Stuart's Wildlife Diary: Silver-spotted Skipper

Showing posts with label Silver-spotted Skipper. Show all posts

Monday, 24 August 2020

Last Butterfly Trip of 2020

The weather this past week has been Shite but that is not unusual for Devon in August.

On the morning of Monday 17th August I checked out the moth box in the back yard but there was little of note other than a smart Yellow-barred Brindle and a Square-spot Rustic, both with a slight area of damage to their wings. The forecast overnight had been for rain so I had rigged up the moth box again with the clothes airer and golfing umbrella but it hadn't rained very much at all and so the trap was relatively dry.

Yellow-barred Brindle

Square-Spot Rustic

There were no Hobby sightings this time on my commute to work for a night shift on Tuesday 18th but I did see a nice Peregrine flying over Mutley Plain on my journey which lightened my pre-work mood. The night was wet and windy and the next day was a good day for sea watching off Devon and Cornwall but unfortunately I was in bed in the morning and mooching about the house in the afternoon.

Thursday 20th was very windy still but with clear skies and so we headed out to Rame Head for a walk and a look around. I spent an hour scanning offshore from The Chapel in strong winds, choppy seas and harsh light and only managed to see Stuarts Big 4 sea watching birds - 1 Fulmar, 1 juvenile Kittiwake, loads of variously plumaged Gannets and 4 Manx Shearwater.

The weather overnight was again horrendous with gales and rain but I had to work on Friday 21st so missed out on more sea watching excitement with Long-tailed Skua, Puffin, Storm Petrel, etc, all being seen from Rame Head - never mind.

Saturday 22nd and I had an early start for a trip to Fontmell Down in Dorset to look for Adonis Blue and Silver--spotted Skipper. The weather forecast wasn't ideal with strong winds and sunny intervals predicted but having switched plans twice already due to unfavourable weather forecasts on the 15th and 17th August and with my target butterflies being seen at Fontmell on both those days I decided to just go for it and I'm very glad I did.

I arrived on site at around 9am and it was cool, cloudy, humid and windy but within a few minutes of starting my walk I disturbed an Adonis Blue from the grass. More were seen throughout my walk especially in the brief sunny spells and in the more sheltered spots including a very obliging individual who appreciated being warmed up on my hand following a heavy rain shower.

Adonis Blue

I met a family from Plymouth looking for butterflies too (and who were much friendlier than 2 photographers who made it quite clear that they didn't even want to acknowledge me yet along speak to me) and they quickly found a Silver-spotted Skipper resting on the ground quickly followed by another. I only managed to get a few rubbish record shots of them before they flew off but at least I had seen one.

Later I found my own Silver-spotted Skipper which dashed off before I could get a photo and with the skies darkening more, the wind picking up and the temperature dropping I wasn't hopeful of seeing any more but in the last hour before I had to leave the sun appeared and I found another 3 individuals including a very confiding one that again appreciated being warmed up on my hand and allowing some good photo opportunities.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Large White, Common Blue, Small White and my first Painted Lady of the year were also seen along with a probable male Chalkhill Blue which dashed across the Down in a skirmish with a male Adonis Blue never to be seen again.

Painted Lady

A few birds were noted with a juvenile male Kestrel, 4 Raven, a juvenile Wheatear, Swallow, a Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap and a female and a winter plumaged male Redstart all seen with the Redstarts unfortunately chasing off the Spotted Flycatcher.

Dwarf Thistle

Autumn Gentian

Harebell

It was a long and tiring but successful trip despite the weather and I finally managed to get some fantastic views of Silver-spotted Skipper on what will be my last Butterfly Trip of 2020.

Saturday, 1 September 2018

Silver-spotted Skipper at Fontmell Down

Thursday 30th August and I decided enough was enough and I should just bite the bullet and go for it and so I headed off to Fontmell Down in Dorset to look for silver-spotted skipper, something I have wanted to do for a few years now. The weather forecast wasn't particularly promising with sunny spells but increasing cloud and a maximum temperature of 19°c but off I headed anyway with a very early start (04:10 alarm call) to catch the 05:20 train from Plymouth. The train journey went smoothly to Gillingham followed by a bus ride to Shaftesbury and then a taxi ride to Compton Abbas Airfield and I arrived at Fontmell Down at around 9am to be greeted with some stunning scenery despite the cloudy skies and cool temperature.

Fontmell Down, Dorset

I wandered around to get my bearings and disturbed a few meadow browns and small heaths from the grass as I passed by despite the lack of sunshine and chilly air.

Small Heath

After about an hour the sun eventually began to shine weakly from behind the clouds and the temperature began to lift and a flash of electric blue near the path gave away the position of a stunning male Adonis blue trying to warm itself up on the tip of a stalk of grass.

Adonis Blue

The sun continued to break through the clouds and eventually it became sunny and warm and the insect activity really kicked off with butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, bees, hoverflies and flies flitting about all over the place making it difficult to keep track of things and focused.

Pyrausta despicata

Pyrausta purpuralis

Small copper, a brimstone, a clouded yellow, common blue, a large white, brown Argus, small white and what I think is a faded male chalkhill blue were also seen but there was no sign of any silver-spotted skippers.

Chalkhill Blue?

There were many Adonis blues flying about to keep me occupied though, there must have been well over a hundred flying around, and the males looked stunning in the sunshine especially when the light caught them at just the right angle and they became a dazzling electric blue.

Adonis Blue

Adonis Blue with Red Mite

Adonis Blue

Brown Argus

Adonis Blue

Brown Argus

I was beginning to resign myself to not seeing any silver-spotted skippers when a small butterfly dashed past in front of me and landed on a dandelion flower and on checking it out with my binoculars I was delighted to find it was indeed my target butterfly, a little worn but great to see. It flitted from dandelion to dandelion before dashing off out of sight and despite searching I never refound it but I was very pleased to have seen one and I even managed to get a few photos of it in the short time it was on view.

Silver-spotted Skipper

I managed a few bird sightings too with a flyover raven, 2 juvenile wheatear, a juvenile whinchat feeding from a barbed wire fence, a winter plumage male and at least 3 female/juvenile redstarts flitting about in the bushes with chiffchaffs, blackcaps and willow warblers, a male kestrel hovering overhead and nearly taking out a careless blackbird and a yellow wagtail heard calling overhead but unfortunately not seen.

Autumn ladies tresses were also in flower across the down, easily overlooked amongst the dry grass but easily seen once you got your eye in on them.

Autumn Ladies Tresses

The clouds began to roll back in as forecasted and by the time I left in the taxi at around 2pm for the journey back to Shaftesbury and onwards to Plymouth it had clouded over but I had had an amazing time and was very glad I had finally made the effort to visit the site - I will certainly visit again and hopefully will get better views of silver-spotted skippers next time.

Fontmell Down