 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.  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  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.
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 We're quite lucky to be living in Cornwall. We are surrounded by spectacular and picturesque scenery as well as amazing and diverse flora and fauna, in which some of them are even rare. On 12 April 2022, me and my husband Rob went to Lantic Bay area to search for the rare Sand Crocus Romulea columnae. We're so delighted to find this rare beauty and saw more than 15++ flowers. The weather is cloudy, murky, misty with a bit of sunny spell that's why I was able to take a few shots of the flowers with its petals open. The Sand Crocus Romulea columnae was found growing on the clifftop 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. I'm really delighted and pleased to have seen and photograph this rare and gorgeous flower. Sand Crocus Romulea columnae ● Common Name: Sand Crocus ● Scientific Name: Romulea columnae ● Family: Iris (Iridaceae) ● Main Flower Color: Purple ● Range: Only at Lantic Bay in Cornwall, Dawlish Warren in Devon and in the Channel Islands. ● Height: up to 4 cm ● Habitat: Cliffs and short, sandy grassland, beside the coast. ● Flowers: Six pale purple, equally-sized petals, pointed at the tip, crossed by a dark midvein and a pair of lighter lateral veins; up to 10 mm in diameter. Sometimes more uniformly darker purple, or pink. Greenish-yellow at the centre. Usually solitary; occasionally in pairs. There are three stamens, topped by yellow anthers. ● Leaves: Linear, up to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide, curly and somewhat wiry, growing from the base. ● Season: March to May ● Rarity: ★★★★★ Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer.  Cornwall has a very rich and diverse flora and fauna. It's not only the home for some amazing wildlife species, it's also a home for some gorgeous and stunning wildflowers. Some of them are rare and some are endemic to Cornwall. 3 January 2022 Percuil, Roseland Peninsula 4 January 2022 St Anthony’s Head, Roseland Peninsula 11 January 2022 Treluggan Cliffs, Roseland Peninsula 12 January 2022 Portscatho, Roseland Peninsul 15 January 2022 Penhale, North Cornwall Coast 20 February 2022 Turnaware Point, Roseland Peninsula 13 March 2022 Home Sweet Home, Grampound Road 14 March 2022 Home Sweet Home, Grampound Road 22 March 2022 Woodland Valley Farm, Ladock 3 April 2022 The Dodman, Penare, St Austell 10 April 2022 Frank John's Trevergy Farm, Cury 13 April 2022 Lantic Bay, South East Cornwall Sand Crocus Romulea columnae Ramping Fumitory 16 April 2022 Roseland Peninsula 18 April 2022 North Cornwall Coast 19 April 2022 Crowhill Valley, Grampound 20 April 2022 Woodland Valley Farm, Ladock 24 April 2022 Wheal Friendly, St Agnes 25 April 2022 Portmellon Valley, St Austell 26 April 2022 Struddicks, Seaton 28 April 2022 North Cornwall Coast Wild Gladioli Early Purple Orchid Heath Spotted Orchid 30 April 2022 Perran Sands, Perranporth 2 May 2022 Porth Mear Valley, North Cornwall Coast 4 May 2022 Park Head, North Cornwall Coast 5 May 2022 Trevaunance, St Agnes 8 May 2022 De Lank, St Breward Adder's Tongue Fern 9 May 2022 Porth Reservoir, Colan 15 May 2022 Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset 15 May 2022 Fontmell and Melbury Downs, Dorset 16 May 2022 Fellover Brake, Tuckingmill, St Breward 22 May 2022 Kiberick Cove and Nare Head, Roseland Peninsula 23 May 2022 Breney Common, Lanlivery Sundews 29 May 2022 Breney Common, Lanlivery Wildflowers Wild Orchids 30 May 2022 Portmellon Valley, St Austell Wildflowers 31 May 2022 Tin Coast, West Cornwall Wildflowers 3 June 2022 Wheal Coates, St Agnes Wildflowers 5 June 2022 The Dodman, Penare, St Austell Wildflowers
Location: Dodman Point Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls Videographer: Rob Nicholls I just had the most enjoyable time Sea Watching - spotting marine mammals in Dodman Point from morning till evening. Robert Wells, a marine expert from Three Bays Wildlife Group lead the fieldtrip. We've seen loads of amazing marine life, sea birds and butterflies. Looks like sea watching is going to be my new interest!!! We've seen loads of amazing wildlife: Marine Mammal: a pod of Dolphins and 2x Seals Mammal: 1x dead Shrew Bird: 20++ Cormorant, 2x Fulmar, Swallows, Swifts, loads of Gulls and a lot more... Butterfly: 1x Marbled White, 30++ Wall Brown, 30++ Meadown Brown, 30++ Ringlet, 20++ Gatekeeper, 5x Red Admiral, 5x Small White, 2x Large White, 3x Speckled Wood and a lot more... Dragonfly: 3x Golden-ringed Dragonfly Dodman Point is the highest headland on the south Cornwall coast, measuring 374 feet (114 m). It is also known by its earlier names of the Deadman and Deadman's Point. It hosts the remains of an Iron Age promontory fort, and at its seaward end is a large granite cross, erected in 1896 to help protect shipping from this headland. It is mentioned in the shanty Spanish Ladies. Below the large stone cross, there is a way down to the bottom of the small cliffs and there is some climbing there on the faces mainly bouldering as it is rarely scaled so there are no fixed anchor points. Our most notable sighting at Dodman Point were a pod of Dolphins. It's just awesome to see them jumping off the waters. Unfortunately, this yellow boat with a very noisy motor is going straight to the pod. He just keeps on going straight to them. Really causing a wildlife disturbance. Grey Seal Birds Butterfly Dragonfly  A dead Common Shrew Flowers Great day! Granite Cross Sooo exhilarating to be on the cliff edge!!! I always have an adrenaline rush. But I love it.
