millerd

[millerd]

Saturday 21st April.

PART ONE
After having had a series of several days pretty well confined to my local patch, and probably exhausting its possibilities for the time being, I decided that it was time for an excursion. With interesting reports coming in from Mill Hill near Shoreham, I set off early and reached the site just before nine. It was already hot on the slope, and any hopes of finding sleepy butterflies were dashed. I first encountered a nice new Speckled Wood on the path down from the car park...

... and a couple of GVW resting from the heat.

In similar vein, I watched several Brimstones seek shelter in the hedges, including this one which chose a spot lower down.

However, I was really here to see Grizzled Skippers, and they didn't disappoint. They were very active, and being difficult to follow in flight at the best of times this meant I had to rely on chance encounters. I must have seen half a dozen or so altogether.

There was no sign, however, of the Green Hairstreak seen yesterday.

PART TWO
After a couple of hours, I headed back, deciding that another look at Denbies was obligatory, being right on the route home. Clouds had started to build, and the sunshine (though still very warm) had become hazy and intermittent by the time I reached the hillside. No Grizzlies put in an appearance here, but I was very pleased instead to find that the reliable Green Hairstreak colony was very much in evidence. There were at least four individuals (looking at the photos), but there may have been more.

Also seen were four or five Peacocks, a similar number of Brimstones, and a Red Admiral.

However, the hairstreaks really made my day!

Dave

[trevor]

Brilliant Green Hairstreak Hairstreak images, Dave.
You've captured the turquoise colouration to perfection.
It's about time I explored further afield.

Trevor.

[bugboy]

Wonderful images Dave, looks like I need to make my first trip of the year to Denbies although predictably Tuesday looks a bit dodgy weatherwise

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Dave Love the Grizzlie action and the greenstreaks The first Greenstreaks in Wiltshire were reported today from the Marshie site, whilst I was on the otherside of the county at my Duke site

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you, Trevor - they were wonderfully fresh Green Hairstreaks, and very obliging too. If I disturbed one it just returned to the same spot right under my nose.

Thanks, Buggy - yes, Denbies is now worth a visit, and the first skippers should appear very soon.

Thank you Wurzel - you may have been thwarted on the hairstreak front, but id you find any Dukes? They can't be long now...

Sunday 22nd April

After last night's thunder and pouring rain, I could hardly believe I woke to another brilliantly sunny day. It was a bit fresher, yes, but that suited me and the butterflies too. Holly Blue numbers are still increasing, and there are as yet very few females. They also don't seem to mind the heat, and are also happy to fly under overcast. Adaptable and successful. Today was Holly Blue heaven - sunshine, and overnight rain leaving lots of wet ground to provide those mineral salts to aid reproductive success.

I saw a lot of this behaviour today: I found one apparently docile individual on a bit of ivy, and enticed it onto my finger where it immediately started sucking up sweat from my skin.

It became so engrossed that it became hard to shake off. Now I know why I seem to have so much luck with this butterfly... Overall numbers must have exceeded 30 today.

Other highlights included a very new-looking Red Admiral, unlikely to be one that had overwintered.

An immigrant I'd guess, given that Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows have both been seen elsewhere this year. I also saw my first Large Whites of the year. I spotted a large and very well-marked female on a dandelion, but before I could approach, she flew off - almost straight into the arms of a male. Courtship was almost non-existent and they tumbled out of the air down onto a buddleia bush and joined. After changing position a couple of times they settled down at eye level.

I found two other Large Whites, one of which allowed a couple of photos.

I came across a particularly small Small White - this is not a huge flowerhead at all. It almost looks like a Wood White.

All eleven species seen here this year were around today - by the time the sun disappeared at around 3, I had seen a lot of butterflies. Another terrific day on my local patch.

Dave

[Wurzel]

No Duke unfortunately Dave, they're seem to be late at this site as well As you've now worked out how you attract Holly Blues please can I put in an order of a half a pint of sweat please?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

Wow Dave! Fantastic images from your local patch, and further afield.
The Greenstreak is a beauty, and your Holly Blues are great. Also really like the Large Whites.

Cheers

[Goldie M]

Lovely, lovely Butterflies and those Green hair streaks are fantastic Goldie

[millerd]

Unfortunately I think I'd probably be prosecuted for selling something like that, Wurzel. Home-made, you see...

Thank you, Andrew and Goldie. I think the Green Hairstreaks are probably my favourites so far this year.

