The ViaductOur second extended day out of the season took us to Smardale Gill in South Cumbria, a nature reserve managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. A full minibus plus 3 travelling by car were met by Stuart's cousin and his son, Martin and George who were our butterfly experts for the day. Having parked up near Smardale Hall, we walked along the long, straight path, a disused railway line that now provides considerable botanical interest. There was an abundance of enchanter's nightshade with its delicate white flowers. Wood and bloody cranesbill were both evident. The wintergreen had finished flowering but was seen in fruit. The fragrant orchid was indeed deliciously fragrant. The bird count is not even worth mentioning. A woodpecker was heard, but the birds were not putting in an appearance. However, this trip was all about the butterflies. Several were seen including red admiral, small heath, dark green fritillary, and common blue, but the star species was undoubtedly the scotch argus. Smardale Gill is one of only two sites in England where this butterfly can be seen. As our path cut through steeper grassy banks, we started to see the scotch argus in small numbers.
Pair of Scotch Argus 
CranesbillWhere the path ended and we reached the viaduct, there seemed to be masses of them on the steep grassy hillside. The 130 foot high viaduct with twelve arches crossing Scandal Beck is very impressive and the surrounding landscape was stunning. Autumn gentian was seen just across the viaduct. At the start of the day it had felt a little cool, but we were blessed with sunshine and the temperature rose nicely through the day. Some of the group did longer walks and got as far as the packhorse bridge. A total of 162 plants were recorded. Several moths were also seen today including the shaded broad bar, the antler moth and the iron prominent. Having enjoyed a fantastic day, we set off to the Craven Arms in Giggleswick for our evening meal. A lovely end to the day. Many thanks to the birthday boy Stuart for leading the day, to Margaret for organising the meal and to Martin and George for sharing their butterfly expertise.
Sue