Scotch Argus and conservation at Smardale

Scotch Argus on Knapweed

 

​Who comes to Smardale and what do they seek?
On a Butterfly Conservation field-trip there are  visitors from Haworth and South Wales, eager for their first sight of Scotch Argus. It is almost peak-flight time for the butterfly.  A man from Richmond tells of kestrel breeding and he’s seen a kingfisher.  A red squirrel is seen and there’s a nest of wild bees.  It’s gratifying to share our  day with our experts Peter and Chris, and with those eager  to make discoveries.
The weather is perfect.    On Tuesday 3rd August the day is warm and still with sunshine and  cloud so  Scotch Argus are in flight and they settle too.  The next day is hotter and brighter so they’re rather more lively.  

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​The culmination of our field-trip comes as we stop for lunch by Scotch Argus habitat.  There's   blue moor grass, the foodplant their larvae need, and short turf which suits them well.   Here, the butterflies hatch and they do not stray far from this breeding ground. Today, they’re in flight and settling all about us and on us, they like human sweat  One settles on my boot, several on my rucksack.   It’s thrilling to be surrounded by this very special butterfly. Only two sites in England.   Small Skipper are here too , looking fresh and bright. 

This is Peter’s transect and he and Chris count numbers to see how a population thrives.   They know precisely  the habitat each butterfly species needs, the food-plants their larvae require, the sunlit glades created by coppicing.  During two  days of consecutive visits aspects of woodland management come into focus. We meet Lee Bassett who is coppicing on behalf of Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Lee often works with hazel and sports the logo Witch Halse Coppice Crafts. Witch Halse is an old West Country name for hazel.  He uses the wood to make hurdles, fences, garden furniture.  He also works with Butterfly Conservation, coppicing at Dorothy Farrer’s Allotment, Whitbarrow, a site for Silver Washed Fritillary.  Scotch Argus fly low over vegetation beside the track,  females  looking for food plants on which to lay their eggs.  Hedge laying is Lee's speciality too- a tradition I love to see upheld.    Link to coppice crafts. 

                                                                              www.coppicecrafts.blogspot.com
 
Both days have been excellent for wildlife sightings, and for a greater understanding of management for flora and butterflies at Smardale.   So when the spell of fine weather breaks we know how lucky we’ve been to enjoy the Scotch Argus butterfly