23rd August - Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

On returning from Norfolk we have had rain and it was still with us in the morning.  The forecast, though looked positive for the afternoon, so I decided to wait and then pay a visit to Old Winchester Hill once more.  The last two visits had not found the butterfly species for which it is known, the Silver Spotted Skipper, but hopefully with sunshine and warmth they will be about this afternoon.

Leaving the car park I walked along the top path, disappointingly there were very few butterflies about a couple of Meadow Browns in the tall grasses and of course Brimstone, this male settled on knapweed.

I walked around the circle path and up to the Hill Fort where I walked to the south slope.  Making my way don the slope there were tractors in the harvested fields either ploughing or till the field.  Either way the way the tractors were followed by many gulls.  They were distant but I could make out at least Mediterranean and Common Gulls amongst them.

Once past the taller grasses and flowers Chalk Hill Blues appeared whizzing around the the ground thistles.  As I walked around the blues the butterfly I was looking for shot past me and settled in the grass, the Silver Spotted Skipper.  This is a female and was probably laying eggs.

However she didn't stay long and sprang away from me, you can track them as they fly but once they go past you and you have to turn I lost it, that is why it always good to have an extra pair of eyes with you.

As I looked for the skipper, the Chalk Hill Blues were settling on the Field Scabious.

A lovely view of a male as it moved around the scabious.

A female settled on a ground thistle.

Lats year the Autumn Lady's Tresses were everywhere, today they were very few and far between.  I managed to find one, but it was small about three inches high.

Then another in slightly better condition.

A close up of what are very tiny flowers.

Then a fast moving insect once again and it settled on a Field Scabious and this time stayed in place.  The Silver Spotted Skipper.

This warmth-loving skipper is relatively-local, but once settled is fairly easy to identify, since it is the only skipper found in the British Isles that has the distinctive white spots on the underside of the hindwings, which give the butterfly its name. Like other "golden" skippers, the male is distinguished from the female by the sex brand on its forewings, which is a line of specialised scent scales. 

The Silver Spotted Skipper is found on chalk grassland that contains short, sparse, turf. This warmth-loving butterfly is typically found on south facing slopes on which its sole foodplant, Sheep's-fescue, grows.

Like most skippers, this is a fast-flying species that flies close to the ground, and can be difficult to follow when in flight. The male of this species is more-frequently encountered than the female. Both sexes spend the majority of their time either basking or feeding, and a wide variety of nectar sources is used, including various species of Thistle. The butterfly will find the warmest patches of ground on which to bask, enjoying the warmth of paths, rabbit scrapes and other patches of bare earth which have been baked by the sun. This species is inactive in overcast conditions.

The male rests on a suitable sunlit perch, and investigates any passing butterfly, in the hope of finding a mate. If a virgin female is encountered, the pair exhibits a tumbling courtship, with the male eventually forcing the female to the ground where mating takes place. An egg-laying female locates a suitable patch of bare ground, such as a rabbit scrape, and then walks to the edge of the patch looking for a suitable location on which to lay a single egg.

The skipper was springing off the scabious flower, but kept returning, then it sprung once more and I caught it as it left the flower.

It then settled in the grass to reveal it was in fact a female.

I continued to walk around the area, the sun was partly covered by then cloud so while it was warm, it wasn't baking hot and the butterflies were settling on the flowers.

A female Common Blue.

Then another Silver Spotted Skipper, one of now four I had seen.  This is a male, you can see the dark scent gland on the hind wings.

A male Chalk Hill Blue.

Another female Common Blue, good to see numbers of this butterfly after the poor numbers earlier in the year.

Another Blue that struggled earlier in the year was the Adonis Blue.  Here a male nectaring on the trefoil.

And then showing off the electric blue colour they are named after.  

Distinguished from the Common Blue by the intensity of the blue and the black lines that extend into the white border

Another female Silver Spotted Skipper.

There were also a few Small Heath about.

I left the Hill Fort and walked around the circle path.  I picked this Large White out below me on the slope, another species that has been so hard to see this year, let alone photograph.

I walked down the steep slope and through the wood, walking from the wood there were a few Chalk Hills and Common Blues and of course Meadow Browns.  I came across this immature Kestrel hunting at the bottom of the car park slope.  

