Bugboys mission

[Goldie M]

I'm on a parr with you Bugboy, as regards the Butterflies, remember the old saying though" Every thing comes to those who wait" Goldie

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, just a minuscule selection from my vast back catalogue
Thanks David but after yesterday, all is forgiven
Everything does indeed come to those who wait Goldie

14th April, Bookham

Finally the weather Gods took pity on me and provided a sunny warm spring day that coincided with a day off, enabling me to do this years first proper days butterflying. I knew things were going to be good (little did I know how good) when a Brimstone fluttered along Bookham Railway station as I arrived and then just through the gate I nearly trod on a Peacock. The Brimstone wasn’t stopping for anything that didn’t bear more than a passing resemblance to a female Brimstone but the Peacock happily settled for its photoshoot, even waiting patiently for me to switch lenses.

One reason for coming here was to return some rescued Brown Hairstreak eggs. 5 in total. Hopefully they’ve survived the winter in my fridge, the Blackthorn sucker they were laid on was destroyed by some heavy machinery clearing scrub to attract Nightingale, so it's a miracle they survived in any recognizable state in the first place. Elsewhere other eggs were still unhatched but possibly close to hatching.

As the morning continued to warm up, Brimstone and Comma became the dominant butterflies. The latter being far more willing to pose than the former…as one would expect, various types of animal droppings being far more interesting than a strange man standing over them. It seems like forever since I was last spoilt for choice at what to point my camera at, but an event would later become the focus of my attention and eclipse all the other days events.

Since I got my new lens there’s one bird I’ve been trying to get, the Jay, and today I came across one willing to sit for me. It’d found an acorn so was happily stuffing it’s face whilst I clicked away (and no, that’s not the event I was alluding to).

Noon came and Comma numbers soon reached double figures, which is no surprise considering how many larvae and pupae I was finding last summer.

It was difficult to say how many Brimstone I was seeing due to their more wandering habits, but it was probably also double figures, but none settled within camera range.

Upon reaching the spot where I followed a few Red Admiral eggs over the winter I stopped and had a good look around. No larval tents were found but just as I was about to leave an adult glided down from the canopy and settled long enough for one snap. I wander if this was the female responsible for the eggs

The return trip threw up the same bunch of Comma’s and Brimstone and a few small detours threw up several more individuals, all posing too well to ignore (the Comma’s that is). Still the days event’s had far from peaked though…

Hoping for a bit more variety I ventured out of the woods where Peacocks started to appear here and there, looking resplendent under the clear blue sky.

On Banks Common a solitary Roe Deer stared at me whilst a few Buzzards circled overhead

And as the afternoon grew to a close and I made my way back to the station for the journey home a single Small Tortoiseshell joined the Comma’s and Peacocks, tussling over territory. One female Peacock was even displaying egg laying behaviour, searching for that one special nettle leaf that is good enough for her eggs, they're certainly making up for lost time!

So no new species to add to the yearly tally but a day that was most definitely worth the long wait. But what was it that made the day so special, you’ll have to wait for the next post to find out, sorry .

[MrSp0ck]

Things should be starting at Hutchinsons Bank in the next 2 weeks, 30 butterflies so far on the 2 transect walks. I expect you will be visiting during the Dingy/Grizzled/Small Blue flight. The 17 consecutive weeks we had Small Blues last year, seems to have been the longest recorded on transects last year. Brown Hairstreak eggs are more numerous too, with 86 found on Featherbed Lane Verge.

[Wurzel]

Looking forward to the next post with bated breath Bugboy Saturday was a great day for butterflies only to be brought back down with a bump today And as expected the weather is set to be great all next week...now I'm back at work so make the most of it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

How can you end your episode with such a cliffhanger, Buggy? I had wondered what Bookham might offer at this time of year, and that looks like a pretty comprehensive visit (with a surprise still to come as well). That seems to be a very fresh Red Admiral - I have yet to see one round my way in any condition, considering how many there were in November.

I think I might have to include Bookham as part of a day out this week...

Dave

[trevor]

Not another Large Tortoiseshell I hope !.
I share the urge to tease when something a bit special is discovered.
Hopefully normal Butterflying can resume this week. ( don't forget the sun cream ).

Good luck,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Bugboy, I'm waiting with bated breath Well done with the Blue Jay, we've got a few in Hall-Lee-Brook and I've tried loads of times to get a shot without luck, they're such a secretive bird. Goldie

[Andrew555]

Very nice indeed Bugboy. Well done on the Jay.

[bugboy]

Ooooh dear, hope I've not overdone the suspense a tad . Anyway I felt this worthy it's own post since it's apparently rarely seen so...

14th April, Bookham, the main event

Ok so what was so special about Saturday. Well mid afternoon I was starting to slowly meander my way back to the station when out of the corner of my eye I saw a kerfuffle of deep crimson by the side of the path. Focusing my attention, I was greeted by eight large eyes looking back at me, a pair of courting Peacocks, something I’ve never witnessed before. Both were in excellent condition and the female also possessed some very impressive hindwing ocelli. The behaviour seemed very similar to Small Tortoiseshells, lots of nudging and foot & antennae tapping from the male. The recipient of the advances seemed very receptive, making no real effort to escape, merely shuffling a few inches along the ground occasionally as if to test the male’s perseverance.

