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British and Irish Butterfly Rarities, Migrants, Extinctions and Introductions by Peter Eeles

8/10/2023

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A book to complement the "Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies" to be published in September this year. More info at www.butterflyrarities.com. You can pre-order at www.naturebureau.co.uk/british-and-irish-butterfly-rarities-migrants-extinctions-and-introductions.

​This is a must have book for all butterfly enthusiast!!!
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Sand Crocus in Cornwall

4/20/2023

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20 April 2023, the weather is sunny and warm with a soft breeze. Me and Rob decided to go and look for two rarities – Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne in Struddicks, Seaton/Murrayton area near Looe and Sand Crocus Romulea columnae in Polruan, Lantic Bay area.
 
We're so delighted and pleased to have seen and photograph these two rarities. We saw 5x Pearl-bordered Fritillary and 11x Sand Crocus flowers.
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Once widespread across the UK, this rare Pearl-bordered Fritillary is now highly threatened in England and Wales. We’re really luck in Cornwall because we have a few sites that this butterfly can be seen. Because of the micro-climate in Struddicks, Seaton/Murrayton area, this is usually the first place in Cornwall to see them. We have been coming to this area to see this gorgeous butterfly since 2014.

20 April 2023: 5x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
26 April 2022: 15++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
11 May 2019: 30++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
18 May 2018: 20++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
16 April 2017: 4x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
25 April 2016: 8x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
15 April 2015: 13x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
19 April 2014: 40++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary

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The Sand Crocus Romulea columnae was found growing on the clifftops in Lantic Bay area in 1879 and 1881. There's been a few searches for this rare flower but it was not seen again until 2002. The only other site to see this rare flower is on Dawlish Warren in Devon and in the Channel Islands.

20 April 2023: 11x Sand Crocus
12 April 2022: 15++ Sand Crocus
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer. 
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My 2 Greatest Wildlife Sightings

4/1/2023

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Bearded Vulture also known as Lammergeier or Ossifrage
I'm the first one who saw and photographed this bird in Cornwall.
Cornwall is known for its diverse nature and wildlife. Every year, hundreds and even thousands of nature and wildlife enthusiasts come down to Cornwall to have a glimpse of some rare birds, butterflies and other notable species.
 
I have been sooo lucky to be the "FIRST" one to have seen and photographed the Bearded Vulture, also known as the LAMMERGEIER or OSSIFRAGE in Cornwall in 23rd May 2016. Me and my husband Rob Nicholls cannot believe our luck. 

We were actually in Breney Common in Bodmin doing a butterfly survey in preparation for our fieldtrip on Monday, 30th May 2016 for the Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Society Fieldtrip to see the rare Marsh Fritillary.

It was a sunny afternoon, about 2:30pm. We were looking up towards Helman Tor when a large bird, soaring high, came into sight over the ridgeline, heading in a south westerly direction. It’s just gliding gracefully in the sky. The wingspan was probably 9 feet or more, 3 metres.

It was very high, maybe up to 2,000 feet and had a small bird in tow - which was not getting too close. The small bird turned out to be a buzzard!

The Lammageier did not flap its wings. It was just gliding gracefully across the sky. It was huge and unlike anything usually seen in the skies over Cornwall.

Luckily, I was already prepared with my camera and was able to take a few shots.

We were able to watch it for about 12 minutes, before it went out of sight.

Perhaps, a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.

It's nice to sometimes be in the right place, at the right time!
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American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis
My photograph is the 
first UK image!!!
On the 20 September 2022, 2:30pm, me and Rob went for a walk in Nare Head on the Roseland Peninsula. This is one of our favourite places in Cornwall. On our way to the headland, we saw Lawrence Sampson and had a chat with him for a few minutes before we carried on with our walk.

I have taken photos of the butterflies and birds that we saw. Before I went to sleep that evening, I posted my photos in Facebook. The next morning, I have missed calls on my mobile, I have messages on my email, I have comments on my photos in Facebook. One comment catches my eye, a particular comment from our good friend Lee Slaughter - "Are you sure that this isn't the exceptionally rare Hunter's Painted Lady or American Painted Lady Rowena? Get this photo checked out urgently! I think it is an American (Hunter's) Painted Lady! PM me where you saw this please? Could be a 1st for Cornwall if it is!" I immediately checked my photos very closely one by one. Checked out Google and Wikipedia too. I was shocked and amazed. It suddenly dawned on me that the butterfly I thought was a Painted Lady was actually the extremely rare American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis. Wow, that's awesome. I could not believe my luck. Thanks to the sharp and discerning eyes of Lee. He is certainly the best in the butterfly world. It's also been confirmed by Peter Eeles from UK Butterflies.


This American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis was first seen in the British Isles in August 1828 at Withybush, near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire. My photograph is the first UK image!!!

I celebrated my 50th birthday this year. I thought I already received all the surprises from family and friends but seeing this butterfly is the greatest surprised ever.

This sighting of the American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensi reminds me of my "Lammergeier, moment". I have been sooo lucky to be the "FIRST" one to have seen and photographed the "Bearded Vulture, also known as the Lammergeier or Ossifrage" in Cornwall in 23 May 2016. This bird is "FIRST" in Cornwall as well as "FIRST" in the UK.

Me and Rob are absolutely delighted and over the moon that we saw again another rarity in Cornwall. You'll never really know you might see in Cornwall. This Duchy is full of surprise.
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer. 
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An extremely rare American Painted Lady was seen and photographed in Cornwall

9/22/2022

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My photograph is the first UK image!!!

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American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensi
On the 20 September 2022, 2:30pm, me and Rob went for a walk in Nare Head on the Roseland Peninsula. This is one of our favourite places in Cornwall. On our way to the headland, we saw Lawrence Sampson and had a chat with him for a few minutes before we carried on with our walk.

There's quite a few butterflies and birds around. From the carpark to the headland, we saw:
  • Butterflies: Clouded Yellow, Green-veined White, a huge number of Large White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood and Wall
  • Birds: Corvids, Sparrowhawk, Stonechat, Whinchat, Yellowhammer and a lot more...

I have taken photos of the butterflies and birds that we saw. Before I went to sleep that evening, I posted my photos in Facebook. The next morning, I have missed calls on my mobile, I have messages on my email, I have comments on my photos in Facebook. One comment catches my eye, a particular comment from our good friend Lee Slaughter - "Are you sure that this isn't the exceptionally rare Hunter's Painted Lady or American Painted Lady Rowena? Get this photo checked out urgently! I think it is an American (Hunter's) Painted Lady! PM me where you saw this please? Could be a 1st for Cornwall if it is!" I immediately checked my photos very closely one by one. Checked out Google and Wikipedia too. I was shocked and amazed. It suddenly dawned on me that the butterfly I thought was a Painted Lady was actually the extremely rare American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis. Wow, that's awesome. I could not believe my luck. Thanks to the sharp and discerning eyes of Lee. He is certainly the best in the butterfly world. It's also been confirmed by Peter Eeles from UK Butterflies.

