Silver studs on Gore Heath, Dorset

The briefest of an afternoon's exploration of the southern slopes of Gore Heath in Dorset (off the B3075) enabled me to connect with silver-studded blue (Plebejus argos) for the first time this summer.

Also noted large skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus), small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris), small heath (Coenonympha pamphylis), and meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), a pale moth sp. caught my eye, hopefully identified correctly later as a female four-spotted footman (Lithosia quadra).

Portsdown Hill - patch listing

An hour and a half spent below Fort Southwick, Portsdown Hill, this afternoon walking the old transect in Campartments 1 and 2 produced: large skipper (4), small blue (5), holly blue (2), meadow brown (18), marbled white (13), brimstone (5), speckled wood (2), and singles of comma and brown argus. Silver y, treble bar sp. and a single white ermine moth were also noted.

As is usual with these scrubby grassland compartments chiffchaff, whitethroat and the occasional blackcap were the dominant soundscape. Pyramidal orchid are starting to show in high numbers.

brown argus (Aricia agestis)

small blue (Cupido minimus)

large skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

white ermine moth (Spilosoma lubricipeda)

Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)