The 58 - Episode III - A couple of the more difficult butterflies

Sunday 19th April 2020

Yet another Wednesday blessed with glorious weather has been and gone, another Joy of Wildlife outing missed due to the current situation. This is not a complaint only an observation. The only complaint I do have is that the weather is openly mocking us as our movements are severely restricted.

On with the story ...

The nineteen butterflies that had been seen to date on the epic quest had not been particularly scarce or hard to find, inasmuch as they could, with perseverance and luck, be found in Shropshire or nearby. This was about to change.

One thing a quest of this sort requires is dogged determination to carry out the necessary research. Firstly, you need to know all the information about flight periods and possible sites of our rarer butterflies. The flight period is very important as, if you look for, say, a Silver-studded blue in September you are unlikely to find it, and the quest will fail. Secondly, you need to scour the internet for any scraps of information from others about sightings and where they were. Thirdly you must not be shy in quizzing others, when out and about, to glean what they have seen and most importantly - where they saw it.

We were now in mid-May and there were two rarer butterflies that had, in theory, emerged or were about to take flight - Duke of Burgundy and Marsh fritillary - plus the commoner species - Adonis blue. None of these are found in our neighbourhood so they needed trips to known sites.

As mentioned in my last report, when we went to the Wyre Forest to see the Pear-bordered fritillaries, we had a chance encounter that resulted in us to travelling to the intriguingly named Incombe Hole.

Why, you may ask?

To see the Duke of Burgundy.

No, not a member of the nobility, but a butterfly.

In previous years we had been to Prestbury Hill overlooking Cheltenham to see this butterfly. These trips were successful but numbers were very low. Incombe Hole held the promise, according to our informant, of a more abundant population.

Where is it?

The site is close to the village of Ivinghoe, south west of Dunstable, at the northern end of the Chiltern escarpment close to the Ivinghoe Beacon.

The "hole" is a dry valley etched out in the last glacial period.

There are a few paths down from the surrounding plateau; most of them steep. We took what looked like the easiest one.

Within minutes of reaching the grassland at the bottom we were rewarded by the sight of a Duke of Burgundy butterfly, number 20 for the year.

We had found our target species, we could go home, or to the pub or somewhere else. But we stayed.

It was not hard to find the Duke of Burgundy butterflies, there were lots of them. Our informant was lauded.

Not only did we find our target species but also many Grizzled skippers, lots of Dingy skippers (so many, in fact, that as we found another butterfly, we were heard to mutter with disappointment "Oh! It's only another Dingy skipper .", and plenty of others including a bonus:

Number 21, a Brown argus.

Incombe Hole is also a site for Pasque flower. Unfortunately we were too late to see them in flower.

As I was stumbling down the side of the valley after photographing the plant our hero and his companion had found a hoverfly associated with ants nests. By the time I got there it had gone.

"It will return", they assured me

And it did to keep a watch on an ants nest. I managed a photograph, not the sharpest by any means but just about OK.

Xanthogramma citrofasciatum:

It was with reluctance that we left this brilliant site and fought our way home through the late afternoon traffic, passing, as we crawled along through Dunstable, the wonderful sign pointing out the way to the
"Baptists Chapel
Recycling Centre"

After a day off to recover from one trip we set out on another. To yet another curiously named site - "Strawberry Banks", a well known site for the second of our "more difficult" butterflies - Marsh fritillary.

Strawberry Banks is a couple of fields of limestone grassland on a slope surrounded by woodland and scrub near to Chalford in Gloucestershire. The fields are thought to have once been used to grow strawberries, hence its name, but there were none to be seen when we were there.

The visit did not get off to a great start. Although the marsh fritillary were supposed to be out there were none to be seen. However we did find a bonus species:

Number 22: Small blue

Photograph: Bob Kemp

There were also plenty of Small heath.

But of Marsh fritillaries, there was no sign.

We split up Bob was at one end of the field and I was at the other. Our hero wandered up the hill and had a sit down as the "fret-level" rose.

Were we too early?

Were we too late?

The I saw that Bob was tracking something. Not only that but he had attracted a crowd who, much to his annoyance, had decided to "help" him track it. Which, of course, made it harder to track.

Yes, it was a Marsh fritillary. Success. But had our hero seen it?

I continued my own search and very soon stumbled on more of the butterflies.

