Interesting observations on the migratory capabilities of the Wood White, Cotswold Cockney. The last natural sighting of this species in Essex was in 1976, also the year of the final extinction of the nearest colony in Hertfordshire (nearly 20 miles away). I don't think that this is the case with th...

In Argyll this year, we saw SPBF in lots of isolated clearings. They seem to be able to exist at very low density all over the landscape and need far less ‘looking after’ than Pearl-bordered. Based on my few days experience of the species, I wouldn’t rule out anything natural in this instance. And d...

I hadn't heard about a disease affecting the butterfly, but that may well explain why it appears to be suffering in some parts of the county. i heard somewhere (don't know where, sorry) that there was a host-specific parasite that affects the Chalkhill Blue. And that this was found at southerly sit...

Hoggers wrote: And when we got home we found this rather handsome Hover-Fly,one I've not seen before, in the garden

It's a female Volucella zonaria as there's a gap between the eyes.

Searching Sallows for PE ova in a West Sussex locality back around 1970, I observed a female SWF alight on my lower trouser legs and shape up to lay an ova there. I shooed it away. My trousers were wet from below the knee from walking in wet grass so maybe had a similar texture to damp mosses on tr...

Jack Harrison wrote:

Insects are not thought to be afraid of heights/falling as are bigger animals such as ourselves.

quote][/i]
Jack

Thanks Jack & Philzoid, that's genius.
So, if it's easier to fall than to crawl, maybe she was being really clever and aligning herself directly over a patch of violets!

Rob

At Hatfield Forest yesterday, i saw a female Silver-washed Fritillary searching out the violets at quite a gloomy ride intersection. She then appeared to lay an egg on a decayed area of the larger coppiced hazel stem in the second picture (wasn't quick enough to capture her as well). When the sun we...

Thank you everyone for all of your comments, particularly the detailed explanations from Padfield. I'm intrigued that the subspecies identification is less than straightforward. As for location, we had another one in Essex in the first week of June, near the border with Hertfordshire, and there was ...

Hi All, We have had a second Swallowtail sighting in Essex, this time on the coast. There are good photos on the branch website: http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org.uk/photos_2012.php (bottom 2 rows) At first sight, it seems the darker britannicus ssp. but there are other indications that it coul...

If you are travelling to Essex, Little Haven/Starvelarks is looking in superb condition and has had the best counts thus far, 12. Nice to see some heather growing there as well. Pound Wood is looking good and Hockley Wood has had some work this winter - both have had sightings. But this week's weath...

Rob, Parts of the Racecourse section are managed specifically for the Dingy Skipper whose larvae feed on horseshoe vetch on this stretch. If the weather is still iffy, you may see the adults roosting on the dead knapweed flower-heads in the bottom of the ditch. You can also get the odd Green Hairstr...

Felt a bit of a goof starting my transect in 9C, but was eventually rewarded with a pair of Orange Tips when temp 12C. I did wonder whether they had been there all night, but 3 other males soon appeared, so they had probably just paired. Encouraging to think they can still pair up in cool conditions...

I missed the Kent HF tweet as well Dave, and no need to apologise about posting the sighting, I was on the brink of shouting about it. My branch loyalties take slight precedence with local sightings.
All the best
Rob

I didn't any way doubt the sighting or I would not have made the original post drawing attention to it. My scepticism was more around the orgin of the butterfly, fuelled by the coincidence of the "same site, same day" observation Rob made. Unfortunately, I'm a natural doubter, trained to ...

.....this is exactly how tiny, irregular broods manifest themselves, and just because there has only been one sighting it doesn't mean there is only one butterfly present. And that the data you have to hand suggests that it's suspicious they have only appeared at one site - perfectly normal. Duke o...

I don't see any doubting Thomases here. I suspect the Rob S (Essex Bertie) who expressed caution was the same Rob Smith who reported the sighting, and the word of caution was merely that a singleton doesn't make a significant second brood that people will still be able to see a week later. I don't ...

Interesting, Rob. I think it is right to be sceptical of one-off second brood sightings like this - you would expect more than just the one, and at more than one site, too. A check of nearby Hockley, or East Blean in Kent, would be worthwhile. Looking back at those September 2009 reports show that ...

The Cambs/Essex BC branch website has a report (and photo) of a second brood Heath Fritillary in a wood in south Essex: http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.php Dave Hi Dave, I was chuffed to bits to see this 'event' for the first time, but a word of caution, as this happened on exac...

Hi Brian, As Wurzel says, it hasn't been a good year for Clouded Yellows. If you're really keen, I would check out the Sussex or Hants sightings pages and head for a good site with say Adonis Blue and hope you stumble across a Clouded Yellow. We haven't had any in Essex this year and I regularly che...

I think the beginnings of a second white dot aren't that unusual in the females. But a full second spot could be interesting - do you have a photo?

RobS