millerd

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Dave, just catching up on your latest excursions, great reports and photos

Back home today after my few days up north and there are some fresh Holly Blues passing though the garden, just need to find one settled now...and with open wings

Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. As always, much appreciated.

Missed you again on Box Hill, Buggy - one day we'll be on the same bit of the hill at the same time, though it's a big place.

I take it the second round of Wood Whites are out, Wurzel - I may try Botany Bay on Sunday as my favourite bits of the North Downs are being cycled over.

I see you've also had luck with the Holly Blues, Trevor, and I'm sure you will too, Neil. They are tempted by flowering brambles, though not many of us have this in the garden... More of them coming up...

30th July: At last! The sun actually shone properly today, and I had a tour of my local patch. The main Holly Blue area is two minutes from home, and they didn't disappoint. The sudden sunshine had seven or eight out on the brambles, and they obviously felt like I did and several of them basked partially open-winged. As Trevor observed, no females as yet.

Another particular highlight was a selection of newly-hatched Brimstones.

At one point I watched a male and female encounter each other, and for a couple of moments, they nectared alongside one an other on a teasel. Clearly not spring! I also noticed that the moment the sun went in, they would dive for cover. Brilliant camouflage - spot the butterfly.

Alongside the Brimstones on the teazels and wild buddleia were several Red Admirals.

One in particular was very new in brilliant scarlet and black, an absolutely beautiful creature.

Second brood Common Blues are in full swing now, and I came upon a mating pair ensuring there will be more next year.

Overall, examples of all the following species were seen during my tour:
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Speckled Wood
Small Heath
Peacock
Red Admiral
Comma (both normal and hutchinsoni)
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White
Brimstone
Holly Blue
Common Blue
Brown Argus
Small Skipper
Essex Skipper
16 species is not bad at all: a selection of the rest follows in Part Two!

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

Great reports and images from up north and locally recently,and nice set of images,i didn't realise Marbled Whites could be found as far north as that.The Brimstone shows it's camoflage well,too.

I comiserate with you regarding the weather. What a miserible month it's been! That one hot day on the 1st seems such a long time ago...

[millerd]

30th July (continued): a selection of some of the other species seen today:

Dave

[millerd]

Thanks, Essex - the July weather really hasn't been that great, and the butterfly moments have been snatched rather than leisurely enjoyed. That hot day on the 1st was far too hot as well - 37 degrees is not comfortable for man nor insect.

31st July: However, the last day of the month proved to be pretty good. My youngest son had been hinting that he would like a day at the seaside, so with a good forecast ahead, we set out today for Studland. We should have left earlier, and the local traffic down in Dorset was very slow. However, we were on the beach soon after midday and enjoyed unbroken sunshine, a light breeze and around 21 degrees or so. As Elliot played in the sea and on the sand, I watched a whole variety of butterflies waft along the shoreline - Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells, Large Whites, a Painted Lady, a Meadow Brown and a Grayling. By four, we decided move on, and trudged back through the dunes and heather to the car park. There were lots of Gatekeepers here, but only one more Grayling - other suspects turned out to be Meadow Browns. The buddleia bushes behind the visitor centre had only one or two Red Admirals and a Peacock.

We drove through Swanage and up to Durlston Country Park, where we had a cup of tea at the Castle. This is a fascinating building, now full of information about local wildlife, geology and all things natural. On this glorious afternoon, the views were stunning. Just below the café balcony, there were several large buddleia bushes. These were playing host to Red Admirals, Peacocks, Large Whites and more surprisingly, a couple of Silver-washed Fritillaries.

There was also a single Humming-bird Hawkmoth, which pretty well defied my ability to photograph it...

Curiously, my only other attempt at this feat was in exactly the same spot a good ten years ago. After tea and a good explore of the Castle, we ambled along the coast path and then up to the Country Park itself. There were dozens of Marbled Whites around - they seem to fly late here (I've seen a couple right at the end of August).

There were also high numbers of Gatekeepers, and a variety of Skippers. Here was an added conundrum - not just telling Small and Essex apart, but remembering that there would be Lulworth in amongst them too. In the end, I am certain I saw Lulworth and Essex, and there is one I am pretty sure was a Small Skipper.

Small

Essex

Essex

In the relatively short time we spent in the park (we had to get back on the road at some point), we also saw a Painted Lady, a female Dark Green Fritillary, a possible Wall (but it could equally have been a Small Tortoiseshell). However, the Lulworths were what I'd hoped to see.

