Trevor

[trevor]

For the last few days the weather and a public enquiry have prevented any Butterflying.
But today the sky partially cleared sufficiently enough to risk a Brown Hairstreak hunt, but guess what !,
during the 32 mile drive the weather changed to low cloud and, later, fine drizzle. Using the kind of language
Ladies would not like, i reluctantly returned to the car.
Nearing home the cloud gave way to hot sun ( typical ! ) so i diverted to Rowland Wood. Here i found
Brimstone,Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, all in reasonable numbers. Plus a very old
Ringlet. Gatekeepers were still in high numbers.
Maybe next week for the Brown Hairstreak !.

TREVOR.

[Goldie M]

It's rained here very heavily Trevor, you still managed some nice images though, hope you get your BHS nice week Goldie

[trevor]

My report from today was wiped ( only an hour wasted !).
But here are the images from the South Downs this morning.
TREVOR.

[David M]

"Only" your 3rd Clouded Yellow of the year, Trevor??

That's 3 more than me (and the majority of the rest of us I imagine).

Nice Brimstone spot too, by the way!

[Wurzel]

I wuld love to see a Cloudy let alone three Trevor

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Many thanks Wurzel and David, Clouded Yellows are seen in low numbers in most years around here.
Unlike 2013, about this time of year,when a bad day was three!. they were everywhere.

[Goldie M]

Your Photo's are great Trevor, love the Holly Blues they seem to have done well this year every where Goldie

[trevor]

Another unsuccessful hunt for the very elusive Brown Hairstreak today. But on the bright side i did spot
one in the air, and two were seen by others very briefly, so things are starting to happen !.
The big thrill of the day wasn't even a Butterfly, and i can't even claim to have spotted it.
One eagle eyed observer found a Hummingbird Hawkmoth at rest. This was a first for me, and a very
exciting it was too. What is more it stayed long enough for several shots.
A Bird of the feathered variety, a Warbler we thought, was flying among the foliage apparently quite tame,
but as my image shows it was blind in it's left eye. It did at least seem quite happy.
Two female Meadow Browns were seen oviposting, resting with open wings between bouts of egg laying.
A few fading Gate keepers, and some Holly Blues were seen,

All in all not a bad day.
TREVOR.

[bugboy]

Sorry to hear you didn't get close to any Brownies again, still a few weeks left though . My day was a little better in that respect but I'm not going to gloat on your PD about that..... I have to say I've only ever seen a Hummer from a distance so for that you get a couple !!!

Based on the wings (although it's a difficult angle) I think your poor little Warbler is a Chiffchaff, sadly having only half it's vision will make it easy pickings for a passing Sparrowhawk.

[trevor]

A BRILLIANT DAY ......... Part 1.

This morning, the dawn looked good for a sunny day.so i set off early to Windover Hill hoping, at last,
to find some female Wall Browns. The males were in the usual place, and again very approachable .
Then my first female flew into view, intent on nectaring she allowed fairly close approach. Before i
moved on to explore the rest of the site two more females presented themselves for the camera.

[trevor]

Part 2.
A good motto for this hobby should be ' expect the unexpected '. After my session with the Wall Browns
i found a large clump of Hemp Agrimony with two of the freshest Red Admirals nectaring upon it.
Among the many Blues also present i spotted a Holly Blue flying alongside the Chalkhills and Common
Blues. It settled on the Hemp Agrimony,then later flew onto a leaf. I thought to myself , this is when
she is likely to open her wings, and she did !.

[trevor]

THE NEWHAVEN/ DIEPPE FERRY. 10+MILES AWAY.

Part 3.

Other species present at Windover Hill included many Small Coppers, the Chalkhill Blues present were
mainly very worn, so i was very surprised to find a newly emerged male, which i coaxed onto my
finger.

Just for your interest i have included a view of the early morning Newhaven to Dieppe ferry sailing,
taken from the top of Windover Hill.

[trevor]

Part 4.
With the day still young i drove on to Steyning. With the weather near perfect i was thinking that the
Brown Hairstreak MUST be ready to show by now !. On arrival there were five people on site already.
I enquired if any had been seen, and the answer was one down briefly. Number two was seen later but
i couldn't get my camera near it. I carried on searching and eventually found a female BH.right by the
entrance gate, flying low down near some brambles. But she behaved impeccably for the camera
and kept flying to new very localised shrubbery , as though to please her admirers .
On the way back to the car i found another female Holly Blue displaying on bramble.

In all a perfect day!.
TREVOR.

[Pauline]

Well done Trevor. Some beautiful shots there - you must be ecstatic! I knew you would do it Next season you'll just have to come to Noar Hill for the males!

[jenks]

[quote="trevor"]Part 4.
With the weather near perfect.....

Blimey, it feels like another world here ! The third day of unrelenting rain ( Wed through to today ) and the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday is for more of the same. I envy you your chance to go in search of butterflies, I`ve been brushing up on my ID skills on ducks.

Seriously, a great report and great photos from you.

Jenks

[bugboy]

Nice one Trever, I've discovered in recent weeks just how addictive BH are. Great pics and some lovely Walls and Holly blues as well, a perfect day indeed!

[Maximus]

Brilliant Brown Hairstreak photos Trevor, your perseverance paid off big time

Mike

[trevor]

Also seen yesterday, these two Dragon Flies. Both taken at Steyning.
There is a large pond just behind the Brown Hairstreak site, which probably explains their presence
among the Blackthorn.

TREVOR.

[jenks]

Your first photo is a male Migrant Hawker, the second photo a female Common Darter. Your photo of the Migrant Hawker shows the yellow "golf tee" on the 2nd segment brilliantly, which is diagnostic.

Jenks

[trevor]

Many thanks, Jenks, for the Dragon Fly ID. They are not my subject, but i love to see them.
Sorry to hear that the weather is against you ( what part of UK are you from? ) we have the opposite
today ie. too hot to go out for Butterflies !.