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Tag Archives: Aberbargoed Grasslands

Aberbargoed Grasslands revisited

06 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Aberbargoed Grasslands, British butterflies, British moths, Burnet companion, butterflies, Common purple & gold, Large skipper, moths, Riband wave, Ringlet, Silver Y, Small heath, Small skipper

On Wednesday I made my second visit to Aberbargoed Grasslands National Nature Reserve with my friend Sharon. Last time we dipped on seeing the Marsh fritillaries because it was too overcast; this time, we dipped again because the recent spell of hot dry weather has meant their season has finished for the year. Still, we have now walked most of the paths around the reserve so we’ll know exactly where to look next year. And, though we missed out the fritillaries, there were still plenty of other butterflies and moths to charm and delight us.

180705 1 small heath

Small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

180705 2 Ringlet

Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus)

180705 3 Small skipper

Small skipper (Lycaena phlaeas)

180705 4 Large skipper

Large skipper (Lycaena dispar)

180705 5 Burnet companion

Burnet companion (Euclidia glyphica)

180705 6 Pyrausta purpuralis

Common purple & gold (Pyraustra purpuralis)

180705 7 Riband wave

Riband wave (Idaea aversata)

180705 8 Silver Y

Silver Y (Autographa gamma)

 

 

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Aberbargoed Grasslands

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature, parks

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, Aberbargoed Grasslands, British butterflies, British moths, Common blue butterfly, Large white butterfly, Long-horn moth, Nemophora degeerella, Small copper

On day 8 of #30DaysWild I paid my first visit to the Aberbargoed Grasslands, with my friend Sharon. We were hoping to spot some of the Marsh fritillaries this National Nature Reserve is known for but, sadly, we didn’t even see one. Perhaps the overcast weather had sent them into hiding. The good news is that I saw my first Small copper butterfly for the year, we saw a small number of Common blue butterflies and a few whites. We also spotted several moths, the most spectacular of which was a group of five male long-horn moths, Nemophora degeerella. They were dazzling, even on a grey day, and just look at the length of those horns!

180608 1 Small copper

Small copper butterfly

180608 2 Common blue

A Common blue butterfly feeding on meadow thistles

180608 Large white

Large white butterfly

180608 4 Nemophora degeerella

A long-horn moth, Nemophora degeerella

180608 5 Nemophora degeerella

Look at the length of those horns!

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder. And I am living proof that Kiwis really can fly.

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