18 Jul 2014

Butterflies and Bees by Keith Fowler

Wednesday 18th June 2014

Nine of us made the trip to the Shropshire Wildlife Reserve at Llynclys Common and a lovely sunny day. We parked in the lay-by recommended by the Trust. Here there was a very helpful information board. Unfortunately a mega-sized articulated lorry had parked right in front of it meaning that you had to squeeze in the gap between the lorry and the hedge to look at it. 

The Trust has a leaflet of the site that you can download here. There is a map on it so you can follow our progress around the site.

It was a short walk from the layby (marked P on the map) to the bridle path that takes you into the reserve. We managed this quite quickly without too much distraction and entered the site. The bridle path progresses through woodland until it comes to a junction. Here we took the right fork into Rough Dennion Coppice. Here we had our first encounter with a Greater Butterfly orchid (although I missed it) and a Giant puffball (which I also missed).

This path stumbles out onto Ant Hill meadow, a very aptly named area as the grassland is goose-pimple like with its many old ant hills. The photograph does not do justice to the landscape but it is the best I could manage.



And here is a photograph of one of the ant hills, just in case you would like reminding of what one looks like!




On arrival in the meadow we promptly rested up and had morning coffee.

Refreshed we searched the meadow. There were not many insects about but the botanists amongst us had a great time discovering many unfamiliar plants. And for a while the insect searchers gave up and joined the botanists in their quest.

The Great Butterfly Catcher had an early success by finding a long horn beetle. This was one of the species pair Leiopus linnei/nebulosus.



With reluctance we tore ourselves away from Ant Hill meadow and headed along the lane then path to Lower Butchers Quarry. But only after pausing at the gate of the meadow to admire the Twayblades and Common spotted orchids. 

Along the path we were treated to numerous Greater butterfly orchids, Twayblades and Common spotted orchids; they were almost common!



These floral delights were then crowned by a couple of Bee orchids.



At last we made it to Lower Butchers Quarry and over lunch contemplated what other delights the site may reveal. We did not have to wait long before the Great Butterfly catcher pounced and caught a Dingy skipper, rather worn, but definitely a Dingy skipper. A few minutes later she pounced again and this time produced a Grizzled skipper from her net (pictured).



This was all too much for the Great Stick Finder. He wandered off and returned a few minutes later having found and netted a Small Pearl bordered fritillary. How do you identify these? Well you look for the number “730” on the leading edge of the left forewing. Can you see it? It also looks like the annotated picture on the SWT Reserve leaflet which is a bit of a clue.



Buoyed by these delights we explored Lower Butchers Quarry but then realised that time was pressing and we still had 90% of the site to visit.

With reluctance we left Lower Butchers Quarry and made our way to Upper Butchers Quarry. Here the vegetation was much denser and higher than in the lower quarry and did not hold as much interest so it was there was not with a lot of reluctance we moved on.

And up Slippery steps (there weren’t any steps) onto Woodpecker glade (there weren’t any Woodpeckers). I wandered off to check the route and do some insecting. When I returned a few minutes later everyone else was sprawled on the ground. Given the heat and pleasant surroundings this seemed an opportunity not to be missed so I joined them.

With reluctance we stirred ourselves and meandered back via Beulah Lodge and Rough Denion Coppice to the cars and home. On the way home the lure of an ice-cream at the Knockin Shop was too much for some of us to resist.

An excellent site (the 20% of it that we visited) and an excellent day that will be remembered for its butterflies (insect and orchid varieties) and bees (orchids). 

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