South Cumbria Spring butterflies

May 14, 2014:

Green Hairstreak at Foulshaw

Orange-tip at Foulshaw

Duke of Burgundy on Whitbarrow

Dingy Skipper on Whitbarrow

Eight species of butterfly at Gaitbarrows NNR, Lancashire

May 22, 2012:
At long last today was ideal butterfly weather and many species were flying. The Duke of Burgundy was very scarce, only one (or possibly a second one) seen. A Pearl-bordered Fritillary flew urgently along the rides but never settled although Dingy Skippers were more approachable when resting on the short turf. A single Green Hairstreak remained well concealed, perched on a similarly-coloured bramble leaf and a Small Copper regularly patrolled one small area. Also flying were Speckled Woods, Orange-tips and Brimstones.

The recently re-introducd Lady's Slipper orchid was in full flower whilst at nearby Leighton Moss Broad-bodied Chasers perched amongst last year's dead Phragmites spikes.

The following day, in equally good weather, two Duke of Burgundy and three Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were seen on Whitbarrow, across the county border in Cumbria

 A Pearl-bordered Fritillary on Whitbarrow (May 23)



BUTTERFLY: Skippers at Wrexham

[Large Skipper]

June 3, 2010:
The continuing sunny weather is ideal for butterflies. One species which should be flying now and which reaches its northern British limit in Denbighshire is the Grizzled Skipper. Known to occur in that county only in small numbers, it nevertheless seemed worth taking the chance to try to find it in the present good conditions. Loggerheads Country Park near Mold is a known locality and was checked first but today none could be found although one had been reported 'last week'. So, a move to a second known locality near Wrexham (Wrecsam) was called for. This was a 'brown field' site on an industrial estate with suitable habitat covering only a very small area. Again, no Grizzled Skippers were found on what is a very flower-rich piece of grassland but Dingy Skippers and Large Skippers were present as well as Small Heaths and Common Blues.


[Dingy Skipper]


[Dingy Skipper]


[Common Blue]


[Small Heath]

This site at Wrexham is becoming rather overgrown and there was little evidence of the presence of the Grizzled Skipper's food plant (Wild Strawberry). A disused quarry nearby at Marford was also checked. Here there was abundant food plant but again no Grizzled Skippers could be found.

BUTTERFLY: Spring butterflies in the Lancashire/Cumbria border area

May 20-23, 2010:
The extremely hot sunny weather over these few days provided an opportunity to see some of the interesting butterflies which fly at this time of year. Whitbarrow (south Cumbria) and Gaitbarrows NNR (north Lancashire) are both excellent sites for butterflies as well as much else. At each, there are good colonies of the nationally-scarce Duke of Burgundy Fritillary whose habitat is woodland glades and open scrub with an abundance of its larval food plant, Cowslip (Primula veris). A rather small neatly-marked butterfly, it flies from mid-May into June.






Duke of Burgundy Fritillary

Also at these sites, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary can be found, another species under threat which has seriously declined in recent years. Again, woodland glades are favoured where there are violets (Viola spp.), its food plant. This butterfly is in flight a few weeks earlier than the commoner, less threatened, but closely-related Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.




Pearl-bordered Fritillary: (the characteristic spotting on the underside of the wing distinguishes it from its relative, the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary).

At Gaitbarrows on the barer, stony areas, the Dingy Skipper was active and very restless but rarely perched for long and so made photography difficult. Its food plant, Bird's foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) didn't appear to hold its interest on this occasion.


Dingy Skipper

At Foulshaw (south Cumbria), Orange Tips and Speckled Woods were flying but a small colony of Green Hairstreaks which favoured a small patch of Garlick Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was of particular interest. This is the only British butterfly with green-pigmented scales. Often found in scrub, it has a wide range of food plants.




Green Hairstreak

Nearby, a brightly coloured, newly emerged Small Copper was flying. Species of Rumex (Sorrel) are its foodplant.


Small Copper