Pauline

[Pauline]

Thank you Goldie and thank you too Mike. It was a truly amazing experience, both because of the intimacy and because it was so prolonged. Hazel has kindly sent me quite a few shots she took of the butterfly on me so I feel it is appropriate to include a few of them here:

Thank you Hazel, they're great

[Pauline]

There’s no way I can match the marvellous photographs of the beautiful exotic species recently displayed by Tony, Mark and Guy so I have been focussing closer to home – on my Brown Hairstreaks. The last one started to pupate on 15 June which seems a long time ago now – and quite early I would have thought:

However, like the Ringlet, they have hung on and are now well into their 6th week in the pupal stage. Last week I was convinced that emergence was imminent as they ‘coloured up’ and then went slightly ‘opaque’ looking. I hope they have not been adversely affected by the extreme heat we have experienced in recent days. I have tried to keep them in the shade as I have no wish to desiccate them. In the past I have seen BH at Noar Hill at the end of July so I am assuming that if they are healthy then they are in line with those in the wild.

In the meantime I have paid a second visit to Oxenbourne to look for SSS. I believe I saw one yesterday but failed to get any shots so it looks like a third visit is on the cards despite the ticks at this site. It really has become quite overgrown in places so where I can search is somewhat limited. This is one site where I usually see a Small Copper (or 2) but none of them here this year either. In recent years I have taken photos of SSS here on 17 July so they do seem to be quite late. I have also expressed concerns in the past about the size of this colony which seems to be dwindling in size and contracting in range – I do hope I am proved wrong about that.

The Small Skippers are thriving here though with many females (too many to count) preoccupied with egg-laying and many stalks of grass holding their precious cargo. These eggs are not anchored in any way so if anyone is tempted to look please take considerable care as they are likely to roll out and be lost.

The site is teeming with Chalkhills and a host of other butterflies including Marbled White, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, a couple of worn DGF, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Whites, gorgeous, vibrant Small Tortoishell, fresh RA’s amongst others. The wild flowers are looking great too – pity about all the biting things.

Until I find some SSS, and until the BH hopefully emerge I shall post a few more ‘inbetweeners’, taken at various sites over the last few weeks, including this Funnel Spider:

I have picked up a few ID’s from other diaries including this Longhorn moth – Nemophora metallica – from Buggy’s diary. It was the little orange head which attracted me. There is also a great site for Ladybird larva for anyone interested – ladybird-survey.org – so I believe the following are Harlequin larva and 7-spot Ladybird.

[trevor]

HI Pauline,
I'll give you 10 points for wearing an Emperor so well.

Regards,
Trevor.

[Pauline]

Thank you Trevor but another 10 points must go to Hazel for taking the photos . Mind you, your comment does sound a bit like an old Rod Steward song ... but I'll forgive you for that

It seems I was right about that SSS yesterday as there were at least 2 there today - but my word, they are so difficult to get close to this early in the season. The weather could have been better - overcast with a strong breeze and temperatures lower than I would have liked for this butterfly:

Consequently, I could only get record shots although I saw (and lost) the butterfly numerous times:

There were a lot of Silver y moths around which I couldn't ignore, along with the more common (but not less attractive) species, many of which had those red mites attached :

Many Small Skippers still in evidence but mostly nectaring or resting up and a Small Heath which was actually in an upright position and begging for its photo to be taken - how could I refuse, especially as I haven't seen that many of them this season:

[bugboy]

Good to see my diary is proving useful for ID's

[Neil Freeman]

...The site is teeming with Chalkhills and a host of other butterflies including Marbled White, Essex Skipper, Large Skipper, a couple of worn DGF, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Whites, gorgeous, vibrant Small Tortoishell, fresh RA’s amongst other things...

Hi Pauline,

Glad to hear that somewhere is teeming with butterflies , numbers of most species are worryingly low around my patch this year.

Silver-spotted Skippers!...the year is passing too quickly.

All the best,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Pauline your so lucky to live near all those lovely Butterflies, i've only just found a few Gate Keepers around here today Hope fully we'll get our trip down there again shortly. Goldie

[Pauline]

You know I enjoy reading your diary Buggy. The fact that you are seeing stuff just before I do and putting a name to it is an added bonus

Oxenbourne has no shortage of butterflies Neil as the Chalkhills, Small Skippers, Marbled Whites and even the Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper seem to be doing really well here. Sadly, the same can't be said of the SSS - it will be interesting to see how they fare here this year. Likewise, the Straits is very short of butterflies. I was only saying to Alan T a few weeks ago that it wasn't so long ago when each thistle head held 3-4 SWF all the way along the track. This year I was lucky if my count got into double figures

Make haste slowly Goldie - no point in undoing all the good work. It'll be good to see you both whenever you get here

Yesterday whilst looking for SSS I was enjoying all the other butterflies including 3 or 4 DGF, all in varying states of wear, from almost transparent to really quite fresh. I was still surprised when I came across a lovely female obviously egg-laying.

