Wurzel

[Maximus]

Lovely shots from the hill, Wurzel especially those beautiful Marsh Frits something I have missed this year

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers Peter The offers there and if you wold like any more pointers then just let me know - there are some great sites for Marshies in Dorset as well.
Cheers Dave There was more (of the same) to come Dave I'm glad the Walls finally came out to play
Cheers Mike There's always next year Mike, this year has felt a bit 'blink and you'll miss it'

Big Trip Part 2b Marshie Site

...After a few shots we headed back down reasoning that it would probably come back to us. So I poured myself a coffee and low and behold it indeed did come back. After a few more shots it again took off for a fly around and we headed back to the bags – only to find a Dingy was enjoying my coffee! I was just berating the little ‘tea-leaf’ when a blue fluttered by and landed on the Hawthorn. The glaring silver white from the underside meant that it was unmistakable as a Holly Blue and we both watched (and possibly whispered under our breaths) while it opened up. Nowhere near a full ‘Miller’ open but a definite start – I think I have a future in this Holly Whispering game!

Suitably refreshed we started to make out way back and on the way we were joined by a faded Grizzlie, a torn Orange-tip and finally a few Small Blues which became quite approachable. There was also another, much fresher Wall which only stopped for long enough for us to point the camera in its general direction before it was gone, the odd Adonis and plenty of Marshies and Brown Argus. Back at the Hollow Philzoid spent some time with a Yellowhammer while I encountered the oldest Dingy ever which was nicely countered by a really fresh Brown Argus and Common Blue. The Blue was so fresh that when it caught the light the wings appeared white as the scales reflected rather than refracted the light.

The final 20 minutes or so were spent leaning into the hill on the newly cleared patch just to the right of the main path as it reaches the Hollow. Here were the usual suspects including plenty of Marshies and we watched one pair desperately trying to mate. They both seemed to want to join but the male just couldn’t get his abdomen into the right position, bending this way and that. Eventually they both gave up and went their separate ways. There was also a Hummingbird Hawk Moth which totally escaped my lens and an awkward Wall which kept landing and takin nectar just ong enough for a stealthy approach, set up and just as you’d focus it would fly. Eventually he must have decided to stop toying with me, either that or he was finding the nectar particularly delicious, as I was able to finally get a few shots.

Red Admiral waved us off as we made our way back down towards the car. As we packed stuff into the boot we reeled off a list of the species we’d seen over the course of the day – the finally tally came to 20, though I’m sure we missed one out? A twenty species day is always good at any time of the year but in May? It had been another epic day at the Hill!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I see you got your Wall, great! Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie Makes a nice change from last year when I saw exactly one all year and got nay photos whatsoever, hopefully this means I'll be tripping over them now

Have a goodun
Wurzel
11

[Wurzel]

Larkhill Stop-offs Week Beginning 22-05-2017

I haven’t been able to stop anywhere near as much as I’d like to have over the last year despite work finishing earlier. In fact it’s been a bit of double whammy as I have to start work earlier – less time and less likely to see butterflies first thing – and then on most days I finish just in time to make it back to Salisbury and pick up little L from school. However things seemed to fall into place during this week…

23-05 pm

The very briefest of stop-offs on the way home and I headed down the Eastbound track in dull weather not expecting much. Near the start of the quick walk I almost jumped out of my skin as a Red Admiral erupted from the path but I didn’t add to the tally until I was almost at the end of the track when it opens up at the half way point. I turned round here thinking that I wasn’t going to find anything else and that’s when I spied a little white flag flying form the grass tops. It was a Common Blue sitting out the drear. I’ve noticed this has happened before. On the trip ‘out’ from the car park nothing and then on the return all manner of butterflies suddenly become visible, fading into focus as if from nowhere. By the time I’d gotten back to the car a further 3 Small Heaths had been added to the Tally in a similar fashion.

24-05 am

There had been some rain during the night it seemed and I was hoping for some Gludder to make the photos better but as it was I had to make do with sleepy butterflies sitting out the drear and trying to dry off once more.
I chanced my arm down the Northbound path first but the grass here is long, almost waist height and there is barely a path here anymore. Hopefully it will be good for Smessex Skippers and Marbled Whites but for the smaller butterflies it seems like an imposing canopy. I did find one Small Heath here, but in a more trampled area close to the car park.

On the way down to the half way point I found a cracking Common which still had the finest of sprinkling of water droplets clinging to its wings. Then further along another Small Heath and a Brown Argus. Last year here I saw only one all season so to encounter one this year is quite a relief. It too had a fine sprinkling of dew droplets.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Nice dew-bespeckt butterflies, Wurzel - I'm never up early enough for those. And the shots from Part 2b of the Hill are terrific too, especially the Wall and dare I say it the female Holly Blue...

