Out looking for a Mega Butterfly species.
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The Habitat which was similar to the site but I forgot to take one there.
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I was out quite early and drove out to the west and then I took a minor road North to a spot which a good friend had given me for a species I had long wanted to see, the
Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine) but he warned me it was extremely difficult and he was certainly not wrong about this as it took me to 5.5 hours to get one brief view without a chance of a picture but it was worth it.
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Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
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Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus). |
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Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus). |
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Purple Hairstreak ( Quercus). |
On the way to the site I had
White Wagtail (Lavandera Blanca / Montacilla alba),
House Sparrow (Gorrión Común / Passer domesticus),
Common Swift (Vencejo Común / Apus apus), Red-backed Shrike (Alcaudón Dorsirrojo / Lanius collurio),
Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula),
Blackcap (Curruca Capirotada / Sylvia atricailla),
Cirl Bunting (Escribano Soteno / Emberiza cirlus),
Barn Swallow (Golondrina Común / Hirundo rustica),
House Martin (Avión Común / Delichon urbica),
Black (Colirrojo Tizón / Phoenicurus ochruros) and Common Redstart (Colirroja Real / Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Carrion Crow (Corneja Negra / Corvus corone), Serin (Verdecillo / Serinus serinus) and
Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus).
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Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis). |
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Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera). |
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Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus). |
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Dark-green Fritillary ().
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Dark-green Fritillary (). |
I parked and walked on to the site picking up
Southern Brown Argus (Aricia cramera),
Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris),
Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) and just over the river we picked up
Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus),
Purple Hairstreak ( Quercus),
Southern Heath (Melitaea
nevadensis) and
Dark-green Fritillary () before I started to search the woodland glade and meadows.
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Pearly Heath (Coenonympha arcania). |
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Southern Blue (Polyommatus celina) female. |
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Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis). |
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Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus). |
As I searched I saw and heard
Blackcap,
Cirl Bunting,
Yellowhammer (Escribano Cerillo / Emberiza citronella), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Grey Wagtail (Lavandera Cascadena / Motacilla cinerea), Coal (Carbonero Garrapinos / Parus ater) and
Marsh Tit (Carbonero Palustre /Parus palustris),
Nuthatch (Trepador Azul / Sitta europaea), Middle-spotted Woodpecker (Pico Mediano / Dendrocopos medius) and Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula).
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Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera). |
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Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis). |
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Dark-green Fritillary (). |
As the morning went on more and more butterflies were on the wing which included
Marbled White (Melanargia galathea),
Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus), Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), Dusky Heath (
Coenonympha dorus), Small White (
Pieris rapae),
Adonis (Lysandra bellargus), Common (Polyommatus icarus),
Holly (Celastrina argiolus), Long-tailed (Lampides boeticus) and Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas),
Weaver's Fritillary (Boloria dia),
Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus),
Rock Grayling (Hipparchi alcyone),
Berger's Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis), Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and
Iberian Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides feisthameli),
Wood White (
Leptidea sinapis),
Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) and
Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi).
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Zygaena transalpina probably.
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Hypomecis punctinalis. |
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Rock Grayling (Hipparchi alcyone). |
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Southern Heath Fritillary (Melitaea nevadensis). |
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Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus) female.
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Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus) female. |
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Sooty Copper (Lycaena tityrus) female. |
I walked back to the car for a drink and some food finding a male
Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii), Betony (Stachys officinalis),
Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense),
Common (Malva sylvestris) and Musk Mallow (Malva moschata),
Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Purple Bugloss (Echium plantagineum), Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon),
Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) and
Common Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria).
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Chalk Hill Blue (). |
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Chalk Hill Blue ().
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Common Golden Ringed (Cordulegaster boltonii). |
I sat down by the river next to another couple where I saw another
Common Golden Ring, more
Southern Heath Fritillaries and another new species for me, a
Chalk Hill Blue () which kept landing on the hand of a lady who kindly let me take some pictures as it was taking minerals from her skin.
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Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
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Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous). |
On the way I remember a few words of wisdom from Ed, if you see Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) in any of the hay meadows stop and check it for Dusky Large Blue (Phengaris nausithous), so when I spotted the plant I stopped and very quickly found the first of several of this new Blue species for me, over the moon. |
Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna). |
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Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides). |
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Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides). |
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Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe). |
In this same area I also recorded Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Brenthis ino),
Spanish Heath (Coenonympha iphioides),
Purple-edged (Lycaena hippothoe)
and a single Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae), Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) and a very unexpected
Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna).
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