Butterfly Islands: Grayling

Showing posts with label Grayling. Show all posts

Wednesday 7 August 2019

On Mottistone Down.

Today's visit to Mottistone Down in search of downland butterflies was somewhat marred by a very brisk wind.Still,the sun was shining and at this time of the year temperatures are pleasant.Luckily there are sunny sheltered spots where butterflies seem to congregate and a good number of Chalk-hill Blue,Common Blue,Brown Argus,Gatekeeper,Meadow Brown,and Wall Brown were seen.Inevitably several Painted Lady were also in evidence. However, in order to see one particular butterfly species I had to search the part of the Down known as the Common. This is the exposed open area of the Down consisiting of bracken and heather.Here the Grayling prefers to stay and is normally found on any bare patches of ground of chalk or old heather.

Mottistone Down looks out over the Isle of Wights' south-west coast.The Down is a Site of Scientific Interest covering 78 acres and most of the area is owned by the National Trust.It is biologically important due to its chalk and neutral grasslands.

Wednesday 8 August 2018

Adonis Blue & More on Mottistone Down.

Mottistone Down is one of several National Trust areas on the Isle of Wight's south west coast that supports a range of chalkland butterflies.The scenic walk from the village of Mottistone gives panoramic views south along the Islands coastline and north to Freshwater Bay and Tennyson Down.As I made my way up to the top of the Down today I passed the Long Stone a well known ancient monument.Sightings on the Down were few due to the brisk wind although in any sheltered spots butterfly numbers were good with Adonis Blue,Chalk-hill Blue,and that master of camouflage,the Grayling on show.There were also several Wall Brown to be seen too.

Wednesday 11 July 2018

Butterflies on New Forest Heathland.

Arguably the three major butterflies of New Forest Heathland are the Silver-studded Blue,the Grayling,and the Dark Green Fritillary.Yesterday on Beaulieu Heath I saw the first two species.The attractive Silver-studded Blue has been on the wing for a while now although many are still in excellent condition.It is also the time for the first Grayling to appear and they can be found on any bare patch of heathland in particular.

Beaulieu Heath seen from Crockford Stream

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Not Many Silver-studded Blues on Show.

Yesterday on a day trip to see the special damselflies of Crockford Stream in the New Forest I walked an area of heathland which was close by.I expected to see good numbers of Silver-studded Blue here, but numbers were low and all were faded and worn.Perhaps this is a result of early emergence as has occurred with many species this year. However, I did find a Blue in very reasonable condition near to the stream.

Other butterflies on show were Gatekeepers in abundance and a few Grayling on the heath.

New Forest Heathland,habitat for Silver-studded Blue & Grayling

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Graylings Back on Bleak Down.

I hoped that the Graylings were out on Bleak Down by now and made the walk to their usual site on the Down.The area is one of the few remaining stretches of heathland on the Island and with the heather now in flower it makes a colourful sight.After some time of searching I at last found a Grayling. Obviously I was somewhat early to see the colony, so hopefully in another week numbers will have substantially increased.
2017 update. A visit to this site today the 5th August discovered no Graylings. The area of past activity has now been overgrown with grasses and although flowering heather still remains in places, there is no bare open ground.

Wednesday 24 July 2013

The Bleak Down Graylings.

Today's visit to Bleak Down close to the village of Godshill was to see the Grayling. This butterfly is a good example of 'cryptic camouflage', as when at rest on the ground the underside blends perfectly with the background.The Grayling lives in rather compact colonies and a walk across a section of the Down will throw up these fast flying butterflies.The female is larger than the male and more brightly marked.Taking a close look in the heather or grass one can find the female carefully laying one egg at a time on a blade of grass or on a heather flower stalk.

Monday 10 October 2011

Graylings on Bleak Down

On the 30th July we made a visit to Bleak Down on the Isle of Wight.one of the few sites,and perhaps the best site on the Island for the Grayling butterfly.The habitat is ideal for this species and good numbers were seen.The Grayling likes to lay a single egg on a grass stem on open ground as shown in the first photograph.The caterpillar will then overwinter.This butterfly is single brooded.

Grayling habitat on Bleak Down

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.