Pantaloon Bees and Bee Wolves at Minsmere RSPB!

Having admired the many photographs of Pantaloon Bees at Minsmere RSPB doing the rounds on Twitter over the past few weeks, I was longing to see these interesting insects for myself.

Sadly, at over 4 hours away, Suffolk was just a tad too far to travel just to get my fix of quirkily named bees (if they had been referred to as Hairy Legged Mining Bees I don’t think I’d have been anywhere near as smitten with them) and it looked like any chance to see them would be off the cards. Luckily for me, the stars aligned at the beginning of August when a Purple Swamphen touched down at Minsmere, positively forcing me to take a day off mid-week to go and see it and offering the perfect chance to simultaneously search for these fascinating bees.

With the Swamphen safely under our belts, we headed over to the sandy patches of ground along the North Wall where the Pantaloon Bees had been seen, a helpful member of RSPB staff on hand to guide visitors and help identify any bees or wasps.

After a long wait searching in the cloudy weather, a number of other interesting bees and wasps buzzing around to keep us occupied, we eventually struck it lucky with a single Pantaloon Bee, busy excavating a burrow in the sandy ground, the thick bristly hairs on the back legs getting caked with sand as it scurried backwards through the substrate before scraping it off revealing the beautiful furry hairs underneath.

It is only the female bees that have woolly “pantaloon” legs as they are the ones that sweep away the sand creating burrows in which to lay their eggs.

Truly fascinating creatures and the only species of Hairy Legged Mining Bee in the UK, we were totally captivated as we watched her dig out her burrow again and again, backing out of the entrance hole before dashing back in each time – amazing!!

The majority of sandy burrows on the slope were also occupied by the ferocious sounding Bee Wolf – fearsome wasps that predate on the Honey Bees in the area, paralysing them and carrying them back to their nests in a rather menacing fashion.

Looking carefully, the Bee Wolves carry the Honey Bees in such a way that if they attempt to sting back, only the armoured part of the Bee Wolf’s body is presented.

Once stored in the burrow, the females will then lay an egg on the paralysed bee, ensuring the hatched larva has a sufficient food supply when it emerges. We saw several eyes peeking out of the occupied burrows, and these extensive tunnels can often hold up to 6 immobilised Honey Bees in chambers ready for the young wasp larvae to feed upon.

For anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to experience these delightful and quirky bees themselves, a trip to Minsmere in sunny weather next summer is definitely recommended! 

Marsh Fritillaries!

Marsh Fritillary is surely one of our most attractive British butterflies – a striking checkerboard of fiery oranges and burnt umbers flecked with delicate hints of gold and cream. A true delight of the Lepidoptera world. It was also a species that I had been extremely keen to catch up with after learning two years ago that there was a small population just a couple of hours away from home. Unable to visit in previous springs due to a combination of poor weather and being away in Mull and New York respectively during the last two flight seasons, this year we planned in a visit during the half term holiday.

Parking in the local village and walking the short distance to the entrance gate of the reserve, after a brief stroll along the boardwalk we had reached the small patch of ground where the fritillaries can be found. Almost instantly I spotted our first one – zig-zagging low down above the grass before alighting on a nearby flower to nectar and allowing relatively approachable views. Far more used to the restless and dancing flights of other species of fritillary, it was a refreshing change for these mosaic patterned beauties to tolerate a close approach!

In total we managed to find 4 or 5 individuals – luckily the fritillaries are just managing to hang on here, despite being reduced to just a small isolated population in what is sadly the last site for Marsh Fritillaries in the area.

With Marsh Fritillary colonies undergoing periodic population crashes and extreme swings in numbers, individuals will recolonise the area from other nearby populations as part of one large meta-colony in order to replenish numbers if they drop too low. If there is an absence of adjacent colonies nearby however, this lone surviving population could be in trouble if numbers do ever crash to unrecoverable numbers.

Once a relatively widespread butterfly, Marsh Fritillaries have undergone a serious decline in numbers, especially in continental Europe, and the British Isles are now considered one of the few strongholds left for this charismatic species. Despite this, they have suffered severe population drops even in Britain due to the draining of their fenland and marshy habitat for agriculture, making the Marsh Fritillary a definite species of concern. Appropriate conservation measures will hopefully see them continue to grace our wetland meadows for years to come.

Marsh Fritillary sites may be susceptible to trampling (especially if there are caterpillars still waiting to emerge in the undergrowth early on in the season) so it is always best to tread carefully and view from the footpath where possible.

With their gorgeous chequered patterns of orange, yellow and cream hues, Marsh Fritillaries are one of our most attractive fritillaries, and it was fascinating to study them up close as they nectared and rested on the strands of grass - we even witnessed two individuals mating on one occasion.

An incredibly enjoyable day at a beautiful reserve, and I for one really hope that the population continues to hang on and delight visitors for years to come.

Welsh Pearls - Pearl-bordered Fritillaries at Eyarth Rocks

Having never seen Pearl-bordered Fritillary before and sadly missing them at Glasdrum Wood earlier in the week, reports of a number of individuals on the wing at Eyarth Rocks near Ruthin saw me and Alex plan a visit during half term to try and catch up with them.

