Butterfly Islands: Brighstone Forest

Showing posts with label Brighstone Forest. Show all posts

Wednesday, 12 August 2026

Blues on the Downs.

A walk onto Mottistone Down this morning discovered four species of 'blue' butterfly. First of all the second brood Adonis Blue,together with Common and Chalk-hill Blue. The Brown Argus was also out in good numbers and all species were busily nectaring on the downland flora and in paricular Carline Thistle, carlina vulgaris. Other butterflies worth a mention were two Clouded Yellow, now seen widespread here at present.

Brighstone Forest is very close by and a quick visit produced two male Queen of Spain Fritillaries.

Thursday, 6 August 2026

Return to Brighstone.

Two Queen of Spain Fritillaries were there to greet me this morning in Brighstone Forest. Both appeared flighty as they demanded space to bask in the sunshine and would occasionally duel with each other by spiralling upwards into the trees.

Monday, 3 August 2026

Back in Brighstone Forest.

No apologies for including another post dedicated to the elegant Queen of Spain Fritillary. Yet another hot and sunny day and the butterflies were performing in Brighstone Forest. The location mentioned in my last post only produced one very flighty Queen so a walk along the forest track on the spot where this fritillary was first sighted over a week ago yielded another.This individual however proved to be more cooperative by regularly perching on flowers and grasses. Along that track several Grayling were seen.

Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Queen of Spain Fritillaries on Show.

An earlier visit time of 10.30 today rather than the lunchtime arrival of yesterday. However as then, a pristine Queen of Spain Fritillary was waiting, busily nectaring on fleabane. Over the next hour or so this individual energetically flew around occasionally landing on flowers but taking time to bask on the ground in the strong sunshine.As mentioned in my last post this sunny and sheltered woodland track crossing seems to suit these fritillaries. It appears too that there has been a good influx of this elegant butterfly, with sightings made throughout the forest.

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

The Queens' Pearls.

The Queen of Spain Fritillary is widespread in continental Europe and most abundant in the southern range.It is a rare migrant in the UK although occasionally a colony is discovered in the counties that border France and the Low Countries across the English Channel.The most recent seems to be in Sussex where the butterfly was suspected of breeding in 2009.

This fritillary is particularly distinctive with its elegantly curved forewings,which is a unique feature among european fritillaries.So too is the underside which displays a collection of large silver spots or 'pearls' that can glitter and shine when struck by the sun's rays.Hopefully these features can be appreciated from my two photographs taken in 1986.This individual was seen in the Halkidiki region of Greece and although regarded as being common it is the only time that I have seen this species.

2026 update! Several individuals have been seen in woodland close to Brighstone Forest on the Isle of Wight in July.

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.