Wurzel

[trevor]

Excellent effort to get male and female in the same frame, Wurzel.

It helps, of course, if these insects are nectaring which, sadly, they never do in west Wales.

The same is true of Steyning. When the Brown Hairstreaks appear the Bramble beneath the Ash trees is
very largely over. To the best of my knowledge there are no other flowering plants, at that time of year,
that are likely to attract a male down from the trees at Steyning. Of course Hemp Agrimony is a classic
attractant for males and there is some in the area, but not close enough to the BH site.
I intend to visit Noar Hill and possibly Shipton Belinger in 2016, where males are seen low down, to see
what differentiates these two sites from Steyning.

[Maximus]

At least 75% Wurzel Well captured closed wing shot of male and female together, and stunning male Brown Hairstreaks at SB, this year An open wing shot of male and female together would require a massive slice of luck, but, never say never

[Goldie M]

Once again Wurzel you've hit the jackpot I 'm looking for the best places for next year now to find BH's Your's shots are fantastic I can't wait to see what else your going to post Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel, just catching up on your Brown Hairstreak adventures...stunning open wing male, what can I say apart from follow Trevor and hit you with a load of

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cheers David Another good site to see male Brostreaks low down is Alners Gorse
Cheers Trevor Philzoid and I always check the Brambles and if the flowers have gone we look for the really ripe Blackberries as they sometimes sup from them.
Cheers Mike I'll take the +75%, you've got to "know when to walk away" as a wise man once sang
Cheers Goldie If you can try for Shipton Bellinger
Cheers Neil for your very kind comment and Mr Greens

Shipton Bellinger 16-08-2015

This was probably the final meet up of the season (not including the Social of course) and so it was off to Shipton Bellinger. By now the females should be flying and numbers could be reaching a peak so it was with high hopes that we set off so much so that I didn’t even curse once at the slow drivers in front. Once in the car park we made our way straight up the path and found a Comma on the tiny Buddleia and a few Holly Blues on the way. Just before the path split something caught my eye – the flash of brilliant orange turned out to be the first Brostreak of the day – a female with wings open basking for all she was worth in the cloudy cool air. We were just getting our shots as other butterfliers approached with their dog off its lead and our Brostreak was gone.

Muttering under our breaths rather like Muttley we carried on taking the left-hand path. It was all very quiet with the odd Specklie and Hedge and Meadow Browns flitting around. When we started chatting with another pair of Brostreak hunters this quietness became even odder as they regaled us with tales of ‘100 females here yesterday’. Had we missed them, would that be it and what does a female Brostreak do once her eggs are laid? Or was it the Japanese collector that had been here yesterday and had gone away with a lunch box full of Brown Hairstreaks?

Because of this we hurried along to the hedge hotspot paying scant attention on the way as it felt like all the Brostreaks were spent. At the hedge we saw evidence of other Brostreak Hunters with little scallops trampled into the Brambles. It was these areas that we paid attention too as it seemed better to use these than commit fresh trampling. But again all was quiet here – there even seemed to be fewer Meadow Browns and only the occasional Vanessid. Holly Blues were in good numbers and I would watch these as they fluttered around the Bramble tops in the hope that they would ‘upset’ a Brostreak. We were lucky enough to get a few open wing shots of Holly Blue amongst the brown butterflies.

Eventually my technique paid off as a male appeared resolving before my eyes. Slightly further along and higher up was a second and possibly a third and so we would wander back between them alternatively gazing and watching one in turn.

Another person had found a female low down and so we waited until they had finished and then got a few shots of our own. She was stunning and it was hard to imagine her ‘blending in’ with the background because of her vividness.

At one point she moved, flew a little way and then walked and clambered over the leaves towards a cluster of fruit. She then started feeding not on nectar but on the older blackberries themselves probing in amongst the ‘droplets’. I need to remember this behaviour as they seem to adopt it in the later part of their season once the flowers have passed.

With the sun coming and going we finally started our way back discovering a further two males in the ‘100’ hedge on the way back to the car amongst other little gems. Both were tired looking and battered and had that decidedly tired look that is the marker of time telling me that the season is drawing to a close.

Quite a sombre end to the season and one that matched the start – perhaps it’s not all over yet?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

The fresh female Hairstreak is amazing, Wurzel. I wish I'd had the chance to get down there this year. If the last two years are anything to go by there may still be some mileage in 2015! LTB caterpillars are apparently munching peas all along the south coast as I type...

