...Out for just over 3 hours and i counted 304 Small Coppers .......................A proper "return to form " at Dungeness ! I'll say, Allan. :D Reminds me of days of yore when the much-missed Hoggers used to provide regular three-figure counts. Dungeness must be the best place in the co...

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way. On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites. As I now look out from my Norfolk study window, Peacock outnumber Red Admiral by ...

Just read up on this ab/variation/form and to quote "The red band of the forewings showing a white spot. Verity counts this spot in with the white submarginal ones, to make seven in all. He says that it only applies to males since the females usually have it and males do not. This is not so in...

Pete Eeles wrote: ↑Wed Sep 21, 2022 11:30 am Definitely not helice - images here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6671878 ... 478176845/

You may need to be a member of the Kent Butterflies Facebooko group to see it though!

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks, Pete.
Ade

5 ! Q of S Frittillary reported (and photographed )from Walmer (near Deal ,Kent ) today ..........all fresh .Also a Pale /Bergers Clouded Yellow ,from Cliffe Pools (isle of Grain ,Kent ) :shock: :shock: Pale/Berger's Clouded Yellow would be an exceptional sighting, Allan. Can't remember the last on...

My Scotch Argus season began on 27th July with a possible over my garden (they do occur here). In the afternoon, I went to a favourite hotspot at Ardclach near Nairn (NH952453) where I saw about a dozen males in 20 minutes. Ringlets are still flying but are old and pale as are the Speckled Woods. S...

Agreed - I've spent many a happy hour at Glasdrum, but never even looked for Mountain Ringlet. Shame on me and now on my list! Cheers, - Pete Glasdrum has a good Mountain Ringlet colony, but it's not a straightforward climb as there's no track above 100m and there's a steep tree belt to scramble th...

Is this a small or Essex skipper, please? Hi, Ian. My guess is that this is an Essex Skipper: it is a male butterfly by the shape of its abdomen, and the sex brand on the forewings is very faint and what you can see looks parallel to the forewing edge rather than angled inwards (as in Small Skipper...

Hi, Gang The 'hairy knees' in the genus Pyrgus are erectile pencils of scent scales found in the males and are used for chemical communication during courtship. Cheers, Ade My learning of the day Ade and what a cracking factoid that is. Cheers ! As ever I shall say that casually in conversation as ...

If it is an artefact Wolfson then this one from Martin Down has it as well...could they have very hairy knees but it's not been noticed before? :? DSC_0596 - Copy.JPG Have a goodun Wurzel Hi, Gang The 'hairy knees' in the genus Pyrgus are erectile pencils of scent scales found in the males and are ...

Bertl wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 7:30 pm First PBF sightings of the season out at Cambus o may on deeside. Also spotted a dragonfly......haven’t identified it yet.

Hi, Berti
Your dragonfly is Four-spotted Chaser.
Cheers, Ade

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 8:21 pm Nice clear damselfly shot Zig-zag ...............and i,m not being picky ...................but i think they,re Azure Damsels.
Regards Allan.W.

Hi
Yep, I agree with Azure Damselfly.
Cheers, Ade

today i went to Hexton Chalk Pit. it is a small nature reserve in the Bedfordshire Chilterns. there was plenty of Dingy Skipper activity, including this pair 52061612681_5b9ce223cc_c.jpg i also found this strange plant... any suggestions ? 52062101745_d579909cfc_c.jpg Hi, Charles Your orchid may be...

To say that I am a little bit cheesed off this morning is putting it very mildly. The weather forecast was extremely good for week commencing 2 May 2022 and I booked the time off work. I saw a few days in advance that the good week of sunny weather had been pushed back to 9 May 2022. Lots of apolog...

Otep wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 5:54 pm I was grumbling to myself last night about not seeing any Orange Tip yet. This is only my 3rd season. Looking back at records of my previous 2 seasons, I don't seem to get any here in South Derbyshire until the second half of April.

Much the same here in the frozen wastes of Norfolk!
Adrian

New broods are appearing right at the end of July on my local patch, including Common Blues and a few Brown Argus. However, particularly in view of their patchy appearance in their spring brood, I've been pleased to see good numbers of Holly Blues over the last few days. I found a dozen males puddl...

Allan.W. wrote: ↑Sat Jul 17, 2021 4:10 pm Lesser Yellow Underwing for me ! Regards Allan.W.

Yep: One-nil to you!
Adrian

Thanks Neil. The Cosmos leaf bisecting it down the middle isn't ideal either ! Funnily enough, I did get a sense of a yellower insect in flight than when I looked at it on the plant. I'll admit that my chosen method in my attempt to ID certainly isn't foolproof: - Go to the Sussex Moth Group site -...

Bertl wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:05 pm Not much on the wing today at Drum Castle near Aberdeen. Weather was overcast. No idea what the dragonfly is!!!

Hi, Bertie
Your dragonfly is a Common Darter.
Cheers, Adrian.

September off to a decent start with lots of fresh butterflies on the hill this lunchtime. Beacon Hill IMG_5266 (2).JPG IMG_5268 (2).JPG IMG_5283 (2).JPG IMG_5299.JPG IMG_5304 (2).JPG IMG_5315 (2).JPG IMG_5292.JPG IMG_5264.JPG IMG_5275 (2).JPG IMG_5329 (2).JPG IMG_5368 (2).JPG IMG_5253.JPG IMG_5248...