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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.
Picture
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

Picture
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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Sand Crocus "Romulea columnae", rare flower in Cornwall

4/12/2022

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Picture
​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. 
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Wildflowers in Cornwall

1/26/2022

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Picture
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
Copyright © Rowena Castillo-Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
​Images may not be used without the written permission of the photographer.
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Sea Watch in Dodman Point

7/8/2019

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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
Picture
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.
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Butterfly Transect in Lower Portmellon Valley

6/17/2019

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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
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Wildlife Walk in Breney Common

6/3/2019

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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
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Portmellon Valley Wildlife Walk

5/14/2019

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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. 

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a mating pair of Common Blue
a mating pair of Common Blue
femaie Common Blue
Comma
Peacock
Painted Lady
Small Tortoiseshell
Green Hairstreak
Brimstone
Orange Tip
Green-veined White
Large White
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.
Bugle
Violet
Bluebell
Bluebell
Dandelion
Oxeye Daisy
Buttercup
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
Herb Robert
Clover
Campion
Thistle
Foxgloves
Foxgloves
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.
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    Rowena
    Castillo
    ​Nicholls

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

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  • HOME
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  • BLOG
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • Greatest Wildlife Sighting
    • British Garden Birds
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    • Tropical Butterflies
    • Rowena's Purple Cottage
    • Butterflies in the Philippines
    • Birds in the Philippines
    • GIAN & MIGO >
      • Gabriel Angelo Castillo
      • Miguel Angelo Castillo
    • Photography Packages
  • EVENTS
    • 2025 Connect with Nature Events
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  • TALKS
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  • ADVOCACY
    • Connect with Nature
    • Wildlife Matters >
      • Wildlife in my Garden
      • Virtual Birdwatching in Cornwall
      • Virtual Butterfly-watching in Cornwall
    • Ladock Parish Wildlife Group
    • Cornwall Butterfly Group (Kernow Tykki Duw)
    • CORNWALL MATTERS >
      • Virtual Poldark Tour in Cornwall
      • Virtual Beach-ing in Cornwall
    • Charity, Community Group, Local Organisation and others...
    • xxx