AN AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN OF SPAIN

 Well, what a year it's proving to be for butterflies, especially with summer migrants such as painted lady and clouded yellow. I've had a good year too, with three new lifers so far. Today I was able to add that total, by following up a sightings report of  several Queen of Spain fritillaries which had been seen in a field in a  small village in Hampshire. 

Some of these extremely rare migratory fritillaries have already been recorded in the Isle of Wight, and with a holiday booked there for next week, I was hoping to catch sight of them then. However, a couple of days ago another sighting was reported in Hampshire in a field in Monk Sherborne. I didn't initially think of looking into this sighting, but then realised it was only an hour from my home, and twenty minutes from my daughter's. And with at least four butterflies seen, it was highly likely that they would still be around if I visited today. 

I set off at eight o'clock thinking that traffic should be easier ( on a Saturday) and hoping that the warm temperatures would bring the butterflies out early in the day. I was right on both accounts, but I hadn't really expected it to be something of a twitch, with a dozen or so cars already parked at the entrance to the farm through which the public footpath led to the location site. 

Some butterfly enthusiasts had travelled from as far as Manchester, but others only an hour or less as I did. I suppose living towards the south of the country, most rare migrants are likely to be coming up from Europe, possibly making it nearer for me to travel to. I heard some people talk of long tailed blues north of Portsmouth so I made a mental note to try and fit in that visit in the last two weeks of the summer holidays. 

As I  followed the footpath from the car, I met someone returning who assured me I would find the butterflies easily, and to follow the path until I saw a group of people all with the same purpose. As I reached them, I could easily see an orange butterfly sunning  itself on the path ahead of me. The Queen of Spain fritillary is a medium-sized orange butterfly with black markings, similar to the other fritillaries. However, it has distinctive large pearly-silver spangles on the underside of its hind wings and  this regal appearance gives the butterfly its name. The species has a preference for warm dry conditions and often basks on bare ground to absorb heat to give it rapid flight.

This was the first of many sightings of these fritillaries. There were perhaps four or more, mainly males, ( should they be called the King of Spain?)  apparently, though I have not learnt how to differentiate between the sexes yet. 

Initially they were stopping on the bare ground, occasionally shutting their wings, but eventually one or two stopped to rest or nectar on thistles which gave everyone the chance for the better photographs they were after. Even when they disappeared, it was not long before they returned to the same area, an area of set-aside bordering the wide stony footpath. I also saw common blues, small copper, small white and a clouded yellow whilst there. After a couple of hours enjoying this  'twitch'  and having achieved the photos I was hoping for,   I left  having added species #51 to my year list and being a  'lifer' too.