Notes and Views - August 2015

[mvpike]

A very bizarre sight on Fontmell Down, Dorset today.

At first I thought this was just a mating pair of Meadow Browns with a challenger trying to "muscle in" but to my complete surprise just after I had taken these images all THREE flew off together joined at the mating point!! I have personally never seen a butterfly mating threesome of any kind.

Could be one reason why Meadow Browns are so common?!

Mark.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks for posting Mark (I know you contacted me privately). This will be included in the next Notes and Views article

Cheers,

- Pete

[Vince Massimo]

A reported influx of Long-tailed Blues into Brittany and Belguim in August suggested the possibility of this species appearing on our shores once more. Whilst there have been some sightings, it is thought that the recent poor weather has affected the migration.

The first Long-tailed Blue sighting (a female) was made by Bill Plumb (ButterflyBill) at Landseer Park, Ipswich on 9th August.Reported on Suffolk BC website http://www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

Female Long-tailed Blue (Bill Plumb)

Another sighting was made by UKB member "riswey" their garden in Sevenoaks, Kent on 14th August.
viewtopic.php?t=8519&start=0#p102794

"riswey" Sevenoaks, 14-August-2015

Yet another (a female) photographed by Francis Plowman at Browndown, near Gosport, Hampshire on 18th August.
Reported on Hampshire and Isle of Wight BC website:
http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/news.php

And another (again a female) photographed by Patrick Jefferies in Weymouth on 29th August. Reported on Twitter https://twitter.com/Jester68UK/status/6 ... =twsrc^tfw

Then two sightings from Sussex as reported on the Sussex BC website (with photos).
http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html
One, (a female) was photographed in a Worthing garden by Gavin and Nicky Baxter on 28th and 29th August and another individual turned up in a Seaford garden on 30th August.

Vince

[Pete Eeles]

Holly Blue ovum laid on Hebe: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8553

Cheers,

- Pete

[Mark Tutton]

Aberrant Small Tortoiseshell with enlarged marginal blue spotting - striking specimen. Photographed by Dave Pearson at Beacon Hill, Warnford, Hampshire on 22nd August.
http://www.hantsiow-butterflies.org.uk/news.php
Kind regards
Mark

[David M]

That's a mightily impressive specimen, Mark.

I never seem to see any of these aberrants. I suppose it's merely a case of being in the right place at the right time.