@andrewpbf.bsky.social
On 11th July, we had a field trip to Carrine Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) managed by Natural England. The highlight of the walk was a close encounter with two Purple Hairstreak butterflies.
Nothing like a walk along the coast path near Looe in Cornwall when the sun is out. The cliffside tracks are alive with butterflies right now—spotted a Common Blue, a Small Copper, and a Wall today. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Clouded Yellows have been appearing in good numbers across Cornwall this year, riding on warm winds from southern Europe. Look out for their glowing orange-yellow wings, edged with a bold black border. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Join our Chair at Crofthandy and United Downs Raceway tomorrow to hear all about our Jewels in the Cornish Mining Landscape project, alongside a fab line-up of other speakers!
Dr Marcus Rhodes@marcusrhodes.bsky.social · last mo.Looking forward to talking about the amazing butterflies found on Cornish mine sites at this family-friendly event tomorrow!
The Ringlet’s gold-rimmed eyespots aren’t just for show — they can help confuse birds and deflect attacks away from the body, so a butterfly may end up a bit battered but still live to fly another day. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Penlee Battery in East Cornwall is a great place to see Marbled Whites. 188 seen there this morning. The species occurs across much of Cornwall, though it is largely absent from the far south-west. Males are black and white, while females show a yellow-orange underside. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Silver-studded Blues at Trevilley Cliff, Nanjizal, yesterday.
60 Silver-studded Blues at Poldice Valley today! Significant colonies inhabit Cornwall’s heathlands (many on old mining sites) & coastal dunes, mostly in the west. This nationally rare species still faces tough battles against developers on dunes to keep habitats safe. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Heath Fritillaries from today's @bc-cornwall.bsky.social field trip to Greenscoombe Wood. Currently, the only Cornish site for this rare and lovely butterfly, following a successful reintroduction.
Trip to Greenscombe wood on the edge of the Tamar today for the endangered heath fritillary. Fantastic wood looks managed well & 30 plus fritillary seen. Huge thanks to @andrewpbf.bsky.social with his info wouldn't of found it otherwise !!. 6 spot fly best birds seen. #UKBirding #Cornwallbutterflys.
CBC field trip to Greenscoombe Wood today: despite heavy cloud and rain forecast, we saw an amazing 83 Heath Fritillaries. Imagine if it had been sunny! The overcast conditions meant the butterflies stayed settled, making them easy to spot, count, and photograph. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Ian Howarth reports 20 Heath Fritillaries at Greenscombe Wood today - one of the UK’s rarest butterflies—near extinction in the 1970s, now recovering thanks to conservation. Also: Small Heath, Ringlet, Red Admiral and ~24 Painted Ladies. Thanks to Ian for his photo/report. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Large skippers have been flying in Cornwall for a couple of weeks now. The male has a thick black line through the centre of the upper forewing—actually a scent brand used to attract females. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Marsh fritillaries flying today on Bodmin Moor. Living in damp meadows and boggy grassland, needing Devil’s-bit Scabious to survive. Like the pearl-bordered and small pearl-bordered fritillaries, they're under threat—with populations down 66% in England since 1990. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Bunny’s Hill, Cardinham, this morning: a whopping 217 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in just 45 minutes, in blazing temperatures. Absolutely incredible. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Pearls still around on Bodmin Moor. Numbers seriously down, though. Increasing numbers of Small Pearls. Too hot!! @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @saverflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
No Pearls on the Coast Path this afternoon—flight season’s over for the pearl‑bordered fritillaries along the Cornwall coast. But consoled to find this Large Skipper soaking up the sun instead. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
While their caterpillars rely entirely on violets, adult Pearl-bordered Fritillaries need plenty of early spring nectar to fuel their flights. Bugle, dandelion, bluebells are vital, and they also happily visit newly blossomed bird's-foot-trefoil. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation's field trip to Pendrift on Bodmin Moor today was special: 70 Pearl‑bordered Fritillaries seen, plus 7 Small PBFs. A lovely sight but seeing Small PBFs reminds us sadly our Pearls have only a few days left to fly. @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Pearl-bordered fritillary nectaring on bluebell at Fellover Brake, Bodmin Moor. Following a very wet winter, cold easterly winds the past few weeks, and only the occasional sunny spell, numbers are running well below typical levels. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Pearl-bordered Fritillary snacking on Sheep's-bit. One of 44 seen on Cornish coast path this morning. Rain on the way unfortunately. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Pearl-bordered fritillaries are finally out on Bodmin Moor. In Cornwall they first appear on the Coast Path near Looe, then at Marsland near Bude, and finally on Bodmin – a sequence shaped by altitude, temperature, exposure and microclimate. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Pearl-bordered Fritillaries on the undercliffs at Murrayton this morning. At this coastal site, they make use of glades created by the frequent landslips.
26 Pearls seen at Marsland Hard Hills yesterday afternoon, matching last year’s peak count, so we’re hopeful for an even better year this year. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Strong cold easterly winds on Cornwall Coast Path for over a week. Yet Pearl-bordered Fritillaries show big spirit! 20 seen today—small in size, but mighty! Come on you Pearls! @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
15 Pearl-bordered fritillaries this afternoon on the Cornwall coast path. Lovely to see them again. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social @bc-cornwall.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation's Open Day is next week! We have some great speakers lined up for the day including @richardfoxbc.bsky.social on climate change, Adrian Spalding discussing Sandhill Rustics & Lesley Strong talking about the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Hope to see you there!
I thought it was just a battered Small Tortoiseshell on a muddy patch… but something wasn’t quite right. Then it clicked—it was far too big! My first-ever Large Tortoiseshell, emerging in the sun after months of Cornish rain. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
