# Can anyone id this butterfly or moth?



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Not the best photograph though!

We've just come home from our holidays in Ardnamurchan and one day we went for a long walk in an ancient oakwood about a mile or so north of Strontian where we were staying. This oakwood is one of the few areas where Chequered Skippers can still be found, but I was gutted not to be able to photograph the 2 that I did see, cos they fluttered very fast all over the place, but wouldn't alight for me to get a decent photograph with my digi camera. similarly I followed 3 golden-ringed dragonflies, but they wouldn't alight so I could get a picture either.

I did see this, not even sure if it's a butterfly or moth, cos its wings were closed. I managed to take one photo through the long grass before it flew away and as it flew I caught a glimpse of red or orange, but I'm just not sure what it was. The individual wing length was about 2-2.5cms, making the length wingtip to wingtip about 5cms at a guess. Anyone wanna hazard a guess what it might be???











Also while walking through the depths of the wood I found this one heath orchid all on its own. I saw another solitary one quite a bit further on and that was all - I thought it was quite unusual to find it in the centre of a huge area of forestry.


















Sadly no sign of the pine martens this year, they came a few nights but through the night, so we couldn't see them. I did see 2 Golfinches on the bird feeder and I've never seen them before in the 3 years we've stayed at this cottage. Loads of blue tits, coal tits, great tits, a couple of robins the inevitable chaffinches and loads of siskins, but this is the first time I've seen Goldfinches. This photograph isn't as sharp and it could be because it was taken through the double glazed window.


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## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

No idea on the butterfly but orchid wise I've found "random" ones on their own in the middle of Devilla Forest. Seem out of place but apparently not to them!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That's interesting! It's the first time I've noticed it, the only other time I've come across them are on heaths and rough open land. There are loads of them on the Isle of Mull on a grassy outcrop beside the ferry to Iona.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

feorag said:


> I did see this, not even sure if it's a butterfly or moth, cos its wings were closed. I managed to take one photo through the long grass before it flew away and as it flew I caught a glimpse of red or orange, but I'm just not sure what it was. The individual wing length was about 2-2.5cms, making the length wingtip to wingtip about 5cms at a guess. Anyone wanna hazard a guess what it might be???
> 
> image




Looks like a male Meadow Brown, _Maniola jurtina_. You can't see the underside of the forewings in your pic, but the underside of the lower wing seems right. It also fits in with the orange flash as it flew off.

UK Butterflies - Meadow Brown - Maniola jurtina


:2thumb:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Thank you. I wasn't sure because in the id guide to the butterflies of Argyll the Meadow Brown is shown as being a much lighter colour than this one,to the extent that the middle section of the folded wings looks almost cream. However, it appears that there are degrees of shades of brown looking at that website link you posted.


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

feorag said:


> Thank you. I wasn't sure because in the id guide to the butterflies of Argyll the Meadow Brown is shown as being a much lighter colour than this one,to the extent that the middle section of the folded wings looks almost cream. However, it appears that there are degrees of shades of brown looking at that website link you posted.


Yeah, I wasn't sure for the same reasons, but some of the individuals in those photos vary in that direction, and nothing else I could find came even close.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yes, same as me - there are quite a few brown butterflies in the Argyll area, but they all have more spots on the underside of their wings than the one I photographed.


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