Jenna and I visited Farrer's allotment in Cumbria today to see our first High Brown Fritillary butterflies.
The limestone cliff of White Scar faces south
On arrival at the top of the hill, we entered Farrer's allotment, and it didn't take long before we saw our first fritillary sighting; it was a Dark Green Fritillary.
Farrer's allotment
As we were walking around, a fritillary flew down out of the trees and landed on the bracken near us. It was a High brown fritillary.
High brown Fritillary
In flight, the males are almost impossible to separate from those of the Dark Green Fritillary, which often share the same habitats. See images below:
The High Brown Fritillary was once widespread in England and Wales, but since the 1950s, it has undergone a dramatic decline. It is now reduced to around 50 sites where conservationists are working to save it from extinction.
Other butterflies of note during the day were:
Small Tortoiseshell
The evening was spent watching the sun go down at Arnside Knott, where Jenna saw her first Grayling.
Grayling