BARBURY CASTLE

Plenty of butterfly activity around Barbury Castle  during my visit there today on a very warm and sunny morning. My aim was to find some chalkhill blues, of which I saw only about four, but there were many meadow browns and gatekeepers as well as smaller numbers of other species, including small and essex skippers, small, large and green veined whites, marbled white. small heath,small copper, speckled wood, brown argus, peacock, red admiral, and small tortoiseshell. 

chalkhill blue

peacock

red admiral

small tortoiseshell

small copper

brown argus

small skipper

small white

essex skipper

yellow hammer in the morning sun

JUST A GLIMPSE

I've spent four days this week trying to get a decent view of the Purple Emperor butterfly. With its preference for leaving the tree tops in the mornings, it is difficult to  actually see one at close quarters if you work mornings, as I do. 

However, with my last a Saturday morning free for the next few weeks, I got to Bernwood Forest at 8.30.am. and joined  a few other butterfly seekers who were already there. It was sunny at the time, and good numbers of silver washed fritillaries were feeding from the bramble flowers, along with comma, red admiral, gatekeeper, ringlet, meadow brown and large skippers.  Someone spotted a purple hairstreak which had come down to feed near the ground, and gave opportunity for a few photos. 
Most of the morning, however, was spent scanning the tops of the oaks, both in the carpark and down the track.  Eventually we were able to identify at least three purple emperors as they circled the tops of the trees, together with one or two white admirals. Sadly the sky clouded over mid- morning, and I decided that just a glimpse would have to do as these large butterflies prefer the sunshine.  I am not sure if I will be able to make a return visit, or perhaps make a trip down to Savernake Forest, slightly nearer home,  which I also visited this week, but did not even get a sighting despite reports of regular sightings the previous day! 

silver washed fritillary and comma

gatekeeper

purple hairstreak (female)

RAVENSROOST AGAIN

A quick afternoon visit to Ravensroost gave me some better pictures of WLH, also lots of silver washed fritillaries flying, though  there seemed smaller numbers of other species, maybe as sun wasn't out as much. 

GOING FOR PURPLE

I paid my first visit to Bernwood Forest today on a very warm and sunny afternoon in the quest for Purple Emperor and Purple Hairstreaks. Admittedly I wasn't too hopeful of finding a Purple Emperor, seeing as they usually prefer the morning to leave the canopy of the oak trees, and in fact I didn't find one. However, following the two mile 'Butterfly trail' I  saw scores of silver washed fritillaries, meadow browns, ringlets and skippers. I also  saw a painted lady and a comma. Last year I only saw one painted lady in the whole of the year, but already I have seen painted ladies at several of the reserves I've visited.  As I walked, I kept looking hopefully at the oak trees I passed but it wasn't until I   reached the carpark at the end, that I found any purple hairstreaks. There were several high up in the oaks which shadowed the carpark, but also one lower down which I manged to photograph. 

BLUES AND WHITES

Lovely butterfly weather again today, so I headed over  to Daneway Banks again to see if the slight increase in cloud compared with last time, would encourage the Large Blues to open their wings for me. 

There were only a couple of other cars in the layby, and consequently few people visiting the reserve today. I headed towards the area where I saw the Large Blues last week,  and before long, found a few butterflies perched on the long grasses (wings closed!) and  several flying.  It was still sunny, but then a large patch of cloud covered the sun, so I slowly scanned the edges of the paths looking for glimpses of blue amongst the flowers and grass. Eventually I  found  one, wings almost fully open. Then futher on, a pristine specimen, which posed beautifully for me. Not a great variety of other butterfly species seen today, just the usual meadow browns, marbled whites, small heath and ringlet. 

Having only spent an hour there, I decided that I would still have time to revisit Ravensroost again today, to look again for the white letter hairstreak. This time I was the only car in the car park. I slowly walked down the main track, stopping for a while to look for the WLH at the usual place, but seeing nothing. I continued towards the pond where I saw the White Admiral yesterday but none were   seen, until I started to return to the car when one came into view, fluttering  above the bramble at the edge of the track, before finally settling to feed. 

A few silver washed fritillaries rushed past now and then, but then on the track, one of them stopped for a while.
Having another look for the WLH I eventually spotted a small  brown butterfly flying about the hazel and then landing; happily it turned out to be a WLH although it never came completely into  view. 

Overall a good day for butterflies. 

RAVENSROOST

My first visit to Ravensroost wood this year produced meadow browns ( hundreds!) ringlets, marbled whites, large and small skippers, common blue, half a dozen silver washed fritillaries, and at least one white admiral. Others there said that white letter hairstreaks and purple hairstreaks had already been seen this year, but I didn't find any, but the sky had clouded over by then. It is also fairly early in their flight period.  This wood is a great place for butterflies and in the past I have recorded 14  butterflies on one  visit.  I hope to make some return visits.