Dave

[trevor]

There's an old saying ' quality not quantity ', but with your BH adventures this year you've managed
quantity and quality. Perhaps your target for next year should be a set of Purple Hairstreak images
to the same standard.( A drone or cherry picker for Christmas ? ) .

Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Wow Wurzel, it's a wonder some one didn't say some thing to that Jap collector
Thanks for the name Shipton Bellinger Ill Look it up I 've not a clue where it is, but by the looks of your Butterflies Wurzel it'll be well worth a trip next year Your female Bos streak is fantastic, .Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave Good luck with any LTB forays, I have pretty much had it for this year, Brownie points are all used up, work is frantic and Mrs Wurzel has invested in large amounts of paint
Cheers Trevor I have actually toyed with the idea of a Cheery picker for Purps
Cheers Goldie I think someone did have a word with him I can send you some info on Shipton nearer the time if you need .

Shipton Bellinger 20-08-2015

Today was ‘Results Day’ and as I drove across the Plain to work the clouds thickened and the rain gathered. Having collected the dreaded Results I chucked them in the boot – not to be looked at for another fortnight hopefully- and we headed home.

On the way we called in at Shipton. The weather was pretty dreadful perhaps not as bad as it could be but nowhere near the weather conducive to Brown Hairstreak. However I was adamant that something good would come from this wretched day. After a 10 minute spell in the park we set off. A solitary White flew slowly across the path dodging the rain drops as it did. All the way up the main track it was very quiet and at the branch I opted to head down the left hand path. It wasn’t until almost the end of the path that I finally found a male Brostreak. It was hiding high up in the bushes so I couldn’t get a shot but it was still looking smart which bodes well if I can make a return visit in better weather.

Just round the corner was the crossroads and instead of heading straight up towards the hotspot we turned right and started working our way round stopping for lunch mid-way along. As the girls ate I wandered in the drizzle and found a couple of Holly Blues and a Green-veined White sitting out the rain. A Specklie belligerently flew from the tree top down and along the path, flew round me a few times and then landed.

Once lunch was done we broke out into the field and stalked around the edges. The rain had momentarily eased off so we saw a few Meadow Browns, a Common Blue and a couple more Holly Blues – but no more Brostreaks. On the way back the only things of note were the puddles which the girls took great delight in stomping and sloshing through. To be honest apart from the warmth it could have been a February day! Still the fact that I’d found a Brostreak on such a pointless seeming day cheered me no end.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You did well to see anything in those conditions, Wurzel.

[bugboy]

Yes, August could have been better couldn't it! As David says, you did well seeing what you did though

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I looked up Shipton Bellinger and found it's in Hampshire, I've added the info to my Favourites column for future reference in the cold days to come .Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers David With the weather that we had you had to just go out and try regardless
Cheers Bugboy It felt more like February than August
Cheers Goldie I've started producing Word/pdf files with instructions on how to get to some sites so I'll see if I can attach it to a PM. I would post it on my PD but as it seems that collectors are now trawling through UKB so I think we all need to be a bit more secretive

Wales 1 22-08-2015

Having endured daytime temperatures in excess of 35 everyday whilst in Czech it was something of a shock to the system to come back and face usual British summer weather consisting of changeable conditions. During the week the weather steadily got worse reaching its nadir on Thursday when I had planned for three butterflying trips – two visits to Laverstock Down with a Shipton foray sandwiched in between – none of which happened. So due to the usual ‘Law of Sod’ come Friday when we were setting off for Aberaeon the weather was warm and sunny.

It didn’t stay like that though as the minute we crossed the old bridge into Wales the rain arrived. It then stayed grey and dull with a bit more rain until we arrived. Come Saturday morning the rain was back with a vengeance and we thought that the holiday was going to be a wash-out. With the girls rattling round the bungalow we coated them up and went for a walk up the Lane and things started to improve. By the time we’d gotten back the sky had cleared and instead of grey and threatening it was blue and warm. While the girls played in the garden I had a look around and amongst the bees I saw a Common Blue fly across the garden along with a white. On one of the statuettes a green shield bug caught my attention – a Hawthorn shieldbug.

