SEARCHING FOR THE DUKE

I've just returned from a few days away during half term, during which I made a couple of butterfly trips with my sister who was wanting to increase her list for the year, and particularly see a duke of burgundy butterfly. The weather forecast wasn't great for our trip to Ivinghoe in Bucks but we hoped that it might be bright enough and warm enough to encourage a few species to fly. 

Having arrived at our first stop, College Lake, we decided to follow the Wild trail which consisted of a two mile circuit of the reserve, passing through a variety of habitats and with the opportunity to visit several bird hides en route.  The usual species of bird were to be seen, including several with broods of young including greylags, Canada geese and redshank.   The most notable sightings were three little ringed plovers, 

views across College lake

juv long tailed tit

male bullfinch

 The clouds seemed to break for a moment as we passed an area of long grass and suddenly it became alive with small butterflies; numerous small blues, as well as common blues, brown argus, and small heath. We looked for green hairstreaks amongst the hawthorn bushes but didn't see any. 

brown argus

common blue

common blue

small blue

small blue

small heath

We continued our circuit of the lake, stopping off at a woodland hide where there were two pairs of bullfinches feeding from the ground.   A quick stop at the wildlife garden completed our tour followed by a snack lunch in the small café.

 After lunch we drove the short distance to the carpark at Ivinghoe beacon where there have been reports of a variety of chalk grassland butterflies including duke of burgundy, grizzled and dingy skippers as well as green hairstreaks.  I have to confess I was rather doubtful of seeing Dukes and green hairstreaks as it is at the end of their flight periods but there might be a few remaining . 

A printed  butterfly route from the NT website proved very difficult to follow; even from the car park the starting track wasn't clear and we took the wrong path!  Then, having eventually located  roughly where we should be, it appeared that cattle troughs had disappeared and vehicle tracks didn't exist and a stile had been replaced by a metal gate! ( or perhaps we had misread the map!!)

As far as butterfly sightings were concerned, the sky was still cloudy and there was a breeze, so our hopes of finding many were minimal. However we eventually found ourselves in a sheltered part  and found some common and small blues and brown argus.   As we followed a chalky path along side a field, I suddenly spotted a dingy skipper and soon afterwards Karen  asked 'Is that a Duke of Burgundy?' as she pointed towards a rather tatty brown patterned butterfly which she had just seen settle on some grass. It was, and in fact was the only one we found, but at least it gave her a fifth year tick of the day. Despite the cloud, it had become quite warm and we treated ourselves to a whippy ice cream from a van at the carpark before returning home.

mating pair of common blues showing difference in size and pattern

dingy skipper

rather tatty Duke of burgundy

The following day was predicted to be hot and sunny and  I planned my route home via Bucknell Wood near Silverstone which I read recently was a hotspot for Wood White butterflies. I found it easily by using the SAT Nav and walking up the main track from the gate, saw my first two Wood whites within five minutes as they fluttered weakly above the verge at the side of the track, occasionally stopping to settle on some bugle flowers.  I saw at least 6 of these dainty little butterflies within 40 minutes  although as it became warmer, they seemed more reluctant to settle and I returned to the car to make the final part of my journey home to Wiltshire. 

wood whites