A view including a gorgeous cowslip covered field it was excellent to see the landscape carpeted with their uplifting yellow catching the sun's rays and the wind's soft caress to sparkle gold and a stunning Dingy Skipper butterfly at Magdalen Hill Down 18/04/2026.

A dingy skipper (Erynnis tages) in The Burren, Ireland

Prior to getting my own button maker, my friend @pinkgabbercat offered to print some for me- this is what I came up with!

I love making buttons. Being able to make your own means you don’t need to print a ton of one design. This gives us more freedom to experiment!

07/05/2023-Martin Down 

Pictures taken today here in this photoset are of: 1. My first Small Copper of the year, a crimson treat to see a few of them. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9. Beautiful views at this picturesque and biodiverse site which was draped in cowslips, surrounded by a patchwork of yellow and green fields and generally brimming bright emerald and other colours. 3. A beautiful early purple orchid of a white variety, which we were thankful one of a few great people we got chatting to signposted to us as it’s quite a rare variation. Among a wealth of these sensational and eye catching flowers of the regular but pretty purple the first of which I’d seen at this site was an exquisite speckled and creamy coloured one half way between purple and the white one which will surely be one of my flowers of the year it was so beautiful. 7. A stunning Dingy Skipper which I was so pleased to see, a warm spring butterfly which I love seeing this my first of the year. 8. A wonderful Cuckoo, one of two seen hearing this bird so well today. This a big moment for me as over the decade we’ve been going to Martin Down I’ve been fortunate to hear them here amazingly a lot here but I’d not seen one within this reserve before today. It had been a goal for so long and felt like breaking new ground which I found sweet and satisfying today. What a run I’m on for encountering Cuckoos this year already which I feel lucky to have. 10. A charming Corn Bunting one of the key birds of Martin Down, it was a delight to hear their tuneful song and see them belting this out today another top bird seen today that I’ve had a great few weeks for. 

15/05/21-Martin Down: Blog 2 of 2-The wildlife (Lesser Whitethroat, Small Copper, Common Blue, Small Blue, Cantharis rustica, Skylarks and more)

I liked seeing an oxeye daisy that has grown in the garden always a flower I look forward to seeing out in the wild so it was interesting to see one in the back garden and it was my first of the year which was great before we went out today. I photographed it tonight which I tweeted on Dans_Pictures.

We arrived at Martin Down in a shower and walked along the hedge line at the Sillens Lane car park to try and see if we could see a Lesser Whitethroat a bird this a great place for we saw them here the last two years as they had been reported. It was nice to see lots of speedwell flowers along this path and all the way on the way a great afternoon for flowers they really were there in such abundance. I took the first picture in this photoset of one which I was pleased with.

I had a list of eight butterfly species I wanted to look for which we needed to see for the first time this year today. In the rain we knew it would be difficult but as the sun emerged after the shower finished it was pretty warm and the grass came to life. Lots of flies and little insects were suddenly on the wing which altered me to look for butterflies which excited me. Orange Tip, Brimstone and Grizzled and Dingy Skipper emerged and we got some great views of these. The bright brown skippers that we had seen here so well three weeks ago for the first time in 2021 in a boom time for us for seeing butterflies this year were very nice to see some precious moments spent with them today and we saw them in the higher bits the other side on our circular walk too. I managed the second and seventh pictures in this photoset of these. 

Looking into the vast clump of vegetation I was delighted to spot as well as Common Whitethroats which we are having such a good year for the much darker grey plumage of a Lesser Whitethroat. It was just the one very quickly but it was amazing to get a binocular view of it. I was so thrilled to see this bird with the browner backed Common Whitethroat there always good to see but nice for comparison too. This was such a fantastic bird to see, only my fourth ever sighting of one and I am happy that the rich and wild Martin Down has become a place we have a great regular chance to see them year on year. It was such a precious and valuable bird to see again one of my birds of the year. It takes my bird year list to 154 which I am so thrilled with. A top sighting today. Walking on and we got another quick sighting of a bright warm coloured butterfly and as it settled in the grass I was very pleased to see it was my first Small Copper of the year, one I had been focusing my attentions on trying to see at Lakeside and elsewhere a lot lately so it was really good to see it. I have gone a whole year without seeing these butterflies before so this quick sighting too was a relief. I took the third, fourth and fifth pictures in this photoset of a nice bush, dandelions and cowslips as we walked on.