This American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis was first seen in the British Isles in August 1828 at Withybush, near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire. My photograph is the first UK image!!!

I celebrated my 50th birthday this year. I thought I already received all the surprises from family and friends but seeing this butterfly is the greatest surprised ever.

This sighting of the American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensi reminds me of my "Lammergeier, moment". I have been sooo lucky to be the "FIRST" one to have seen and photographed the "Bearded Vulture, also known as the Lammergeier or Ossifrage" in Cornwall in 23 May 2016. This bird is "FIRST" in Cornwall as well as "FIRST" in the UK.

Me and Rob are absolutely delighted and over the moon that we saw again another rarity in Cornwall. You'll never really know you might see in Cornwall. This Duchy is full of surprises.
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American Painted Lady
​Vanessa virginiensis
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Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Difference between an American Painted Lady and a Painted Lady
The chief difference, the one that is easiest to identify for most, is the tiny white spot on the American Painted Lady. It is located in the postmedian area of the forewing. In the corresponding area of the Painted Lady, no such spot will be found.

Another good identifying mark will be the eyespots in the postmedian area of the hindwings of both butterflies. On the upperside, they are quite similar in size for both. But on the underside, two large eyespots can be clearly seen on the American Painted Lady, whereas four are discernible on the Painted Lady and they are much smaller.
BBC Radio Cornwall
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0d1w7tn

Western Morning News
www.pressreader.com/uk/western-morning-news/20220922/page/4/textview

​Cornwall Live
www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/american-painted-lady-butterfly-never-7615539

The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/29/autumn-brings-rare-butterflies-moths-uk-shores

​UK Butterflies
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/album_photo.php?id=51745      
​
​Wildlife Insight
www.wildlifeinsight.com/35962/american-painted-lady-in-cornwall

CBWPS
cbwps.org.uk/recent-sighting/wednesday-21st-september-2022
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Western Morning News, page 4
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UK Butterflies Twitter Account
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BBC Radio Cornwall Twitter Account
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BBC Radio Cornwall Facebook Page 
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BBC Spotlight Instagram Account
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BBC Spotlight Facebook Page
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Wildlife Insight
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BBC Radio Cornwall
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UK Butterflies
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer. 
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Rowena's 50th Birthday Celebration in Cornwall, London, Salisbury and Dartmoor

7/7/2022

2 Comments

 
Rob, thank you for making my 50th birthday a day to remember... a week to remember... a month to remember... a year to remember... I will surely remember for the rest of my life.

Thank you for going the extra mile in making sure I have the most memorable day. You have gone far and beyond to make my day fantastic and fabulous, enjoyable and fun-filled.  

Thank you my sweet and loving husband.  I'm very grateful for your generosity and thoughtfulness.
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What a surprise! A welcome sight when I came down on my 50th birthday, 1st July 2022. 

Rob, thank you for the...
●  Nikon D7500 DSLR camera
●  Sigma 150-600mm lens for the Nikon D7500
●  Panasonic Lumix digital camera
●  Gorgeous bouquet of flowers from Interflora
●  Pretty balloons
● ​ Beautiful cards
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Day 1
● Luscious and lush birthday lunch at my favourite restaurant. 
● ​Give thanks to the Lord for my 50 years of existence in St Just in Roseland Church.
● Walk around the picturesque village of St Mawes.
● Nature and Wildlife Walk at the scenic coast of Kiberick Cove.
● L
uscious and lush birthday dinner at my favourite restaurant. 
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St Just in Roseland Church
Outside St Just in Roseland Church
Inside St Just in Roseland Church
Across the river overlooking St Just in Roseland Church
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Picturesque village of St Mawes
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Scenic coast of Kiberick Cove

Day 2
● Nature and wildlife walk in Glendurgan Garden.
● Nature and wildlife walk in Helford River.
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Glendurgan Garden
Helford River

Day 3
● Nature and wildlife walk in The Dodman.
● ​Nature and wildlife walk in Hemmick Beach.
Dodman Point
Hemmick Beach

Day 4 and 5
● Glitzy and glamorous London trip!!!
● Ultimate shopping spree at Bond St, Regent St and Oxford St.

● ​Eat... eat... eat!!! Sooo stuffed. A real food trip.
​● Thames River Cruise.

● Promenade at Hyde Park.
● Big Bus Tour around London.
● Sightseeing: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Mayfair, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Green Park, Statue of Anteros, Bond St., Oxford St., Regent St., Carnaby Soho, Thames River, London Eye, London Bridge, London Victoria Station, Marble Arch, City Hall and others. Missed out the National History Museum, Madame Tussauds, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Royal Opera House, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden, Westminster Cathedral, and others as it is sooo hot hot hot and such a long queue and too crowded.
● ​Philippine Embassy.
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Thames River Cruise
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Tower Bridge
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London Eye
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Houses of Parliament
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St Paul's Cathedral
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Hyde Park
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Marble Arch
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Trafalgar Square
Piccadilly Circus
Carnaby Soho
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Big Ben
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County Hall
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Statue of Anteros
London Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Philippine Embassy

Day 6
● Nature and Wildlife walk in Bentley Woods, Salisbury.
Bentley Woods, Salisbury

Day 7
● Nature and Wildlife walk in Aish Tor.
● Nature and Wildlife walk in Dart Valley Nature Reserve.
● Nature and Wildlife walk in Dartmoor National Park, Newbridge.
Aish Tor
Dart Valley Nature Reserve
Dartmoor National Park, Newbridge
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Butterflies in the UK

6/5/2022

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There are 59 Butterflies in the UK, 57 resident and 2 regular migrants. There are 36 Butterflies in Cornwall, 34 resident and 2 regular migrants, 1 introduced / re-introduced and 1 extinct.

I've already seen 46 butterfly species and photograph 44. I have to see 13 more and photograph 15. Fingers-crossed, I will be able to see a few more this year.

