Above: Duke of Burgundy Butterfly
A bit about the Duke of Burgundy
Above: Scrubby slope on Hawnby Hill, liked by the Duke of Burgundy
The Duke of Burgundy is a rare small and pretty butterfly of North or West-facing scrubby slopes (pictured above). It is found near its larval food plant, Cowslip or Primrose. Its stronghold is down south in the Cotswolds, around Salisbury Plain in Hampshire and Wiltshire. It is also found in small numbers in the South of Cumbria and Hawnby Hill in the North York Moors. I visited the one in Hawnby Hill because it was the closest one to me.
The Search
I started in a small car park (SE539917) which is north of Hawnby, and walked south towards a bit of provident hill, which is home to the Duke of Burgundy habitat. You can find a map and directions on the Butterfly Conservation website here. I walked to the hill and spent a while walking back and forth with my partner, trying to find the right path that led to an old broken stone wall (pictured below)
Above: The start of the Duke of Burgundy Habitat
With a bit of help from passers-by, we found the right path, which looked like a very narrow and well-hidden sheep path. The path cuts around the hill towards the old broken wall. After passing the wall, we found 5 Duke of Burgundy Butterflies, including a mating pair.
(pictures below)
On our way back to the car park, I saw a Green Hairstreak and some Green Tiger Beetles, which was a bonus.
Overall I had a great day looking at this butterfly, and the rain even held off.
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