As we got to the higher areas before going into another and heavier shower it was nice to see some Skylarks and alongside the skippers, and a great little beetle which I’ve been able to have identified thanks to kind Twitter friends and a useful guide is Cantharis rustica soldier beetle we did think it was a soldier beetle when we saw it. I took the sixth picture in this photoset of it. I don’t recall seeing one before a tenth addition to my list of beetles seen in my life and second this month. I saw one or two snails out in the weather here as well. I also heard a very welcome Cuckoo a fifth place I’ve heard them on my 10 year anniversary year of seeing them now. And special every time. I was also surprised but happy in the shower to see a Common Blue butterfly fly across the path and into the grass. My first of the year of this too and for a second spring running I saw my first not in the sunshine. Always a good one to see to let you know the year has really entered the peak spring days for butterflies. I saw a new flower for me which I took the eighth picture in this photoset of the kidney vetch too. 

Skylarks and now bright male Stonechats were entertaining us as the shower cleared and then the sun emerged again. We got some cracking views of a Skylark flying right over head which I took the ninth picture in this photoset of a really close and great view and we saw a fair few more going down the path in the sun and three together with two having a bit of an aerial battle which was interesting I’d not seen that before. We heard their most beautiful of songs so loudly too and I was so in aw of just listening to and taking in that beauty that wall of sound you so often get here. As I am increasingly doing this year I took a voice recording on my phone to remember this beautiful sound by. 

Walking along the path close to bordering farmer’s fields alongside the thick vegetation going back to the car park where the greater stitchwort carpeted it we saw a dainty butterfly flitting in the vegetation. It landed for ages and we saw it was a lovely Small Blue butterfly another key target today it was a special view again I enjoyed seeing it. I took the record shot in the tenth and final picture in this photoset today. A key butterfly for that mid-late spring period and such a strong one for here again it was my first of the year taking my butterfly year list to 19 which grows very well. I feel we have done well lately for sneaking butterfly sightings into weekends that are have had showery days so it’s quite efficient to build up my butterfly year list to a nice place despite the changeable weather. We saw a Holly Blue well a bit further along after not seeing them for a while marking eight butterfly species seen toddy which I am happy with especially for a changeable weather day as they can depend on the sun. On the way back to the car it was really good to see a Yellowhammer so well with great bright colours and see Buzzard, Fallow Deer really well and donkey on the way home via the New Forest. A very good Saturday for me, I hope you all had a good one.

24/04/2021-Martin Down: These pictures different to those tweeted tonight 

We came back here today and hoped to see some butterflies as well as birds. With the long run of sunny weather I had hoped we may be able to sneak one of the next batch of butterflies to see in a year into our week off, some of the rarer and more site or habitat specific species to the all season/spring common group which I have happily really seen all but one of this year so far. In perhaps a role reversal to usual my head said the amount of sun must have brought some of these out, my heart said it could be too early. It seemed my heart may be wrong as a kind gentleman we spoke to at a safe social distance a little way into the walk listed a few of these he had seen alongside some adders.

I was very happy to be proved wrong about it being too early by perhaps if I had to pick with immediate plans in coming weeks and other factors considered the species I would have valued a chance to see today when a bright Grizzled Skipper settled on the ground. It was so exciting to see this cute, intricate, pretty and rustic butterfly which can be indicative of dry and grassy habitats and spring. We spent a fantastic few moments with this butterfly which I took the first picture in this photoset of and I tweeted another I produced and saw two more as the walk went on. It was my earliest ever sighting of a Grizzled Skipper in a year after last year, seeing a species I might normally see in May in years before in April for the second year running which is interesting.

