Well, earlier in the year we had decided that the target number of species of butterfly to be seen this year would be 40 and it isn't a race. As Martin had seen a Glanville Fritillary at Hutchinson's Bank, the only place that would give a reasonable chance for me to catch up was Compton Down near Freshwater on the IOW. I arrived at the Wightlink Terminal in Portsmouth just after 0800, parked up and went for a coffee. As I emerged with a brim-full large latte I was asked "Would you like to go early? - two spare places - hurry up! Have you ever tried to put one of those coffee cup lids back in a hurry whilst starting the car and putting a seat belt on? I duly boarded, squeezed in between several large lorries.
As I arrived on the Island the weather was dull and overcast but approaching Freshwater the sun started to peek through and I was encouraged, just one Glanville with photographic evidence was all I needed. I decided to start my search at Shippard's and walk back towards Compton Chine, firstly on the clifftop walk and then down on the undercliff. As I parked I could see two men in that classic pose of butterfly hunters, slowly walking through the meadow, eyes fixed on the ground. I hurried over to them and politely enquired "Found any Glanvilles?" The reply - "Wot mate?" I asked again if they had found any butterflies. The reply - "Nah mate, we're looking for drain covers". The moral of the story - never assume anything. So I commenced my search along the clifftop, as always, I was distracted, this time by a magnificent stand of Bee orchids - hundreds of them, some of the tallest specimens I have seen but just going over. As I lay in the grass getting an orchid level shot I was aware of a weak fluttering object close by. "Blow me!" I said, "Glanville!" Sure enough a weak, well worn specimen which I duly captured as it hid deep in the grass, I managed to get a glimpse of the underwing and capture it with the camera - don't want any doubters claiming it to be any other form of fritillary.
The weak sunshine disappeared and for the next four hours I trudged up and down the cliff path and performed as a mountain goat in the extensive landslips of the undercliff, distracted only by an odd green beetle and a curious black and white bee.
Subsequent research indicates that the beetle is the Thick Legged Flower Beetle, Oedemera nobilis.
And the bee is the Ashy mining bee, Andrena cineraria.
Finally the sun came out and I was rewarded with a Humming Bird Hawk Moth, nectaring on a large patch of thistles. Accompanying it were a host of Small Tortoiseshells and some bedraggled Painted Ladies. At long last I came across a specimen of Glanville Fritillary that posed for some reasonable shots, another well worn but welcome specimen. In all I found five GF and realised, yet again, that you need to be out in good time to capture fresh subjects. Unfortunately I had delayed my visit by a week as the IOW music festival had got in the way.
On the way back to the car park I was treated to a fresh Clouded Yellow coming off the sea and over the clifftop - I thought that after such a long journey it was bound to nectar immediately - not a bit of it - over the meadow, across the road and on up Compton down with nary a pause. Similarly, a Marbled White made a high speed pass along the cliff edge - no chance of following it without the possibility of disaster.
Then it was time for home, booked on the 1700 ferry from Fishbourne, the end of a great day out. I will be back next year but a tad earlier should the weather conditions allow it.
 |
| Shippard's to the east. |
 |
| Freshwater Bay to the west - much nicer when the sun shines |
 |
| Much of the undercliff environment affected by the winter rains - new slips everywhere - burying the old. |
 |
| Ribwort Plantain and Bird's - foot Trefoil will need to re-colonise |
No comments:
Post a Comment