Kearsney Birder: BUTTERFLY SAFARIS

Friday, 26 May 2017

BUTTERFLY SAFARIS

Having agreed to pick my lad up at Gatwick last Sunday afternoon,it was an ideal opportunity to visit Abbots Wood and Park Corner Heath in Sussex to try and see the Pearl Bordered Fritillaries that are found there. Arrived just before 10 and found my first quarry soon after.There are two species of PBF
Large and Small and this was the Large version.

PEARL BORDERED FRITILLARY

BRIMSTONE ON A BLUEBELL.
Patience paid off and eventually I got an underwing shot,not perfect, but better than I`ve had before.

Having read in the new Sussex butterfly atlas that the Small Pearl Bordered was now extinct there, I called in to Park Corner just to see what else was to be found and was pleasantly surprised to see at least four flying about.I have subsequently learnt that a reintroduction is in progress, so well done to all involved.

SMALL PEARL BORDERED FRITILLARY-

Note the underwing markings are very different from the Large PBF,thats why its important to see the closed wing pose.

The following day I set off for Salisbury at 5am to beat the M25 traffic which I did and arrived at Martin Down nature reserve just before 10,it was perfect butterfly weather and I was searching for the Marsh Fritillary a species that has eluded me on three previous attempts,I followed the path down towards the village of Martin and found Adonis,Common and lots of Small blues,Grizzled and Dingy Skippers,Small Heath,but no MF.On the return leg a different path eventually led to a small sheltered hollow where lo and behold my first ever British Marsh Fritillary was waiting for me.

MARSH FRITILLARY.

MARSH FRILLARY
As the morning wore on more and more were found along the pathways along with Green Hairstreak and Brown Argus.
Another treat was in store when a bunch, if that's the right word, of Burnt Tip Orchids were found,having only seen a single specimen before at Lydden a few years ago.