A bit of a mixed bag on offer this year... Dave

Thanks, everyone - now that LTBs have become something of a regular fixture in the UK, they get the attention we give all our (relatively few) native species and all the differences between individuals get highlighted. Abroad they are just something that pops up any time, anywhere and no doubt aren'...

..I'm not sure he'll survive another week and break that record... Possibly not, Dave, but if we get two or three cloudy days where he's forced to be inactive, he might just make it. Fingers crossed. I'm afraid that there has been no further sign of either of the Common Blues that were flying on Tu...

...I think I first saw him on 14th October, but it's difficult to be sure without any early bits of damage to follow through with... Going back through past photos, I'm pretty confident I've identified the same individual looking nice and fresh on 10th October. I've just reached that date in my PD,...

I've always found ab. suavis individuals to be a regular occurrence at Denbies Hillside. ChB13 200723.JPG The numbers at this site are often in the hundreds, and the variety is amazing - it is very difficult to see which of these are just within normal variation and which deserve to be called aberra...

Thank you once again, Trevor - that deep blue male was a real bonus after the pairing. It's great that this splendid little butterfly has become a regular part of the tailend of the season when most other things are declining. :) "Mating pair" was spot on, Paul, but "swarms" and ...

Here he is again, David, seen in the same area today (6th) (though slightly adjusted because of a slight change in the wind direction). He's looking a bit more world-weary as his scales are noticeably thinner now. What a champion! Reckon he's got a few days left too. What is your latest ever sighti...

Yes, I agree with Katrina - it works rather well. Only you know what the background actually is!

Cheers,

Dave

What a survivor! I'm becoming quite attached to him. :) Here he is again, David, seen in the same area today (6th) (though slightly adjusted because of a slight change in the wind direction). He's looking a bit more world-weary as his scales are noticeably thinner now. CB1 061123.JPG Also seen not ...

I encountered Dingy Skippers in several of their usual haunts that I visit in May each year. This one from Denbies on 11th of that month was particularly fresh: almost a textbook example. Dave

Cheers, Wurzel - LTB undersides are unlike any other British butterfly (their appearance here is now as regular as other migrants, and their breeding here seems to be an annual event now). They are a very charismatic little butterfly all round. :) Thank you, Trevor - it was a real highlight of my bu...

I think the DGF I remember best was one I encountered on 29th June at Box Hill in the old members' car park, where it was behaving rather like a Purple Emperor. It certainly allowed a close approach... Dave

A very tricky one to decide, considering how many I've seen during the year. They had a better year on my local patch in 2023, starting mid-May - and remarkably there is still one left today (5th November). This one certainly sticks in the mind, and one of today's photos with a bit of context in par...

After some very wet and quite windy days and nights, today (5th) dawned sunny and became fairly warm by midday. I wondered what might be left amongst the local butterflies, and was surprised to find both a male and female Small White (though not close to each other). SW2 051123.JPG SW1 051123.JPG Le...

bugboy wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2023 10:40 pm What a glorious insect!

A great shot of a lovely butterfly. And actually nectaring on fleabane for once like they do in the books...

Cheers,

Dave

David M wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2023 9:08 pm ...something a little different...

Different in a few ways, David! One of each sex in close proximity, both with wings wide open - and nectaring on a buddleia. Extraordinary.

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers, Wurzel - I shall be looking out for it (I know where it lives... :) ). October has been very kind this year on my local patch, and my only excursion further afield was a cracker of a day - and that happens to be what's coming next. Sunday 8th October : a summery weather forecast, no competin...

Phew - that was a close one, Wurzel! Everyone's nightmare with a card full of unrepeatable shots... :shock: That's a lovely Dappled White, clearly as tricky to approach as all its pierid brethren! And the Cleopatra is pretty good too, clearly showing that it really isn't the same shape as the good o...

Some more observational stuff: On my local site, first brood butterflies peak in mid-May, and second brood between mid-July and mid-August. There is a regular small third brood peaking in mid-October. The first brood females lay (as Paul mentioned earlier) on almost anything with a flower bud, inclu...

Shipton B is a difficult place to leave when the Hairstreaks are in full flow, Wurzel. To think that I went years without seeing a male down low, let alone appreciate their uppersides - nowadays you can see that there is a fair bit of variety in their markings. They are an easy butterfly too - once ...