Small, but perfectly formed...

Despite some brighter weather recently, it's still been a bit cool for butterflies. Having spent the early hours of Sunday morning trudging around a relatively birdless Portland, some mid-morning sunshine saw me heading for the warmer micro-climates of the Bottomcombe quarrylands, home to the Small Blue, our smallest British butterfly.

Small Blue: note the dusting of blue scales on the forewing

This individual was catching the light beautifully

The sun was in and out and they were quick to snap their wings shut and roost up in cloudier conditions

As well as nectaring on wildflowers, the Small Blue apparently has a taste for dog dirt. They certainly won't be going hungry on that bit of Portland...

Dorset is a stronghold for this widely distributed but still rare species, whose range has declined significantly since the 1970s. In a bit of good news locally, however, seeding of Kidney Vetch, the larval foodplant, and other wildflowers alongside the Weymouth Relief Road during its construction has proven successful in enabling it to colonise. Also at Bottomcombe was a Wall, a species which has experienced an alarming decline, particularly at inland sites.

Wall - a pristine male

In contrast to the colourful upperside, the cryptic hindwing serves as camouflage when at rest on bare ground

Nectaring busily in amongst the Small Blue colony

With warmer weather forecast this week, we should see more emerging in the coming days

Encouraged by the butterflies at Bottomcombe, I detoured via Cerne Abbas on the way home but, like the Wall, the weather had deteriorated significantly inland by the time I got there. It was certainly looking good though with Early Purple Orchids emerging among the commoner wildflowers.

Bluebell at Cerne Abbas

Cowslips - also a good display of these on the Weymouth Relief Road as I journeyed north

Early Purple Orchid

Marsh Fritillary larvae were on the move at Cerne Abbas, so still a way to go before the adults emerge 

Summer's last hurrah

The long summer seems finally to be coming to an end, in these parts anyway. Time, then, to celebrate it with a wash up of some Lepidoptera seen on holiday in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly last month.

Clouded Yellow never perches with the wings open but this pair were attempting to mate near The Lizard (the 2nd individual can just be seen behind the leaf). By focusing in the right area and setting a high shutter speed I was able to catch the open wings as it flapped.

An even luckier shot of a Clouded Yellow in flight

A more typical view of Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow

A small proportion of female Clouded Yellows are of the rare white form helice - this one was on Peninnis Head, St Mary's. While superficially similar on the underwing, the difference becomes more obvious in flight - see Nick Hopper's excellent open-winged shot here on the Portland Obs post for 29th August. 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Kynance Cove

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary between The Lizard and Kynance Cove

Wall, The Lizard

Wall, The Lizard

Small Copper was one of the commonest butterflies on Scilly during August

Common Blue were also plentiful

And, to come full circle, another stunning Clouded Yellow, this one of 20+ on St Mary's in the short walk between Porth Hellick and the airfield.



On the subject of the airfield, the landing strip on St Mary's is pretty small: as you can see, barely room to swing an Otter.

Durlston Butterflies

As well as birds, Durlston was full of butterflies this morning. Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood were commonplace, Marbled White (below) and Wall (above - doing what it says on the tin) more scarce.