Number 23: Marsh fritillary

Despite shouting and frantic arm waving, our hero kept his distance and showed no inclination to come and see what we had found. Had he abandoned hope?

Eventually we re-gathered and it turned out that our hero had been content to watch the fritillaries as they flew about him, making their way from the top of the hill to the bottom, which is where Bob and I were finding them.

Another successful trip. The quest was still going well, although we had seen the first signs of stress when the Marsh fritillaries took a while to appear.

As we left we spotted a Birdsnest orchid in the woodland next to the fields.

You have to admit, it is not the most attractive plant.

We had a few days break until we ventured out on our next trip to the south. This time we went to Stinchcombe Hill, near Dursley, again in Gloucestershire, in the hope of finding an Adonis blue.

Stincombe Hill is part of the Cotswolds and towers above the surrounding countryside with sides of limestone grassland that slope steeply down to the lower lying countryside below.

The top is a plateau where the locals have placed a golf course.

Still, it is serviced by a large car park and there are several rights of way over and around the summit plateau.

We spent our time on the slopes picking out paths that, as much as possible, followed the contours of the hill.

One of the first species we found was a Cistus forester.

I know the forester moths are very hard to distinguish, but, fortunately, we met the ranger of the site, who happened to be a keen and well-travelled lepidopterist, and he told us what it was.

We found a blue butterfly, but away it flew before we were able to get close enough to identify the species. It was pursued, but in vain.

More moths of interest were found in the grass.

A Burnet companion.

A Mother Shipton with the hag-like profiles on its wings.

And a Wood tiger.

BUT, apart from the flyaway blue - NO BUTTERFLIES.

Again the "fret-meter" began to rise.

Then a success ...

Number 24: Painted Lady

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

These two photographs are not of the one we saw but from later in the year.

Painted ladies seem to be feast or famine. Often we will go long periods without seeing any then there will be an eruption and they are everywhere. Last year there was an eruption. Later in the year we went to Spurn Point. Why? Because its there! Where we found hundreds of Painted ladies feeding on the large patches of Sea aster.

Anyway, back to Stinchcombe Hill.

We persevered and finding a sheltered spot in full sunshine we concentrated on that area.

Finally we were rewarded by finding …

Number 25: Adonis blue.

A second photograph is of one found later in the year.

And that seems a good point to leave the tale for this episode.

Next time ... Our intrepid hero goes solo on an epic journey to try to find Chequered skipper.

Did he succeed?

Before I finish. I continue to be the very grateful recipient of photographs taken while others are out and about taking their permitted exercise or clearing their gardens, sheds and garages. Here are a few for your enjoyment.

First a quiz.

What is this?

Photograph: Les Hughes

When asked, I did not have a clue! But I have now been told.

Do you know what it is?

All being well, i.e. if I remember, I will tell you in Episode IV.

An Ashy mining bee

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Heather shieldbug

Photograph: David Williams

A Large red damselfly

Photograph: David Williams

A spider - Misumena vatia

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A moth - Pebble prominent

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A Slender groundhopper

Photograph: David Williams

Another spider - Steotoda grossa

And finally, a Dock bug

Photograph: Graham Wenman

That's all folks.

The 58 - Episode II - Numbers 11 - 19

Sunday, 12 April 2020

As I fidget in frustration at not being able to get out and about in these last few days of glorious weather I turn my attention to some more butterflies found by our hero (Jim) in his great Quest.

(If you need a reminder the Quest was to see all 58 species of butterflies normally found in Great Britain.)

(A second reminder - I have tried to include photographs of each of the butterflies where they were found. Where this is not possible I have used photographs from other occasions that they were observed. Please do not be concerned if you see late season ivy in a photograph of a butterfly seen in Spring!)

As promised I have used a more imaginative title for this week's account, I hope you appreciate the effort!

And so we come, as mentiond in Episode I, to an outing to the delightfully named Sharpenhoe Clappers, at the end of April 2019.

For those of you who were not intrigued enough to investigate earlier, it is the site of an Iron Age promontory fort and associated earthworks, situated on a chalk escarpment that rises from the generally flatter ground that surrounds it, just north of Luton.

Why did we choose to go there ...?

… It was a nice day.

And what was the butterfly that we went all that way to find?

Number 11: Large white

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

No, we did not really go to Sharpenhoe Clappers just to find one of our most common butterflies, it just happened that was where our hero saw his first Large white of the year.