Location: Portmellon Valley Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls Videographer: Rob Nicholls Had an enjoyable and fun-filled time doing the Butterfly Transect. The weather had been lovely: a little bit warm with a some sunny spells and a gentle breeze. Butterflies Dragonfly and Damselfly Bee and Solitary Wasp Fungi Wildflowers Location: Breney Common Nature Reserve Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls Videographer: Rob Nicholls It has been a successful and enjoyable day. It’s lovely to see you Phillip HarrisDel Netherton and Dave Conway. It’s just amazing to see loads of wildlife species with knowledgeable people. I always learn a lot of stuff. * Butterflies: 21x Marsh Fritillary, 34x Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, 11x Speckled Wood, 17x Common Blue, 8x Small Heath, 3x Red Admiral, 2x Green Hairstreak, 2x Small Copper, 1x Small White & 1x Holy Blue * Moths: Speckled Yellow, Mother Shipton, China-mark, Cream Wave, White Wave, Silver Y & a lot more… * Caterpillars: Orange Tip & Emperor Moth * Chrysalis: Six-spot Burnet Moth * Dragonflies: Golden-ringed, Southern Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser & a lot more… * Damselflies: Beautiful, Large Red, Azure, Common Blue and a lot more… * Dragonfly Nymph * Birds: Cuckoo, Buzzard, Raven, Heron and a lot more… * Wildflowers: Loads of Orchids, Monk’s Hood/Wolf’s Bane, Cow Parsley, Cuckoo Flower, Foxglove, Bluebell, Field Scabious, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Ragged Robin, Campion, Forget-Me-Not, Cowslip, Violet, Sundews & a lot more… * Beetles: Seven-spotted Ladybird * Amphibians: Common Frog * Crickets & Grasshoppers * Fungi The rare Marsh Fritillary Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Common Blue & Small Copper Moths Orange Tip and Emperor Moth Caterpillar Six-spot Burnet Moth Chrysalis Seven-spotted Ladybird, Four-spotted Chaser & Dragonfly Nymph Fungi Wild Orchids Rowena Castillo Nicholls, Rob Nicholls, Phillip Harris, Del Netherton and Dave Conway
Location: Portmellon, Mevagissey Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls Videographer: Rob Nicholls The weather is just glorious. Sunny and warm with a gentle breeze. So, me and Rob thought if would be fantastic if we go for a walk in Portmellon Valley. The valley is just so picturesque. All you see is lush green fields and plenty of gorgeous wild flowers. We've seen 15 different species of butterflies and loads of birds too. We had an enjoyable walk from 12:00pm to 5:30pm. Website: https://www.ilovecornwall8.com/ Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilovecornwall8 Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilovecornwall8 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilovecornwall8 Butterflies we saw from our walk: 1x Green Hairstreak, 30++ Common Blue, 3x Holly Blue, 10++ Small Copper, 1x Painted Lady, 8x Red Admiral, 10++ Peacock, 1x Comma, 6x Small Tortoiseshell, 10++ Speckled Wood, 3x Wall, 20++ Orange Tip, 2x Brimstone, 10++ Green-veined White, 10++ Large White, 10++ Small White. These are the beautiful flowers we saw from our walk. Some of the Fungi we saw from our walk. We walk for 5 hours and 30 minutes. We have such a fantastic and fabulous time. The scenery is just amazing. The picturesque fishing village of Mevagissey. We can't help but reward ourselves with a sumptuous fish and chips at "The Fishermen's Chippy" after our long walk. |
