  We present an analysis of K2 short cadence data of 34 M dwarfs which have
spectral types in the range M0 - L1. Of these stars, 31 showed flares with a
duration between $\sim$10-90 min. Using distances obtained from Gaia DR2
parallaxes, we determined the energy of the flares to be in the range
$\sim1.2\times10^{29}-6\times10^{34}$ erg. In agreement with previous studies
we find rapidly rotating stars tend to show more flares, with evidence for a
decline in activity in stars with rotation periods longer than $\sim$10 days.
The rotational modulation seen in M dwarf stars is widely considered to result
from a starspot which rotates in and out of view. Flux minimum is therefore the
rotation phase where we view the main starspot close to the stellar disk
center. Surprisingly, having determined the rotational phase of each flare in
our study we find none show any preference for rotational phase. We outline
three scenarios which could account for this unexpected finding. The
relationship between rotation phase and flare rate will be explored further
using data from wide surveys such as NGTS and TESS.
