Marsh Fritillary
Duke of Burgundy
Small Heath
Small Copper
Brown Argus
Rodborough Common
We decided to make the most of the extended weekend by driving to the south cotswolds hoping to see a few butterflies emerge and a lovely lunch. Our destination would be Rodborough Common where there is always a excellent variation & you can have a good walk.
As we headed around the common there were immediate sightings of Small Heath & Small Copper which are always great to see. Our main target was the Duke of Burgendy, a stunning fritillary that always take a bit of finding. We did see one quite quickly but it didn't hang around and whilst we kept searching we added Common & Small Blue to our sightings.
The views are stunning from all over the common and we did well to narrowly miss a heavy shower. As the rain past I found another two Dukes tucked out of wind and enjoyed some warmth in a hidden spot. For lunch we booked "The Bear at Rodborough" which was really lovely. Great food & drink (inside) with a fabulous view.
Before heading back up the M5 we decided to try Strawberry Banks for Marsh Fritillary which was only three miles away. They had been seen in Wiltshire so it was worth trying, worst result would be another lovely walk. As we reached the reserve the clouds hung over us and nothing was flying. A small gap of blue sky gave us hope so we decided to take cover and let the rain shower pass over. Then as the sun emerged so did my favourite butterfly the Marsh Fritillary. Only two, but we were treated to some fanatstic views.
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