Took today off as it was forecast sunny, mild (15c) and wind free and that was precisely what greeted me when I arrived at Port Eynon on the south Gower coast at 1.20pm:
The clocks go back on Sunday, which is something I always dread as it symbolises the onset of winter. So, I wanted one last chance to see a few late season butterflies before the dark evenings and the frosts arrive.
There weren't too many about to be honest. Three airborne Red Admirals were seen but the ivy clad walls at the rear of this site were bereft, surprisingly.
Only one butterfly settled long enough for me to get an image - this Small Tortoiseshell came down in the grassy dunes:
There was a surprise appearance by a Painted Lady as I was walking back to the car park. It was flying towards the sea so I don't know if it was heading south for the winter. In addition, I got another unexpected species when I saw a male Large White fluttering along the roadside hedgerows on my drive back. I'm sure I won't see another of those prior to next spring!
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Nice to see a Small Tortoiseshell, David. They've long since disappeared from my patch.
Dave
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Like Dave, I've not seen a Small Tort for some time now. Hope your one finds somewhere to sleep soon, can't be long before the first frosts hit us.
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
I echo that, I also dread the clocks going back, as it goes dark halfway through the afternoon! I don't think I've seen a tort since August, so well done!
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Agree with the sentiments here..
Clocks going back
Small Tortoiseshell
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
No Tortoiseshell for a few weeks now, It's great you got a shot of one. Goldie
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Friday 24th November 2017 - Still some life in south Wales....
Decided I needed a bit of fresh sea air today after having been under the weather for a few days. With clear skies, no wind and 8c temperatures, I figured there might be a Red Admiral or two around Bracelet Bay on the Gower coast, especially since I had seen one at around 11am flying opposite my cottage which is further inland:
Sure enough, I'd only been around for about 10 minutes when this individual flew towards the flowering hebe which grows quite profusely at this sheltered spot:
The butterfly is on the right hand side of this expanse of hebe growth:
I saw one (possibly two if the second was a different individual) at nearby Limeslade Bay where I had parked my car. Again, there is a large hebe growing in a south-facing, sheltered spot but this one was actually fluttering around the steep slope leading down to the shore.
With a cold week in store accompanied by northerly winds and night frosts, I doubt there will be any more butterflies for me in 2017.
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
The Fat Lady has yet to sing in your area then, David.
A very uplifting report.
Best wishes,
Trevor.
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Lovely to see them still flying, David. I think this is the point in the year where milder coastal spots become favoured over even my sheltered (and artificially-heated...) location.
Dave
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Looks a lovely location David, and some spots as well.
Diary entries for 2017 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
1. Small Tortoiseshell - 13 March, Swansea Vale 2. Brimstone - 13 March, Swansea Vale 3. Comma - 16 March, Swansea Vale 4. Peacock - 16 March, Swansea Vale 5. Speckled Wood - 12 April, Cwm Ivy, Llanmadoc, Gower 6. Orange Tip - 19 April, Cwm Ivy, Llanmadoc, Gower 7. Green Veined White - 20 April, Castle Meadows, Abergavenny 8. Holly Blue - 20 April, Castle Meadows, Abergavenny 9. Small White - 20 April, Castle Meadows, Abergavenny 10. Large White - 21 April, Cwm Ivy, Llanmadoc, Gower 11. Red Admiral - 21 April, Cwm Ivy, Llanmadoc, Gower 12. Painted Lady - 21 April, Cwm Ivy, Llanmadoc, Gower 13. Green Hairstreak - 5 May, Welshmoor, Gower, Swansea 14. Grizzled Skipper - 6 May, Merthyr Mawr, nr. Porthcawl 15. Small Copper - 6 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea 16. Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 12 May, Ewyas Harold Common, nr. Pontrilas, Herefordshire 17. Wall Brown - 18 May, Kilvey Hill, Swansea 18. Common Blue - 18 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea 19. Small Blue - 18 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea 20. Small Heath - 18 May, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea 21. Marsh Fritillary - 2 June, Fairwood Common, Gower, Swansea 22. Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 2 June, Fairwood Common, Gower, Swansea 23. Dingy Skipper - 2 June, Fairwood Common, Gower, Swansea 24. Large Skipper - 7 June, Whiteford Burrows, north Gower, Swansea 25. Meadow Brown - 7 June, Whiteford Burrows, north Gower, Swansea 26. Brown Argus - 7 June, Whiteford Burrows, north Gower, Swansea 27. Dark Green Fritillary - 10 June, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea 28. Ringlet - 21 June, Old Castle Down, Ewenny, Glamorgan 29. High Brown Fritillary - 21 June, Old Castle Down, Ewenny, Glamorgan 30. Silver Studded Blue - 23 June, St Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire 31. Small Skipper - 23 June, St Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire 32. Marbled White - 24 June, Whiteford Burrows, north Gower, Swansea 33. White Letter Hairstreak - 24 June, Glanymor Park, Loughor 34. Hedge Brown - 19 July, Kilvey Hill, Swansea 35. Grayling - 19 July, Kilvey Hill, Swansea 36. Essex Skipper - 21 July, Castle Meadows, Abergavenny 37. Silver Washed Fritillary - 26 July, West Williamston, Pembrokeshire 38. Brown Hairstreak - 16 August, West Williamston, Pembrokeshire
UK butterflies seen on the continent in 2018 but NOT seen in the UK:
39. Lulworth Skipper
40. Adonis Blue
41. Glanville Fritillary
42. Swallowtail
43. Clouded Yellow
44. Wood White
45. Duke of Burgundy
46. Purple Hairstreak
47. Black Hairstreak
48. Mountain (Northern Brown) Argus
49. Large Blue
50. Chalkhill Blue
51. Heath Fritillary
52. Mountain Ringlet
53. Silver Spotted Skipper
UK species not seen: White Admiral, Purple Emperor, Cryptic Wood White, Scotch Argus, Chequered Skipper, Large Heath
NON UK species seen in 2018:
French Pyrenees:
54. Mallow Skipper
55. Tufted Marbled Skipper
56. Large Grizzled Skipper
57. Oberthurs Grizzled Skipper
58. Safflower Skipper
59. Red Underwing Skipper
60. Provençal Short-Tailed Blue
61. Osiris Blue
62. Mazarine Blue
63. Green Underside Blue
64. Turquoise Blue
65. Chapman's Blue
66. Chequered Blue
67. Baton Blue
68. Provence Chalkhill Blue
69. Violet Copper
70. Sooty Copper
71. Southern White Admiral
72. Camberwell Beauty
73. Provençal Fritillary
74. Weaver's Fritillary
75. Spanish Fritillary
76. Queen of Spain Fritillary
77. Spotted Fritillary
78. Meadow Fritillary
79. Knapweed Fritillary
80. Spanish Festoon
81. Iberian Scarce Swallowtail
82. Apollo
83. Clouded Apollo
84. Provence Orange Tip
85. Black Veined White
86. Berger's Clouded Yellow
87. Cleopatra
88. Bath White
89. Pearly Heath
90. Large Wall
91. Spanish Gatekeeper
92. Western Marbled White
93. De Prunner's Ringlet
French Alps - Mercantour, Alpes de Haute Provence & Queyras:
94. Scarce Copper
95. Purple Shot Copper
96. Purple Edged Copper
97. Ilex Hairstreak
98. False Ilex Hairstreak
99. Sloe Hairstreak
100. Blue Spot Hairstreak
101. Geranium Argus
102. Silvery Argus
103. Mountain Alcon Blue
104. Glandon Blue
105. Idas Blue
106. Alpine Blue
107. Adonis Blue
108. Damon Blue
109. Eros Blue
110. Escher's Blue
111. Poplar Admiral
112. Large Tortoiseshell
113. Southern Comma
114. Niobe Fritillary
115. Weaver's Fritillary
116. Mountain Fritillary
117. Shepherd's Fritillary
118. Titania's Fritillary
119. Marbled Fritillary
120. Lesser Marbled Fritillary
121. Cynthia's Fritillary
122. False Heath Fritillary
123. Grison's Fritillary
124. Dusky Heath
125. Darwin's Heath
126. Chestnut Heath
127. Alpine Heath
128. Great Banded Grayling
129. Woodland Grayling
130. Great Sooty Satyr
131. Northern Wall Brown
132. Alpine Grayling
133. Almond-Eyed Ringlet
134. Common Brassy Ringlet
135. Large Ringlet
136. Piedmont Ringlet
137. Sooty Ringlet
138. Blind Ringlet
139. Dewy Ringlet
140. Marbled Skipper
141. Foulquier's Grizzled Skipper
142. Alpine Grizzled Skipper
143. Olive Skipper
144. Dusky Grizzled Skipper
145. Scarce Swallowtail
146. Small Apollo
127. Mountain Clouded Yellow
128. Mountain Dappled White
132. Mountain Green Veined White
133. Peak White
134. Southern Small White
Montes Universales - Spain
135. Zapater's Ringlet
136. Spanish Purple Hairstreak
137. Long-Tailed Blue
138. Lang's Short-Tailed Blue
139. Southern Brown Argus
140. Mother of Pearl Blue
141. Azure Chalkhill Blue
142. Spanish Chalkhill Blue
143. Oberthur's Anomalous Blue
144. Southern Gatekeeper
145. Dusky Meadow Brown
146. Oriental Meadow Brown
147. Black Satyr
148. Rock Grayling
149. Tree Grayling
150. Striped Grayling
151. False Grayling
152. Hermit
153. Southern Hermit
154. Iberian Marbled White
155. Esper's Marbled White
156. Southern Marbled Skipper
157. Sage Skipper
158. Cinquefoil Skipper
159. Cardinal
160. Twin Spot Fritillary
Total species seen in 2018 - 160
Last butterfly sighting - Painted Lady - 21st October, Port Eynon, Gower, Swansea
Last edited by David M on Sat Dec 22, 2018 1:43 pm, edited 34 times in total.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Tuesday 13th March 2018 - Window of opportunity....
