essex buzzard

[trevor]

Good to see your Black Hairstreak images, from a traditional, known haunt.
Several factors had always put me off going to see them, a horrible journey,
reports of only one or two being seen, and not knowing exactly where to find them.
Yesterday was a problem solved.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Andrew555]

Sounds like a dream afternoon Mark. Brilliant stuff.

[Wurzel]

Absolutely cracking images Essex I can only look on in envy as, for similar reasons as Trevor, these to me feel like one of the hardest species to see, plus I have the extra disadvantage of only being able to make a visit on a weekend. So thank you for posting and letting me enjoy this cracking butterfly through those cracking images

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[kevling]

Nice set of photos from Glapthorn Essex.The freshly emerged one with the soft wings is a delight. I had a nice day with them last year, but they seem to be even stronger in 2018

Regards Kev

[essexbuzzard]

Yes, they are having a great year, across their British range. Here is one last picture, to show Wurzel what he is missing...

[millerd]

Great shots of the Hairstreaks, Mark, and I'm envious of the Clouded Yellow from Kent last week too! A female too - come August there could be a few of her progeny around...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Thanks Essex ...I think?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice work, Mark. I've never seen so many images of Black Hairstreaks on here as I have lately. Of course, most of those have been from the SE-centric region, so credit to you for going into this insect's traditional home.

[essexbuzzard]

Thanks everybody. Seeing the Black Hairstreaks was a pleasure, if slightly overshadowed by the earth-shattering news from down in Sussex!

On Wednesday, we had a look around the flowery meadows at Langdon. Buttercups and Common spotted orchids everywhere, and lots of fresh Meadow Browns, too.

We then headed off to the Heath Fritillary Woods, near Rayleigh. BC are keeping low-key about sightings again this year, so I won’t broadcast exactly which wood it was. I’m not sure how effective this is, judging by the number of visitors the wood is getting. We even met a couple of chaps who had come all the way from Newcastle! They had never seen the Fritillaries before, so it was our pleasure to show them around.

The Heath Fritillaries are highly variable, this dusky adult reminded me off the False Heath Fritillaries in Europe.

Good numbers of Fritillaries were present, and more areas were cut back last winter, which will hopefully spread the available habitat, as other areas become overgrown, just two to four years after clearance. Any visitors should just try to be careful not to trample the caterpillar food plant, common cow-wheat. If anyone intends to see Heath Fritillaries this year, either in Essex or elsewhere, now is the right time so enjoy!

[Janet Turnbull]

Great shots of the Heaths, Essex - I especially like the one of the pair in cop with a third one basking nearby!

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of shots Essex particularly the first rally dusky, almost partial melanistic indovidual Makes a nice change from Blackstreaks

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

The Heath Fritillaries are highly variable, this dusky adult reminded me off the False Heath Fritillaries in Europe.

Yes, Mark, it certainly does remind one of False Heath, and it's notable that such individuals rarely crop up in France. Perhaps given the more northerly latitude of the UK, these kinds of individuals are more commonplace here than they are nearer the Med.

[essexbuzzard]

Yes, I think it’s a response to low temperatures, though that’s surprising this year. Several other species, including White Admirals, are prone to it.

Although Sunday was rather cloudy, a late afternoon visit to Lullingstone CP in Kent, produced my first Dark Green Fritillaries and Marbled Whites of the year. It was a pleasure also to meet up with Andrew 555 again.

Earlier in the day, I had seen my first Ringlets of the year.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots of the DGF Essex and the Ringlet is great too - they always look a bit velveteen when fresh

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm getting envious now, Mark, so much on my radar and so little time to see it prior to my fortnight in the French Alps.

Luckily, next weekend is set fair so I think I'll have to get a few early nights to do justice to what has been, so far, a very encouraging early summer period for UK butterflies.

[Andrew555]

Good to see you again Mark. Nice shots.

[essexbuzzard]

To some extent, the White Admiral has eluded me in recent years, so on Monday afternoon, I visited Belfairs Woods, near Rayleigh. White Admirals are just emerging here, with a handful of fresh adults seen. This male was holding territory in a woodland cleaning.

Nearby, another colony of Heath Fritillaries is found. Numbers were slightly lower than the site I visited last week, with about 50 seen, and some were beginning to show their age as well. But it was great to see the Fritillaries at another, Essex, location.

[David M]

That's a cracking ab you found, Mark. Good to see you managed to nail down White Admiral too. Possibly the best UK species of all to see when gleaming fresh!

[Wurzel]

As David says that is a cracking ab - I'm almost 'used' to see the melanistic abs so to see one so devoid of markings is really interesting

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Thanks David and Wurzel. The Heath Fritillary, in Britain, is variable enough, but seems especially so this year. Considering it has been dry and warm throughout it’s chrysalis and adult stage, this is surprising, to me at least. One of the many fascinating aspects of our wildlife!

Has a fleeting visit to Hadleigh Castle Country Park, near Southend, to see if the White-letter Hairstreaks has emerged. They have, mostly males, in good numbers. Plenty of Marbled White now, too. There is a lot of other stuff here, worthy of a much longer visit. I shall return....