A Butterfly Meander

So, I saw two weather forecasts last night, for this morning. The first basically predicted the beginning of the apocalypse with thunder, lightening, 3 months rain in 20 minutes with hailstones the size of golf balls etc etc, and the second said we've no idea what's going on, so we'll say 50% chance of rain, 50% chance of a belter of a day, 100% chance of hot, hot HOT. The second forecast was more right, blue skies, blazing sun, no hint of rain. I interwebbed "butterfly hunt in dorset" and it came up with a butterfly reserve 5 miles down the road that I had never heard of, so I decided to have a tootle to Alner Gorse Butterfly Reserve, Hazelbury Bryan. Well, the sat nav didn't like that one little bit, so after some creative driving (and parking) I found myself there shortly after 8am.

Something little and flighty caught my eye pretty much as soon as I passed through the gate...  no idea what it is, just black with a stripe and a propensity for the underside of a leaf...I nearly put my back out with this one!!

And then the first of a myriad of hoverbeewaspfly thingies I saw (don't worry, only a few pics!)

Then the first of my "official" reason for going there.. butterflies… A Speckled Wood

Then a really sad looking hoverbeewaspfly, "Why the long face?"

The most prolific of the butterfly families I think was the whites, closely followed by the browns, a Small White

And a Meadow Brown (coincidentally as if to prove my point lol)

Then what looks a lot like a plastic hoverbeewaspfly

And now a couple of a Gold-Faced Fly (I might have made that name up, btw, answers on a postcard...)

I had little expectation of seeing many birds, particularly given how hot it already was, but a blackcap (I think) surprised me

And then I think we have a Speckled Wood showing it's underwing (I'm never very sure with underwings, or top of wings come to that, hmm... or bees, or birds.....)

A Small White was having a good feed up (nectaring?)

And a Speckled Wood was showing one of the many variations in colouring

There was an abundance of Field Moths (thanks Wendy...39 varieties I believe? lol) but only one or two pics.. this one was coz it wasn't on the underside of a blade of grass 2 inches off the floor (still thinking of my poor back!)

And we have another hoverbeewaspfly with a button in it's back this time

And another hoverbeewaspfly, this time practising its tightrope walking

A Gatekeeper popped up, and there wasn't a gate in sight!!

And so after struggling, peering through foliage to get a shot of it, it decided to come and pose nicely. I'm just glad I hadn't had to bend down too far!

And then a Crickety Grasshopper (afraid I don't know the difference, though probably should)

A Green Veined White refuelled

And another Small White showed some of the colour variations (getting as bad as bloody damsel flies!)

And a Ringlet popped by to say Hi

And a Gatekeeper that was possibly sat under a bird!

I had almost given up on spotting any blues, but then one turned up, a tatty Common possibly

And then a Holly

One of the field moths flew up, as I passed by, but unfortunately (for the moth) it went into a spider's web, who pounced instantly

Most of the reserve is sort of scrubby/grassy, kept tidy by some Dartmoor Ponies (which I didn't see) and it is still being developed to benefit the butterflies. There is a woodland area towards the far end, which is being managed (I think that basically means thinned out by cutting some down) but it was quite pleasant in there, certainly cooler and I loitered for maybe 20 minutes, not moving much, to see what birdlife there was..... Mrs PB just pointed out I could get arrested for loitering in the woods!!

There were a couple of blackbirds, some blue tits, and I saw a recently fledged robin, but also this fellow... they seemed to flap frequently as the y flew, quite high up among the trees, then glide a couple of yards to land on it. I don't know what they are (the pics have been lightened slightly as it was dim in the woods) possibly flycatcher?

There were also a couple of busy, busy Coal Tits

A distinctive rustling started up a few yards ahead of me from the undergrowth, and a pair of blackbirds were throwing the woodland detritus around...Mr stayed stubbornly beyond a tree stump...

I came out of the wood, and started melting in the heat, but soldiered bravely on, thinking of how I couldn't let you, dear reader, down, with only half a post LOL!!

Next up, an amorous male, and not even vaguely amorous female Common Blue

Not sure what this chap is, spent about 10 minutes trying to get a decent shot, and failed, these are the best I managed, any ID helpful please (something unusual would be nice!!) :o)

A couple of what I think were Emperor dragonflies had whizzed by about 10 feet up in the air, about 10 minutes apart, no idea where from, as I don't think there was any river/stream in the vicinity, but then a 2 second pit stop by this 4 Spot Ruby Red With a Hint of Orangey-Green Darter ( I might have made that name up too, btw)

Another Small White, showed ANOTHER colour variation

Another of those Darters came and landed a few feet in front of me, still don't know which one it is, but probably not 4 Spot Ruby Red With a Hint of Orangey-Green Darter

I spotted a Ladybird on a plant stem, and it wasn't until I got the pic on the computer, I noticed the stem was actually his buffet!