Not entirely sure the one above is Lulworth... Could be Small

Male Lulworth

Male Lulworth

Male Lulworth

Female Lulworth

Female Lulworth

One of each sex

One of each sex

Female Lulworth

Dave

[Wurzel]

A timely report Dave as I'm heading off there tomorrow and Monday as well so it's good to know that they're still flying, they do look a bit tired though - hope they last another couple of days

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

I hope you had a good day or two, Wurzel - the weather seems to have done the right thing, certainly.

1st August: A day up in the Rugby area with all the boys. After a shopping expedition in the morning, we visited Ryton Country Park in the afternoon. There were fewer butterflies than a month ago, with no Marbled Whites and only tired looking Ringlets and Meadow Browns. Both Small and Essex Skippers were still going strong, as were Gatekeepers.

Common Blues were just beginning to appear, but strangely all I saw were females - and dark ones at that.

There were also a couple of Commas.

On the way home, the sun was shining hazily, so I stopped on the Southam Bypass to see if any second brood Small Blues were around. There were a few - including a mating pair - but they were otherwise mostly females.

Dave

[millerd]

2nd August: Part One.
Following Wurzel's suggestion, and with the North Downs inaccessible today, I set off for Botany Bay. Arriving around 1100, immediately inside the gate I was greeted by a selection of butterflies on a stand of thistles by the path: Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns, plus more showy Silver-washed Fritillaries and White Admirals.

The latter two were looking tired now, but still able to put on a display of graceful aerobatics in the sunshine.

I followed the path and once over the bridge and just climbing the hill on the other side, I spotted a pile of fresh horse manure adorned with Wood Whites. There were five altogether, but only three remained for a rather unusual photo.

It became quickly apparent that the woods were full of Brimstones. There are always a lot here in the spring, but there were hundreds today all avidly nectaring.

Sharing that pursuit were a good number of Peacocks, as well as more SWF and White Admirals.

I had mainly come to see the Wood Whites, but before that, a run down of what else was about in addition to those already mentioned:
Holly Blue
Common Blue

Purple Hairstreak
Marbled White

Speckled Wood
Ringlet
Large Skipper
Small Skipper
Small White
Large White

Green-veined White
Comma (both types)
Painted Lady

However, the Wood Whites were the main attraction, and they deserve a separate entry.

Dave

[millerd]

2nd August: Part Two. Botany Bay Wood Whites.

There were good numbers of Wood Whites, both males and females, pottering up and down the paths. Females were egg-laying, assiduously seeking out the tiny vetchlings they prefer. Following one male, I saw him settle for no apparent reason. In fact he had been attracted to a mating pair that I would certainly have otherwise overlooked.

Some other photos of this delightful little butterfly.

And finally that initial trio again.

Dave

[trevor]

hi Dave;

You had a good day then !!.

TREVOR.

[bugboy]

Looks like you've had a busy few days and definately come up with the goods!

[millerd]

Hi Trevor and Buggy - yes, and there's more (as you might have guessed from the posting in the August sightings thread...)

After Botany Bay, there was just enough charge on the camera battery for one other shortish trip somewhere. Dawney's Hill (Pirbright) is on my M25 avoidance route home, so that's where I went. It took a while to find where the Graylings were lurking in the heat, but in fact they found me. Suddenly three appeared from nowhere and kept flying at my legs. The inevitable trousering happened shortly afterwards.

After seeing half a dozen or so, I made my way round the far side of the site, and spotted several more. I followed one down to the ground, and realised it had been attracted to what appeared to be a mating pair. Being a Grayling, and not known for subtlety in these matters, it immediately tried to muscle in, with much wing flapping from all involved. It was at this point I realised that the pair it had found was in fact a threesome. Expecting one of the three to be another opportunist male, it was a surprise to see that all three were locked together, abdomens conjoined. At one point, the attentions of no. 4 caused them to fly - the female carried both her consorts, but not far. It is extremely tricky photographing this activity - three butterflies at 120 degrees to each other does not an easy picture make. However, the situation did provide some open wing shots, and some of the upperwing colours were amazing, especially when caught by the sun at certain angles. The scent scales on the male are also really prominent.

These shots are in chronological order - the quality is not great as there was a lot of movement.

