A Country Walk

This country walk centred around the site of the Iron Age Fort of Maiden Castle, Dorset which is about a 1.7 miles from my home. There is plenty of nature to see around that area. 

The grass land is unspoilt and only some areas are grazed by sheep. 

The topography of the location is 230 feet to 450 feet above sea level.

Marbled White

Oxeye Daisy

Harebell

Large Skipper

Selfheal

Common Poppy

Tufted Vetch

Small Skipper

Essex Skipper

Small Heath

Hedge Woundwort

Marbled White

Goat's Beard

Gatekeeper (Male)

Lady's Bedstraw

Silver Studded Blue Butterfly

A delightful little butterfly and the smallest of the Blue species.

It can only be found in a few locations in Southern England. Fortunately I live in one of those areas so I can find it at the same location each year. It never moves very far from its small colony.

It only flies short distances and therefore easy to follow.

The male can be identified by the broad dark edge to the upper wings. The female is brown across all the upper wings, which I was unable to find on this occasion.

 

Another Butterfly Shoot

July is a really good time of year for butterfly photography.

There are quite a number of species emerging from the first brood and also migrant arrivals.

The Red Admiral below is a migrant species arriving from Southern Europe and North Africa. May is the start of the influx 

More recently some have manage to remain and overwinter in our more recent mild winters.

The Meadow Brown below is a common resident species.

Can be observed between May and September.

Another resident is the Large Skipper below.

The most common and widespread of our resident Skipper species.

The Gatekeeper Butterfly below likes hedgerows and sunny lanes.  

The book states it also hangs around gates, hence the name I suppose.

This male is the first I have seen this year.

The beautiful Small Tortoiseshell below is also one of our resident species and always worth a photograph.

Very common, look out for the new brood from July onwards.