Simon's Bike for Butterflies

See map here

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Tue 22nd June 2021 - Day 1

• Land’s End to Truro: 86km, +975m, max. 122m

• A Red Admiral was at Land's End to see me off!

• Detour down to Lamorna Cove (and back up again!)

• Visited Upton Towans - Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

• Target species: Silver-studded Blue (lots seen), plus Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and 6 other species

• Later visited Bissoe Valley - Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

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Wed 23rd June 2021

• Truro to Bodmin: 43km, +691m, max. 181m

• Glorious ride, accompanied by skylarks and chiff-chaffs

• Visited Goss Moor National Nature Reserve - last known site of the Marsh Fritillary in Cornwall

• Painted Lady and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

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Thu 24th June 2021

• Bodmin to  Holsworthy: 67km, +859m, max. 303m

• Lovely ride along the Camel Trail to St Breward

• Promoting BC’s recent All the Moors project at Irish Farm in St Breward, the Butterfly Capital of Cornwall. See YouTube video.

• I was given a copy of the new atlas "Butterflies of Cornwall" to be published on Saturday. This will travel with me all the way to John o'Groats

• Target species: Marsh Fritillary (seen), Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (not seen)

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Fri 25th June 2021

• Holsworthy to Stoke Rivers (10km beyond Barnstaple) via NCN Route 3 - Ruby Way and Tarka Trail: 76km, +792m, max. 239m

• Bad weather, so did not visit Torrington Commons (Purple Hairstreak, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary) or  Braunton Burrows or Uppacott Wood (Devon Wildlife Trust) or Whiddon Valley Woods

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Sat 26th June 2021

• Stoke Rivers to Waterrow (SW of Wiveliscombe), over Exmoor: 61km, +1,110m, max. 482m (highest point of the ride)

• Visited Haddon Moor Butterfly Conservation Reserve and Haddon Hill

• Target species: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (seen at Haddon Moor), and Heath Fritillary (1x seen at Haddon Hill, along with Green Hairstreak)

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Sun 27th June 2021

• Waterrow to Glastonbury: 86km, +619m, max. 195m

• Got lost in the rain; unexpected detour into the Quantocks

• Too wet to visit Collard Hill NT reserve or Green Down, Somerset Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

• Target species: the re-introduced Large Blue (not seen)

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Mon 28th June 2021

• Glastonbury to Bristol: 61km, +779m, max. 269m

• Visited Westbury Beacon Butterfly Conservation reserve in the rain

• Bad weather prevented visits to Stoke Camp and Ubley Warren reserves

• Target species: Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and others - not seen, just a few Meadow Browns 

• Now seen 17 species so far

 

Tues 29th June 2021

• Bristol to Stroud: 67km, +583m, max. 88m

• Promoting urban butterflies in Bristol - follow transect walk around Narroways NR and Ashley Vale Allotments. Lovely Corky Fruited Water Dropwort, plus my first Marbled Whites and Ringlets

• Did not visit Arnos Vale Cemetery, Clifton Downs, Leigh Woods NNR - not enough time

• Euros: England 2-0 Germany ... a beer or two too many!

 

Wed 30th June 2021

• Stroud to Worcester: 76km, +681m, max. 297m

• Day at Rough Bank Butterfly Conservation reserve, arranged by the Gloucestershire Branch of BC 

• Target species: limestone grassland specialists, eg. Small Blue (seen), Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak (not seen). Moth trap.

• Now 20 species

 

Thu 1st July 2021- Day 10

• Worcester to Stourport-on-Severn: 26km, +217m, max. 109m (an easy day)

• Visited Monkwood Butterfly Conservation reserve

• Target species: White Admiral, Wood White (both seen). Also saw Purple Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary

• Moth trap at Stourport

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Fri 2nd July 2021

• Stourport-on-Severn to Wem, 93km, +1,051m, max. 197m (a tough day)

• Visited Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve, Dry Hill Lane

• Target species: Silver-washed Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (both seen)

• Red-belted and White-barred Clearwing moths came to pheromone lures

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Sat 3rd July 2021

• Wem to Nantwich: 37km, +187m, max. 117m

• Visited Prees Heath Common Butterfly Conservation reserve

• Target species: Silver-studded Blue - lots flying and being tended by ants. A high point

• Euros: England 3-0 Ukraine - into the semi-final!

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Sun 4th July 2021

• Nantwich to Manchester: 74km, +357m, max. 68m

• Visited Leftwich Meadows Nature Reserve

• Target species: White-letter Hairstreak colonies near Northwich. Not seen, because it was monsoon rain

• No butterflies at all seen today (the only time this happened, until the last day)

• Satnav became waterlogged and failed. A low point.

