Brockadale Nature Reserve Marbled White sightings

What better way to get back to blogging than with a trip to Brockadale Nature Reserve for some satisfying views of Marbled Whites.

Sharing a thistle with a 6 Spot Burnet (?) 

and another...

An upperwing view of a Marbled White nectaring on red clover.

Brockadale Nature Reserve (II)

In addition to the virtually monochromatic Marbled Whites at Brockadale Nature Reserve we saw a variety of more colourful butterflies. Ten Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) first sightings of the year, the underside of the forewing an orangey-russet colour, its head and thorax look as furry as a fox.

30+ Six-Spot Burnets, this one feeding on nectar rich Centaurea which along with Red Clover appeared to be the popular dishes of the day. In a similar fashion to last year's visit, Yellowhammer called out from the treetops around the reserve, and a Buzzard circled skyward for a few minutes before soaring out of view. 

A friendly chap pointed us in the direction of previously sighted Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) and it wasn't long before a couple appeared, then another, where they tirelessly dashed above the grassland, occasionally stopping to feed on Red Clover. Disappointingly this was the least blurred photo I managed to get, but good enough for a record pic. This is the second time Ive seen one, the first being two years ago at Druridge Pools Nature Reserve in early August. 

A faded Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), one of four spotted in shorter grass.

A good excuse for yet another Marbled White pic, this male sharing space with a Six-Spot Burnet.

A Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina), one of twenty+ on the reserve, often in groups of two and three, this one of the few to remain still just long enough to grab a pic. 

Brockadale Nature Reserve (I)

After reading about recent sightings of Marbled Whites at Brockadale Nature Reserve we decided to take advantage of good weather with a follow up to last year's initial visit.  Glimpses of Ringlets, Meadow Browns and whites on from the path was a good start and once on the reserve we counted over 15 Marbled Whites (Melanargia galathea), feeding predominantly on red clover and centaurea.

This one is a female, slightly larger than the male, the underside has a brown tinge as opposed to the black and white markings of the male.

Brockadale Nature Reserve

We headed out to Brockadale Nature Reserve, another Yorkshire Wildlife Reserve, with the hope of catching our first ever sighting of the Marbled White. Despite pretty continuous cloud cover we were rewarded with three seperate sightings of the distinctive black and white butterfly.  

Throughout the reserve Yellowhammers could be seen and heard from the treetops.

I caught sight of a Holly Blue on a Hawthorn but only managed this record shot.

Towards the end of our wander the sun popped out and so did this Common Blue.