Resident Butterflies

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Adonis Blue
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Black Hairstreak
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Brimstone
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Brown Argus
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Brown Hairstreak
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Chalk Hill Blue
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Chequered Skipper
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Comma
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Common Blue
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Cryptic Wood White
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Dark Green Fritillary
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Dingy Skipper
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Duke of Burgundy
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Essex Skipper
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Gatekeeper
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​Glanville Fritillary
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Grayling
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Green Hairstreak
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​Green-veined White
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Grizzled Skipper
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Heath Fritillary
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High Brown Fritillary
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Holly Blue
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Large Blue
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​Large Skipper
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Large Heath
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Large White
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Lulworth Skipper
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Marbled White
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Marsh Fritillary
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Meadow Brown
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Mountain Ringlet
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Northern Brown Argus
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Orange Tip
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Peacock
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Purple Emperor
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Purple Hairstreak
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Red Admiral
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Ringlet
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Scotch Argus
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Silver-spotted Skipper
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Silver-studded Blue
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Silver-washed Fritillary
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Small Blue
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Small Copper
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​Small Heath
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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​Small Skipper
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Small Tortoiseshell
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Small White
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Speckled Wood
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Swallowtail
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Wall
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White Admiral
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White-letter Hairstreak
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Wood White

Regular Migrant Butterflies

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Clouded Yellow
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Painted Lady

Rare Migrant Butterflies

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​​American Painted Lady
​First UK image!!!
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​Long-tailed Blue

Importance of Butterflies

1. Butterflies are important and valuable pollinators.
2. Butterflies are indicator of a healthy environment.
3. Butterflies are part of the food chain, they act as a food source for birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and others.
4. Butterflies act as natural pest control. 
5. Butterflies make us happy. David Attenborough says spending time in nature, even just watching butterflies in your garden, is good for our mental health.
6. Butterflies gives colour to our environment.
​7. Others...

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

​1. First Stage:
Embryonic Stage – Egg (3-5 days)
A butterfly starts its life as an egg, often laid on a leaf. The eggs come in many shapes and colours. The shapes include spherical, oval, and pod-shaped; the colours include white, green, and yellow. The eggs have a thin, tough, protective shell, the chorion. This shell has raised ribs or pits (reticulations). The length of time required for the egg to hatch is dependent on the species and the environmental. Some species lay winter-hardy eggs in the fall, which hatch the following spring or summer.
 
2. Second Stage:
Caterpillar Comes Out! (5-10 days)
The caterpillar or larva hatches from an egg and eats leaves or flowers almost constantly. The caterpillar will increase up to several thousand times in size before pupating. When a caterpillar gets too big for its skin, it molts or sheds its old skin and keeps eating more.
 
3. Third Stage:
Chrysalis - Metamorphosis Begins (7-10 days)
The chrysalis or pupa is the stage in a butterfly's life when it is encased in a chrysalis and undergoing metamorphosis. Wings develop during this stage. About a day before the adult butterfly emerges, the chrysalis becomes transparent.
 
4. Fourth Stage (Imaginal Stage):
Butterfly Emerges! (2 weeks)
A beautiful, flying adult emerges. This adult will continue the cycle. The adult is also called the imago, emerges from its pupal cuticle with a swollen abdomen and shrivelled wings. For the first few hours of its adult life, the butterfly will pump hemolymph into the veins in its wings to expand them. The waste products of metamorphosis, a reddish liquid called meconium will be discharged from the anus.

Food Source

Butterflies eat, much better word is drink through their proboscis – a tube that works a bit like a straw. But they actually taste using their feet!
 
1. Nectar
The butterfly’s primary source of food is nectar. It gets nectar from plants and flowers like
 
2. Old Fruit
Butterflies love a sweet treat. You can leave out an overripe banana. Alternatively, if you have fruit trees in your garden, leave fallen fruit on the ground. Butterflies seem to have a particular taste for pears, plums and apples.
 
3. Sugar Solution
Butterflies are often sleepy when they first wake from their cocoons or from hibernation in the spring. If you come across a butterfly struggling to get going, you can prepare a boiled then cooled mix of sugar and water. Use a brightly coloured sponge to soak up the solution. A butterfly will take sips from it and get the boost it needs to take flight.
 
4. Muddy Puddles
The glucose in nectar and fruit gives butterflies their energy. But butterflies also require other nutrients. That’s why you may sometimes see them crowded around a muddy puddle. By sipping from the puddle they take in minerals and salts from the soil, which are thought to be important for reproduction.
 
By including a few of these food sources in your garden, you can attract butterflies for the whole of the season, making your garden into a festival of colour and life.

Butterfly in Different Languages

Cornish - Tykki Duw
French - Papillon
German - Schmetterling
Ilocano - Kulibangnag
Irish - Feileacan
Italian - Farfalla
Latin - Papilio
Portuguese - Borboleta
Spanish - Mariposa
Tagalog - Paruparo

Butterflies in the UK

Resident Butterflies:
1. Adonis Blue  Polyommatus bellargus
2. Black Hairstreak  Satyrium pruni
3. Brimstone  Gonepteryx rhamni
4. Brown Argus  Aricia agestis
5. Brown Hairstreak  Thecla betulae
6. Chalk Hill Blue  Polyommatus coridon
7. Chequered Skipper  Carterocephalus  palaemon
8. Comma  Polygonia c-album
9. Common Blue  Polyommatus Icarus
10. Cryptic Wood White  Leptidea juvernica
11. Dark Green Fritillary  Argynnis aglaja
12. Dingy Skipper  Erynnis tages
13. Duke of Burgundy  Hamearis lucina
14. Essex Skipper  Thymelicus lineola
15. Gatekeeper  Pyronia tithonus
16. Glanville Fritillary  Melitaea cinxia
17. Grayling  Hipparchia semele
18. Green Hairstreak  Callophrys rubi
19. Green-veined White  Pieris napi
20. Grizzled Skipper  Pyrgus malvae
21. Heath Fritillary  Melitaea athalia
22. High Brown Fritillary  Argynnis adippe
23. Holly Blue  Celastrina argiolus
24. Large Blue  Maculinea arion
25. Large Heath  Coenonympha tullia
26. Large Skipper  Ochlodes sylvanus
27. Large White  Pieris brassicae
28. Lulworth Skipper  Thymelicus acteon
29. Marbled White  Melanargia galathea
30. Marsh Fritillary  Euphydryas aurinia
31. Meadow Brown  Maniola jurtina
32. Mountain Ringlet  Erebia epiphron
33. Northern Brown Argus  Aricia artaxerxes
34. Orange Tip  Anthocharis cardamines
35. Peacock  Aglais io
36. Pearl-bordered Fritillary  Boloria euphrosyne
37. Purple Emperor  Apatura iris
38. Purple Hairstreak  Favonius quercus
39. Red Admiral  Vanessa atalanta
40. Ringlet  Aphantopus hyperantus
41. Scotch Argus  Erebia aethiops
42. Silver-spotted Skipper  Hesperia comma
43. Silver-studded Blue  Plebejus argus
44. Silver-washed Fritillary  Argynnis paphia
45. Small Blue  Cupido minimus
46. Small Copper  Lycaena phlaeas
47. Small Heath  Coenonympha pamphilus
48. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary  Boloria selene
49. Small Skipper  Thymelicus sylvestris
50. Small Tortoiseshell  Aglais urticae
51. Small White  Pieris rapae
52. Speckled Wood  Pararge aegeria
53. Swallowtail  Papilio Machaon
54. Wall  Lasiommata megera
55. White Admiral  Limenitis camilla
56. White-letter Hairstreak  Satyrium w-album
57. Wood White  Leptidea sinapis