Whilst we were there we also found a Small yellow underwing:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

According to the County Moth Recorders for Bedfordshire this was the first time this moth had been recorded at this site. The trip was worthwhile.

After finding Large white our hero had to wait 11 days before finding number 12. There was a definite tension in the air as the days sped by. Then the floodgates opened and in the next three days EIGHT more were added to the list of sightings for the year, and none of them required a visit to far off lands.

Number 12 was Wood white which are found in some woodlands in the south west of Shropshire. Bury Ditches is a well known Shropshire site for this butterfly. However, our hero found his in Radnor Wood, a Forestry Commission plantation just south of Bury Ditches. In recent times the Forestry Commission has been undertaking work in this plantation to encourage the wood white by opening up the rides with, it seems, some success.

I do not have a photograph of the wood white Jim saw but the Joy of Wildlife group visited the wood, as part of its programme, a few weeks later, on a damp and dreary day and we found half a dozen. They were very docile due to the inclement weather.

Photograph: David Williams

The following day our hero and I went to Lower Butchers Quarry which is situated in the north western Corner of Llynclys Common. Here we found Number 13 - Dingy skipper:

Photograph: David Williams

And number 14 - Grizzled skipper, which our hero did manage to photograph:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

This following photograph was taken a couple days later:

Despite finding the two skippers the quarry was not "buzzing", although we did find a Hairy shieldbug:

The lack of activity encouraged us to move on to Llanymynech Quarry, which was nearby. As we left the first quarry we passed a large patch of Wild garlic amongst which we found the hoverfly closely associated with this plant, Portevinia maculata.

Part of Llanymynech Quarry is in Shropshire but some of the quarry and the majority of the hill lie in Wales, and it was to Wales that we headed. This was the area receiving the afternoon sun.

And here at the sides of one of the paths along the side of the hill we found three more new species.

Number 15 - Common blue:

Number 16 - Red admiral

Number 17 - Small heath

Heroes do not require any rest!

The following day, reinforced by the presence of Bob, we went to the Wyre Forest in pursuit of Pearl-bordered fritillaries, which would bring the count for the year to eighteen.

We parked in the Earnwood Copse car park, crossed the road to enter the woodland and walked down the ride until we got to the wide clearing that opens out to the right.

Along the vegetation that bordered the rides at the side of and leading away from the clearing we were very pleased to find a good population of our target species for the day. They were quite flighty in the sun and breeze but we did manage to take a few photographs as they fed at some bluebells.

Number 18 - Pearl-bordered fritillary

Rather like Lower Butcher's Quarry, apart from the fritillaries, there was very little else about. The only thing of note from our point of view was a longhorn beetle, Rhagium bifasciatum.

As, for some strange reason, it was decided that Wenlock Edge was on our way home from the Wyre Forest, we travelled to the Edge's Presthope car park. From here we made our way through the trees to the top of Lea Quarry, a well known site for Wall butterfly.

Rather like the Wyre there was not much about but we did track down a couple of Wall butterflies. These were very successful in evading the camera lens. The one below was photographed a few months later.

Number 19 - Wall

That brings us to the end of this instalment. Everything was going smoothly and most had been found close to home. This could not continue … or could it?

Before I finish I must tell you of a chance encounter in the Earnwood Copse car park. Here we met a couple who had travelled from afar to see the Pearl-bordered fritillaries. As always when meeting fellow well-travelled lepidopterans, our hero quizzed them about sites for the more difficult butterflies.

This conversation led us to travelling to Incombe Hole the following day; but you will have to wait to hear about the outcome of this trip.


Finally I was sent a couple of excellent photographs of a Hairy-footed flower bee that I would like you to see:

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: David Williams

The 58, Episode 1

Sunday, 5 April

I should be writing about our first outing of this year's Joy of Wildlife Programme which would have been to The Ercall last Wednesday, on a cold but reasonable early spring day. It was not to be as we remain under the "stay at home" restrictions.

What, therefore, can I write about?

I suppose the first question is whether I should be writing at all. However, in the strange circumstances we find ourselves in, we need to keep some constants in our lives as we try and muddle our way through to what we hope will be a more normal life.

Back to the question - what can I write about?