After about 5 minutes of this (I’ve no idea how long this had been going on before I arrived) the female took to the air. I fully expected them to vanish over the hedge or up into a tree but to my delight she just fluttered flirtatiously into a dark recess under a small fallen branch with the male in tow (if she had fingers she would definitely have beckoned him to follow her) and submitted to his eager advances. It was nearly impossible to get anything image wise without the use of flash and it was also very uncomfortable laying belly down on damp thorny scrub, so I tentatively looked to see what the branch was attached to (I wouldn’t normally interfere with mating butterflies but so far they had sat tight despite me moving several offending twigs and stems close to them).

The branch turned out to be just resting on the ground so being very careful, I slowly moved it a bit at a time, keeping a close eye on the Peacocks. Not a flinch or twitch from either until finally I’d swiveled it 180 degrees, exposing the mating pair. At this stage the sun was hiding behind a cloud and it felt a little chilly which most likely helped to keep them settled.

When the sun came out the female stirred but my worries were soon put to rest, she just soaked up a few rays whilst her suitor continued with the task in hand, females eh !

It's a shame the male didn't do the same, that would have made am impressive picture but I guess males can't multitask!

I waited for the next cloud to pass and the female to close her wings before putting the branch back to how it was and leaving the Peacocks alone to get on with the important buisiness.

An experience to make the long winters wait well worthwhile !

[millerd]

That is indeed an extraordinarily unusual sighting. An excellent spot and worth many

Brilliant, Buggy.

Dave

[trevor]

Not another Large Tortoiseshell, that's saved some mrgreens.
But mating Peacocks are not seen on here very often.
So a mrgreen for that .

All the best,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Well spotted Bugboy, you certainly get a green from me I've never seen Peacocks Mate before Goldie

[Wurzel]

An absolutely fantastic find Bugboy, I don't think I've ever even witnessed courtship in this species

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Well, BB, what can I say? I was hoping for Large Tortoiseshells but in a way this is even better as it is behaviour so seldom seen! I note with interest the time of day you observed these two getting down to business. It’s remarkable how infrequently this family of butterflies are seen in cop and I suspect they are doing it in plain sight only at a time when most of us are not paying attention!

Food for thought!

[Andrew555]

Brilliant find Bugboy! Well done.

[bugboy]

Thank you everyone, after the long wait it was good to get the season off with a bang Anyway, I'm getting a little behind in reports so I better get a crack on or Wurzel will overtake me, god forbid…. The shame of it !

15th April, Essex

Like several of us the highs of Saturday were brought crashing back down to reality by a dreary, drab Sunday. I did have tentative plans but upon looking out the window I shelved them and planned a day in catching up on boring houseworky stuff, until a friend messaged me to ask if I fancied a day out. The destination was a place called Coalhouse Fort on the north side of the Thames estuary in Essex. A quick look on google maps suggested I should take the camera ‘just in case’ the sun came out. Coalhouse Fort is a Napoleonic defence that was then repurposed during WW2 but the surrounding area is very green, with lots of saltmarsh and long walks in both directions along the coast. Birdlife was plentiful, here’s a kestrel putting on a good show.

The cloud cover wasn’t too thick, making it borderline coat wearing weather, which in my experience also makes it borderline butterfly weather and as we walked along the odd butterfly (Peacocks mostly) would give teasing flybys, blown along in the stiff breeze.

At times the cloud thinned enough to make a faint disc in the sky that had been so prominent the day before just visible enough to raise the temperature a couple of degrees and it was during these moments that I managed a few snaps. Although there were several Peacocks jostling over territory it was a couple of Small Tortoiseshell that I concentrated on, not just because I’ve seen less of these so far this year, but they were also much better behaved!

It was whilst we wandered on a little further that I spied of in the distance a white butterfly fluttering towards us, whatever it was it would be a new species for the year, but would it settle long enough to get an ID? Well yes, eventually, and I added Green-veined White to my yearly tally.

Had the sun been out I feel sure I would have been spoilt for choice as to what to point my camera at. Ahh well, maybe another time and it was nice to mooch around a brand new site .

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Bugboy I especially like the second Small Tort shot, really captured the engrossed way that they feed

Have a goodun

Wurzel
p.s I've got a few reports already written and ready to go...

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, You'd have thought the Tortoiseshell hadn't eaten for months the way it was stuffing it's face

16th April, a sunny afternoon…not!

This was my half day at work and potentially the start of the long-promised heatwave. The morning looked promising, a few clouds about but a nice amount of blue sky but by lunchtime (home time for me today) practically all the blue had vanished and it had become noticeably cooler. Nevertheless I’m nothing if not stubborn and I stuck to my plan of wandering around Tottenham Marshes for a few hours on my way home.

The cloudy conditions stuck fast but I hoped the sunny morning would have woken a few up who may still be visible. You know you’re in the zone when you can spot a Comma with it’s wings closed from a fair distance! (although it was sitting on a big green leaf)

Closer inspection revealed a nice female with a broken ‘comma’

The second butterfly was a basking Small Tortoiseshell who flew off the second I saw it, never to be seen again.

Just over an hour later I came across the third and final butterfly of the day, another spot proving I was in the zone, my first Small white of the season, snoozing on a leaf.

Hopefully the next day would be better, I planned to have another wander round Large Tortoiseshell territory.

[Janet Turnbull]

Good luck with the Large Tortoiseshell, BB! Hope the weather picks up for you. It was great here this afternoon but thunderstorms are promised for tomorrow

[Pete Eeles]

Congrats on the Peacock mating pair, Paul ... I can't recall ever seeing an image of that! Apols for the delayed post - I'm in the process of catching up!

Cheers,

- Pete