She was right down in the grass - so far down she was not even visible most of the time and I just had to guess at her activities as I watched for some 15 minutes from only a few feet away. I didn't dare move, hardly even dared to breathe so photos were few and far between. There was no way I was going to risk disturbing her for the sake of what would surely be a poor shot obstructed by foliage.

When she eventually left I had a cursory look for eggs but I couldn't really remember what I was looking for and didn't want to 'trash' the site. When I returned home I checked on this site for the food plant, behaviour etc and despite the drizzle this morning I decided it was worth another look. Within 10 minutes I had found my first egg .

I have tried to get a bit closer but I think this is the very best I can do despite the egg being surprisingly large. It was very pale coloured and the light kept reflecting off it:

I didn't want to probe further just for the sake of it so I don't know how many she might have laid. However, I shall be returning to monitor this egg. Well, I couldn't find any SSS this morning and I couldn't leave without taking a shot of at least one butterfly. This Small Skipper just happened to be handy

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Silver spots are out Pauline, something to try for should the weekend weather be favourable

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[millerd]

My thoughts exactly, Wurzel! Nice to see the Silver Spots are out, Pauline, and well done in finding the DGF egg too.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Pauline, all being well we may be down in Kent next week.

I think Pauline all the Butterflies decide to lay eggs just for you, They see you coming ! Goldie

[Pauline]

That's great news Goldie. I guess with the egg-laying, it's just a case of standing still and watching

Thank you Dave - it meant a lot to me to find that egg. I returned today on the way to buy frog food and as I expected the egg has changed colour. If the weather stays like this I guess it won't be that long before it hatches. A couple of views below:

Thank you too Wurzel. I hope the weather is kind to you all over the weekend. (Think of me spending many hours trying to eradicate mites ). Being at the SSS site it was hard not to look for them but still only a couple of males seen:

[MikeOxon]

Silver spots already and I've only just finished with 'Spring' species - time runs out too quickly nowadays

[Wurzel]

Have you tried Broughton Down for Silver Spotted Skippers? I was there today in not so brilliant weather and saw at least 12 in a very small area?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Hi Wurzel - it's not so much that I'm desperate to see and photograph the SSS; more a case of being concerned about their future at this local site. Hope you got some good shots tho at BD

Doesn't it just Mike! There are not enough hours in the day either. With a convulsing fox on my knee who refuses to go to sleep despite a diazepan injection and a lot more mites to find and kill, this will be necessarily brief, especially as typed with one hand . I was pleased and surprised at the variety of moths in the trap on Friday as there were several I have not seen before. Quite a few of these flew off before I could get any shots - what do others do? Put them in the fridge? The escapees included Pebble Hook-tip, Scalloped Oak and Scalloped Hook-tip. The Dingy Footman was also new to me along with the Dot moth:

Along with some old favourites were half a dozen Buff-tips (sorry Neil ) and an elegant Yellow-tail (I know it is yellow and not brown as I accidentally knocked it and it showed me its tail ):

The highlight of the 'catch' for me was an enormous Poplar hawk moth. I tried all ways to get some shots that would do this impressive insect justice. I was also surprised by how the light at different times of the day completely changed the colour of the moth. Anyway, as these have become my new favourites a few shots below:

(Taken in the morning)

(Taken early evening when the sun was low in the sky)

(Taken just before dusk and at release time)

[Wurzel]

No worries Pauline, nice Moths although I was expecting a Brostreak to infiltrate the last post

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Pauline]

Me too Wurzel. Seems like an awful long time since 15 June - getting a bit worried about these pupa now as the orange has been visible for almost 2 weeks and now in 7th week of pupation!

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Pauline,

I still haven't had a Buff-tip and you get half a dozen at a time ...I reckon there is some payback going on here involving blue spotted Small Coppers

Love your Poplar Hawk shots and the way you have captured the different colours under different lighting conditions

All the best,

Neil.

[David M]

Great variety of English summer images again, Pauline, even though this 'summer' has been more challenging than ever!

[Pauline]

Are you up for a swap Neil? You can have all 6 for 1 Small Copper (even without the blue badge )

Thank you for your kind comment David. Each season seems to bring different challenges but 2016 seems to have combined all of them

Some might have noticed I have been posting at odd times (for me anyway). Well, exactly a year to the day, that I lost Foxy to epilepsy, I have had to say goodbye to Saffron, my beautiful, intelligent, complex vixen, for the same reason. Some wildlife vets believe that epilepsy is genetic and endemic in the wild fox population but as the onset is usually after the age of 5-6 years (and wild foxes usually only survive 2-3 years) it is somewhat difficult to monitor.

Whilst spending a couple of hours each night searching for Red Mites I thought I was keeping Saffron company. Turns out it was her who was keeping me company and I am missing her just so much . Foxes are classified as canids of course but they have many traits and characteristics of felines which makes them quite intriguing. I know there are several folk on this site who have lost faithful companions, whether dogs or other animals, and at times like these I remember this poem by Rudyard Kipling which I find quite poignant:

The Power of the Dog

THERE is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair, -
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!),
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear!

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent,
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve;
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long -
So why in - Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?