Taking my lead from the TV companies who, having almost run out of "new" programmes, are turning to repeats to keep us entertained, I have decided to take a similar course. Not actual repeats, although they would be far quicker to produce, but to look back to last year and record the achievement by one of our group to observe all the butterflies resident on mainland Britain.

There are, to my knowledge, 59 butterflies on the British checklist. One of these, the Cryptic wood white is found only in Ireland, so the mainland count is 58. The clue was in the title of this!

58 does not sound many to see in a year, but, as most of you are aware, the numbers and range of many butterfly species have declined significantly in recent times, This means that some of the butterflies are very hard to find and require special effort to locate them. Add to that the short lifespan of the adults, the challenge of seeing them all in a year is immense.

What follows is an epic tale of detailed planning, hard work, epic journeys, disappointments, stress, wonderful sites and sights, companionship and ultimately triumph.

(I will illustrate the unfolding events with photographs of each butterfly species plus anything else of interest observed on the same outing. Some of the photographs are Jim's own of the actual butterflies he saw, but many are not.)

Like Dickens I will relate the story in instalments. The number will rather depend on how many weeks we remain in lockdown. 

Enough of this rambling! Are you sitting comfortably? Then, let us begin ...

Once upon a time (about three years ago) a person, who we shall call Jim, announced that he would like to see all fifty-eight butterflies that are resident in mainland Britain. This was a feat he had achieved in long, long ago but he was very keen to do it again. Unfortunately life's ups and downs got in the way and he was unable to realise his dream.

Then, last year (2019), he announced that "This will be the year!". And so it proved.

Although many butterfly species are rare and difficult to find there are a good number that can be seen when you are out and about locally. Of these quite a few are found early in the year as they emerge from hibernation. Our hero was able to get an early start on his labours with three species in February and one in March.

The first two, as it happened, were not found locally but whilst he was out and about around Bicester.

The first was a Brimstone:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This was a chance encounter as one our hero's companions was able to capture a Brimstone with its wings open. A more common site is:

And here is a Brimstone's egg:

Photograph: David Williams

Number two for the year was a Small tortoiseshell, which he photographed:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

The third butterfly, found in February, was a Comma, during an winter Joy of Wildlife outing to Loamhole Dingle.

The second photograph shows the pale "comma" mark on the underside of the wing.

There was now a long period of "no new butterflies" until nearly the end of March when number four, a Peacock, was spotted.

Here is a photograph of the body and underside of the wing.

Photograph: David Williams

And finally a larva.

Photograph: David Williams

Early in April numbers five and six were both found on a Joy of Wildlife outing to Corbet Wood.

5. Orange Tip:

Photograph: David Williams

The photograph below shows orange tip's egg, usually found attached to the stem of cuckoo flower. If you are lucky enough to find an egg you will normally only find one on a plant as the larvae are canabalistic!

Photograph: David Williams

6. Speckled Wood

If you recall my report on our visit to Corbet Wood "Herding cats" (April 2019) you may remember that we thought the stand of Scot's pine may support Callicera rufa, the hoverfly found in Caledonian pine forest which seems to have been attracted to Shropshire.

And so it proved.

The following month the county dipterist recorder visited and found the hoverfly. A few of us visited a few days later and found about half a dozen flies on several trunks.

Number seven, the Green hairstreak, was found the day after our visit to Corbet Wood. It required our hero to drive to the Glacial Boulder on Cannock Chase. Fortunately, this was not very onerous as he lives close by. The railway cutting which passes behind the boulder site is, where legend has it, a site where the butterfly is often found. And the legend turned into reality when one was seen and photographed.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

A few months later we found a green hairstreak larva on an outing to Rigmoreoak.

Photograph: David Williams

Our next Joy of Wildlife outing was to the Shropshire Wildlife Reserve at Crickheath Meadows on 17 April 2019. After spending time in the meadow we made the short walk to another reserve - Blackbridge Quarry. Number eight, Green-veined white, was observed in the quarry.

Photograph: David Williams

The following week on our outing to Wollerton Wetlands, near Hodnet, number nine, a small copper, was spotted.

Number ten, and the last butterfly of this first instalment, was a Holly blue found very close to our hero's home.

Photograph: David Williams

OK, so far, so easy! No alarms, no dramas, no epic journeys. But stay with me, all that will change, starting with number eleven on a visit to the delightfully named Sharpenoe Clappers.

Until next time, keep safe.