Things have been positively un-springlike lately, so much so that there have been no real opportunities until today in the Swansea area to get out in mild, still, sunny conditions to reacquaint myself with our winged friends.
Today wasn't exactly ideal; 10c maximum temperatures, but the almost clear blue skies at lunchtime saw me take my camera out round the green areas adjacent to my workplace in the hope that a few butterflies might be about.
I saw two Small Tortoiseshells within a metre of one another nectaring from the celandines on the banks of a stream that has traditionally been a good spot for this species over the years:
This area has been mown earlier than usual which is a little disappointing, as it means that nettle growth is suppressed and will therefore be less attractive to the adult hibernators. That said, it was replete as ever with flowering celandines and dandelions:
Given their close proximity, it was only a matter of time before these two butterflies latched onto one another before they flew away across the stream out of my sight:
I made my way towards the railway embankment and saw two male Brimstones eagerly searching the evergreens for females. Neither came to rest, but a little while later on my way back to the office, I disturbed a female Brimstone in the grass. She fluttered around a hedgerow for some while before coming down on a patch of wood-trimmings where she basked for a while, allowing me to get close:
Nice to be up and running, albeit several days later than normal!
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Good to see some butterflies at last, I'm still showing a blank. I think it may be my fault that the beast from the east's little brother is paying us a visit soon, I booked myself a 4 day weekend.....
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Friday 16th March 2018 - more species appearing....
Hard to believe given the sleet this morning that at lunchtime yesterday I was strolling around in 11c temperatures around the light woodland adjacent to my workplace feeling not in the least chilly!
The south-facing railway bank has traditionally been a haunt for territorial spring Commas, and once again I wasn't disappointed as this sunlit stretch saw one in residence:
I managed to coax him down from a perch beyond my camera lens by throwing a small stone into his airspace, immediately eliciting a quick circuit of the territory prior to landing right in front of me just above head height:
Another Comma had been spotted earlier but whizzed away over the river bank out of reach, whilst the solitary male Brimstone I saw nearly got intercepted by a Great Tit, but the insect just managed to manoeuvre out of harm's way at the last moment.
On my way back, I almost trod on a Peacock, which immediately circled me seemingly in anger before flying away. I walked after it but sadly couldn't find it in amongst the brambly undergrowth so my first image of this species in 2018 will have to wait (probably at least a week given the inclement weather that's descended).
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This cool, cloudy weather has gone on seemingly forever and I am very much looking forward to the respite promised for next week. In the meantime, however, the sun did burn the cloud back sufficiently this afternoon to tempt me out to Cwm Ivy, near Whiteford Burrows on the north Gower coast.
I was only there for an hour before the cloud rolled back in. Two male Brimstones were seen nectaring from primroses at the edge of the woodland:
Only one other butterfly was seen, but it was a most welcome one – my first non-adult hibernator of 2018 in the shape of this lovely Speckled Wood:
I’m hoping next week will see Whites, Holly Blues and maybe Orange Tips begin to emerge. It sure has been an appalling start to the year thus far.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
A slow start to the season for sure, David, but that’s a lovely Speckled Wood you have there. And at last, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If the weather improves as forecast, we can expect a good emergence of spring species next week. Can’t wait.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Well done with your 2008 tally so far, David, that Speckled Wood was a Great find. I think we're all hoping that next week will see Whites, Holly Blues and Orange-tips begin to emerge after a long grey winter and a really slow start to this season.
Mike
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Hi! David, I can't wait for next week so I can spot a Speckie and may be an Orange Tip Goldie
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
Thirteen butterflies in a near two hour excursion would normally be seen as a poor return, but given this abject spring it still represented my best single day tally of 2018.
I kept local seeing that the weather forecast, even as I was going out, was suggesting cloudy conditions, but in the event skies were relatively clear and I was delighted to encounter 6 Peacocks, 5 Commas and 2 male Brimstones.
I hadn't hitherto been able to capture any images of grounded Peacocks thus far this year, but this individual presented several opportunities as it repeatedly basked on the warm sand at the entrance to the path leading towards Three Cliffs Bay:
The Commas were, as ever, much more willing subjects:
Diary entries for 2018 have been archived. If there are missing images in this post, then they can be found in this archive if one exists. All archives can be found here.
They've long since disappeared from my patch.
