September 2017.

[David M]

I hope these latest stormy conditions haven't done too much damage to butterfly populations. By all accounts, the weather is going to improve by next weekend, so there may yet be a decent autumn 'swansong', fingers crossed!

[Jack Harrison]

By all accounts, the weather is going to improve by next weekend,....

I am not an enthusiast of terms like 'good' or 'bad' weather, 'worsening' or 'improving': it depends entirely on the interests of the people involved. In seaside places like Findhorn or Nairn, it can be argued that 'good' weather is when it is pouring with rain and windy and consequently cafes do better trade. Similarly, snowfall can be tedious for many people but for those operating ski resorts, is an absolute blessing. Bird watchers on the east coast love a period of drizzle with onshore winds to bring in those rare passage migrants.

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only different types of good weather" (signs on paving slabs in Inverness)

Jack

[millerd]

Brand new male Holly Blue seen today (13th) on my local patch near Heathrow - probably the first of the third brood as no new ones seen here for at least a month now.

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

Considering temperatures have been consistently below average this September so far, I'm surprised, but delighted, any third brood Holly Blues have emerged. So congratulations from me, Dave!

[Allan.W.]

Just got back from a short break ,at Arundel ,on the way down we stopped briefly at Steyning rifle range ,more in hope than anything else ,of seeing a late Brown Hairstreak ,and was over the moon to actually find one ! But the stars of the show were definitely the Commas
with several on site and feeding on Blackberries,also a few Red Admirals ,Speckled Woods and a single Painted Lady.
This morning on the way back home we stopped for a while at Mill Hill NNR ,a new site for me ,I was hoping to find the Round Headed Rampion ,The pride of Sussex ,a plant I,ve always wanted to see and I wasn,t disappointed ,and found around 15 ......well pleased !
On the butterfly front, I didn,t doso well ,managing a few Meadow Browns ,Small Heath ,Small Whites ..... but not a single Blue .
But did find a Wall ,in the top car park .

[essexbuzzard]

I've never seen the round-headed rampion at Mill Hill, so well done for finding it. It is common enough at Anchor Bottom, just up the road from Mill Hill, however.

[Allan.W.]

Had an afternoon trip to Dungeness ,hoping to re-find a scarce plant that I,d seen well past its best last year, Knotted Pearlwort
(Sagina Nodosa ), after a walk of about half a mile ,managed to find a good number ,got a few reasonable record shots and we headed back to the car ,when we were within about 50 metres of the car..... guess what ,a whole verge of the pearlwort,which we walked right past ,more annoying still
we found the plant about twenty paces from the car !!
Out on to the point,things are definitely slowing down on the butterfly front,managed 10 Small Coppers ,including this worn pathological
AB; Quite striking ! around a dozen each Small Heath and worn Common Blues ,a few whites ,a single Brown Argus and Red Admiral.
Was really pleased to find 4 Clouded Yellows as well . Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

A three quarter hour stroll amongst the dunes at Port Eynon on the Gower coast on Saturday 16th saw double figure numbers of Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals, several Whites, four Common Blues and a Painted Lady.

This Red Admiral was a bit unusual with the black running through the forewing red band:

The Painted Lady was rather dusky:

[Deborah]

Hardly an unusual find! But I can count between thirty and fifty pristine Peacocks the moment the sun comes out after yet another downpour.

[David M]

Unlike Deborah above, I am no longer seeing Peacocks.

They were conspicuous by their absence today at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, near Cross Hands.

By contrast, Small Tortoiseshells & Red Admirals were seen in good numbers, with Small and Green Veined Whites also seen in low numbers. A single Comma was also noted.

[Deborah]

A second generation Map on mint growing in the ditch at the edge of the garden.

[Jack Harrison]

19th September

A beautiful sunny autumn day after a cold start. Peacocks - most very fresh (newly emerged?) - active on the remaining buddleia flowers and other garden plants. Distant “white” seen and not sure if Small (most likely) or Green-veined. Several Peacocks and Tortoiseshells entering the sheds (to hibernate) that I can see out the window of my “den”. No such activity observed by Red Admirals.

One Peacock was pleased but no doubt confused. There are some Cowslips anomalously in flower (recall, it’s September) that the butterfly enjoyed nectaring from. Maybe it though winter was over!

Jack

[Greenie]

With the butterfly season all but finished locally , I headed off this morning to Dungoness for a days birding .
By the time I left , 12 species of butterfly were in the notebook .
Peacock 6 , Painted Lady 3 , Sm. Tortoiseshell 4 , Common Blue 4 , Sm. Heath 4 , Green-veined White 5 , Lg. White 10+ ,
Clouded Yellow 3 , Sm. Copper 2 , Sm.White 6 , Meadow Brown 1 and Red Admiral 3 .
Most were found around the Moat and the perimeter of the power station , and most nectaring on Red Valerian .
The birds did well too , with Curlew Sandpiper , Little Stint , Great White Egret , Hobby and Bearded Tit the pick of the bunch .

[David M]

A second generation Map on mint growing in the ditch at the edge of the garden.

You nearly gave me a seizure there, Deborah....until I saw your location!

[Essex Bertie]

Belated second brood news, late August/early September:
2 female Orange-tips at Fingringhoe Wick - reliable observer, good views of underside.
A handful of Heath Fritillaries at one of the sites. Less frequently occurs here than other counties

[Jack Harrison]

Belated second brood news, late August/early September: 2 female Orange-tips

Based on experience, I am not convinced that these were necessarily genuine second brood.

I had two pupae kept in outdoor conditions overwinter twice before emerging as normal late April, almost two years after the eggs were laid.

Many years earlier, I experimented by giving pupae artificially extended winters in the fridge. On taking out from the fridge, they warmed up and emerged in late July/early August. In those days, that was popular Purple Emperor watching season in Kingspark Wood. I was tempted to release my Orange Tips in the wood: that undoubtedly would have caused great excitement among the butterfly enthusiasts but I thought better of it. So if any of you remember seeing late Orange Tips near Partridge Green, Sussex, 40 years ago, then now you know the truth

Jack

[Essex Bertie]

Thanks Jack,
Your experience/theory suits only females being seen. Although sightings were already common during the first week of April here, so they could be genuine second brood with the warm dry weather that followed
best wishes
Rob

[Jack Harrison]

The two that double-wintered in natural (ie outdoor) conditions were both male.

Jack

[Essex Bertie]

Jack,
Not for the first time I have worded a point badly! I meant that if there was a tiny proportion of pupae that suspended emergence through an early, warm spring that we had this year, you might expect it to be predominantly female.
Regards
Rob

[Allan.W.]

After work I made a circuit of my local forest (Orlestone forest, Kent) lots of Comma on the wing and fair numbers of Peacocks ,their main source of nectar were the numerous Scabious Plants in the woods , also saw three Speckled Woods and singles of GVW ,Red Admiral, and very pleased to see a mint Small Copper,but surprised there were no 3rd brood Common Blues about ,in the second brood I had three 80+ counts here ,where in most years you may only see 5-10 on the same circuit.
Regards Allan.W.