Regular Migrant Butterflies:
1. Clouded Yellow  Colias croceus
2. Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui


Rare Migrant Butterflies:
1. American Painted Lady  Vanessa virginiensis
2. Long-tailed Blue  Lampides boeticus

Revised Red List of UK Butterflies

Regionally Extinct:
1. Black-veined White
2. Large Tortoiseshell
3. Large Copper
4. Mazarine Blue
 
Endangered:
1. Wood White
2. Wall
3. Large Heath
4. Grayling
5. High Brown Fritillary
6. Glanville Fritillary
7. Heath Fritillary
8. Black Hairstreak
 
Vulnerable:
1. Swallowtail
2. Grizzled Skipper
3. Silver-spotted Skipper
4. Small Heath
5. Scotch Argus
6. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
7. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
8. White Admiral
9. Marsh Fritillary
10. Duke of Burgundy
11. Brown Hairstreak
12. White-letter Hairstreak
13. Silver-studded Blue
14. Northern Brown Argus
15. Adonis Blue
16. Chalk Hill Blue
 
Near Threatened:
1. Lulwoth Skipper
2. Mountain Ringlet
3. Dark Green Fritillary
4. Small Blue
5. Large Blue

Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer. 
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Butterflies in Cornwall

6/5/2022

0 Comments

 
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There are 59 Butterflies in the UK, 57 resident and 2 regular migrants. There are 36 Butterflies in Cornwall, 34 resident and 2 regular migrants, 1 introduced / re-introduced and 1 extinct.

Resident Butterflies

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Brimstone
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Brown Argus
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Comma
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Common Blue
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Dark Green Fritillary
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Dingy Skipper
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Gatekeeper
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Grayling
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Green Hairstreak
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​Green-veined White
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Grizzled Skipper
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Heath Fritillary
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Holly Blue
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​Large Skipper
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Large White
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Marbled White
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Marsh Fritillary
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Meadow Brown
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Orange Tip
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Peacock
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Purple Hairstreak
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Red Admiral
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Ringlet
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Silver-studded Blue
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Silver-washed Fritillary
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Small Copper
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​Small Heath
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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​Small Skipper
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Small Tortoiseshell
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Small White
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Speckled Wood
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Wall

Regular Migrant Butterflies

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Clouded Yellow
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Painted Lady

Rare Migrant Butterflies

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​​The extremely rare
​American Painted Lady.
​First UK image!!!
Picture
Long-tailed Blue

Aberrations

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Grizzled Skipper
​aberration taras
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Heath Fritillary
​aberration 
​
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary
​aberration albomaculata
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Silver-studded Blue
Bilateral Gynandromorph
​half male, half female
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Silver-washed Fritillary
female Valesina form

Importance of Butterflies

1. Butterflies are important and valuable pollinators.
2. Butterflies are indicator of a healthy environment.
3. Butterflies are part of the food chain, they act as a food source for birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and others.
4. Butterflies act as natural pest control. 
5. Butterflies make us happy. David Attenborough says spending time in nature, even just watching butterflies in your garden, is good for our mental health.
6. Butterflies gives colour to our environment.
​7. Others...

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

1. First Stage:
Embryonic Stage – Egg (3-5 days)
A butterfly starts its life as an egg, often laid on a leaf. The eggs come in many shapes and colours. The shapes include spherical, oval, and pod-shaped; the colours include white, green, and yellow. The eggs have a thin, tough, protective shell, the chorion. This shell has raised ribs or pits (reticulations). The length of time required for the egg to hatch is dependent on the species and the environmental. Some species lay winter-hardy eggs in the fall, which hatch the following spring or summer.
 
2. Second Stage:
Caterpillar Comes Out! (5-10 days)
The caterpillar or larva hatches from an egg and eats leaves or flowers almost constantly. The caterpillar will increase up to several thousand times in size before pupating. When a caterpillar gets too big for its skin, it molts or sheds its old skin and keeps eating more.
 
3. Third Stage:
Chrysalis - Metamorphosis Begins (7-10 days)
The chrysalis or pupa is the stage in a butterfly's life when it is encased in a chrysalis and undergoing metamorphosis. Wings develop during this stage. About a day before the adult butterfly emerges, the chrysalis becomes transparent.
 
4. Fourth Stage (Imaginal Stage):
Butterfly Emerges! (2 weeks)
A beautiful, flying adult emerges. This adult will continue the cycle. The adult is also called the imago, emerges from its pupal cuticle with a swollen abdomen and shrivelled wings. For the first few hours of its adult life, the butterfly will pump hemolymph into the veins in its wings to expand them. The waste products of metamorphosis, a reddish liquid called meconium will be discharged from the anus.

Food Source

Butterflies eat, much better word is drink through their proboscis – a tube that works a bit like a straw. But they actually taste using their feet!
 
1. Nectar
The butterfly’s primary source of food is nectar. It gets nectar from plants and flowers like
 
2. Old Fruit
Butterflies love a sweet treat. You can leave out an overripe banana. Alternatively, if you have fruit trees in your garden, leave fallen fruit on the ground. Butterflies seem to have a particular taste for pears, plums and apples.
 
3. Sugar Solution
Butterflies are often sleepy when they first wake from their cocoons or from hibernation in the spring. If you come across a butterfly struggling to get going, you can prepare a boiled then cooled mix of sugar and water. Use a brightly coloured sponge to soak up the solution. A butterfly will take sips from it and get the boost it needs to take flight.
 
4. Muddy Puddles
The glucose in nectar and fruit gives butterflies their energy. But butterflies also require other nutrients. That’s why you may sometimes see them crowded around a muddy puddle. By sipping from the puddle they take in minerals and salts from the soil, which are thought to be important for reproduction.
 
By including a few of these food sources in your garden, you can attract butterflies for the whole of the season, making your garden into a festival of colour and life

Fascinating Facts about Butterflies

● Butterfly wings are transparent.
● Butterflies taste with their feet.
● Butterflies live on an all-liquid diet.
● Butterflies drink from mud puddles.
● Butterflies can't fly if they're cold.
● The smallest butterfly is the Western Blue Pigmy, which is only 2cm across.
● The largest butterfly in the world is the female Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, with a wingspan of over 25cm!
● A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.

