Butterflies

Monday 4th June and it was hot and sunny as we headed off to Dartmoor for a walk but by the time we arrived at our destination it had clouded over. However it remained very hot and became increasingly humid too and meant that insect life remained very active despite the lack of sunshine.

Sightings included dipper, grey wagtail, marsh tit, blackcap, beautiful demoiselles, silver ground carpet, a keeled skimmer, my first meadow brown of the year, large red damselfly, brown trout, swift, swallow and house martins.

 Silver Ground Carpet

 Keeled Skimmer

Beautiful Demoiselle

The highlight though were heath fritillaries which showed very well, the most I have ever seen together. The site is managed for these rare butterflies and they have been introduced here so my snobby predjudices about introduced species came to the fore as usual but they were a joy to watch.

 Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary

 Heath Fritillary - Lunch for a Crab Spider

Heath Fritillary

A single small pearl bordered fritillary was seen too, a brief view nectaring on flowers before dashing off never to be seen again.

 Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary

It was a great walk but we were glad to drive home with the windows wound right down to cool off in the increasingly muggy conditions.

Wednesday 6th June and I met up with retired work colleague Jan for a walk along the coast path from Mount Batten to Bovisands on another warm and sunny morning. It was nice to catch up and chat about life, the universe and everything and along the way I watched songflighting whitethroats and swallows with a chiffchaff and blackcap heard as well but it was nice to see a few butterflies too - common blue, holly blue, large white, speckled wood, large skipper, red admiral and a green hairstreak.

 Plymouth Sound from Bovisand

 Green Hairstreak