Dawney Hill & Brookwood Cemetery 2013

A second visit to Dawney Hill, for Grayling. A walk into Brookwood Cemetery, the flower bed of echinacea provided food for many Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper. We left the cemetery for Dawney Hill, Where we were surprised to find a Chalkhill Blue, flying amongst the Silver-Studded Blues and Graylings.

After a few pictures, i tried to get a picture of a Grayling upperside, using the method that has prooved very successful with Clouded Yellows, Graylings seem to be a bit faster at taking off but here is the best attempt.

Back on the echinacea patch a grayling was also now feeding, when a shout of Clouded Yellow was made, a female was flying and settled nearby. When everybody had finished takinng pictures i tried for a record uppperside shot.

At the lunch spot, a male Clouded Yellow shot past, Silver-Washed Fritillaries and Smalll Coppers were in the grassland, feeding on fleabane and buddleia. At another Buddleia thicket a Painted Lady was seen, and another Chalkhill Blue and Grayling were feeding on Buddleia.

At Hutchinsons Bank, on the way home a male Clouded Yellow was still flying in the cutting at 6pm. The Train Journey on Saturday should proove interesting this year, hopefullly a few more Clouded Yellows and hopefullly a helice form of the female.