Butterfly in Different Languages

Cornish - Tykki Duw
French - Papillon
German - Schmetterling
Ilocano - Kulibangnag
Irish - Feileacan
Italian - Farfalla
Latin - Papilio
Portuguese - Borboleta
Spanish - Mariposa
Tagalog - Paruparo

Butterflies in Cornwall

​Resident Butterflies:
1. Brimstone  Gonepteryx rhamni
2. Brown Argus  Aricia agestis
3. Comma  Polygonia c-album
4. Common Blue  Polyommatus Icarus
5. Dark Green Fritillary  Argynnis aglaja
6. Dingy Skipper  Erynnis tages
7. Gatekeeper  Pyronia tithonus
8. Grayling  Hipparchia semele
9. Green Hairstreak  Callophrys rubi
10. Green-veined White  Pieris napi
11. Grizzled Skipper  Pyrgus malvae
12. Heath Fritillary  Melitaea athalia
13. Holly Blue  Celastrina argiolus
14. Large Skipper  Ochlodes sylvanus
15. Large White  Pieris brassicae
16. Marbled White  Melanargia galathea
17. Marsh Fritillary  Euphydryas aurinia
18. Meadow Brown  Maniola jurtina
19. Orange Tip  Anthocharis cardamines
20. Peacock  Aglais io
21. Pearl-bordered Fritillary  Boloria euphrosyne
22. Purple Hairstreak  Favonius quercus
23. Red Admiral  Vanessa atalanta
24. Ringlet  Aphantopus hyperantus
25. Silver-studded Blue  Plebejus argus
26. Silver-washed Fritillary  Argynnis paphia
27. Small Copper  Lycaena phlaeas
28. Small Heath  Coenonympha pamphilus
29. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary  Boloria selene
30. Small Skipper  Thymelicus sylvestris
31. Small Tortoiseshell  Aglais urticae
32. Small White  Pieris rapae
33. Speckled Wood  Pararge aegeria
34. Wall  Lasiommata megera

Regular Migrant Butterflies:
1. Clouded Yellow  Colias croceus
2. Painted Lady  Vanessa cardui


Rare Migrant Butterflies:
1. American Painted Lady  Vanessa virginiensis
2. Long-tailed Blue  Lampides boeticus

Revised Red List of UK Butterflies

Regionally Extinct:
1. Black-veined White
2. Large Tortoiseshell
3. Large Copper
4. Mazarine Blue
 
Endangered:
1. Wood White
2. Wall
3. Large Heath
4. Grayling
5. High Brown Fritillary
6. Glanville Fritillary
7. Heath Fritillary
8. Black Hairstreak
 
Vulnerable:
1. Swallowtail
2. Grizzled Skipper
3. Silver-spotted Skipper
4. Small Heath
5. Scotch Argus
6. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
7. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
8. White Admiral
9. Marsh Fritillary
10. Duke of Burgundy
11. Brown Hairstreak
12. White-letter Hairstreak
13. Silver-studded Blue
14. Northern Brown Argus
15. Adonis Blue
16. Chalk Hill Blue
 
Near Threatened:
1. Lulwoth Skipper
2. Mountain Ringlet
3. Dark Green Fritillary
4. Small Blue
5. Large Blue
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer.
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata

5/25/2022

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Saturday, 14 May 2022, Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Society went on a "Butterfly Fieldtrip" at Fellover Brake, Tuckingmill, St Breward. The fieldtrip was organised by Lee Slaughter. It was attended by members and friends who were so delighted to see 30++ Pearl-bordered Fritillaries plus a rare Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata which was first spotted by Robbie Robinson, the fieldtrip leader.

Monday, 16 May 2022, me and Rob went but did not saw the aberration. 

Thursday, 19 May 2022, Dave Conway was very lucky to see the 
Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata.

Saturday, 21 May 2022, me and Rob meet up with Russell Hemmings. This time, we're lucky to see the Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata.

Sunday, 22 May 2022, Lee Slaughter and John Chapple were very lucky to see the Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata.

If you have not yet seen the aberration, you better head up to Fellover Brake. It's all worth the trip.
Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata (Goodson.Entom.1959.92.p.148.)

​Albino. All black patterning replaced by pale silvery-grey on normal ground colour. It is similar in appearance to ab. albomaculata Goodson of adippe [Argynnis adippe, High Brown Fritillary], coloured figures of which can be seen in Frohawk’s Hist.Brit.Butts.pl.13.f.17.
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer. 

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Butterfly-watching in Cornwall

1/28/2022

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27 February 2022
Trevose Head
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Red Admiral
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Small Tortoiseshell
22 March 2022
​Woodland Valley Farm, Ladock
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Comma
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Peacock
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Small Tortoiseshell
3 April 2022
The Dodman, Gorran
Green-veined White and Wall
16 April 2022
Roseland Peninsula
Orange Tip
Red Admiral, Peacock and Holy Blue
18 April 2022
North Cornwall Coast
Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral
19 April 2022
​Crowhill Valley, Grampound
Green-veined White
Peacock, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood
20 April 2022
Woodland Valley Farm
Speckled Wood
Red Admiral, Orange Tip and Peacock
24 April 2022
Wheal Friendly, St Agnes
Red Admiral and Comma
25 April 2022
Portmellon Valley, St Austell
Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White and Holy Blue
26 April 2022
Struddicks, Seaton
Small Copper, Orange Tip, Holy Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Wall
26 April 2022: 15++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
11 May 2019: 30++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
18 May 2018: 20++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
16 April 2017: 4x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
25 April 2016: 8x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
15 April 2015: 13x Pearl-bordered Fritillary
19 April 2014: 40++ Pearl-bordered Fritillary
30 April 2022
Perran Sands, Perranporth
Wall, Peacock and Speckled Wood
Grizzled Skipper
4 May 2022
Park Head, North Cornwall Coast
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Pair of Small Coppers
Orange Tip, Peacock and Wall
5 May 2022
Trevaunance, St Agnes
Small Copper, Green-veined White, Holy Blue, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Wall
7 May 2022
Wheal Maid, Poldice, St Day
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Silver-studded Blue larva
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Common Blue larva
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Burnet Moth larva
8 May 2022
De Lank, St Breward
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
15 May 2022
Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset
Marsh Fritillary, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper
Duke of Burgundy
15 May 2022
Fontmell and Melbury Downs, Dorset
Small Blue
Adonis Blue
Glanville Fritillary
16 May 2022
Fellover Brake, Tuckingmill, St Breward
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
21 May 2022
Fellover Brake, Tuckingmill, St Breward
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
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Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. pittionii
​(Nitsche.Verh.zoolbot.Ges.Wien.1926.74-75.p.17.) 
vittata Nordstrom.Ent.Tidskr.1933.54.p.175.pl.5.f.11.

Upperside of the forewings with a well-developed black band in the median area stretching from the costa to inner margin. The hindwings black from the base to the median line of spots. Nordstrom named the same form in subspecies septentrionalis.
Pearl-bordered Fritillary ab. albomaculata (Goodson.Entom.1959.92.p.148.)