It dropped to the grass and came up with something that is not easy to identify, but looks like it was a vole or mouse by the size of a tail.

The area at the bottom of the car park slope has traditionally been a good spot for the skippers, but this year the grass and turf has been high, not the conditions you would expect to find them in.  One reason for this change has been put down to the reductions in the rabbit populations.

As I walked up the slope I took a welcome stop for this Common Blue on scabious.

Back at the car I reflected on a successful visit, probably my last of the year here unless there looks like some good migrant fall conditions.

12th August - Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

Today was forecast to be the hottest day of the year, so where did I meet Ian, Old Winchester Hill of course.  It was clear and sunny when I arrived, but away to the west the clouds looked to be dark.  It was hot and humid at 9.00am but there was a pleasant breeze blowing from the south which eased the heat.

We set out across the top path.  Once again there were very few butterflies about, one or two Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, and of course Brimstone, that of all the butterflies appear to have had a good year.  On reaching the main path to the Hill Fort, the field in front of us was only partially harvested.

We walked down the south slope, at first through ragwort and tall grasses, but as this became grass and thistles the Chalk Hill Blues appeared and in good numbers.

This male looking a little worn out.

Despite the early warmth it was nice to see them with the ir wings open in sunshine.

Having seen the Chalk Hills a few weeks ago we were now looking for the Silver=spotted Skipper and a late orchid, the Autumn Lady's Tresses.  It was a little early in the day for the skippers, but we did manage to find the Autumn Lady's Tresses.

There was nowhere near the numbers we had seen last year and they were also not quite out in full flower.  But it is possible to see the spiral effect of the flower positioning that gives them their name.

This probably the best of the lot.

The profusion of wild flowers at the bottom of the slope.

And in amongst them a Small Skipper.

A rather worn Brown Argus.

The patchwork of the fields, some harvested, some to be harvested and some left to grass.

We searched all over the area for any sign of the Silver-spotted Skipper, but couldn't find any at all.  Typically they are a little late coming out here, usually about two weeks behind other sites which is strange given the southern aspect of the slope.

As we searched we were treated to a Red Kite drifting over.

The wings held still while the tail was working hard, changing the direction of the bird.

It drifted past me almost at eye level.

Then looking up the slope to the fort at first there was just one kestrel, but then other appeared, all immature birds, they were using the lift generated by the breeze coming up the slope and the side of the moat to practice their hovering and hunting skill.

They were totally unconcerned by us and at times would hover above us.

Then that dive towards the ground.

They would appear above the fort and drift both ways, sometimes squabbling with their siblings.

There would be frequent drops to the ground and while they were not catching rodents they were catching something.

Here it is a grasshopper that has been caught and was eaten on the wing, you can just make out the hind leg hanging out of the bill.

A rest on the Juniper bushes and then back up into the sky.

Then finally one almost next to us.

We walked up the slope, negotiated the fence and climbed up on to the moat top.  A view looking west of the dark skies that did stay away from us.

Looking north a view of the split between the blue sky and heat and the clouds away to the west.

Walking around to the north side of the fort, we found a female Marbled White  on the slope.

This is the latest in the year I have seen a Marbled White.

A Yellowhammer perched in the dead Ash trees.

We walked down the slope and through the wood.  Coming out along the bottom there were more Chalk Hill Blues and a few Common Blues, but still no sign of any Silver-spotted Skipper.  The walk up the slope and back to the car park was tough, it was now very hot and the slope was sheltered from the breeze that did cool things down.

After some lunch we decide to go back again, madness really in the heat, but we did.  Armed with plenty of water we crossed the top path, then down and around the main slope.  We walked down to the south slope bottom, but other than plenty of Chalk Hill Blues there was no sign of the skipper.

We could have walked back on the level, but we decided to carry on and walk through the wood to check the area at the bottom of the car park slope.  More Common Blues and Chalk Hills and this lovely Brown Argus.

At the bottom of the slope, once again no sign of any skippers, but there was at least one more Autumn Lady's Tresses.

We walked up the final slope slowly, it was very hot and I did think I had been a little reckless to attempt the second walk, but all was well and the cold drink in the car was very welcome.  It will mean another visit later in the month to find the skippers.