Butterfly Islands

At the woodland clearing close to Calbourne yesterday morning and the skies mainly cloudy with showers just one Queen of Spain Fritillary to be seen when the sun briefly appeared. This male now showing signs of wear and tear. Hopefully a new brood may take flight next month. Also plenty of blues to be seen.

The unmistakable fast erractic-like flight of a Long-tailed Blue  was seen this morning in my garden.As usual it was close to the wide expanse of our Everlasting Pea plants. It has been three years since I lasted noted this species in the garden and with the recent reports of individuals close by on the mainland I was not surprised. However I was mo...

A walk onto Mottistone Down this morning discovered four species of 'blue' butterfly. First of all the second brood Adonis Blue,together with Common and Chalk-hill Blue. The Brown Argus was also out in good numbers and all species were busily nectaring on the downland flora and in paricular Carline Thistle, carlina vulgaris. Other butterflies...

Another sunny summers day and a morning visit to Bouldnor Forest. In some places flowering fleabane line the woodland tracks and is always a favourite for butterflies. Therefore it was not a surprise to encounter several Clouded Yellow nectaring on these flowers. A particular treat was to see this helice form which is restricted to females.Appartent...

Two Queen of Spain Fritillaries were there to greet me this morning at Brighstone Forest. Both appeared flighty as they demanded space to bask in the sunshine and would occasionally duel with each other by spiralling upwards into the trees.