"For now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see" Neutral Milk Hotel.

Thursday, 26 July 2018

An unexpected early morning butterfly bonanza in the Downs

White-letter Hairstreak, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018



Painted Lady, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018


Silver-washed Fritillary, Ringstead Downs, 26th July 2018



This morning I made what I anticipated would be a quick 7 am visit to the downs to try to find a Purple Hairstreak. I found one, taking moisture and/or minerals from the ground along the main path but it flew off too quickly to be photographed. Much to my surprise I went on to find about 10 White-letter Hairstreaks behaving in the same way (the first on patch for me - and I don't think anyone else has seem them here for decades), a very smart, fresh, Painted Lady, the first of the late generation of Wall, flying with Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and a few Ringlets and, amazingly, at least three Silver-washed Fritillaries - as far as I'm aware, the first for Ringstead Downs and only the second record for the patch after Robert found a tatty individual on the buudleja at the NOA a couple of years ago. Whatever next ?

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