MELBURY DOWN AND STUBBHAMPTON BOTTOM GUIDED WALK 20th July 2003
by Geoff Hobson
On a dry but rather breezy day, a group of nineteen members of Dorset Branch Butterfly Conservation, Dorset Wildlife Trust and visitors met at 11 AM on Sunday Morning at Melbury Down. Paul Butter, the Branch Moth Officer, and Gordon Hopkins had run the moth trap the night before, and although he said that it had not been a good catch there were about sixty species of moths for the group to see. The moths caught included several beautiful species like the Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Swallowtail, and Small Elephant Hawk Moth, plus normal and melanic forms of the Peppered Moth (click here for a full list).
After this Brian Dicker Chairman of the Branch, explained the conservation aspects of the Down, owned by the National Trust then the group went looking for the target species, the Dark Green Fritillary. It was not long before one was spotted then another and another, nectaring on the patches of Knapweed. Several were happy to pose for the photographers, but some were quite camera shy!
Also seen were several Small Skippers and an Essex Skipper, Small Heaths, Painted Ladies, and Large Whites. The Cinnabar Moth caterpillar was in abundance on the Ragwort also and many six spot Burnets were to be seen.
The next destination for the day was Stubbhampton Bottom, and so the group made their way back to the cars for a 1 pm lunch. Then a smaller group of fourteen, plus a small dog, met at the gate at the start of the walk.
Brian introduced Arthur Bryant the Branch Meetings Officer, and again explained the conservation position for this site owned by Forestry Commission and then the group started along the forest track, and headed up a slope to see if the Silver Washed Fritillary, the target species was around. It was not long before the first one was seen, then another. Whilst examining a small Copper and Common Blue, a pair of Silver Washed flew past in a courtship flight, the male looping around the female. The group had a wonderful view of a spectacle that Brian said he had only seen twice before.
In contrast, being a more wooded environment, there were the usual Ringlets and Small Skippers about, and several Marbled Whites that were decidedly camera shy. There were also many Scarlet Tigers, a day flying moth, and of course the Cinnabar caterpillars on the Ragwort. Then a bit farther along the track a dark Valenzia form of the female Silver Washed Fritillary was seen. The group were fortunate enough to get several good shots of the Silver Washed, as well as a few others. On the way back a recently emerged male Brimstone was seen.
We saw all the species and more that we hoped for and everyone had a most enjoyable day.