Saturday 18 April 2015

A Pristine Small Copper.



Despite a stiff wind today the sun was shining and another new species was added to my springtime list at Whiteways Quarry.A pristine Small Copper was enjoying the warm at this sheltered spot along with a couple of basking Peacock butterflies and the Green Hairstreak that has been at the site for several days now.
Other species likely to be here soon are Dingy Skipper,Small Blue,Brown Argus, Wall Brown,and next month, the Glanville Fritillary.


Extensive areas of the Isle of Wight and in particular the south-west coast and the Downs  are owned by the National Trust in order to preserve the natural beauty of our Island.
Whiteways Quarry,now locally known as Afton Down Carpark or Chalkpit is part of this,located at the base of Afton Down itself.The shelter of the Down and its south-westerly position provide an ideal habitat for these spring butterflies.
My entry of the 7th April 2012 entitled More Spring Butterflies shows a photograph of this seemingly innocuous carpark Please click on the following link to known more about the Natural Trust in the area.  http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356404569197/

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