Butterfly Islands: Afton Down Chalkpit

Showing posts with label Afton Down Chalkpit. Show all posts

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Visiting My Favourite Island Sites.

The prospect of a warm and sunny spring day encouraged me to visit a few of my favourite locations on the Island.First stop the National Trust owned Whiteways Quarry now a Viewpoint Carpark, commanding majestic views over our south-western coast.Here at the old quarry, a fantastic assortment of spring butterflies are protected by the shelter of Afton Down and today there was another new species to see.The Small Blue is our smallest butterfly and lives in very compact colonies.The males are usually the first to emerge and can be recognized by the dusting of blue scales on their upper wings.At least three were present today.Also here were a pair of mating Wall Brown butterflies.This species has declined in the UK over the years but can still be seen in good numbers on the Isle of Wight.

Leaving the carpark for a drive south along the coast to Wheelers Bay at Bonchurch, for another look at our Glanville Fritillaries which are the first in the country to appear at this location.Although at times the cloud shaded the sun today I counted four individuals.Many more will emerge along our southern coast during May.

Finally a steep walk up to Bonchurch Down that overlooks the village of Bonchuch and the town of Ventnor.This south facing Down is one of the prime places on the Island for the spectacular Adonis Blue butterfly and a walk along the Downs' steep sides produced a first male Adonis.

Saturday 18 April 2015

A Pristine Small Copper.

Despite a stiff wind today the sun was shining and another new species was added to my springtime list at Whiteways Quarry.A pristine Small Copper was enjoying the warm at this sheltered spot along with a couple of basking Peacock butterflies and the Green Hairstreak that has been at the site for several days now.
Other species likely to be here soon are Dingy Skipper,Small Blue,Brown Argus, Wall Brown,and next month, the Glanville Fritillary.

Extensive areas of the Isle of Wight and in particular the south-west coast and the Downs are owned by the National Trust in order to preserve the natural beauty of our Island.
Whiteways Quarry,now locally known as Afton Down Carpark or Chalkpit is part of this,located at the base of Afton Down itself.The shelter of the Down and its south-westerly position provide an ideal habitat for these spring butterflies.

My entry of the 7th April 2012 entitled More Spring Butterflies shows a photograph of this seemingly innocuous carpark Please click on the following link to known more about the Natural Trust in the area. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356404569197/

Thursday 2 May 2013

More First of the Year Butterflies

With the cold weather now hopefully over emergent butterflies are appearing at their usual sites.At the Afton Down Chalkpit,well known for several species I was today fortunate to encounter a Green Hairstreak as well as a Grizzled Skipper.We can look forward to other species here soon,such as Wall Brown,Small Blue,and Dingy Skipper.

Sunday 27 May 2012

A Walk on Freshwater Cliffs

Last Friday,the 25th was the second meeting in 2012 of the Isle of Wight Group of the Hants&IOW Butterfly Conservation Branch.For the second time too this year we were blessed with glorious weather for our meeting on the Freshwater Cliffs.The eroding cliff tops just to the south of Freshwater Bay are of sandstone and backed by chalk downland.

Attendance on the day was a record 25 with a contingent of our friends from Hampshire.We soon saw Small Blue,Common Blue,Small Heath and other downland species,in particular several Glanville Fritillary which fly on the cliff top.The walk ended at the excellent butterfly site of Afton Down Chalkpit where we noticed a brand new sign erected by the owners of this beautiful section of Island coast,the National Trust.

Monday 23 April 2012

More Small Blues

A brief visit yesterday to Afton Down before the weather turned wet and a first sight of a female Small Blue and also a male.At this location the appearance of this butterfly has been extraordinarily early this year with my initial sighting on the 30th March a national record for this species.Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreaks are already there in good numbers and hopefully very soon they will be joined by the Dingy Skipper.

Another first for 2012 was a female Wall Brown at the chalkpit.

