Northern Brown Argus- my favourite photo
Head on photo
After a brilliant time on Irton Fell we then made the hour drive through the heart of the fells to Latterbarrow Nature Reserve (LA11 6RH) which is back towards the M6. The target was the stunning Northern Brown Argus which had been reported as just emerging.
Having parked up we entered the reserve which has the limestone grassland the species require and within thirty yards you are seeing butterflies in flight. It was now 22 degrees and most of the butterflies were bombing around and not stopping. A Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary teased me with a quick stop but never settled again during the hour we were there.
I picked up a couple of Northern Brown Argus in flight within five minutes but they were hard to follow with the silver wings in the wild flowers. I got close a few times to getting a photo but no......surely I wasn't going to be denied a photograph of my final British butterfly. In all seriousness this looked tricky. Then after a good number of circles of the area one settled enabling me to get the record shots I wanted. Then as is always the way, another two settled giving more opportunities.
The white spots on the forewings are highly variable within the Cumbria and research indicated the butterflies at Latterbarrow have a white forewing spot (like the Scottish specimens and unlike the reported northern English specimens where the spot is absent). However the white spots were very faint if at all present.
It was lovely to finish the final two butterflies with Mary Ann at two stunning locations. I'd urge anyone to take on the same project as you visit some amazing places you wouldn't usually visit, learn some much about new species and meet some lovely, helpful people.
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