I’ve just returned from four wonderful nights in Weymouth, on England’s south coast, my days full of walking and wildlife. I may see a lot of wildlife where I live but part of the reason for my recent house move was so that I could afford to have a few short breaks away to explore new areas and see different wildlife while I still have the energy and mobility to do that, and also while being as low-carbon as possible in the process, of course, so travelling by train and/or bus and with a lot of walking as well. So, there will be a few blogs in the next week or so, covering some of the things I saw while away.

First up, in an old disused quarry on the Isle of Portland, were my first ever Silver-studded blue butterflies (Plebejus argus). The ‘silver-studded’ part of the name comes from the way the light is reflected off the light blue scales on the underside of the adults’ hindwings, making them shimmer like silver. And the ‘argus‘ epithet in its scientific name is a nod to the multi-eyed shepherd of Greek mythology, a reference to the spots on the undersides of the wings.

Silver-studded blues are rare and only seen in a few isolated areas around the southern coast of England, in Pembrokeshire and around the Great Orme in Wales, and in a couple of coastal locations in Norfolk and Suffolk. From those locations, you can perhaps guess that they prefer heathland, sand-dune systems and limestone grassland, in particular sheltered sunny spots where their companions, the black Lasius ant species, thrive. As is seen in several butterfly species, ants provide the butterflies with protection from insect predators throughout their life cycle.

Tout quarry provides the perfect environment for the Silver-studded blues. Quarrying has hollowed out large areas of ground, making it a sun trap and leaving stony areas where specialist wildflower species have managed to seed and flourish, though the vegetation does have to be managed to ensure the more aggressive plant species don’t overwhelm large areas of ground.

I was extremely lucky with the timing of my trip as these butterflies had only just emerged in the few days prior to my arrival, and that’s why I only saw the vibrant blue male butterflies; the females are brown on both the upper- and undersides of their wings. To see them is the perfect incentive for a return trip!