Then yet another Small White was stuffing its' face

And finally, on the path back to the car, there was this, again underwings are not my friend, but could possibly be a Large Heath (looking on t'internet) but it didn't strike me as being particularly large

Thanks for reading, and for any info you can supply to supplement my guess work!

Stay Safe All, and watch the sun, it's scorchio!

  • Fantastic collection of photos and variety of species PB, you do very well on your adventures into the great outdoors and come back with lovely photos and commentary for us all so thank you :) Managed to escape again today but felt totally cream-crackered at the end of the 4 and half mile up drover tracks paved in rocks ! Beats me how you find so many species as I usually come back with a max of 6 if I'm lucky LOL Eyesight may have something to do with it !!
  • Ta Hazel, and you're welcome :o) Basically I photograph anything that moves, then sort through it all later.... you should see how many windblown leaves and petals I have lol
  • PimperneBloke said:
    you should see how many windblown leaves and petals I have lol

    been there, done that and got the  "fooled by foliage"  T-shirt    lol 

  • Unknown said:
    4 and half mile

    Meant to add.... are you mad?? 4 1/2 miles!!!

  • PimperneBloke said:
    Meant to add.... are you mad?? 4 1/2 miles!!!

    LOL  !!    to be honest, we had done this route a few years ago but today it seemed a lot more challenging as most of the pathways were old drovers tracks so we had to negotiate stones and rocks in the heat.     The worrying thing was the map I'd printed was still at home and the further we went the more you worry about taking the right route !    Seemed twice as far as last time in 24 degrees but we eventually made it back to the car where we almost kissed the ground   ha ha !     

  • Catching up can be fun, I'm sat in my lounge with a cool breeze blowing gently through, the sun outside hazy, and reading about the trials and tribulations of others!!!!!
    Well done on your sightings PB, amusing to read and lovely to see, especially all the unnamed creatures you spot, I liked the brown eyed girl/gold faced fly you found, You must have patience to find all those creatures and then to post your pics too, takes me ages just to post 6!!!!
  • You certainly pack a lot into a trip!!
    A few extra ID's for you - test to follow, later.
    It's a Grasshopper, probably a Common Green - crickets have longer, finer antennae (and spikier rear ends)
    Gold-faced fly is one of the Tachinid Flies, probably Tachina Fera
    The second dragon is a Common Darter.
    The early stripy things are hoverflies, including the Long Hoverfly, which is the long thin one ... obviously (the other one is identifiable too but I don't think it has a common name).
  • Great post & photos. The first little moth is a Common Grass-veneer (Agriphila tristella) & the field moth is a Rosy-striped Knot-horn (Oncocera semi-rubella) .

  • A great selection of butterflies and insects PB, I hope you had your bicycle clips on as there are Adders at that reserve, don't want them slithering up your pants.
  • PimperneBloke said:

    So, I saw two weather forecasts last night, for this morning. The first basically predicted the beginning of the apocalypse with thunder, lightening, 3 months rain in 20 minutes with hailstones the size of golf balls etc etc, and the second said we've no idea what's going on, so we'll say 50% chance of rain, 50% chance of a belter of a day, 100% chance of hot, hot HOT. The second forecast was more right, blue skies, blazing sun, no hint of rain. I interwebbed "butterfly hunt in dorset" and it came up with a butterfly reserve 5 miles down the road that I had never heard of, so I decided to have a tootle to Alner Gorse Butterfly Reserve, Hazelbury Bryan. Well, the sat nav didn't like that one little bit, so after some creative driving (and parking) I found myself there shortly after 8am.

    Then a really sad looking hoverbeewaspfly, "Why the long face?"

    A lovely set of photos PB and a good move ignoring the adverse weather forecasts.

    An interesting sight on the copied in photo, after enlarging the photo, that looks like a tick hitching a ride on a wing and a prayer!

    Having seen lots of ticks over the years, and become victim to one, the body looks too short for an aphid and appears to be taking on the shape and form of a tick enjoying a feast of its hosts blood!

    But I could be wrong