I then suggested a quick stroll to the post box and back hoping for some excessa Hedgies. The hedge that has held some cracking examples in the past had been trimmed and was looking a lot less wild than in previous years but despite this and the later visit there were still plenty of Hedgies present, though none had those extra spots. One tired looking female did have one extra brown spot on her left fore-wing but I didn’t find the spectacular versions that have been here in previous years.

I then moved on to check the hedges along Rhiw Goch and even these have been ‘tidied’ up but luckily the pruning seems to have encouraged the hedge to grow even more and there was also the addition of plenty of honeysuckle snaking up and through the main body of the hedge. There were plenty of Hedgies here but still no excessa. Instead I spent some time with a very fresh looking female and also found a Hummingbird Hawk Moth – the main advantage of the presence of Honeysuckle.

The final part that I checked out was the raised verge and the gate half way along the road and before it starts to slope steeply down. In here I watched three or four Common Blues flitting around unfortunately for me, on the wrong side of the gate. Something large and creamy in colour fly-by strongly and circled back. At first guess I thought Wall Brown but it wasn’t orange enough and was fling far too powerfully. Luckily it settled just in front of me – a dark Painted Lady. As it sat there, perched on a twig I was able to get in pretty close and was surprised how it ‘face’ resembled the beak of a bird?

As it motored off back across the field I turned and made my way back home. On the way I stopped to get a shot of the famous hedge and as I was doing so something landed briefly on the footpath opposite. I couldn’t get anywhere near as close to this Painted Lady but this was in a lot better nick.

The Hedge

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

You're right, Wurzel - those "eyes" and the abdomen as beak look very owl-like. Enough to scare off a small rodent if flashed suddenly from a closed position? Nice photos.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel, I have noticed that 'birds face' image on some other species as well, particularly on PBFs and SPBFs, on some individuals it can be particularly striking. I remember wondering how it would appear to a potential predator and indeed if it had evolved for that purpose or if it was just coincidental.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

The colour and pattern on a Painted Lady has always reminded me of a Tigers face. I'm sure that would scare a few birds away in India. Probably not as effective in Wales though!

ATB

James

[CJB]

Hi Wurzel,

Great shots as ever!

I was on one of your local(it) patches last week at Durdle Door hoping to snap a Lulworth Skipper but sadly failed in my task.

Was I looking in the wrong area or is their season at an end? I saw lots of other species but not the one I was hoping for!

Keep up the reports, which I read avidly, even if I don't comment.

Flutter on!

CJB

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, great shots again, I was wondering about what you said, " people trawling through UKB's " is it possible that by posting shots of the habitats like we have been doing that this also could lead these people to find the Butterflies

I was thinking about this Spring when I was up at Gaits Barrow, the Duke was out then and I saw a woman with a net, she wasn't near the Dukes and we walked in the opposite direction in case she followed us a way from where we knew the Dukes to be as a precaution, it's the very first time i've seen any one at Gait Barrows before with a net Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I don't now about small rodents, when I clocked it close up it almost scared the bee-jees out of me!
Cheers Neil The similarity was probably coincidental in an early ancester, but if it helped them survive to breed then it would have been maintained.
Cheers Rex Perhaps it's hoping to look like a Dragon?
Cheers CJB I think it might be a bit late for them. Also they seem to emerge earlier in the western side of their range. I've put together some maps to help you next year but I can't PM them to you
Cheers Goldie I don't know how much info they could get about sites from our habitat shots as they're probably pretty familiar with them anyway, I'm just going to be a bit more careful to keep my less well known sites to myself and only pass on info to those I know and through PMs.

Wales 2 24-08-2015

After a brief respite on Saturday late afternoon the wet weather rolled in and stayed until about 7pm on Sunday. Fingers were all crossed that the weather report for Monday was unduly pessimistic...Amongst clouds and greyness we all set off for a morning walk to the Secret Cove. It was a totally new walk for me and was much more interesting than the usual walk up the Lane passing next to some lovely looking habitat, diving down through a small wood and crossing the stream, running along a farm before walking down a steep hill with a glorious sea view before us.

