millerd

[Pauline]

Such a shame I missed you Dave but I'm sure we'll meet one day! You got some great shots anyway and that Duke is certainly unusual. Mike (Max) found a stunning ab a couple of years back but the next morning it had 'disappeared'! Lovely images of the Holly Blue too

[millerd]

Thank you all for your kind comments. The Duchess may be ab. gracilens (or something like that - one of our experts may know!) but either way it was a very attractive and different looking individual. Indeed a shame to miss you Pauline - I wondered if you might be around somewhere. Noar Hill was glorious as usual and seemed quite quiet for a Saturday with Dukes on the wing.

Saturday 22nd April (Part Two). From Noar Hill, I drove home the long way round via Denbies. I headed for the the usual sheltered path where Green Hairstreaks had been spotted by Bugboy recently, but just down from the top of the steps the flowering bugle had attracted a Grizzled Skipper and several Dingy Skippers - which then absorbed my attention for a while.

Tearing myself away, I then encountered a Green Hairstreak, which wasn't quite so wonderfully green as some are.

I decided to wander across the hillside as usual and over on the far side of the slopes my eye was drawn by a flash of orange. It took a second for the penny to drop - it was a Small Heath, my first for the year and for me an unusual sighting for April.

In fact, it made the fourth new species for the day. Walking back again lower down, I found another Small Heath, one or two Dingies and several more Grizzlies.

Aside from a very worn Small Tortoiseshell and a couple of Peacocks, nothing else was flying, but it was well worth the trip.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 22nd April (epilogue). A quick walk locally when I finally returned home had one or two of the usual suspects: a Speckled Wood and a GVW both basking in the late sunshine.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That is early for a Small Heath Dave - things are really motoring along now but hopefully the next couple of days of 'blip' won't be too damaging

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Really nice Grizzled and Dingy Skippers there Dave I was saying to someone today how quickly the spring seems to pass by. I hope we see many more of these before it's over.
I wouldn't mind if spring lasted at least an extra month.

ATB

James

[bugboy]

Well done Dave. A Small Heath was seen when I was there on Tuesday but I failed to locate it myself. Good to see the dingies are out too. Hope they brought their woolies with them for this week

[David M]

You're definitely at least a week or so ahead of me in south Wales. Dingy Skippers, Green Hairstreaks and Small Heaths are yet to emerge.

At least it's something to look forward to!

[millerd]

I am a bit concerned about these early arrivals and the weather prospects for the middle of the week, Wurzel - a short sharp hailstorm could finish off many of these delicately beautiful creatures. To be honest, Buggy, these fresh Dingy Skippers do look as if they have thick sweaters on. They actually remind me somehow of carpets... And I agree with you, James. Spring is the best time of year, for butterflies and for everything else. I'd swop August for another May any time.

Sunday 23rd April. The sun appeared sluggishly again, but I resolved to make another trip out. This time I went up the Aston Rowant. The Chilterns are always behind the North Downs unsurprisingly, and it's always an interesting comparison with Denbies. At Aston, the sheep have been on the hill most of the winter and the grass is universally short - at Denbies it is much longer over most of the down. However, in an hour or so in calm mostly sunny conditions, I saw just one butterfly - a Green Hairstreak breakfasting on what looks like elder blossom.

With the rest of the day available, I went back to Denbies again. The coffee van in the car park and the need to get some wine from the nearby vineyard were added inducements. The mix of butterflies was the same as yesterday, though I saw five Small Heaths altogether today, and several Green Hairstreaks in their usual haunt, as well as Grizzled and Dingy Skippers.

I also encountered several moths. This one is an early Mother Shipton...

...and I think this is a Five-spot Burnet.

Finally, I don't know this one, but the caterpillar next to it is probably a Six-spot Burnet.

The sunshine had now become largely absent, but it looked clearer to the north, so I set off for home with a bit of time to look around my local patch.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Alright Dave? I hope those Dingy Skippers have a proper woolly jumper with the cold snap coming Your moth is a Treble Bar, nice find

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

The third moth is either a Treble Bar or Lesser Treble Bar, they're very similar!

[David M]

That's really early for Mother Shipton, Dave. I'm more used to seeing this moth in mid-May.

[millerd]

Thanks for the moth ID chaps, it would have taken me a while to find that on my own I suspect.

The Mother Shipton was a real surprise, David. I saw two, and both times was nearly fooled into thinking they were Grizzled Skippers. I also saw one of the common moth that often accompanies them and does Dingy Skipper impersonations - the Burnet Companion - but it wasn't having any of the photography lark.

