July Butterflies

On Wednesday my nephew wanted to see what all the fuss was about Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's lovely Brockadale reserve, so we travelled all the way to North Yorkshire, actually only an hour's drive away. The weather was sunny, but very breezy, so this may have affected the insects somewhat. My classes usually visit in late June, so this may be another reason why some things were absent. The Kestrel chicks we normally see had flown, and there was no sign of the Little Owls. 

Marbled Whites

 Dark Green Fritilliary

 Male Banded Demoiselle

 Ditto

 Male Banded Demoiselle

 In Flight

 Male Banded Demoiselle

 ditto

 2 males in flight

 Female Banded Demoiselle

 2 males in flight

The first section seemed a bit past its best with the Clustered Bellflower much taller than in previous years, and some flowers already dead and gone. However, a few Marbled Whites were still flying about. We walked through the woodland and when we reached the river at the other side of the grassland the stream was chocked with male Banded Demoiselles with a few females present too. A large orange butterfly was getting chased by a paler version, and the latter settled near us, and proved to be a Dark Green Fritillary. At the sheltered woodland edge there were plenty of Meadow Browns, Ringlets a few Large and Small Skippers, and a Comma.

 Large Skipper

 Small Skipper

 Ditto

 Mating Beetles

 Marbled White

 Marbled Whites

 Ditto

 Ditto

 Small Tortoiseshell

 6-Spot Burnet-Moth

 Centaury

 Cornflowers

 Bloody Cranesbill

We went on to Rifle Butts Quarry, where there were a few Bloody Cranesbills, and most of the same butterflies, minus the fritillaries. On to Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit. However, here the Greater Knapweed wasn't out in profusion yet, so most of the hundreds of Marbled Whites were concentrated on an expanse of thistles off the main path on top of the escarpment. It was a fine sight