Noar Hill - 26th May 2018 Today I explored the lower slopes and pits of the reserve (the area least frequented) and I am glad I did. In one sheltered location I came across Small Blue, Common Blue (m+f, the female had a blue wash), two Holly Blue, a Brimstone, Small White, Green Hairstreak, Duke of ...

Andrew: Thanks for reading and giving positive comments on my Small Copper reports. Its difficult to gauge how these would go down as they are a bit verbose. Trevor: Its good to hear the potential for success of the SPBF re-introduction at Park Corner. We need all the good news we can get with our m...

Bentley Wood - 28th May 2018 This location (The Salisbury one) is a bit of a trek for me. Most people would probably consider a 1 hour drive to a site about par for the course but due to my other commitments I usually stick far closer to home than this. However I have seen so many great pics of Pear...

Shortheath Common - 27th May 2018 The heathland that is closest to where I live. Here there is dry heath, mire and a slightly acidic lake all interspersed with unimproved grassland and bordered by woodland. PICT1712.JPG Today I walked around the lake. Here I found a Common White Wave moth. Common Wh...

Just fantastic, Hoggers.
I like the big blobby one.

Kingsley Common - 26th May 2018 Spring is still with us. 2 Green Hairstreaks and 1 Holly Blue and a single spring brood Speckled Wood seen here today. Also a Brown Silver-line moth and a Silver-Y moth. Brown Silver-line at Kingsley.JPG Silver Y (1).jpg Non-butterfly snapshots of the day But the real...

OK, so its another cool, overcast day here in Hampshire which limits my butterfly outings so here instead is the next instalment into my study of Small Coppers in and around the Broxhead lek. My previous two reports covered my observations of the population fluctuation and characteristics of the Sma...

Amazing sequence of Large White shots, Goldie. Both the male and female are obviously trying to connect but for some reason failing. I wonder why?

I loved the fiery orange with wings half open shot, on what looks like sand. I'm guessing a very warm day, when they seem to be very reluctant to open their wings fully. Yes, you are right. It was a warm, sunny morning and the picture was taken on a sandy heath. Also - I am sure I have seen a midge...

Hoggers wrote:I remember one year seeing around 2500 in total through the season.

I don't think I have ever seen anywhere near that many of the same species of any butterfly in a single year. What a great site you have near you.

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. I saw a WLH last year at Noar Hill just a few days from when Pauline saw hers. We worked out that the two sightings could NOT have been of the same individual. She saw one first and it showed signs of wear. The one I saw later was in pristine condition. There must have been ...

Paul - Thanks for your information. I will certainly check out Chawton again. The Elms I found are around the edge of the park in the centre of the village across the road from Jane Austen's house. Is this the tree? Its the biggest - but there are other, smaller ones nearby. Elm at Chawton (99).jpg ...

Andrew - Good to see you had a great Duke day at my local reserve - Noar Hill.
Sorry I missed you by one day. I went the following day to you!

Hoggers - Thanks for your very supporting comments. The next "rainy day" instalment of my Copper tome covers behaviours so you know what that means! The "mini cooper" was, as you say, a great find. The day of the picture was sunny, warm and mild - no breeze that I remember. While...

Dave - Thanks for the reference to the "white" Copper. I took a look. Its great.

It’s a cool, cloudy and wet day here in Hampshire and the forecast is for this to be with us all day. Next to no chance to get in a spot of butterflying today for me so I thought I would report the next instalment of my study into the Small Coppers of NE Hants and its border with Surrey. This is par...

Thanks, Wurzel - The poppy field may have been a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Love your shots of a Speckled Wood on your hand by the way.

Yew Hill - May 23rd A small-ish chalkhill reserve bordered by grass meadows, arable fields and wooded rides near Winchester. It forms part of a group with Magdalen Hill and St Catherine’s Hill. Yew Hill from lower path.JPG Small Heaths were the flavour of the day. I counted 45 and I did not cover al...

Paul - Hi. I live in north east Hampshire. Do you know about the White-letter Hairstreak colony on Odiham Common? I saw a few there last year. I saw a WLH in the "Triangle" at Noar Hill last year too. Do you know where the elms are there? There are some elms around the central park in the ...

Minely Manor - May 22nd This is a new location for me. A large network of meadows, scrubland and woodland that form part of the Minely Estate near Fleet. Minely Manor Estate-99.jpg Today I came across six Green Hairstreak, four Small Copper, many Common Blue, Small and Large White, one Peacock, a Sp...