​Albino. All black patterning replaced by pale silvery-grey on normal ground colour. It is similar in appearance to ab. albomaculata Goodson of adippe [Argynnis adippe, High Brown Fritillary], coloured figures of which can be seen in Frohawk’s Hist.Brit.Butts.pl.13.f.17.
22 May 2022
Kiberick Cove and Nare Head, Roseland Peninsula
Common Blue
Painted Lady, Small Copper and Wall
23 May 2022
Breney Common, Lanlivery
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
29 May 2022
Breney Common, Lanlivery
Small Copper, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Small Heath
Marsh Fritillary
30 May 2022​
Portmellon Valley, St Austell
Common Blue
Orange Tip, Large Skipper and Speckled Wood
31 May 2022
Tin Coast, West Cornwall

Common Blue
Small Heath, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood
3 June 2022
​Wheal Coates, St Agnes
Common Blue, Green Hairstreak, Large White, Small Copper, Painted Lady and Large Skipper
5 June 2022
The Dodman, Penare, St Austell
Large Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Green-veined White,
​Meadow Brown, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
​Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer.
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Butterfly Transect in Portmellon Valley

6/29/2021

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Great day out! Nature and wildlife walk in Portmellon Valley. Rich and diverse flora and fauna. Seen loads of amazing wildlife.

Butterflies: Common Blue, Green Hairstreak, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood

Dragonflies, Damselflies and Demoiselles

​Portmellon 
(Cornish: Porthmelin) is a coastal settlement in south and lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Almost a third of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park.

The sandy beach at Portmellon is safe for bathing and there is a public slipway for launching boats. Portmellon has a long history of building boats with many wooden–hulled boats leaving the workshop over the years, including Denis Hame's 20-footer named Vivian.

The sandy beach is set in a small cove, a 20-minute walk from Mevagissey. The beach is around 150 metres long but is completely covered at high tide. At low tide rock pools are exposed and on some occasions seals can be seen swimming off the beach or resting on the rocks.​

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Portmellon Valley

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Rob with the big fallen tree.

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Beautiful Portmellon Valley

Butterflies

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Moth
Dragonflies
Damselflies 
Demoiselles


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Nature and Wildlife Walk in Trevose Head and Bedruthan Steps

6/25/2021

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Great day out! Nature and wildlife walk in Trevose Head and Bedruthan Steps. Nothing beats the spectacular, dramatic and rugged North Cornwall Coast. Rich and diverse flora and fauna. Love it.
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Trevose Head (Cornish: Penn Trenfos, meaning farm of the wall's headland[citation needed]) is a headland on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall. It is situated approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Padstow. The South West Coast Path runs around the whole promontory and is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Trevose Head Heritage Coast. 

​The headland is within the Trevose Head and Constantine Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which is designated for both its biological and geological interests. Wild asparagus grows on the cliffs of Dinas Head and shore dock at the base of the cliffs. The cliffs are also important for breeding fulmar, razorbill and guillemot.
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Trevose Lighthouse in the background.

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Trevose Head

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Beautiful Meadows

Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps (Cornish: Karn Havos, meaning "rock-pile of summer dwelling" and Cornish: Bos Rudhen, meaning "Red-one's dwelling") is a stretch of coastline located on the north Cornish coast. 

The section of coastline from Carnewas to Stepper Point is part of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty[9] and subject to special landscape protection. In addition, Bedruthan Steps and Park Head is an 80.8-hectare (200-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated for its geological and biological interest in 1951. The site was subject to a revision in 1973 and renotified in 1986. It is noted for its slates and fossils from the Middle Devonian period, various mosses, and beetles. Bedruthan Steps is also a Geological Conservation Review site because it is a ″source of rare fish specimens″, which were first reported in 1848 by W Pengelly.


Flora:
The coast here is exposed to westerly winds and the clifftops provide an exposed environment best suited to low-growing plants. Flowers to be found along the cost between Mawgan Porth and Bedruthan include Bird's foot trefoil, Kidney vetch, Sheep’s-bit and Spring squill, plus the distinctly maritime species Sea Pink (Thrift) and Sea Campion.

Geology:
The bedrock at Bedruthan Steps is at the northernmost extent of a series of sedimentary rocks classified as sandstone, siltstone and mudstone and known as the Bedruthan Formation. The underlying rock from Bedruthan Steps to Trevose Head is Middle Devonian slates (386–377 Mya) with Staddon Grits to the south towards Trenance Point. The thickness of the slates have been estimated at over 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Marine erosion by the sea carrying sand and pebbles has worn away the weaker, softer rocks to leave the stacks seen today. Fossils of fish, corals, trilobites, etc. have been found in the Eifelian slates on Samaritan and Pendarves Islands. Few fossils are useful for dating here, but one (although considered to be problematical) Pteroconus mirus dates the formations to the Eifelian. At the end of the headland of Park Head (grid reference SW840708) is a subvolcanic rock, Diabase.

Dark Sky discovery site
In 2014, the area was granted "Dark Sky" status by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Dark Sky discovery sites must be free from light pollution and have good views of stars and the Milky Way, and be accessible to the public.
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Bedruthan Steps

Fulmar
Small Tortoiseshell

Small Heath
Large Skipper





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Nature and Wildlife Walk in St Anthony Head, Roseland Peninsula

6/24/2021

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Great day out! Nature and wildlife walk in St Anthony Head. Scenic views. Seen loads of amazing wildlife but only manage to get a few photos and videos. 

St Anthony Head is a National Trust property situated at the southernmost tip of the Roseland Peninsula, overlooking the entrance to one of the world's largest natural harbours: Carrick Roads and the estuary of River Fal. It preserves the former St Anthony Battery, built in 1895–97 to defend the estuary of the River Fal.

The headland is designated as part of Carricknath Point to Porthbean Beach and Lower Fal and Helford Intertidal Sites of Special Scientific Interest. At its tip lies St Anthony's Lighthouse.

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St Mawes in the distance
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Falmouth in the distance
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St Anthony Head Light House
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Battery Observation Post
St Anthony Head

Red Admiral
Meadow Brown

Kestrel





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Nature and Wildlife Walk in Nare Head, Roseland Peninsula

6/23/2021

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Great day out! Enjoyable walk in Nare Head today. Spectacular views. Seen loads of amazing wildlife.

Butterflies: Common Blue, Clouded Yellow, Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Heath, Speckled Wood and Wall.

​Birds: Guillemots, Razorbills, Yellowhammers, Black Redstart, Swallows, Swifts, Kestrel, Buzzards and a lot more...

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Nare Head
The fresh Cornish sea air is just refreshing and invigorating!
Rob, my walking buddy for life!
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Turning and Jumping











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Marsh Fritillary Butterfly

6/14/2021

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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, is one of the rare butterflies in the UK and it's also my favourite butterfly. The caterpillar foodplant is Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis. The flight time is from May to July.

I've seen this gorgeous butterfly in a few places in Cornwall: Breney Common, Garrow Tor, Goss Moor, Predannak and Trelusback Farm.

For the past few years, me and my husband Rob have been leading a fieldtrip to see this gorgeous butterfly in Breney Common and Garrow Tor.

Photographs and videos were taken on 13 June 2021 at Trelusback Farm.

