Hi all, A Long-tailed Blue was seen and photographed at Cheyne Weares on Portland yesterday - 10th September. Difficult to say, the pictures aren't great, but I think it's a male. Check it out at http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm I'm off for it now, fingers crossed!!!!! Birdwise th...

I think I can get 6 of next year's 11 in a two day trip in May. I'd appreciate any suggestions re optimum dates and sites. Plan A: Northamptonshire down to Surrey Day 1 - start at Salcey Wood for Wood White. Then on to Bison Hill for Grizzled Skipper, Duke and Small Blue. Day 2 - down to Denbies fo...

..wasn't expecting an ID - here's a slightly better one... Hi Nick, I think you've definitely got yourself a female Common Darter, and somewhat past her best. Body colour darkens to the brownish tone shown as they mature. Next stage would be ragged or missing wingtips and damaged hindwings followed...

Lee Hurrell wrote:...
and a dragonfly...

Hi
judging by the extent of black on the frons (basically, your beast's 'moustache'!) I'd say your dragonfly is a Common Darter. But I'm notoriously rubbish with such things, lol.
Cheers
Gibster.

Hi Dave Looks like a Cream-spot Tiger or possibly a Water Ermine (both ought to be fairly small this time of year, I think.) When and where was the pic taken? Water Ermines are dwellers of marshy areas, mostly in East Anglia. Cream-spot Tigers are found throughout much of southern England. Foodplant...

Hi Paul, If you don't mind the jaunt, Wall is common on top of the big hill at the back of Lulworth Cove in Dorset (I saw 15 last week). More locally, try Keyhaven Marshes in Hampshire. The coast path from Pennington (start at The Gun pub) heading eastwards for a mile or so is usually pretty reliabl...

We had a single Painted Lady on a roadside edge at Ecclefechan this morning (in Scotland, just a few miles north of the border) which can be added to one at Keyhaven, Hants and two at Collard Hill, Somerset earlier this year - so just a few short of last year's amazing total!!!! Also, over the past ...

Finally, I drove on to Lulworth Cove in search of Lulworth Skippers. Despite the weather being better near the coast, the wind was still strong. Not a sign of Lulworth Skippers, but few more Chalkhill Blues. I too was at Lulworth Cove today, alongside Sami. We gave the hills over three hours withou...

Thanks to Lee, Zonda, Pete and Millerd for the Lulworth Skipper info and links. I was getting my sites confused and was thinking of Hengistbury Head, not Durlston CP. I've managed to wrangle TWO days off of work now, this coming Wed and Thurs but Sami only has Thursday off...hmmm, I have a cunning p...

Saw several at Durlston Country park yesterday. Not that many, but conditions not fair. Go on a sunny day. Good advice...now, where did I put all that sunny weather.... :wink: I'm working through until next Thursday, hopefully the current rainy deluge will have passed by then. Hopefully. From the c...

Can anybody tell me how Lulworth Skippers are doing this year? Going back a few pages it seems most folk looking are having difficulties finding anything other than small numbers - if any! Shouldn't they be well on the wing by now? Is it a case of being baked alive as a pupa and then drowned as the ...

If my darling Sami ever reads these last few comments I can assure you I'll be misidentifying lots of stuff for weeks to come...two black eyes will do that to a fella!!!! Gulp, wish me luck!

Hi Felix, just had another look at the pic Sami took...you're right, it's a Silver-spotted Skipper NOT a Large!!! Fools that we are, lol :lol: It was perched on a flowerhead with the forewings spread open and completely covering the hindwings. At no point did we see (or think to check!)the underside...

Gibster wrote: ...best of all - Sami hasn't seen one yet!!! ...so not at all competitive, you two then.... Lol, nope...not much mate!! :lol: Today we joined the local BC branch on a walk to Reigate Hill to see Silver-spotted Skippers. We only saw one, but conditions were pretty rubbish (we later sa...

White-letter Hairstreak on my finger, yey!!!!!!! :D Was starting to worry about missing this chap, but eventually nailed one feeding up in a bed of Creeping Thistles (sixth time lucky at a promising-looking site) Fifty first species for the year...best of all - Sami hasn't seen one yet!!! :) :)

Hi David M, Graylings certainly are fascinating things! I've seen several different races around the UK this year. If ever you get a chance, take a trip way up north to Ardnamurchan and check out the atlantica individuals. Massively glorious with jet black speckles and bold central band on underside...

Just back from 6 days in Scotland via Cumbria with Sami. A truly superb time was had, if just a bit ruined by constant rain/cloud cover for the final two and a half days. Well, we started quite well - Arneside Knott in Cumbria yielded plenty of High Brown Frit activity plus lots of Graylings semele ...

Well, we started quite well - Arneside Knott in Cumbria yielded plenty of High Brown Frit activity plus lots of Graylings semele on the gravel paths. A pair of Northern Brown Argus salmacis were lifers for us! Nearby we hit Meathop Moss and were soon taking pics of Large Heath davus , our second but...

Hi Trev, my local Silver-studded Blues, argus are at Fairmile Heath, Surrey - takes me under 20mins to get there. The ones at Fairmile always seem pretty large to my mind, although I have seen very small 'runt-type' males on occasion. I also see them at Thursley and in the New Forest where they appe...

Hi Jack, this is the info that Dave kindly gave me: "Best and easiest site for Mountain Ringlet is Ben Lawers. For good numbers park at the Centre (small charge) and walk up the nature trail. It is quite steep and hard going but you should see them within about 20 minutes of climbing. If your n...