La Pointe du Grouin revisited: Coastal butterflies and spiders

We are making the most of better weather after a rather dire August so took the opportunity to visit the coast again on Wednesday. After moules frites at Port Mer near Cancale, we went up the road to the nearby headland at la Pointe du Grouin, which is one of my favourite places for bug and butterfly hunting. There are still a fair few tourists around but it's hardly heaving with them now that the kids are back at school. It's not so great for wildflowers at this time as many have finished but there's enough for the later flying butterflies to feed on.

Post from last July all about this place, with loads of insects.

Views along the coast looking westward.

Not knowing much about coastal wildflowers I think these colourful
seed heads in the foreground are Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum).

A number of shrubs were covered in webs both from spiders and from Ermine moth caterpillars, which spin silks to protect themselves and clothe entire shrubs with their silken tents. But it was the Garden Spiders hanging in the shrubs which caught my eye as they are looking particularly big and colourful now!

Garden Spider or Cross Orb Weaver (Araneus diadematus).

This Cross Orb Weaver is snacking on something, with a wrapped up
dessert waiting for later.... I love it when they turn their buggy lunches into
something that bears no resemblance to the insect in its past life. :-)

Hoorah I found one hanging the other way around showing its beautiful markings!

An old looking boat (no I don't know anything about boats!)
sailing between the headland and Ile des Landes.

Butterflies again. We were here with my brother in late July and I also saw some Brown Argus (despite the name, it's a Blue in the Lycaenidae family) back then. As the only Blues (or Coppers) I've seen at home have been Holly Blues, then the tiny butterflies other than Skippers have been in short supply. I was pleased to see many Small Coppers and finally got the chance to get in close for some shots. There were Brown Argus flitting about with these Small Coppers but they didn't want me taking their photo except from afar! I also saw a Swallowtail, which considering there is tons of wild fennel growing on the headland shouldn't be surprising, but in July I checked out a number of plants for Swallowtail caterpillars and surprisingly didn't find a single one.

I saw some Brown Argus here back in July too.
This time, having seen quite a few Small Coppers about and often on the same plant
for size comparison, these Brown Argus were considerably smaller!

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) feeding on Ragwort.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) feeding on Ragwort.

And another Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) feeding on Ragwort! This one without chunks missing.
Of course I took tons of photos - I don't often get a chance to get right up close.

On the way home we stopped in at the fishing lake at Combourg as we go past it. This isn't the big lake which the Chateau overlooks but a smaller one with a footpath all the way around. There was more dragonfly life than bird life here but as usual, just like at home, the only dragonflies who would stop and pose were the ones that I already have photos of...... and the Hawkers just kept on flying around and around as per usual so no chance of a photo!

Something worrying I noticed here were the amount of very sad looking willow trees with brown leaves. I haven't heard of any insect or disease affecting willows like this - oaks, ash and horse chestnut, yes. Very disturbing.

Combourg's smaller lake, with Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
in the foreground.

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) with very tatty wings but still perfectly able to fly.

A fresher looking Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum).

I'm glad to say that both butterflies and dragonflies have perked up at home too this week thanks to some warmth and sun! Long may it last. :-)