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A mating pair of Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia
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A mating pair of Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia
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Male Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia - upperwing
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Female Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia - upperwing
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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia - underwing
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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia - underwing
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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Eggs on Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis
A mating pair of Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia on my Camera
Me, my Camera and the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia
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It's just me... Busy taking Photographs and Videos of the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia
Conservation Areas
Beautiful Wildflower Meadows




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World Environment Day / Butterfly Education & Awareness Day

6/3/2021

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Join us on Monday, 7th June 2021 at 7:30pm via ZOOM for a Virtual Butterfly-watching around the spectacular countryside of Cornwall by Rowena Castillo-Nicholls to celebrate World Environment Day and Butterfly Education and Awareness Day (BEAD).

Rowena is a nature and wildlife enthusiast. She loves walking, bird-watching and butterfly-watching. She's a "Wildlife Advocate". She's been raising awareness on the importance of wildlife through "Wildlife Matters". She's a "Metal Health and Physical Well-being Advocate." She's been raising awareness through “Connect with Nature” because it benefits both the mental health and physical well-being. She have been promoting the beauty and wonder of Cornwall with her photographs through "Cornwall Matters". 

Rowena started Ladock Parish Wildlife Group in January 2020 to share her love of nature and wildlife in Cornwall. She invites wildlife experts to give talks and presentations. She arranged wildlife walks and trips. But unfortunately, due to covid-19, she has cancelled some of the events. This 2021, she’s been holding the events virtually via ZOOM till everything is back to normality.​

Please contact Rowena on ilovecornwall8@yahoo.com to get the ZOOM link.


Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/329734281990570
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Lets Get Wild, connect with nature and wildlife in support of Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

5/16/2021

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Mental Health Awareness Week, 10-16 May 2021.
This year's theme is "NATURE".

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Photographer and Videographer: Rowena Castillo-Nicholls
Location: Rowena's home and garden, Truro, Cornwall
I created an event on Facebook: “Lets Get Wild, connect with nature and wildlife" in support of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/467936354310283

Lets Get Wild, connect with nature and wildlife because it benefits both the mental health and physical well-being. You can do this wherever you are. But you don’t have to walk and drive miles and miles to do this. You can do this in your home or in your garden.
DAY 1 – I walked around my garden and admiring the Bluebells in various shades and took photographs of them. I planted some of the herbs that I always use in my cooking: Thyme, Tarragon, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano and 3 types of Rosemary and took a video of them.
Bluebells
Herb Garden
DAY 2 – I baked a Cheese and Bacon Loaf. I cooked Red Lentil and Harissa Soup with Gremolata. I’ve used the Corianders that I picked from my herb garden. I attended a webinar on UN Perspective Series: Life Below Water by United Nations Association of Greater Boston. 
Cheese and Bacon Loaf and Red Lentil and Harissa Soup with Gremolata
UN Perspective Series: Life Below Water by United Nations Association of Greater Boston
​DAY 3 – I watched the rainbow after the rain. The colours are just stunning. The beauty and wonder of nature never seize to amaze me. I attended a webinar on Networks for Nature, Facilitating Collaborative Farming Webinar Series. ​
Rainbow after the Rain
Networks for Nature: Facilitating Collaborative Farming Webinar Series
​DAY 4 – I watched the extremely unpredictable weather: sunny, cloudy, windy and raining. It's just amazing how the weather changes in just a few seconds. I really enjoyed listening to the sound of the falling rain and the chirping of the birds. It's quite therapeutic and calming. 
Video from my bigger pond when it was Raining
Video from my smaller pond when it was Windy
​DAY 5 – I’ve been butterfly-watching in my garden. I've seen a Red Admiral, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Comma, Green-veined White, Large White and Small White. I took videos of the butterflies. ​
Red Admiral
Orange Tip
Speckled Wood
Comma
Green-veined White
DAY 6 – I’ve been bird-watching in my garden. I've seen Sparrowhawk, Great-spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Siskin, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Starling and others. I took videos of the birds. 
Sparrow Hawk devouring her price catch, a poor Collared Dove
Great-spotted Woodpecker lurking by the pond
House Sparrow taking a shower in my pond
Wood Pigeon devouring the Ivy Berries
Juvenile Blackbird
Siskin and Greenfinch
DAY 7 – I've read my nature and wildlife books to brush-up my knowledge on the flora and fauna of Cornwall and the rest of the UK. I'm originally from the Philippines so I am not really familiar with the flora and fauna here. But I'm learning. I already know the Garden Birds and Butterflies in Cornwall. It's time to learn more on Bees, Dragonflies, Fungi and Wildflowers. Everyday is a learning process. It's always fun and enjoyable to learn and discover new things. I chatted on Zoom with my family around the globe: Philippines, UAE and Canada.
Nature and Wildlife Books
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cabilla and Redrice Woods Nature Reserve

6/8/2020

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Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia

1st photo - Female Silver-washed Fritillary Valesina aberration
2nd photo - Male Silver-washed Fritillary
3rd photo - Female Silver-washed Fritillary

To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 7th "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Cabilla and Redrice Woods Nature Reserve to see the Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia.

Cabilla and Redrice Woods is one of the largest and possibly the finest ancient woodlands in Cornwall.
​
Long walk, flat ground, picturesque and scenic view.​
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Fellover Brake

6/8/2020

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Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne​

To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 6th "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Fellover Brake to see the rare Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne.

Long walk, steep hill, picturesque and scenic view.​

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne

Just the 2 of us!

Fellover Brake
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Struddicks

6/7/2020

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Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne

To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 5th "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Struddicks to see the rare Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne.

Struddicks, a short but fairly demanding route through an unkempt wilderness alight with vivid flowers and butterflies in the summer months. This walk climbs high above the cliffs to give spectacular views. Thanks to the landowners' conservation strategies, the area is brimming with wildlife. The rocks, steps and stile along the coast path give the walk an adventurous flavour.

Long walk, steep hill, picturesque and scenic view.​

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Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne

Struddicks near Looe
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Garrow Tor

6/5/2020

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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 4th "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Garrow Tor to see the rare Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia.

Garrow Tor is a bare, tor-crowned hill, 330 metres (1,080 ft) high, located on Garrow Downs in the northwest of Bodmin Moor.

At the summit of Garrow Tor are granite rock outcrops and panoramic views, including Caradon Hill to the south, Rough Tor and Brown Willy to the north, Butter's Tor to the east, clay country to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest. The hill also bears extensive evidence of early settlement, including a massive stone hedge, Bronze Age settlements and hut circles and Medieval settlements.
​

Long walk, rough ground, picturesque and scenic view.

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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

More butterfly species!

Caterpillar

Garrow Tor
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Predannack

6/4/2020

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Picture
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

​To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 3rd "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Predannack at the Lizard Peninsula to see the rare Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia. 