I got a couple of closer shots of the butterfly abdomens - you can make out the fact that three are involved, though anything more is beyond the capability of my camera.

Anyway, this all provided a rather bizarre conclusion to a very successful day.

Dave

[Wurzel]

I was all set to comment on the ace Wood Whites Dave but those Grayling shot are real showstoppers

Have a goodun

Wurzel

ps - the Lulworths were still in fine fettle today

[trevor]

HI Dave;
Fabulous Grayling shots , the open wing capture especially stunning and rare. Definately worth
avoiding the M25 for. I'm afraid you must take a few mrgreens .

All the best,
TREVOR.

PS. A few female Holly Blues have been reported.

[millerd]

Thanks, chaps. I am certain that is something I'm never going to see again. I'm grateful to the fourth butterfly for leading me straight to them, and for trying to get in on the act - there would have been no open wing shots without it!

3rd August: After that kind of day yesterday, anything would seem like a bit of a letdown. Going back to work after a fortnight off certainly didn't help. Nevertheless, after work and under warm but overcast skies, I had an amble around my local patch. Inevitably, two Holly Blues appeared immediately. The reason for their almost constant presence in this spot is probably a large holly tree, overgrown with ivy, which has brambles all around its base and hawthorn hedge to either side. No Holly Blue needs to travel any distance at all at any time of year to keep the species going.

Moving on, I encountered several Red Admirals patrolling the path as usual - another near constant and reliable facet of this walk throughout the year.

There was also a single Comma. I reached the large meadow/field/open space between the M25 and the River Colne before seeing anything else. Here were good numbers of roosting Common Blues: every now and again one would open up when the wind dropped a bit, the cloud thinned and the sun shone feebly through.

Meadow Browns were disturbed as I walked along, plus a few Gatekeepers. Others of this species had taken to the trees to roost and sit out the weather.

I also put up a Small Heath, which soon plummeted back down, unusually ending up on a plant above grass height instead of buried in a tussock. It appeared newly emerged, with lovely subtlety of colouring and an amazingly bristly face.

At this point, though there were signs of a bit more sun, it started to spot with rain and I turned back - it was after all around half past six and it's started to get late noticeably earlier these days. However, as I passed the J14 roundabout, the sun strengthened a bit and I glanced up at the young oak trees at the side of the link to Terminal Four. Dancing around these, and a large sycamore next to them, were a selection of Purple Hairstreaks - half a dozen or more.

I watched them for a while, and very entertaining they were too with their aggressive aerobatics and madcap chases. Every now and again, one would bask with its wings open. I could just about make this out (I had no binoculars with me), and cranked the camera up to full zoom, pointed and hoped. The results, heavily cropped, are recognisably male Purple Hairstreaks.

That's as far as I would go in describing these blurry photos! On a suitable evening soon, I may take my life in my hands and find a way up to the roadside, which is on a level with where the butterflies were basking (though still below treetop height).

As ever, it was worth going out - there is always something worth seeing!

Dave

[Maximus]

Amazing Grayling shots Dave and open wings too Nice shot showing the scent scales on the male.

Mike

[Butterflysaurus rex]

I agree with Mike, Dave. Amazing behavioural shots of the Greyling! Quite a thing to witness.

Best Wishes

James

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Dave, I am playing catch up yet again. Some great recent reports and photos but that is a brilliant series of Grayling images, amazing stuff

Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

Once again, many thanks everyone for your enthusiasm for my highly unusual encounter with the Graylings. It's the sort of pure chance event that makes this hobby so rewarding.

4th August: Still well and truly back on terra firma with another day at work with not a lot of sun. I had a look at Bedfont Lakes Country Park after my day of toil, an hour or so around five o'clock. When the sun peeped through, the hedgerows seemed full of Gatekeepers, and the grass held lots of Meadow Browns. A couple of Holly Blues flew up and down the brambles , and the path next to the railway also hosted a few Skippers - both Small and Essex - and a solitary Speckled Wood.

There were reasonable numbers of Common Blues, but considering the amount of BFT growing here, nothing like as many as I would have expected.

Finally, there were a few Brown Argus, including a couple of females - the second one of which was very fresh and a splendid little insect.

Dave

[Pauline]

Just catching up Dave. Fantastic shots of both the Wood Whites and the Grayling. Really interesting and well captured shots