Eventually arriving on site, we made our way up the steep woodland slopes to the start of the reserve, navigating the many un-signposted tracks in the wood (with a few wrong turns) before the trees opened up to reveal the sunny hill top summit. Surrounded by open stands of bracken, the area was clearly being managed with Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in mind, and within a matter of minutes we had seen our first individual gliding majestically by.

Despite exploring the summit, it transpired the small patch of ground right at the start near the gate and entrance sign was the most productive, and we had up to four individuals feeding on the buttercups and Birds-foot Trefoil in the vicinity.

Checkmate - Chequered Skippers at Glasdrum Wood, Fort William

Chequered Skipper was a species of butterfly I was still yet to see in Britain, and being up in Fort William during the height of their flight season thanks to the Black-billed Cuckoo twitch provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with this charismatic species. 

After a delicious cooked breakfast at the B&B (overlooking the beautiful scenery of Loch Linnhe) we made the 40 minute journey along the twisting loch-side roads to Glasdrum Wood NNR, a well-known hotspot for Chequered Skippers and one of the most popular sites in Britain for this species. 

Confined to just the North West of Scotland and with a distribution centred largely around Fort William, Chequered Skippers are a true Scottish speciality, and I was especially looking forward to catching up with them having not had time to stop when we visited Mull two years ago when they were on the wing. With glorious sunshine and perfect blue skies the conditions weather-wise were perfect, and after parking up in the car park we were soon making our way up the grassy slope in pursuit of this Highland gem.

Before long we had successfully located several individuals, buzzing through the grass and often landing on any exposed branches or leaves in front of us. Rather frustratingly (perhaps due to the hot midday sun) the skippers rarely opened their wings when they landed, instead choosing to perch with them shut tight and displaying only the underside patterns. 

Eventually though we managed to find some obliging individuals with their wings flat out, allowing us to get some photos of their distinctive gold and brown checked wings.

With at least two calling cuckoos and a range of other butterfly delights including several Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries (which sadly never landed for me to get any photos) and a lone Green Hairstreak, Glasdrum Wood was a fantastic reserve to visit in a truly beautiful setting. The only possible downside was the sudden discovery of a large number of ticks hitching a lift on our shirts and socks – resulting in a swift exit from the site and a thorough checking over and change of clothes before leaving! 

With such a limited distribution, conservation efforts are underway to secure the long-term future of this species and to hopefully expand its at present rather restricted range. Once also occurring in central England, Chequered Skippers were sadly declared extinct there in the 70’s, rendering this species as a true Highland speciality. 

Getting there and seeing the butterflies:

Glasdrum Wood can be found off the small road to Inver after turning east off the A828 roundabout just after the Loch Creran Bridge. The post code to the car park is PA38 4BQ, and the entrance will be on the left hand side.

The Chequered Skippers are easy to locate at Glasdrum in good weather, and are a short 5 minute walk from the car park. Follow the footpath up the hill to the power lines before turning left along the well-trodden track along the slope, following the power lines across. The skippers are all along this track, along with Pearl and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. We visited at the very end of May/start of June when the skippers were in their prime. Watch out for ticks!! 

For more information, visit the Scotland's NNR Glasdrum Wood website.

White-letter Hairstreaks - Brockholes, Lancashire

White-letter Hairstreak is a butterfly that despite being readily recorded in both Hartford and Leftwich, I hadn’t as of yet managed to catch up with. Often residing high up in the treetop canopy where they can be seen tumbling through the sky, I decided to seek out this often elusive butterfly at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Lancashire. Here the colony can be found on a large bramble bush next to the path, where individuals can give great low down views as they nectar on the flowers.

Arriving at Brockholes just after lunch, we headed straight for the bramble bush in question at the entrance to Boilton Woods and immediately discovered that this small patch of vegetation was a small haven for butterflies - Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and Ringlets were all in abundance whilst several showy Commas and Red Admirals settled on the flowers to feed.

With no sign of any White-letter Hairstreaks fluttering around either the top of the solitary Elm tree or the brambles below, we decided to stick it out and wait until we spotted one (whilst getting absolutely bitten alive by the Horse Flies – not putting on insect repellent was a huge mistake!)

Luckily another enthusiast also on a mission to find the Hairstreaks arrived, and after phoning his local contact we heard they had been favouring a patch of thistles just a few feet further down the slope. Staking this area out, sure enough within a few minutes our companion had spotted one, happily nectaring on the purple flowers. 

Getting closer to admire this stunning butterfly in more detail (and getting severely nettled in the process!) we could clearly see the diagnostic orange band on the underwings and the delicately marked white ‘W’ alongside. Unlike the Black Hairstreaks I saw at the beginning of the month, there were no black spots running along the edge of the wing – the key point in separating these two similar butterflies.

After a while, the butterfly fluttered off in to the air, and within seconds had completely vanished, making it impossible to track its whereabouts.

