The Butterfly Effect!

 The Butterfly Effect!

We arrived at Saltholme Statera Energy Operations at 5:25am in hopes of seeing a rare and showy Savi's Warbler, which we dipped earlier this year at RSPB Burton Mere. We walked through the fields to the reedbed. As soon as we arrived to the reedbed, we could hear the distinctive call of the Savi's Warbler. There were two people already there who put me on the bird which was showing incredibly well. We watched it for a while before it flew deeper into the reedbed, out of view. We then set off in search of butterflies. 

We arrived at Thrislington NNR at 7:00am. As soon as we entered the meadow we spotted loads of Meadow Browns fluttering about, including some that landed just a few feet away.

Amongst them were a darker butterfly, the Ringlet! They were just as common and also landed quite close, showing their characteristic features. We then continued through the meadow, only seeing those two butterflies, until there was a viewpoint with a few butterfly species on the sign. 

The first butterfly we noticed was a large Dark Green Fritillary that obligingly landed right in front of us.

Then we noticed our target species, the Northern Brown Argus (which was surprisingly small). There were at least five fluttering around us, so we walked round to the other side of the viewpoint desperate to get a better view.

Along the way, we saw three Small Heaths flying around, including two that appeared to be fighting mid-air.

We saw a few more Northern Brown Argus on the other side of the viewpoint as well as a Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet feeding on a flower.

On our way back, we met a couple, who were ecologists, named Chandra and Rob. They kindly provided us with a short lesson on the butterflies and orchids at this site. We then made our way back to the car, seeing a few Common Blues and a few more beautiful Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnets.

We then drove to Wingate Quarry NR in hopes of seeing a Marbled White. As soon as we arrived, we noticed a Red Admiral flying around the car park. We then walked along the path where we saw our first Marbled White, followed by a few more past the hill. We then met another kind man, Brett Swain, who spent some time with us educating us on the butterflies surrounding us. We then spotted and enjoyed a few more Common Blues, Ringlets & Meadow Browns. 

We then met Dwain Wright (who works for Butterfly Conservation) who was kind enough to answer my many questions.

I then saw a small, orange butterfly landing on a yellow flower. It was a Small Skipper! This was a species that I had read up on and wanted to see so I was very pleased at this sighting. We then set off to see another rare butterfly.

We arrived at Black Plantation at 12:40pm and walked towards an area of the forest for Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. As soon as we got to the area, we noticed many Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries as well as a few Meadow Browns. After managing to get an identifiable record shot of one of the flighty butterflies, we made our way back to the car.

On our way back, I noticed a brown butterfly with white spots on a fern. It was a Speckled Wood! I got a photo of it and then set off.

We went to three sites, two for White-lettered Hairstreaks and one for Graylings. We didn't see either so we set off to Bowesfield Marsh for Dragonflies & Damselflies.

Upon arrival, I got a brief glimpse of a Broad-tailed Skimmer but as it was windy, it drifted away in the wind. I then spotted a Blue-tailed Damselfly perched on a reed out of the wind.

Finally, on the way back, we spotted a Large Skipper perched on a reed which was another butterfly I wanted to see. 

We then headed to Fen Bog YWT for Large Heaths and Keel-tailed Skimmers. As it was turning dark, no butterflies or dragonflies were out. But I did spot an orange moth flying towards a fern. When it landed, I managed to identify it as a Gold Swift. Although I wanted to stay, the biting flies were eating us alive, so we had to retreat to the car and call it a day.

Overall, a brilliant day with 1 new bird (Savi's Warbler), many new butterflies & 1 new moth (Gold Swift)!