Dave

[trevor]

A great stop off Wurzel, It's amazing how hairy Small Heaths are when fresh.
I noticed this when I managed some close ups, last Autumn.

Chiddingfold forest soon, what's the brownie points situation like ?.

Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots again Wurzel , I went back to the Dunes last week but no sign of the Wall, I'll have to wait for the second coming I think. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave Your very kind comment about the Holly Blue is much appreciated, words of praise from The Master
Cheers Trevor They remind me of the musician Seasick Steve The Brownie pints re stashed nicely, but everything seems to be happening at once!
Cheers Goldie Hopefully that won't be as long a wait as certain religious groups are having
Have a goodun

Wurzel
12

[Pauline]

That's a great shot of the rain splattered Blue Wurzel - I've not managed one that good yet

[bugboy]

You've been a busy boy with your posting in my absence Wurzel, several for all those Marshies!

[Wurzel]

Cheers Pauline Sometimes these things just present themselves to us
Cheers Bugboy I'm trying to catch-up but it seems to be a case of 'one step forward two back', what an unfortunate situation to be in

Larkhill Stop-off Week Beginning 22-05-2017

25-05 am

By now the weather was much warmer and nicely sunny and over the course of a brief wander down the Eastbound path I was able to notch up a nice eight Small Heaths and a single Brown Argus. Looking at the markings I think it might have been the same individual as yesterday which is a shame as I was hoping to see ‘multiples’ back at this site.

By the afternoon things were cooking, almost literally as temperatures broke into the low to mid 20’s. Having had a meeting after work I’d missed the possibility of a pick-up and so I was relatively ‘safe’ to make a stop-off. I pulled in at the tiny stop-off and crossed the round which brought me to my usual half-way point. The vegetation here opens up and the path works more inland away from the road. Also the start of the walk, continuing Eastwards, is at the bottom of a small hill and the path runs up this to another path which is barer with only the lowest and thinnest of plants.

Almost immediately things started kicking off. There were a couple of Small Heaths, three in fact all engaged in a three-way tussle. The an electric blue male Adonis Blue shot by and even an aged Dingy Skipper was mighty nippy; bombing away before I managed to get a single shot off. It seems that the higher temperatures were going to make any shots today a bit more ‘Smash and grab’. I tried my best to follow the Dingy and when it landed I scooted across towards it, but it took off again careering into something small and very dark blue. I managed to get reasonably close and it was a Small Blue. It too was very flighty and so I settled for getting shots of the second Small Blue that I found.

Chuffed to reacquaint myself with this species at this site I finally made it to the top of the small hill and looked back down from whence I’d come. As I did another butterfly caught my attention. It seemed that it was going to be a day of reacquainting as when I finally tracked the butterfly down it resolved into a Greenstreak – my second ever from this site. As I made my way back down to the car a Brimstone did a fly-by as if to say ‘look at me’ but I needed to head home. What a great little site this is.

26-05 am

The journey to work took longer than usual this morning, not because of traffic or roadworks but because the car was somewhat laden down as we were heading off camping as soon as I got back from work. This meant that it was handling like a wallowing Hippo and also I would have to make the briefest of stop-offs. Still it was a joy to wander down the Eastbound track with Small Heaths erupting from the grass along with Crambus moths and Burnet Companions. I turned around juts before the half way point and there was a female Blue and she really was blue, a lovely shade of dark blue, different from the lilac tones of the males.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Downshay Camp 26-05 onwards…

With the holiday due to start and the weather reaching into the mid-twenties a few days camping down at Downshay looked like a really good bet. Most of my previous trips here have been in August but the first time we visited I photographed my first ever Silver-studded Blues at Arne and also got my first ever Wall Brown 2 metres from our Bell tent. And it looked like being a great one with glorious weather on the trip down and glorious weather for the weekend head according to my latest check on my weather app. Then on the first night there was a massive thunderstorm a real Roarie bummlers and it seemed to go on for hours, waking both the girls, the lightning intermittently lighting up the tent brighter than the torch.

We awoke to find the tent hadn’t let in any water, it was still standing but outside was all grey cloud and it was noticeably cooler! We headed to Studland Beach anyway even if it was too early for Grayling and too grey for Silver studs on the heath…Instead I made do with taking photos of a few gulls.