Monday 23rd April. Much cooler, and after a sunny start it was mostly cloudy all day. A bit of weak sunshine meant a few things were about on my local patch, but not a lot of variety. GVW were most numerous, with at least eight seen here and there, mostly sitting out the bits between bursts of stronger sunshine.

Only four Holly Blues came out to play, plus a couple of Small Whites, three Orange Tips, and two Speckled Woods.

The latter two were seen in precisely the same spot half an hour apart - I thought it was the same butterfly, but the photos show two different individuals.

Not such a good day today, and the weather goes downhill for most of the rest of the week

Dave

[Wurzel]

"Home-made, you see... "...
Lovely GV White and OTs' and the obligatory Holly Blue

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

You've made me really jealous now No Speckies, GVW's or Holly Blues seen here yet and weather's grim still, time Yet, Great shots of them all Goldie

[bugboy]

I've been seeing a lot of GVW this week, probably something to do with the (mostly) wet spring we've had so far.

[millerd]

Thank you Wurzel - yes, even on a rather iffy sort of day a Holly Blue or two will potter along.

Once we get over the next "hump" of bad weather, Goldie, you should start to see them too.

Yes, Buggy, the GVW have been emerging steadily for a week now, including the last two rather dull days. I think they like damp weather as you say.

There were more today (Tuesday 24th). Cloudier than yesterday, but curiously it felt a bit warmer and when I went out in the middle of the day it was bright enough to set a few things in motion again. The same few species (except no Small Whites today): Several new GVW, including a female which rejected the advances of a male.

A handful of Holly Blues in various spots including one very new-looking one in the "grass" just a metre from my front door.

A roosting Orange Tip, plus a couple of others as well..

I also came across a gaggle of three Speckled Woods gyrating around each other until one individual managed to entangle itself in an old spider web. The owner had long since departed, so I succeeded in rescuing the butterfly, but all three disappeared into the greenery.

Dave

[trevor]

Great Green veined White shots.
Numbers of GVW's are building down my way too.
No action today, too much cloud.

Trevor.

[Andrew555]

Love your GVW shots Dave, really nice.

[millerd]

Thanks, chaps - When there is not much else around it can be good to concentrate on things like the GVW.

25th April. Noticeably chilly this morning, but strong sunshine and building cloud. Somehow my local patch managed to avoid the hefty showers that seemed to be around and when the sun shone the butterflies flew. Or at least some did - Brimstones and the Nymphalids seem to have disappeared and Orange Tip numbers are very low now (I only saw three again today). However, the Holly Blues came into their own again, and I must have found over twenty in various places. The intermittent sun kept grounding them and when it reappeared there was a good deal of open-winged display as they warmed up. As the desired temperature was reached, the wing angle changed - it seems a very efficient and precise regulator. Some were taking salts from the damp ground again...

...and there was a lot of chasing in groups of two, three or more: I managed a distant shot of a foursome, and found two sunning themselves together.

Some are showing signs of wear, but fresh ones are still appearing.

However, I didn't see a definite female among the whole lot. Speckled Woods, GVW and the odd Small White provided the sideshows.

I spotted a GVW lay an egg on garlic mustard - under the leaf, quite unlike Orange Tips which lay on the flower buds.

In one curious incident, a Small White male kept bothering a GVW female, forcing her into the grass while he sat above on a dandelion.

Eventually he chased her high into the air and onto a bit of tree blossom, where I could just make out that he continued to pester her. Unfortunately, I couldn't see whether any more came of this - do the species ever hybridise? I've not read of it.

Overall, it was Blue Heaven today.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Sorry Dave somehow I missed your previous posting Lovely GV Whites - they're one of the great 'fall back' species Mind you for you (and possibly only you ) Holly Blues also seem to be a 'fall back' species Next time we meet up you'll need to give me a few tips as I don't have anything like your success

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Art Frames]

Just catching up with other patches. I am stunned by your latest reports.

A remarkable amount of wonderful butterflies. If I see one or two Green Hairstreaks and Holly Blues on a couple of days in the season locally I will be happy. I would normally have to travel further south. You clearly need help to fight them off

I am encouraged and uplifted when I see that some parts clearly still have butterflies in number. I'll just need to travel more. 20 holly Blues....

[CallumMac]

Fabulous series of the Holly Blues! Like Art Frames, this is a species that I rarely see more than a couple of times a year. But what a stunner!

Given that numbers of Holly Blue can fluctuate so wildly from year to year, I'd be interested to know if those kind of numbers are normal at your patch, or does this look like being one of the good years?

[Janet Turnbull]

All those Holly Blues!