May 2016

[Jack Harrison]

Finally got one.

In spite of my expectations of finding OTs on boggy ground, this was roadside less than three miles from home. It was TINY, perhaps Chalkhill Blue size.

Two GV Whites also exceptionally small.

Speckled Wood in flight.

Jack

[David M]

Well done, Jack. Persistence pays off.

[Jack Harrison]

11th May
Another Orange Tip today about three miles from previous find. This time on boggy scrub. Again tiny as were the GV Whites.

Hypothesis. Last summer was quite dry in this area from end of June onwards. Food plant desiccation perhaps and premature pupation?

Jack

[sahikmet]

Small Tortoiseshell faded, presume last years brood. Sezar

[Jack Harrison]

12th May
More OT's inland from Nairn. New locality today where at least three males, all small.

I think that is Greater Stitchwort so perhaps another way of gauging size of butterfly.

This seems to be typical habitat with Stitchwort and Dandelion for nectaring. They ignore Gorse.


Jack

[MrSp0ck]

Surrey Glanvilles

The Hutchinsons Bank Glanvilles are starting to emerge, here are photos of the first 2 seen today.

Will hopefully see some on the transect tomorrow. The numbers are due to build up over the weekend.

[millerd]

Amazing extreme melanic aberration in Pearl-bordered Fritillary seen today by several folk at Bentley Wood.

More photos in my personal diary later - there's a few to sort through!

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Orange Tip size
Comparing wing span (well half if necessary) and the Stitchwort nectaring flowers, the local [inland from Nairn, Highland] are in the range 30 - 34 mms, significanltly smaller than the BC conservation website figures of 45 to 50 mms.

Stitchwort flowers are in the range 15 to 17 mms across.

I once saw a similarly tiny male OT in Botany Bay (Chiddingfold) that made the Wood Whites look big by comparison.

Jack

[Essex Bertie]

There's an admirable lighting quality about your Orange-tips, Jack. I've never caught that species well.

[Jack Harrison]

EssexBertie[

There's an admirable lighting quality about your Orange-tips, Jack.

Thanks but there were problems.

Lumix FZ200, ISO 100, exposure adjustment -1.3 EV, full zoom.
But the light was so strong that I needed f/5.6. I would have preferred f/2.8 or f/4.0 to blur the background but that would have resulted in massive over-exposure

Hopefully problem solved after tomorrow when some Neutral Density filters are due to arrive.

Jack

[millerd]

Wood White at Botany Bay (Chiddingfold) today.

Dave

[bugboy]

A visit to the coastal paths near Eastbourne yesterday found several male Walls being their infuriating selves!

[Jack Harrison]

...several male Walls being their infuriating selves!

That is a quite amusing photo. But it makes the point perfectly.

Not a butterfly but this shot I took today is very creepy.

It really does look like something out of Star Wars with its false eyes and communication aerials.

Just in case you are wondering.


Jack

[Testudo Man]

Today (13/5/16) after finishing work early, i set out to find 2 species, those being Common Blue and Small Blue.
The Common Blue was found easy enough, but i had to search real hard for the Small Blue!
3 male Common Blues and 2 Small Blues were found. Other species seen were - Good numbers of Brimstone, GH, Large White, Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue.

Location - Kent (Darland Banks) Cheers Paul.

None of these images have been cropped.

[Allan.W.]

Hi All,
Found my first Grizzlies of the year yesterday, at a site near home,thought i'd have another look today,by the time I got on site the weather had turned against me,so I thought I,d have a go at finding a roosting Grizzle ,and after about an hour I cracked it ,a male roosting on the top leaf of a low stunted tree,after taking a few shots of the underside (which I thought didn,t look quite the norm) I had a bit of luck ,the sun broke through and gave me a look at his upperwing,an AB; of some description,noy quite Intermedia,so I,m not sure.
Regards Allan.W.

[millerd]

Painted Lady seen at Bedfont Lakes Country Park today. A really deep orange-pink colour too.

Dave

[Susie]

A trip to Heyshott Escarpment today in surprisingly good weather produced a large number of dukes and green hairstreaks, good numbers of brimstone , some dingy and grizzled skippers, small Heath and a single peacock (in contrast to the stream of peacocks and red admirals that were on site last Sunday).

[MrSp0ck]

Glanville ab at Hutchinsons Bank

We had a male ab. wittei ? today. Hopefully it will be seen again over the next few days, it flew through the hedge in the cutting so we lost where it.

[Greenie]

Amongst all the excitement of an ab. male Glanville Fritillary and a wild pupa with MrSpOck at Hutchinsons Bank this afternoon ,
there were a good few 'ordinary' Glanvilles about .

[Allan.W.]

Hello all,
Had an early start this morning at Dungeness,my main aim was to find two plants that I,ve tried for in the past,and never managed to find,had a quick look for roosting Small Coppers
in the moat ,and was lucky enough to find 5,mainly on dead flower heads and teasel heads,then I headed out to the long pits,most of the time was spent staring at the ground for the two tiny ,prostrate plants namely Small flowered Buttercup and suffocated clover,and after a bit of searching I found both Well pleased!!,by this time ,around 7.am the sun was actually quite warm ,and at 7.30 am I saw my first Copper on the wing ,and between the far end of the long pits and the bird observatory,i counted 41,and all before 9am !I also found 3 grizzled Skips;
One of the Coppers ,a female was very oddly marked and very similar to Radiata, funnily enough the obs; warden found a very similar male during the week ,which Hoggers re-found today (see his diary), also found another with very long rays on the hindwings,which seem to be turning up more regularly. regards Allan.W.