Sunday 23rd April - back home again. After the more exotic offerings further afield it was rather pleasant to wander around my local patch and see how the more common butterflies were doing. I saw several Peacocks and Commas, the latter species still tussling madly in and around their Corner.

This spot is very sheltered from wind from almost any quarter, and the trees here are where white butterflies come to roost and where Orange Tips have their last bask of the day.

I watched a male Large White come down and almost disappear - the almost green underside blending well with the foliage.

A few Speckled Woods were around, and a couple of Red Admirals. The first Admiral I saw was big, bright and energetic, and wouldn't stay anywhere long enough for a photo. The other was older and more tired, and was content to bask on the prickly perch afforded by a teazel.

Holly Blue numbers have dropped here now, though there were still several fresh ones around.

One in particular landed right in front of me.

It was restless as they often are and positioned itself to look directly up at me in an appealing way.

The sun then came out and the wings opened briefly prior to it sailing away to roost.

I don't actually recall whispering to it, but maybe I did...

The day drew to a close with the by now traditional roosting Orange Tip.

Dave

[bugboy]

You really have had a busy few days wracking up the species count!

[Lee Hurrell]

Lovely photos in your recent reports, Dave.

Where do you find is the best spots for Green Hairstreaks, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper at Denbies? I've seen them in various places.

Best wishes,

Lee

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, your seeing more Butterflies than I am No Red Admiral's here yet, I've been looking back on earlier years with my BF shots and this is the first year I've never had a Butterfly in the garden in April, a couple flew over but nothing seen in the garden other than that and that was when we'd the warm spell when you'd expect them. ( very bad omen for the more common Butterflies a round here.) Goldie

[Wurzel]

I bet there was some whispering involved For me I find Holly Blues tend to make me mutter

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, Buggy, I've not been doing badly, but this week has been disappointing...

Hi Lee - the first good spot for all three species is the set of steps leading down from the main path across the hillside. The other day there were both Skippers on the flowers on both sides of the steps and Green Hairstreaks on the various scrubby vegetation. The seem to particularly like a clump of nettles on the left (looking downhill) and a hawthorn bush off to the right. Otherwise, the path along the bottom of the slope all the way along is also good for Skippers, and I've found another lot of Hairstreaks over by the far edge of the open hillside where the path goes into the trees.

Better weather on the way, Goldie, and Red Admirals should start to appear soon! The cold spell has certainly slowed things right down.

I think they must know how you feel, Wurzel. They are sensitive souls...

Friday 28th April. After four days which were either cloudy or downright cold (and were in any case spent at work), I finallyhad a walk around locally after work today. Distinctly warmer with some glimpses of the sun - enough to bring out five Orange Tips and a single Red Admiral. The female Orange Tip I saw attracted the immediate attention of a male and promptly dived down into vegetation and comprehensively hid.

Another male had nectaring as his priority.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 29th April. The weather forecast suggested that it might just come out sunny later in the afternoon, especially southwest of London. I decided to venture out after lunch and head down to Bentley Wood to see if any Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were flying. On arrival at half past two, it was still cloudy, but the sightings book indicated that one had been seen on Sunday 23rd (and by a reliable witness at that ). This of course was before the really cold nights, and as I walked down into the eastern clearing you could see that the tender young leaves on the oak trees had been badly burnt by frost - not altogether encouraging. A bit of sunshine around three thirty caused a couple of speckled yellow moths to appear, and then a Green-veined White, and then a Brimstone.

At four o'clock, the cloud disappeared and like magic two Pearls appeared at the far end of the clearing where there was most shelter from the wind. One looked new and was a darker orange, whilst the other seemed paler and had signs of wear.

At around five, they ceased their low level tours of alternately basking and nectaring, and I watched one sail up into the trees. As I left the clearing I spotted a large orange-brown moth flying fast and erratically back and forth. I have seen these before at this site, and have yet to find out what they actually are - it's impossible to get anywhere near one. However, the Pearls were the stars of the day and hopefully are just the advance guard for many more.

Dave

[David M]

You clearly made the right decision to venture out, Dave and you were amply rewarded.

Same thing happened in Swansea today - cloudy all day but began to clear up after 4pm....sadly, too late to make any visits.

[Wurzel]

I'm gutted now Dave as I was hoping to go to Bentley this afternoon! Even worse I was stuck in painting the front room wen I could of been out with Pearls chewing the fat with yourself! Great shots though and both of those look different to the one I saw so that's at least three there now, hopefully by next weekend there will be better weather, less painting and more Pearls From the sound of the moth it could be a Fox moth, they fly maniacally around, zigging and zagging all over the shop at break-neck speed

Have a goodun

Wurzel