Throughout the afternoon, several more individuals were spotted on the large bramble bush, with another perched out of reach on a nearby tree, only visible through binoculars. With the thistles offering the best vantage point photography wise, I decided to stake it out here for the rest of the afternoon. Sure enough, another (possibly the same) individual landed in the thistles, again allowing a fantastically close approach.

In addition to the abundance of butterflies, several dragonflies patrolled the area, with Southern Hawkers and Common Darters flying around the small patch of brambles, as well as a fantastic Emperor Dragonfly we spotted resting on a perch in the middle of the bush.

As Elm is the sole foodplant for White-letter Hairstreaks, there were fears this secretive species may have become extinct in Britain due to the catastrophic effect of Dutch Elm disease in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Thankfully surviving colonies were sought out to gain a greater understanding of their distribution, and several new colonies were discovered in the process. With an effort to find disease resistant Elms that are able to support the Hairstreak caterpillars, there is considerable hope for the future. Luckily, Wych Elm (the Hairstreaks favoured species) seems to be the most resistant to the disease.

Colonies can also be extremely small, sometimes consisting of just a few dozen individuals, and may even be contained on just the one tree (often on the outer edge of a wood) like the population at Brockholes.  With White-letter Hairstreaks resting in the tops of the trees during the day, early morning and late afternoon is the best time to these dainty butterflies as they come down to the ground to feed on their favoured thistles and brambles.

A fantastic butterfly to finally see and one which means I have now seen all species of Hairstreak in the UK!

The Purple Emperors at Fermyn Woods - 11th July

Every July the Purple Emperors at Fermyn Woods in Northamptonshire put on a fantastic show as they flit majestically around the tree tops, occasionally heading down to the ground to feed where they provide excellent views for the many enthusiasts that have travelled to see them.

With reports of the Emperors emerging the weekend prior, I knew from past experience that the next weekend would be the perfect time to go as the butterflies would be at their best - later on in the season they tend to stay up in the trees more with the wings becoming slightly worn. Having seen Purple Emperors at Fermyn several years ago, but with Alex never having experienced the wonders of them for himself, we drove down to Northamptonshire to catch up with these most regal of butterflies.

Arriving on site after lunch, despite the majority of Purple Emperor activity usually being concentrated in the morning, we still managed an impressive number of individuals – around 15-20 in total - with many of these landing on the ground in front of us.

Usually found high up in the tree canopy feeding on aphid honeydew, Purple Emperors are well known for providing great views as they come down to the ground to feed on a variety of materials (often rancid smelling) to gain valuable salts and minerals. Favouring the edges of dips and puddles in the path, there are often a whole range of temptations brought by those looking to lure the Emperors down - bananas, shrimp paste and fox poo all seem to work well! The butterflies will also readily land on people (attracted by the sweat) and one actually landed on Alex’s arm for a brief moment before taking to the skies once again.

We brought some Salmon paste along with us, and 2 minutes after adding our concoction to the many strategically placed banana skins lining the path, a Purple Emperor came flitting down from the trees and floated around our legs – the smell seemed to have worked! Walking back several hours later, we also encountered a male feeding on the bright orange paste, his yellow proboscis tucking in and completely oblivious to us as we busily snapped away with our cameras.

During the day, the males will often fly to the ‘Master Tree’ that provides a vantage point for passing females, and they can often been seen congregating with flashes of purple as the light hits their wings, so we were quite lucky to have them on the deck this late in the day.

Purple Emperors are definitely one of the most striking butterflies in the British Isles. Sometimes appearing black with white bands across the wings, if the angle is just right the wings of the male will explode with a magnificent iridescent purple sheen, which is a result of light being reflected from the structure of the wing scales (brown females don’t have this sheen).

We had the most luck with the Purple Emperors in the adjacent Lady Wood, having parked in the small car park on Harley Way and walking along the gravel path to the next set of trees. I’d had the majority of Purple Emperors here on my last visit, and sure enough, the exact same stretch of path was where we encountered our first this weekend.

Looking up at the pine trees lining the hedge, we could see 4 or 5 at once flitting between the trunks, often landing on the pine needles and chasing each other through the trees. Usually associating with Oak, it was really interesting to see them favour the pines – there may have been an abundance of honeydew or sap luring them in.

As well as ‘his majesty’ (as the Purple Emperor is often referred to) we enjoyed a fine supporting cast of several White Admirals and a cracking Silver-washed Fritillary that favoured one bramble patch in particular at the left hand side of the path. 

The rides were also alive with Ringlets, Meadow Browns and both Large and Small Skippers, but as the afternoon clouded over we couldn’t find the White-letter Hairstreaks that also share the tree top canopies with the Emperors.

A Beautiful Demoiselle flitting gracefully along the path, far from its usual stream haunts, was a damselfly first for me, the jet black wings standing out even from a distance and the gorgeous iridescent marine blue body ensuring the damselfly really did live up to its name. We tend to get mostly Banded Demoiselles around here in Cheshire, so it was great to see this species.

With the spectacle of Purple Emperors at Fermyn woods an annual occurrence, this really is a great woodland to enjoy the delights of these enigmatic butterflies, and I’ll definitely be returning again to photograph and admire this star species.