Blean woods heath fritillaries

Ukwildlifeo · #1 (**permalink**) 17-06-2010, 07:09 PM

I planning on going to (east) Blean woods this weekend after ducking at Hockley (and I wont be in Essex at the weekend for 3 weeks now) a couple of weekends ago. Can someone give some tips on where exactly in the woods to look? Ive woorked out what common cow wheat looks like, so Ill be looking for that but Im not sure where in the woods to start my search.

balkantrek · #2 (**permalink**) 17-06-2010, 07:37 PM

Hi!

I went there 2 days ago. I only had time for a very short visit and only explored south-east of the road which runs through the wood. I didnt see a single butterfly....until I got back to the car park! And there on the brambles right beside the car was a heath fritillary posing beautifully!

So my advice is park in the reserve car park, and start by looking at the brambles and edge of the wood there!

There has been a lot of recent coppicing and work done in the north-western part of the reserve to open it up and let in light, so I suggest you continue your explorations in that part of the reserve, then loop round into the south-eastern part to finish off if you have time.

Hope that helps!

Bellow · #3 (**permalink**) 17-06-2010, 10:17 PM

Hi UK,
East Blean is where I shall go to get another open wing shot of the Heath Fritillary.I went a week ago and found the growth of plant was a little low and didn,t see a Frit at all,it was the same day as I got my D of B.The place I go to is,from the car park,take the road path to the left,after about 30/40yds you come to a "T"junction take the left fork which heads to and follows the road.Keep on this track until it opens up by a single bar gate,it had been damaged and was held shut by some stakes,turn right and follow the wide path down thro woods,the frits will be on the both sides of the path for about 200yds.Good luck,they are little crackers.
Roly.

slimrbp · #4 (**permalink**) 18-06-2010, 07:04 AM

Just wanted to say thanks for the tips, I am off to Canterbury at the beginning of July and a trip to Blean Woods is on the agenda.
Last year when I went there I spent a lot of time photographing the dragonflies.

balkantrek · #5 (**permalink**) 18-06-2010, 09:21 AM

Here is a photo that I took of the Heath Fritillary on brambles by the car park:

Bellow · #6 (**permalink**) 19-06-2010, 08:43 AM

Hi Richard,
I too am also into "Dragons"and managed to photograph ,Common Darter,(m & f) Ruddy Darter(m&f) Migrant Hawker (m) and Southern(m).On your trips,what have you managed to see and get.
Roly.

slimrbp · #7 (**permalink**) 19-06-2010, 09:15 AM

Hi Roly,

I have only been once before but it was a great area for them, they almost lined up!

I mangaed to get a mixture of Migrant Hawker and Common Darters.

Cheers,

Ukwildlifeo · #8 (**permalink**) 20-06-2010, 07:19 PM

Thanks for all the advice folks. I tried following the probably excellent directions above but got stuck at the first one before my brain caught up and I realised we were not at east blean woods but RSPB/KWT/woodland trust blean woods near Blean and Rough common! woops! Undeterred and with my eyes trained looking for common cow wheat and headed along the green route as that showed it passing through coppiced areas on the map. The first clearing I came too that wasn't heathland I saw something fly by and a dragonfly but not fritillaries. A closer look and I found a common spotted(?) orchid.

A bit further along the trail the path widened and there was long grass with some cow wheat either side of the path. I was looking carefully and then it started to rain. I was about to give up hope when the girlfiend asked whats that?

My first frittilaries full stop, let alone heaths. Sadly the rain got heavier soon after and even the heath fritillaries had enough of the weather.

Still I'll count it as a win

balkantrek · #9 (**permalink**) 23-06-2010, 06:01 PM

I spent an hour at East Blean Woods this afternoon and it was alive with Heath Fritillaries. Counted well over 30 individuals. They were in every clearing and sunny glade. Wonderful. Even had a couple land on my boots when I stopped to admire them. Plenty of Meadow Brown about, as well as a Large White, Small White and a Large Skipper.

I also photographed a damselfly, but decided to start a separate thread about East Blean Wood's dragonflies as there seems to be interest in them in their own right, and its seems sensible to collect together information there.

Bellow · #10 (**permalink**) 24-06-2010, 07:22 AM

Good morning,balkantrek,
I too visited E.B on Monday and found the same.It was incredible. As soon as I had parked up in the shade,I decided to do the path to the right.Before even starting to walk,there were 2 in the corner on the Cow Parsley at the start of the path,(see Photos on forum)and as you say every clearing held Heath,s.I did the complete circular path,attempting to do a count, I got to 80 and decided I couldn,t say all were different after that because they were so mobile.But I did notice 2 Forms of H.F.,1 light in colour and the other a "dark" form,which was interesting.?
There was the odd "dragon" on the wing and I saw 1 large Hawker which could have been a "Hairy" in the first big clearing on the rt/hand path. If you need some imput on the "Dragon Blog" I would be only to pleased to help,with photo,s etc. Maybe we could meet up at the car park the next time you go there,avoiding Thurs. as I have Warden Duties to perform.
Regards,
Roly.