#small blue

sabertooth based on a small blue butterfly! ended up gifting this design to a friend c:

20th May 2023: Magdalen Hill 

Photos taken in this set here are of: 1. A Common Carpet moth, a pleasant and well coloured new moth for me to see flitting around. 2. A marvellous Marsh Fritillary which I was overjoyed to see flitting through the grass like a shining jewel. These are such mesmerising, splendidly coloured and super attractive dainty fritillaries that I always feel so honoured to see. It was amazing to see a handful of them to add the species to my butterfly year list, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them here being only the third place I’ve seen them after Martin Down and Bentley Wood so it was a great feeling to see them here. 3. Small Blue butterfly, a very pleasing and charming one to see as always the ones we saw also my first of the year today. 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10. Views at this lovely spot. 6. Bird’s-foot trefoil which glowed well in the sun. 8. Slow worm. 

Did I ever show this on here?? No?? huh

20th June 2022: Bempton Cliffs post two of two: Butterflies, flowers and landscape photos 

Following on from my previous post, it was also a brilliant day of butterflies today. Small Tortoiseshells seemed to be everywhere with Red Admiral seen well too. I took the sixth picture in this photoset of a Red Admiral and seventh of Small Tortoiseshell. It was fitting these two should star today as they were my original two favourite butterflies on my list of now twenty one favourite butterflies, the Small Tortoiseshell my original. As my previous post explains its the group of seabirds my original favourite birds I saw well today so it was nice to have the butterflies seen too. Guillemot was my original favourite birds of my list of thirty four now and I don’t think I’ve ever seen or photographed both Guillemot and what I nickname my Guillemot of butterflies Small Tortoiseshell on a day before so it was quite something for me, I’ve seen so many Small Tortoiseshells around lately which is amazing. I was also over the moon to spot the orange glow of a fritillary in the grass above a cliff a Dark Green Fritillary. My first of the year and one of my earliest ever sightings of one in a year to take my butterfly year list to thirty one. A great bonus this holiday early on. Large Skipper and Small Blue were highlights too. 

I saw a brilliant array of flowers/plants again today including poppies and scabious looking brilliant by the visitor centre I took the second and tenth pictures in this photoset of them respectively, so much red campion like the bit shown in the fifth picture I took today in this photoset it really is out well here a flower I’ve had a top year for so far it paints the place pink so well I liked appreciating the whole plant as well as the flower it and I believe chamomile there could have been some oxeye daisies too on the cliffs made great colours to have seabirds among in pictures I took, beautiful hyacinth type flowers I believe, spotted orchid, broad-leaved and white clover, cleavers, sorrel or possibly dock, lots of hogweed painting the landscape well again, meadow crane’s-bill looking great again, beautiful thistle and pinappleweed a nice one I’ve started seeing again lately which I learnt and enjoyed last year. There were some nice fox-and-cubs I saw nearby on the way to here today. 

I took the first, third, fourth, eight and ninth pictures in this photoset of nice views today it really was a beautiful sunny day and the divine blue sea and rich and colourful meadows were stunning it was great to see the sheer cliffs and sweet rock formations and see well down the coast which excites me. An amazing day today. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary in full for my day at Bempton Cliffs: My first ever Black-browed Albatross, my first Dark Green Fritillary of the year, seven of my favourite birds the Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet, Fulmar, Kittiwake and Barn Owl, three of my favourite butterflies the Large Skipper, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell, lots of Jackdaws, Carrion Crow including one carrying off a seabird egg, pigeons, Skylark, Meadow Pipits seen well, Corn Bunting, Linnet, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, possible Blackcap I believe, Swift, Swallow, Herring Gull, Small Blue, a possible moth and I believe an aphid on the scabious. 

It was so lovely to see a Pheasant with adorable chicks on the way here today.

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.