Thurlbear Quarrylands - Wed 11 May

Last Wednesday I headed out to Thurlbear Quarrylands and as I arrived the sun vanished, today, pretty much the same thing happened! I parked up at about 2.30pm and took a walk around the reserve thinking that I'd probably not see a lot in the way of butterflies.
At least three Nightingales were still singing away. and despite being about six foot from one of them all I saw was a flick of a tail and a shaking branch! Several Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were also in full song, a Bullfinch was seen and a Raven flew over.
Eventually the sun broke through the clouds and it was enough to stir a couple of Small Heaths as well as a few Grizzled Skippers and several Common Blues:

I also saw single Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods. A Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly was also seen:

After nearly two hours at the site I had all but given up on seeing the butterfly I was after when another break in the cloud meant another flurry of activity and a small brownish butterfly caught my eye. I managed to stay on it as it landed up in the top of a tree, a Duke of Burgundy! And not just one, but actually two sat up in this tree. This was my second new butterfly species in four days and it was a real beauty, though I was unable to get a decent photo of it due it being too high over my head. Seeing this as an omen that the best was saved to last, I decided to call it a day.