With fine weather this week, I've been trying to catch up on some of the early Spring Butterflies. Having heard Pearl Bordered fritillaries were already flying, I headed over to Siccaridge wood where they can be seen fluttering about either side of the path, strewn with bluebells, lily of the valley and bugle flowers. With only space for one car in the gateway, I usually have to park in a layby at the bottom of a fairly steep hill and walk up to the woodland entrance. The layby was almost full but I decided to check out the gateway just in case - I could always return to the bottom and park. However, the gateway was free so I parked and started to walk down through the woodland. It wasn't that long before I saw my first pearl bordered butterfly of the afternoon, a small orange butterfly flying over the carpet of blue. I saw probably a dozen or more of these pretty little butterflies although few stopped for long in the sunshine.
Today was another sunny day but with a moderate breeze. Last year I visited Rodborough common at the beginning of May so as it is 1st May tomorrow, I thought there would be a possibility of finding duke of Burgundy butterflies in the usual sheltered area. The walk across the common was breezy with no butterflies in sight, though cowslips were everywhere in the grass. As I descended the hill I found a holly blue on a gorse bush, and green hairstreak amongst the grass, also a small copper, which I don't remember recording at this site before. On the lower slope of the hill, where the bank meets another bank at 90 degrees, the wind was greatly reduced and I started to look out for the small brown butterflies I was after. Often you see dingy skippers sparring with the dukes, and I soon saw them, the duke slightly brighter in colour than the aptly named skipper. It settled a small bush, about 12 inches high which was sticking up out of the grass. Due to the breeze it kept its wings firmly shut most of the time so I was unable to take the open wing shots I would have liked but at least it was a tick for the year. Another duke of burgundy appeared and once even settled for a moment on the same bush. They seemed to keep returning to the same spot. Other butterflies I saw here included small heath, dingy skipper and brown argus but only in small numbers.
brown argus
dingy skipper
duke of burgundy
unwilling to open its wings further than this due to the wind
green hairstreak
holly blue
small copper
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