As we walked on a decent selection of birds were about, of course the Skylarks providing the symphonic sound track to the day and we got some cracking views of this special bird again here today. Bright Linnets were about prominently too, and looking up both Red Kite and Buzzard gave some great flyover views two of my favourite birds. It was great to see for definite six butterfly species today, alongside grizzled and another I shall mention next Peacock were flying about nicely all afternoon, I saw Brimstone at the start and got great views of a sweet Holly Blue and exciting Orange Tip again stars of recent days. We also were teased by some little ones that could possibly have been Green Hairstreaks one of my favourites but I couldn’t quite tell for sure they may have been other insects too. 

Then just like last year at Farley Mount a year ago on Monday a very similar sunny and pretty warm day to today we made it two skippers for the first time in the year on one day when we spotted a larger and slightly more dark brown Dingy Skipper. Another great view of another spring time gem which I always love seeing in a year they are so beautiful and as I said in my a butterfly a day tweets on Dans_Pictures over the winter you always know spring has really ramped up when the dingys come out. It felt so crucial to see this one too, my twelfth butterfly species of the year competing well with past years at this stage, the season both at home and further afield is ticking along very nicely. After last year it was only the second time I’d seen Grizzled Skipper before Dingy Skipper in a year but on both occasions we’ve then gone onto see the dingy on the same day which is interesting. 

As we walked on I liked taking in the gorse and blossom just like yesterday and oilseed rape the yellow as well as obviously the delicious green painted the landscape in spring glory. It hit me or perhaps it just came into thought what I have known all of this spectacular and amazing week off and lately that it looks, tastes, smells and feels so much like the dizzy days of spring and all the species are falling right into place too. This makes my heart sing and I am so excited. I took the second-seventh and tenth pictures in this photoset of views on this walk. 

On the way back after photographing another greater stitchwort after Sunday at Stoke Park Wood the eighth picture in this photoset with my macro lens which stayed on for a lot of the walk a sign of the flavour of the walk. I put my big lens on my DSLR in the hope of bird photos with Buzzard in the air and Skylarks dancing around. Here we saw three more smashing birds firstly a key for the site Corn Bunting seeing two or maybe the same one twice glowing in an exotic way in the glorious sunlight. I took the ninth picture in this photoset of this bird. I maybe was a bit more restrained with snapping photos today having taken so many here on an admittedly slightly longer walk on Good Friday and producing probably the most photos I ever did on one day yesterday. More so I could sustain myself a bit in terms of being able to do the photos in good time this evening but I still took lots and I had an huge appetite for taking in lots of beautiful scenes and wildlife still. A lot of my subject ideas today I ended up doing on other photos and I had just contemplated taking a view involving a lovely little tree which I didn’t take a photo of but then a Corn Bunting landed on the tree and I took another picture of it which I tweeted.

Walking on as we had seen on the way round we saw a Whitethroat close to getting back, getting a cracking view of it scuttling through vegetation and it also flew up and hovered over the tree a bit. An exceptional view. This was a year tick yesterday on our Durlston/Dancing Ledge trip and I said at both there and Martin Down we would see them now so it was great that I was right about that based on records in recent years. We were treated to top views of this migrant each day and what a way it was to welcome a bird I am getting to know and feeling attached to you could say more and more in recent years much thanks to these two places into the year. We saw one more just before going, and after seeing some Skylarks in a fenced off sheep field which was interesting saw another spring and summer time W we are having a great year for a year tick here on Good Friday when we saw two bright Wheatears well flying over the grass. A top end to another special afternoon, I hope you are all having a great Saturday.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper of the year, one of my favourite butterflies the Orange Tip, two of my favourite birds the Red Kite and Buzzard, Holly Blue, Peacock, Brimstone, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Linnet, Skylark, Corn Bunting, Stonechat, Robin, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Carrion Crow, a beetle, bee flies well again which was was great and lots of bees which was nice.