Monday 16 April 2012

Yet More Spring Butterflies

With such an array of butterflies to be seen at Afton Down Chalkpit I returned there this morning.The weather was sunny and warm as this site can be a sun trap.Immediately I saw three Dingy Skipper and it wasn't long before two Wall butterflies were flying around.One female,perhaps the same individual as seen here yesterday and a male.Several Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers are on view along with an as yet single Small Copper.I was very pleased to see a male Small Blue as I have not seen this species since my initial sighting on the 30th March.

Friday 13 April 2012

Small Copper-first sighting this year

A return visit to Afton Down Chalkpit and my first sighting this year of a Small Copper.Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreaks are already there in good numbers and hopefully very soon they will be joined by the Dingy Skipper.Another first for 2012 was a female Wall Brown at the chalkpit.

Saturday 7 April 2012

More Spring Butterflies

The Whiteways Quarry Carpark at Freshwater,locally known as Afton Down Chalkpit is National Trust land and looks out over the English Channel to the southwest.Looking right from the carpark and one is fortunate enough to see Tennyson Down with its white cliffs.To the left and the veiw is southward down the Island coast towards Compton Bay and Glanville Fritillary habitat.

Here at back of the carpark, at the foot of East Afton Down and Compton Down is the ideal habitat for several chalkland butterflies.On the 30th March Small Blues were seen here a full month ahead of their usual flight time and yesterday the 6th April I was pleased to see a Grizzled Skipper and a Green Hairstreak at this spot.Hopefully another chalkland species the Dingy Skipper will soon be seen here.

Friday 30 March 2012

Very Early Small Blue

The Small Blue is in fact the smallest of all British butterflies.Its flight period is normally mid-May to late June but perhaps because of the summer-like weather we are experiencing at present in the UK early emergence is possible.Even so the 30th March is alarmingly early for this species.

On the Isle of Wight we can enjoy exceptionally mild weather and the sight today of the Small Blue at Afton Down Chalkpit proves that a very sunny location can trigger an early appearance of this inconspicuous yet beautiful little butterfly.

It can be found on calcareous grassland in very small colonies and unfortunately is thought to be in decline throughout the UK and Ireland.

The Adonis Blue

The Large Tortoiseshell

It seems the general view on the status of the Large Tortoiseshell in Britain is that it is now extinct as a breeding butterfly.
It is a butterfly of woodland edges and hedgerows that abound in willows,elms,and poplars.These trees are used by the adult to lay its eggs and this single brood appears in July and August.The emerging butterfly then hibernates over the winter in log piles and hollow trees until the next spring.
On the Isle of Wight sightings are more often than not made from early March to April.Have these butterflies overwintered on the Island or have they come from the continent where it is common?
Any sightings made in July/August pose the same question.Another explanation could be that captive-bred releases are responsible.Only the discovery of eggs and caterpillars will probably answer these questions.

I can now report that evidence has been found of breeding just along the coast at Portland in Dorset (June 2020) and again at the same location in the summer of 2021.

The Glanville Fritillary

This elegant butterfly is mainly confined to the crumbling undercliffs and chalk downs of the Isle of Wight.It is also found on the Channel Islands and at one or two isolated colonies on the British mainland.In Britain the Glanville Fritillary is at the extreme north-western edge of its range.On the continent it is readily found in flowery habitats.
Around the southern shores of the Isle of Wight the cliffs constantly erode causing them to slip away and provide perfect conditions for new growths of the butterflies laval host plant,Ribwort Plantain.
The eggs are laid to the underside of the leaves of this plant and normally hatch after about three weeks.The resulting caterpillars live together in communal webs spun over the plantain.In the autumn they hibernate and recommence feeding in the spring,eventually dispersing to prepare for pupation.
The adult butterfly is on the wing from May to the end of June with the female being larger than the male.They will feed on,amongst other things, Birds-foot Trefoil and Thrift.

The Wall Brown

On the Isle of Wight in particular,the Wall Brown is a butterfly of field edges,coastal cliffs and dunes,and rabbit-grazed downland.
The male is territorial and spends much of the time patrolling and basking on the ground.
The female,which lacks the males conspicuous dark sex brand across the forewings,is larger.The undersides of both sexes are beautifully cryptic when at rest.
The Wall Brown generally produces two broods a year,the first from late April until late June and the second from mid-July to mid-September.