Once back at camp and with the girls showered and the tea underway it started to brighten ever so slightly so I wandered to the top of the Camp. Previously here I’ve found Lulworth Skipper and Common Blues but no such luck this time though there were a few nice bits; a Red Admiral flew into the ‘grass fence’ on the walk up but quickly righted itself and flew off again before I could get a photo, there were some nice micro moths, a Cardinal beetle and Azure Damselflies. There was also another (or the same?) Red Admiral playing hard to get but eventually it landed long enough for me to get the first, if somewhat distant butterfly shot of the holiday.

That night the weather was okay, no storms but the next morning I could barely see beyond a few metres. The mist but did start clearing so we set out to take in the delights of Swanage getting there by Steam. On the walk to Harman’s cross I stopped for a Specklie at the Rope Swing, butterfly number two – I didn’t think it was going to be this hard going!

From the train I spied a White and despite looking in likely looking places; gardens, the several planted areas and also a nice looking bank near the play park I didn’t find anything. We had chips for lunch on the seafront and then a further wander round Swanage. I was called over by the girls as they’d seen a butterfly. I was expecting it to be a wind up, some garish foil butterfly shaped kite or a plastic butterfly on a stick but there was a Meadow Brown sitting on a shop window. I grabbed my camera, turned it on, removed the lens cap and as I start focusing it shot upwards, caught the breeze and was gone. I did find it several windows along up higher and took a record shot as it was still my first of the year. Home/back at camp and I nipped off to check the top again. There were no more butterflies to add to the paltry list but the Damselflies put on a show again.

On the final day I would have liked to have checked out the car park at Corfe Castle as Lulworth Skippers are often recorded here early in their season but again the weather, cool and grey with a touch of drizzle, put a spanner in the works (Lulworths were recorded here 3 days later). So I just enjoyed the sights and running around in the ruins with the girls. We stopped on the way home to drop girls at my mums who wasn’t in so we took the girls to the play park while we waited. The girls swung and see-sawed and I had a bit of a mooch in the damp grass finding a roosting Common blue.

So a bit of a mixed bag - disappointing in terms of butterflies but still great as a camping trip and spending time with my girls…I’ll be back for Lulworths soon anyway!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

It's hard to imagine Studland under cloud, Wurzel - but I suppose I never go all the way down there unless it's good weather! The steam train is good fun, though, whatever the weather.

Dave

[kevling]

Wurzel,
I like the Small Heaths you took at Larkhill. I don't possess any decent photos of this species. I must be too clumsy, as I can't seem to get within 5 feet of the little buggers before their off.
The Azure Damselfy is a treat too.

Regards Kev

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave The steam train did in part make up for the lack of butterflies but I wouldn't want to make it a common occurrence
Cheers Kev The trick I've found with Small Heaths is to turn up early in the morning when they're a bit dopey

Lime Kiln Way 31-05-2017

As the weather finally turned managed to blag an afternoon out. I headed towards Middle Street but then turned into the other lane and made towards the Hospital. As I‘ve driven past here I’ve always wondered what lay behind the other side of the road? So today I decided to make a stop here and actually find out. As it was a brand new site for me I hadn’t the foggiest where to head so I set out for a nurdle. The site is a local Nature reserve, an old Lime works with thin soil and lots of small hollows where material has been ripped out of the ground. The initial part felt quite hemmed until it opened up to this area which seemed ablaze with various species of yellow flower. My first scan produced a female and then male Brimstone.

I wandered this way and that until nearer the bottom of the reserve, the local housing estate visible on the other side of the scrub I find a lush male Common Blue. He was very busy flying from flower to flower and feeding ferociously. I watched as he flitted back and forth, biding my time until he eventually settled for long enough so that I could make the approach.

I made my way back up the hill circling back round to where I’d started finding another Common blue male, another male Brimstone and a fly-by Small White (what’s happened this year, the first brood has been practically non-existent?). I was almost back at the car when I spied another butterfly in one of the scallops cut into the scrub from the edge of the path. It was a female Common Blue, not the bluest individual I’ve ever seen but the markings looked quite interesting, with the blue blocks on the forewing resembling a Purple Hairstreak and a blue dash across both of the hind wings.

This seems like a good little site but the problem of parking and the fact that Middle Street is closer with the same (if not more species) may mean that I’ll have to make more of an effort to get back here…

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Very nice female Common Blue, Wurzel - that blue flush on the forewings is very similar the that on a female Purple Hairstreak.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I was quite chuffed to find that female Blue - I'm tempted to have a play with photoshop to see if I can turn it into a Purple Hairstreak

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, there seems to be quite a lot of those lovely blue Butterflies this year, love your shots Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Goldie It seems that it's harder to find the brown female Common Blues

Have a goodun

Wurzel