26/04/20-Daily exercise walk at Farley Mount (Pitt Down and West Wood end) 

Our daily exercise walk took in this area today, with the weather forecast showing an apparent long staying stint of wet and unpredictable weather after this amazing run of sun and heat I had hoped we’d do a walk where we might continue to see butterflies I needed to see this year along the way. We managed that with three species I saw for the first time this year today the highest year tick count in a day I’d got for butterflies so far in 2020 and we saw countless others my highest ever amount of butterfly species seen this year in a day once more. It took my butterfly year list to 16, the highest amount I had ever seen on this date in a year I didn’t reach these figures until May during my highest ever butterfly year list last year. So I’m very pleased with the amount of butterflies I have been able to see lately and where I’m headed with it. I took the first two pictures in this photoset of views to begin with, nice to see one or two fields full of the lovely yellow rapeseed oil that is a prominent feature this time of year always. 

As we walked along the field next to main hill area here which I took the third picture in this photoset of everything looked so green, hot, sunny and very nicely vegetated again it was booming with green growth. I had seen notable butterflies throughout years here before, two of them the early skippers Grizzled and Dingy which were on the mind today. With other little insects flying around I soon got my eye onto a very little butterfly and I was delighted to see it was a Grizzled Skipper. We followed this one for a bit, barely though as they’re so small so difficult to keep track of when they fly. But we did get a few really nice views of it I took the fifth picture in this photoset of it. As a new addition to my B list of favourite butterflies it was one of the ones I hoped to see most today and I was thrilled we did. It was the first time I’d seen Grizzled Skipper before Dingy Skipper in a year bit that wasn’t to be by much. 

Whilst following the Dingy Skipper another little butterfly flew out in front of us and it was a nice sight of my first of the common Small Heath this year. I took the fourth picture in this photoset of that one. Another butterfly it felt really nice to see. We then continued the walk around the woods. I took the sixth picture in this photoset from that. 

We did however walk back up the area we saw these butterflies in the field on the way back. Here in perfect habitat for them down the side of the field where we hadn’t walked down earlier but did see one along in 2016 we saw a slightly bigger browny butterfly flying and when it landed we could see it was a Dingy Skipper. I had seen the other skipper and was happy with that. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of it. As we walked up we managed to see quite a few of these in the mid-late afternoon sun. It was a delight and we also saw another Grizzled Skipper and another Green Hairstreak after last Sunday’s during an exercise walk at Magdalen Hill. 

The Grizzled Skipper and Small Heath butterfly year ticks today were like the Green Hairstreak last week and Small Copper on Tuesday at Lakeside my earliest ever sighting I’d had or one in a year. Both were the first time I’d ever seen one in April. So seeing them and the Dingy today really took my 2020 butterfly season on a great deal into real height of spring species Ialways think and solid mid-late teens figures for species seen this year. These were all species I didn’t know I’d see this year due to the lockdown putting places we usually see them off limits. For the skippers though I remember seeing both here on an early day in May 2016. It was remarkable we saw both today in the exact same areas as then, hence why Grizzled beat Dingy onto my year list because we covered the area we saw that one four years ago first today. It just goes to show butterflies really are creatures of habit and these types of highly growing vegetation wise, long grassed and in places dry habitats should be left untouched. It felt like a bonus really to sneak these three butterfly species being seen by us in before a potential change in weather. These were wonderful moments to have in a daily exercise walk, the two walks I had this weekend in the sun were both amazing with top species birds and butterflies seen. I am so happy with this weekend and some of the photos I’ve taken too. Have a great week all as much as you can and stay safe! I took the eighth picture in this photoset of the sky from my bedroom window earlier this evening.

11/05/2024-View and gorgeous Duke of Burgundy butterfly at Noar Hill, one of two adorable New Forest Pony foals seen at Stoney Cross this evening, cowslips and a yellow field of oilseed rape at Noar Hill, rhododendron in the garden and an amazing Cuckoo at Fritham in the New Forest on a sensational and packed spring day of wildlife watching.