Arnside , Cumbria ( Part 2 )

With Carol settling back down with her book in the car park , I returned to mountain goat mode and headed back to Myers Allotment . With the woods sheltering the site from the wind , conditions were ideal for butterflies , but also for biting insects , that a field day on my arms . I returned to the area where I had seen the HBF in the morning , but shade had already crept over the open area , so I headed higher and found a similar area , with Thistles , but still in the sun . After a couple of fly-bys , a Fritillary landed on the Thistle flowers to feed , and then dropped onto the ground as if to rest , giving me my best photographic opportunity . To show just how difficult it is to identify between HBF and DGF , I'm posting topwing shots of both in the order just mentioned .

Some people I spoke to said that the size of 3rd. of the six spots from the leading edge , inside the black arrows on the forewing was the clue , but I found DGF with large and small spots there , and on the HBF above didn't have a 3rd. spot at all . Others said the wavy black markings were the thing to look for , but I found these variable in both too . As I said before , to be sure , I would have to see the underwing , and fortunately another HBF was obliging . As with the topwing shots , its HB then DG .

The HBF lacks the green wash on the underwing , and also has a row of silver filled brown spots between the outer margin and the silver spangles nearer the abdomen . The maximum nunber of specimens seen on site was only 3/4 . The HBF is one of the most endangered and rapidly declining butterflies , found only in the West , with less than 50 colonies remaining . Hopefully places like Myers Allotment , managed specifically for the species will help maintain the species and maybe increase numbers in years to come . Arriving back at the car park , Carol pointed out a butterfly that had landed on the ground in the corner . I got the binoculars on it just as it flew . From that glimpse and the jizz as it flew off , it could have been a Large Tortoiseshell , but we will never know for sure . Carol did get her dinner that evening , eventually , it being still fine , we were able to sit at a table out front on the decking , and

this was our view over the Kent Channel , as he tide started to come back in , with the hills of the Lake District on the horizon . The following morning wasn't as good weather wise , but not bad , and as I thought that I still hadn't seen the Northern Brown Argus , we went back to Myers Allotment to consentrate on that species , but without success . A few HB/DGF flybys , but none stopped , but I met a couple looking for HBFs , and they mentioned that Gait Barrows , a limestone pavement site , not far away was good for NBA . We soon found it , and being flatter , Carol said she would come too . We found the area the couple mentioned and even found another enthusiast who had seen some further down the track . Carol stayed for a rest , whilst I checked the track out , failing to find a NBA . But , whilst looking , I did find a couple of Dark-red Helleborines , but they had already gone to seed . Lots of Meadow Brown and small Ringlets and on one of the pavement areas , several

Grayling , one , although past it's sell by date , was happy to pose , showing some of it's topwing colour through it's now tatty wing . I searched on for a good while without any success , and as Carol had probably overdone things already and we had a good distance to get back to the car , we started back , finding some nice specimens of Betony / Betonica officinalis , a member of the Labiate family

along the way . We got back to the b&b about 4pm. , and whilst Carol had a look around the lovely gardens there , before resting her leg , I headed off for one more look for the NBA up on the Knott . Pulling up in the car park , two NT Rangers were taking a break in the shade , so I asked if there were any NBA emerged yet ? They told me they had just finished their butterfly transect on the Knott and had found 9 . I also asked if they had recorded HBF on the transect , to which they replied that they had seen one 'possible' , amongst the large number of DGF recorded . They marked on a map exactly where they had recorded them , and I also tossed into the conversation the DrH story . 'We're just about to go and do a spike count of them on the top of the Knott , come along with us , they should be in full flower' , was the response , and I

didn't need asking twice . High up on an area of scree were six DrHs , and one in particular was in

pristine condition , another species off my 'to see' list . Leaving the Rangers to carry on with their count , I headed for the areas where the NBA were recorded . The conditions were ideal , but found

none at the first area , but did find a Painted Lady , only the second I've seen this year . The second area the Rangers mentioned was approached via a wood and a small clearing . As I entered the clearing , a large insect was noisily buzzing the area . It crash landed in some vegetation , and that enabled me to get some shots . It looked similar to Strangalia maculata ,which was emerging before I left , but brighter and different black markings . Have done a bit of digging since and it would appear

to be Leptura quadriasciata , a relation of the former . I checked out the second area , but once again did not find any NBAs . With evening drawing in , butterflies were going to roost , so I gave up and

retraced my steps . On the way I stopped at the viewpoint , right on the top of Arnside Knott and got a final shot of the Lake District hills from the vantage point .
Nearly evermorning we heard Bullfinches 'heuing' to each other from the trees in the garden , but

only got fleeting glimpses of the pair . But on the final morning , before going down for breakfast ,

both the male and the female birds showed quite well for a couple of minutes , before disappearing back into the trees .
We left about 9am. Friday morning , calling in briefly at Carol's cousin in Southport , before getting back onto the M6 . Soon after , we hit torrential rain for mile after mile and even flooding on some of the low parts of the motorway . That weather then snarled up the motorway and we went into stop start mode for ages . Further South we hit another band of heavy rain , just as things were starting to get better . Then as we approached the Dartford Crossing on the M25 , the signs flashed '40 minute delay at crossing' . The reason for the delay , not bad weather or an accident , but so that the tolls could be collected from every car that passed through . Apparently the same thing occurred during the afternoon going North through the tunnel . That tunnel and bridge must have been paid for many times over , by now it should be free . I don't have the exact numbers , but averaging a car every 10 seconds , paying £1.50 ( more for lorries and coaches ) , through about 15 toll booths , means that during the hour we sat in traffic to get through , at least £8,000 was taken N/S  and probably the same S/N , as there was still a tail back on that side . We finally got home at just after 7pm. After taking off the stop at Carol's cousin , almost identical time to the outward trip .
And finally , many thanks to Greg for identifying the spider on last Sunday's post as a female Wolf Spider of the Pardosa species .