Hairstreak                14th June  Glapthorn Northamptonshire

41.   Marbled White                   16th June  Portland Dorset

42.   Silver-studded Blue           16th June  Portland Dorset

43.   Lulworth Skipper              16th June  Dungy Head Dorset

44.   Large Blue                         18th June  Green Down Somerset.


*  life tick 


Bonchurch Undercliff Isle of Wight where I saw my first ever 'proper' Glanville Fritillary
 

Landslips at Compton Bay another food site for Glanvilles


Glanville Fritillary


Large Skipper



Heath Fritillary

There were a couple of nice aberrant Heath Fritillaries at Lydford.

  



This unfortunate Heath Fritillary chose the wrong flower!


Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary


Green Hairstreak 


 Brown Argus
 


 Holly Blue

Pearl-bordered Fritillary


Large Blue 
Not a very good photo but the best I could get; it was so incredibly hot the butterflies were pretty elusive photography wise. 


Red Admiral


A first for me was this Red Admiral Caterpillar.


Lulworth Skipper


Female Silver-studded Blue with beautiful iridescent wings

Female underside.


Male Silver-studded Blue zooming on by!

 

 A beautiful summer's day on Irton Fell Cumbria.
What kind of butterfly would live up here!?


One as hairy as this!





Mountain Ringlet


Northern Brown Argus 


South Shian, Benderloch must be one of the most scenic places I've been butterflying in. It's a great place for...




Marsh Fritillary


Small Heath


Glasdrum Woods
On this sunny and warm afternoon it was teeming with butterflies almost all of which were Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Chequered Skipper. I've dreamed of visiting here for years and I wasn't disappointed. Every marsh thistle was jam packed with them. Honestly they were!.. Look! 





Chequered Skipper



Black Hairstreak



Painted Lady



Small Skipper


Small Tortoiseshell



A very striking Small Tortoiseshell aberration where the yellow areas have been replaced with white. There were two of these in a large group of tortoiseshells on some thistles at Upton Fen Norfolk.




Swallowtail egg on Milk Parsley





Swallowtails

10 comments:

Wilma said...

jaw-droppingly gorgeous photos! Fantastic.

Newton st Loe Birding said...

Great stuff Karen, getting some great shots. it's quite addictive isn't it !

Tim Wright said...

Hmm, Where exactly is this Glasdrum woods site?!

Karen Woolley said...

Thanks wilma!

Wayne, Thanks and yes it is rather! :-)


Tim, Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve lies at the head of Loch Creran in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. Off the A828 between Appin and Barcaldine. Why the Hmm?

Ian Andrews said...

The long wait countered by yet more superb pics. The swallowtails are to die for. Hate to think what your petrol bill must be.

Anonymous said...

Superb photography Karen. What lens do you use? A great site, I started my own this year perhaps you might like to check it out, blhphotoblog.wordpress.com Any comments and tips most welcome. Regards Brian Hicks.

Peter Hunt said...

Loads of fantastic shots ,Karen and many species I would love to see too.

Sylvatica said...

I was thinking, wow what lovely photos you get of these butterflies, knowing how difficult it can be to get any at all. Then I came to the Swallowtails and was blown away, stunning.
Dave

Karen Woolley said...

Thanks Ian. Sorry to keep you waiting.

Karen Woolley said...

Many thanks Peter and Dave, Sorry I've not seen these comments until now I forgot I had moderation switched to 'on'.