At the top of the Cove the stream continues to flow; snaking around in meanders before cutting through the rock and meeting the sea as a small waterfall. This little area proved to be absolutely brill for butterflies with Common Blue in their droves amongst the slightly larger Hedge Browns and larger still Meadow Browns. Each place I looked three or four Blues would appear. As I only had a limited time here before the girls would want to climb down to the beach to investigate further I took a scatter gun approach to my photography. I’d find an area and take a few of the easier shots, if the butterfly flew or was in an awkward position I’d leave it and look for another. In this was I got to see most of this little hollow and I encountered most of the species. A Peacock startled me as I rounded a bend and it flew up from me, a Small Copper flashed like burnished gold in the weak sun and a Small Skipper was living out its retirement years.

There were more blues around including one which was acting like a Greenstreak and tilting its wings to angle them for maximum exposure to the sun. I also found a smattering of ‘blue’ females one of which had some interesting markings on the hind wing margins and the tips of the fore wings. As I started the climb down to the small private beach a Brown Argus appeared as if from nowhere amongst the Common Blues and a pair of Chough passed by over head. This was turning out to be a real gem of a site.

Once down on the beach we had a root around for sea glass and nice looking pebbles as well as admiring the waterfall cascading down the cliff. The girls were loving it here and it was quickly being referred to as the ‘Secret Cove’. On the climb back up a more orange brown caught my eye and a careful stalk led me to a very dark male Wall. As usual it stopped for the very briefest of times and was then gone.

On the walk back a pair of Chough flew by calling and a there was the possibility of a Dolphin but little L was hogging the bins so I couldn’t be sure. There were also a few whites, a Comma high up in a bramble bush and a Small Tort sitting in the middle of damp field (for some reason?).

All in all a cracking little place to add to the day trip list when we come to Wales again. On a warm summer day it would have the works – streams to play in, rocks to climb, rock pools to investigate, the sea to paddle in and plenty of butterflies for me to photograph.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

PS - As I was sorting out things before turning in for the night I picked up my wife’s iPad and resting on it was a 20 Plumed Moth a great finish to the day.

[Wurzel]

Shipton Bellinger 28-08-2015

With the holiday fast coming to an end I managed to squeeze in one more ‘big’ visit out. After the visit to Shipton in terrible weather I checked the Met office and decided on a return trip. Once I started up the track the cloud rolled in and a breeze picked up – a bit of an ominous start which only got worse when the breeze helped carry a howling noise to my ears. Surely not this weekend not today? But yes the Sled Dogs were here. I almost felt like giving up there and then as all the best ‘spots’ would be hemmed by tents, caravans, dogs and faeces; bit I was here now so I felt like I had to make the best of it.

Up the main path I notched up a Small Tort and both Small and Large White and then I came to the branch. I opted for the left-hand path as this had lower vegetation and there were many more young branchlets for egg laying. However despite wandering up and down numerous times I couldn’t locate any Brostreaks. I did see a Common Blue, several of the Browns, 5 Holly Blues and at least 3 Specklies (marking their territories) but this didn’t quite satisfy.

I carried on round up towards the Hedge Hotspot and this year not only was the field filled but a lot of the smaller scallops on the left of the field too – so many chances of finding any were diminishing fast. Even the back area by the road was devoid of my target species having a single Large White and Common Blue amongst the Browns.

To make matters worse a massive cloud had rolled in, very befitting of my mood, and as I made my way back along the other path (completing a circle) it started to rain! I’m actually all in favour of the BBC sacking the Met as other companies can’t be any less accurate and at least my expectations will be lower. I did manage a few shots of a Specklie in the gloom, the flash picking up a lovely lilac band on the hind wing.

Anyway eventually it cleared and for brief intermittent spells the sun shone and everything warmed up. Towards the crossroads I started seeing butterflies again but they were of the same ilk apart from a surprising Silver-washed Frit gliding powerfully along the track. A further set of wanderings along the left-hand path (now the right-hand) still didn’t produce any Brostreaks. I did glimpse a small orange, jinking, flying thing but it was probably a Vapourer Moth.

So not a successful trip mind you I was scuppered threefold:
1. Lateness in the season. After the ‘100 in a day’ perhaps they’re all over and the Japanese collector didn’t help matters ...
2. Weather. Nothing like the forecast...again.
3. Access. All the best spots were there but to get to them I had to walk through a canine latrine, feeding bowls or someone’s bedroom!
So the season seems to be ending not with a bang but with a whimper, in fact just like it started.

Have a goodun

Wurzel