 

Mon 5th July 2021

• Manchester to Old Langho (Whalley): 68km, +617m, max. 258m

• Started out in a downpour and got lost

• Visited Milnshaw Park Wildflower Meadow (Accrington)

• No time to visit Summerseat Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve - tbc

 

Tue 6th July 2021

• Whalley to Borwick - "up and over" the Forest of Bowland: 69km, +1,155m, max. 429m

• Visited Bell Sykes Farm Coronation Meadows (SSSI), near Slaidburn

• Drizzle, so not much flying - but quite a few Chimney Sweeper moths

• Over the Cross o' Greet in The Forest of Bowland (429m asl)

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Wed 7th July

• Borwick to Kendal: 38km, +499m, max. 137m

• Wildlife event at Myers Allotment Butterfly Conservation reserve (10th Anniversary of BC management)

• Target species: High Brown Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Northern Brown Argus - not seen at Myers

• Visited Holme Stinted Pastures for High Brown Fritillary (seen, along with Dark Green Fritillary)

• Euros: England 2-1 Denmark aet (dodgy penalty)

 

Thu 8th July 2021

• Kendal to Penrith over Shap Fell via A6: 44km, +599m, max. 426m

• Side trip to Whitbarrow National Nature Reserve (car): Township Plantation, White Scar (Northern Brown Argus, Grayling, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary), Latterbarrow CWT, Meathop Moss CWT (Large Heath)

• Target species: High Brown Fritillary (not seen again), other fritillaries

• Sainsbury's Car Park, Kendal: White-letter Hairstreak

• Now 32 species

 

Fri 9th July 2021

• Penrith to Gretna Green: 73km, +512m, max. 101m

• Wildflower meadow in Carlisle brimming with Small Tortoiseshells

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Sat 10th July 2021

• Gretna Green to Abington: 84km, +749m, max. 319m

• Lochwood Moss peat bog near Beattock - peat stripping concerns

• Target species: Large Heath (not seen)

• Peacock caterpillars seen; still no Peacock butterflies

• No time to detour to Fruid Reservoir for Northern Brown Argus (too far)

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Sun 11th July 2021 - Day 20

• Abington to Glasgow: 80km, +611m, max. 302m

• Visited Elder Park in Glasgow - a site worked on for the Helping Hands project

• Euros Final: England 1-1 Italy, 2-4 on penalties

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Mon 12th July 2021

• Glasgow to Stirling: 45km, +257m, max. 110m

• Visited Ruchill Park and Springburn Park to promote Butterfly Conservation's Helping Hands project in Glasgow

• Forth and Clyde Canal towpath - fabulous

• Side trip to Wester Moss  Butterfly Conservation Reserve and Fallin Bing

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Tue 13th July 2021

• Stirling to Callander: 48km, +265m, max. 142m

• Visited Wester Moss Butterfly Conservation reserve and Fallin Bing (beautiful site, and excellent views)

• Target species: Large Heath (not seen)

• Callander Riverside Meadows

 

Wed 14th July 2021

• Callander to Killin: 39km, +380m, max. 297m

• Looked for small colony of Purple Hairstreaks in Killin (too windy and/or too early)

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Thu 15th July

• Killin to Pitlochry: 65km, +743m, max. 428m

• Visited Ben Lawers (north of Loch Tay) for Mountain Ringlet - one seen. Walked up to 628m asl: great views over Loch Tay

 

Fri 16th July 2021

• Pitlochry to Kingussie: 75km, +668m, max. 462m

• Had to cancel the Moth trap at Kingussie

• Visiting Insh Marshes RSPB reserve

• Launch of the Big Butterfly Count - world's biggest citizen science project for butterflies

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Sat 17th July

• Kingussie to Inverness (Maryburgh): 112km (longest distance), + 947m, max. 407m

• Terrifying cycling over the Kessock Bridge in Inverness

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Sun 18th July 2021

• Inverness (Maryburgh) to Lairg: 102km, +648m, max. 123m (headwinds)

• Cromarty Ferry

• Nigg Dunes, north of Cromarty - Small Copper

• Gearrchoille Community Wood, Ardgay - too early for Scotch Argus (good habitat)

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Mon 19th July 2021

• Lairg to Skail, north of Syre in Strathnaver: 58km, +344m, max. 268m

• Across the Flow Country

• Roadside verges by Altnaharra

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Tue 20th July 2021

• Skail to Thurso: 66km, +850m, max. 160m

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Wed 21st July - Day 30

• Thurso to John o’Groats: 45km, +369m, max. 105m

• Visited "Burn of Midsands" Coronation Meadow, Dunnet Beach

• Visited Dunnet Head RSPB Reserve - most northerly point of the British mainland

• John o'Groats

• Hooray!

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High points

• 482m on Exmoor (Grid Ref: SS 74765 36245)

• 462m at the Pass of Drumochter in the Scottish Highlands

• 429m in the Forest of Bowland

• 418m at Ben Lawers car park (walked up to 628m - the highest point of the trip)

• 407m at Slochd Summit near Inverness

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Distance: 12,200 miles / 1,964km

Total climb (and descent): over 19,000m

 

Resources

Sustrans: www.sustrans.org.uk

Cycling UK: www.cyclinguk.org

Butterfly Conservation: www.butterfly-conservation.org

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