White-letter Hairstreak

I guess I have been suffering post Scotland blues, not really feeling like doing much at all. However, when Martin e-mailed me just before lunch asking if I fancied a go at White-letter Hairstreaks, I jumped at the chance. So we made our way to Hollingbury Park in Brighton by a circuitous route.

We parked in the northern end car park and made our way to the tennis courts,  as we approached the favoured area, we spotted one almost immediately, Trevor was also there and he was on one too. Over the next couple of hours we must have had at least ten specimens coming down to nectar on the brambles and thistles. A big improvement on last year and when we left we found a single butterfly just south of the central path, so they appear to be more widespread.

 

Commas were about and I managed to record a couple of specimens.

Glad we went as we managed some reasonable photos in near perfect weather.

These Ladybird larvae were having a feast on the Blackfly that had infested a Burdock plant.

Mountain Ringlet

My 400th Posting!!

When we arrived at the Honister Slate Mine I was somewhat disconcerted,  to reach the Fleetwith area meant a plod up the long winding road to the workings.



All the way up?

Well we took it steady and I kept telling myself that real rewards don't come easy. I don't know how many times I asked Martin if we had reached the top but I do know that when I saw two people, out in the grassy slopes and assuming that classic pose of a butterfly hunter - peering at the ground through a camera lens, all weariness left me and I almost bounded into the fray.

Immediately we had our first specimen, then another and another. Unfortunately the strong breeze was driving the butterflies downhill - probably back to the car park. If they crash landed close by they were invariably buried in the grassy tussocks. However, the two friendly butterfly enthusiasts showed us how to obtain clear pictures - simples when you know how.

The normal view - deep in grass.

 Most of our sightings came from the grassy areas  in the foreground of these shots, part of the area marked Fleetwith on the OS map.

Honister Pass

On the way down - slightly easier going.

I had never visited this part of the Lake District before but now I realise why so many people come here - the views are exceptional.

Well that was it - the tour was over - we targeted three butterfly ticks and got four. The tally now stands at 57 and all I need to do is head north again for a Scotch Argus

Large Heath

The journey south was broken by an overnight stay in Carlisle but we didn't hang around in the morning, making progress on a fairly quiet M6 towards Meathop Moss, home of our last target - the Large Heath. Luckily it wasn't long before we found a specimen, just off the boardwalk and it flew into the bog. We chased it but neither of us was sure what was underfoot, visions of disappearing up to the neck in stinking soggy peat were In the back of the mind. However, we followed it and managed some records of a fairly tatty specimen - but it was number 56 in the bag and we remained safe.

My first Large Heath -  a bit tatty but who cares!

As the morning progressed the sun started to have an effect through the thin cloud and more butterflies were on the wing but of course with the added heat they were more active. When they settled they preferred to be in the clumps of grass rather than out on a perch and it was nigh impossible to isolate the subject from the background.

Meathop Moss is a wonderful place and I could have spent hours photographing a host of material, as it was I recorded Sundew, Bog Asphodel and Cotton Grass.

Bog Asphodel

Hare's Tail Cottongrass, Eriophorum vaginatum  - food plant of the Large Heath

 

 

 

Thriving here.

 

This one has Greenfly - a case of the biter bit!

 

 

The boardwalk.

 

 

 

 

I am sure I could spend a whole day at Meathop but by now it was dawning on us that we were not far from the Lake District and the possibility of gaining our fourth life tick butterfly - the Mountain Ringlet. So without further ado we headed back north towards Keswick and Derwent Water.

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 

Black Guillemots

Our recce of Oban Harbour was so close to being a disaster, luckily, sharp eyed Martin tracked a bird that flew from the CalMac ferry terminal and landed on the Corran Esplanade, just in front of the Cathedral. So hot foot back to the car and a drive round to try to locate the birds. Parking was a tad awkward so Martin stayed with the car whilst I looked over the sea wall. Sure enough about half a dozen birds in the water, I turned to Martin to give the thumbs up and one landed on the wall just in front of me. These birds aren't fazed by humans and they just get on with life, ignoring the onlookers, behaving like mini penguins.

The Black Guillemot has been high on my photo list for some time, I am of an age where the word "cool" is not usually in my vocabulary. However, on this occasion, I agree that this bird is definitely cool, both its local name "Tystie" and its scientific name, Cepphus grylle are cool too.

 

 

 

At one point in the proceedings Martin tapped me on the shoulder and pointed down the jetty on which we were standing. One of the birds had landed just below us, right on the limit of my minimum focus distance. Looking into the eye of this bird you can almost make out two photographers!

So the holiday was starting to be a success, two life ticks and several year ticks, we were on a roll, we just had to go up Ben Lawers for a Mountain Ringlet. A couple of hours later we were parked by the dam on Ben Lawers, a fairly stiff cool breeze from a northerly direction meant nothing was flying but at least the sun was shining. After a brief search we dropped back down to the car park where the visitor centre used to be. We walked up the Edramucky Trail to the fenced enclosure, in an area just to the right of the gate Small Heaths were about but precious little else. Finally  late in the afternoon, I had a glimpse of a Mountain Ringlet but it did the vanishing act and I failed to get a shot.

Chequered Skipper

This morning we made the journey from Grantown on Spey to Glasdrum Wood, a National Nature Reserve on the slopes of Beinn Churalain and overlooking Loch Creran. Chequered Skippers had been reported here in the previous week, remarkably late in the season. This butterfly has been at the top of my list for some time having dipped it for the last two years. We just had to give it a go and of course, other butterflies are available.

We stopped off at the Corran ferry to scan for Black Guillemots and Martin's research was proven right as we soon sighted at least half a dozen. One landed on the pier and would have provided an excellent photo opportunity, unfortunately all this activity was on the Ardgour side, the distant shore, so we resolved to make a visit on our way back.

Arriving at Glasdrum we found we were the only people present. The sun was out and the temperatures were rising rapidly so we decided to start on the wayleave, the clearing cut for the power lines that transect the lower part of the reserve. Thirty yards in we found our first and only Chequered Skipper. The photos show that it is well worn and obviously at the end of its shelf life, having had a hard time fending off other skippers and searching for mates. No matter, another life tick and I actually gave a loud cheer.

 

 I was surprised at how boggy the slopes of the reserve were, an ideal site for dragonflies and other creatures that like the wet. Plenty of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were on the wing, looking just as worn as our prized specimen. Golden-ringed Dragonflies were numerous and perched obligingly, far more so than our local specimens that vanish at any approach.

 

The sun was gaining in strength so we returned to the car park for a brew and a change of plan, rather than a 1000 ft. climb we decided that a recce for Black Guillemots in Oban harbour might pay dividends.