Predannack is own by the National Trust. The Lizard Peninsula is known for its geology and for its rare plants and lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The name "Lizard" is most probably a corruption of the Cornish name "Lys Ardh", meaning "high court"; it is purely coincidental that much of the peninsula is composed of serpentinite-bearing rock. The Lizard peninsula's original name may have been the Celtic name "Predannack" ("British one"); during the Iron Age (Pytheas c. 325 BC) and Roman period, Britain was known as Pretannike (in Greek) and as Albion (and Britons the "Pretani").


Long walk, steep hill, picturesque and scenic view.​

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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

More butterfly species!

Photoshoot

Me and Rob
Predannack
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Breney Common Nature Reserve

6/3/2020

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Picture
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

​To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My 2nd "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Breney Common Nature Reserve to see the rare Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia.

Breney Common must be my most visited nature reserve. We go there every year in April, May, June and July. It has the most amazing flora and fauna, with a rich and diverse habitat.

And of course Breney Common has a special place in my heart as I've seen my greatest sighting of all time here - the Lammergeier, the bearded vulture in 23rd May 2016.

Easy walk, flat, picturesque and scenic view.

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Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia

Picture
23rd May 2016, 4 years ago today, when I've seen and photographed this magnificent Bearded Vulture, also known as the LAMMERGEIER or OSSIFRAGE in Cornwall. Me and Rob Nicholls cannot believe our luck.

It was a sunny afternoon, about 2:30pm. We were looking up towards Helman Tor when a large bird, soaring high, came into sight over the ridgeline, heading in a south westerly direction. It’s just gliding gracefully in the sky. The wingspan was probably 9 feet or more, 3 metres.

It was very high, maybe up to 2,000 feet and had a small bird in tow - which was not getting too close. The small bird turned out to be a buzzard!

The Lammageier did not flap its wings. It was just gliding gracefully across the sky. It was huge and unlike anything usually seen in the skies over Cornwall.

Luckily, I was already prepared with my camera and was able to take some pictures. We were able to watch it for about 12 minutes, before it went out of sight.

Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime sighting. It's nice to sometimes be in the right place, at the right time!

More butterfly species!

Caterpillar

Dragonfly and Damselfly

Slow Worm
Sundews

Wildflowers

Fungi

Up close and personal with the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia
Helman Tor in the background
Gorgeous BlueBells
Breney Common Nature Reserve​

Breney Common Nature Reserve
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Virtual Butterfly-watching in Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve

6/2/2020

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Picture
Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia

Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia Aberration​​

​To celebrate Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, I will take you on a "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall". Not just for a day but for the WHOLE month of June.

My first "Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall" is in Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve to see the nationally rare Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia.

Would you believe, I celebrated 3 birthdays here. Even my 40th birthday. That's how special this place is. There's no place I would rather be on my special day than in the company of these gorgeous butterflies.

Long walk, steep hill, picturesque and scenic view.

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Pair of Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia
More butterfly species!

Picture
1st July 2012, celebrating my 40th Birthday
(2010 and 2011 too)


Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve

Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve

Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve


Greenscoombe Wood Luckett Nature Reserve 

Barry Ofield had made a huge contribution on the wildlife in Cornwall particularly on butterflies. If not for Barry, the Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia would have been extinct in Cornwall. With Barry's successful breeding and reintroduction of Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia in Greenscoombe Wood, we're now enjoying seeing this beautiful butterfly fluttering in Cornwall.

Barry’s involvement began in early 2007 when he was asked if he could take part in a programme, which would include his efforts in breeding for release, the Heath Fritillary Melicta athalia.

 
Barry and Tom Sleep has previously released in excess of 1500 imagines into Greenscoombe Wood where it had become extinct due to habitat deterioration over the pass 20 years. Barry’s part in 2006-2007 was to breed more adults for another release at Greenscoombe Wood and in Blanchdown Wood, which is on the Devon side of the Tamar River.
 
Filming started on 8 May 2007 and took two days to complete including the release at Blanchdown. The filming and interviews took place at Barry’s home in Pendoggett. The weather on the first day was fine. The second day of filming, it was pouring with rain. Not the ideal conditions for releasing butterflies.

An extract from the 2007 BBC programme "Born to be Wild". This article features Barry Ofield breeding Heath Fritillary butterflies for subsequent release at Blanchdown Woods alongside the Tamar in Devon with Dr Caroline Bulman.
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Butterfly Transect in Lower Portmellon Valley

9/10/2019

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Location: Portmellon Valley
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

I had an enjoyable time doing the Butterfly Transect in Portmellon Valley. 

Some of the amazing wildlife we saw from our butterfly transect in Portmellon Valley: 2 migrant butterflies - Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady, some of the Cornish resident butterflies - Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Small Copper, Red Admiral, Peacock, Wall, Small White, Large White. A huge Cricket. Some dragonflies and damselflies. Loads of birds - Sparrowhawk, Jay, Buzzard, Kestrel, Swallow and a lot more...

Butterfly
Huge Cricket
Fungi
Portmellon Valley
Picture
Portmellon Beach
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Birdwatching, Butterfly-watching and Moth Evening around Cornwall

8/30/2019

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Location: 
Godrevy Head, Gwithian
RSPB Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve
Windmill Farm Nature Reserve
Lizard Point, The Lizard Peninsula
Kynance Cove, The Lizard Peninsula
Loe Bar, The Lizard Peninsula

Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls
Went out early to search for 2 rare birds: White Stork and Brown Booby. Our first stop was at Godrevy. The birds were no show but we saw Seals, Gannets, Black Tern, Sooty Shearwater, Whimbrel and a lot more...
Our 2nd stop was at RSPB Hayle Estuary. Not many species. Just the usual ones.
Our 3rd stop was at Windmill Farm. The only notable species we saw was this gorgeous Barn Owl.
Our 4th stop was at Lizard Point. As always, I am delighted to see 3x Cornish Choughs showing off their acrobatic flight.
Our 5th stop was at Kynace Cove, one of the most scenic spot in Cornwall.
Our last stop was at Loe Bar to see the rare Sandhill Rustic Moth lead by Adrian Spalding. We've seen 21x in total.

​Adrian Spalding is the author of the "Loe Bar and the Sandhill Rustic Moth: The Biogeography, Ecology and History of a Coastal Shingle Bar" and other wildlife books.


In Loe Bar and the Sandhill Rustic Moth, Adrian Spalding examines the survival of plants and animals on Loe Bar, a shingle beach on the coast of Cornwall, in the context of its history, geomorphology and exposure to the Atlantic environment. He develops these themes within a detailed study of the Sandhill Rustic moth that endures this harsh environment where storm surges, high salinity, high temperatures, strong winds and burial by sand affect the wildlife that occurs there.

​
Adrian Spalding MA (Cantab), PhD (University of Aberdeen), FLS, FRES is a former Director of the Cornish Biological Records Unit (University of Exeter) and currently Director of Spalding Associates (Environmental) Ltd. He has had a lifetime passion for moths and butterflies.
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