Janet Turnbull

[Janet Turnbull]

Armed with information from BC Cheshire's website I headed off to Fernilee Reservoir in the Peak District in search of the Dark Green Fritillary. Fernilee was far enough away not to be able to smell the smoke from the fires raging on the moors just 20 miles north.
I began to wonder if Cheshire's information was still current as there was no sign of the DGFs although Meadow Browns and Ringlets abounded. I climbed the hill above the reservoir and found my first Small Skippers of the season, and a moth which might be a Footman.

I wandered back to the patch of ox-eye daisies. A few Meadow Browns fluttered among them and eventually a flash of bright orange caught my attention. Sure enough, it was a DGF - a singleton - and I watched with delight as it examined the thistle heads. It flew out of sight, but returned after a few minutes to entertain me some more.

[Janet Turnbull]

My only chance for the annual pilgrimage to Fermyn. The weather forcast had been predicting showers and possibly a thunderstorm, but then it all faded into another lovely day albeit with a very little light cloud cover.
We parked up by the airfield and as we entered the gate we were greeted by a male Purple Emperor concentrating on some minute bits of dirt which were attached to his tongue. He attracted quite a crowd but refused to open his wings except for one flash when a breeze caused him to overbalance. Someone tried to get him to do it again by blowing gently on him, but he decided enough was enough and flew up into a tree.

Walking up the newly-widened ride we were impressed with the Forestry Commission's work. Muddy puddles had been created in placed which attracted dragonflies and a bevy of Small Whites, at the centre of which was a lone GVW.

There were few other butterflies there though, until we reached the edge before crossing over to Ladywood. Here were half a dozen SWFs which we watched for half an hour before heading for the shade of Ladywood. More SWFs and an unexpected Purple Hairstreak

before meeting a couple who said they had seen White Letter Hairstreaks. We searched for those but did not find any, so we then made for Lyveden where there was another report of WLHs, but again had no success. It was late in the afternoon and we had only 40 minutes there. Right at the end of the hedge by the car park, a pair of GVWs were firmly in cop.

We reckoned it a great day and stopping at Corley services on the way home we added a Comma to the day's total of 13 species.

[Janet Turnbull]

First of this year's Gatekeepers, along with the first of the new brood of Holly Blue, arrived in the garden!

[Wurzel]

Great couple of reports Janet Emperors, Purple Hairstreaks, mud-puddling Whites, a cracking shot of the two SWFs and my personal favourite - theexcessa Hedge Brown

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Janet Turnbull]

Thanks Wurzel - I had not realized it was an ab and had to look it up. The wiki wasn't very helpful - I got lots of info about brown hedges but I did eventually find UKB's Aberrations!

Today there were two Gatekeepers in the garden and they were one of each sex but did not seem interested in each other. Here's the female:

Lovely to see the summer butterflies at last.

[ernie f]

There's been a lot going on in your recent reports, Janet. Great underside shots of the Frits, I like the group of whites, of course the Purple Es and H's, looking up the snout of a Comma, the ab Gatekeeper was quite a find but perhaps my favourite of all was your last pic of a gatekeeper.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Janet , so glad you got so many great Butterflies, I'm due at Fermyn this coming week-end, I hope I'm has lucky has you.
Good luck with the WLHS at Brockholes. Goldie

[Janet Turnbull]

Probably one of my last journeys to see a specific butterfly this year as I feel I should be celebrating our local lads and lassies. We went up to Brockholes and on arrival at the edge of Boilton Wood, met a man with a big camera who pointed out exactly where we should find the WLH. Sure enough, there they were nectaring on the bramble flowers. Out of all the photos I took, only one was reasonably sharp, but here's the best of the bunch. Considering I've never been this close to a WLH before I'm delighted to have got anything at all!

There were Gatekeepers in abundance along with tired-looking Meadow Browns; this pair have just met and are having a preliminary conversation.

Altogether 8 species were seen: the other were Small Tort, (not my best photo but typical of many)

Speckled Wood, Skippers small and large, Red Admiral. I always like to see the damselfies too, and there were many of them.

Meanwhile back at home in the garden we were visited by a Comma, Gatekeepers, various whites and a Holly Blue, while into the hedge fluttered a Common Emerald moth which promptly went to sleep.

[Andrew555]

A very nice selection Janet. Well done with the WLH, I like the puddling Whites and your Hedge Brown ab.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Janet, so glad you got the HS, It's great at Brockholes Isn't it!! In Spring the Orange Tips were all over the entrance to BW,
packing now for off and wondering how to fit watching the Match in Goldie

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Whitters Janet And it's nice to see the Meadow Browns having a bit of a chin wag

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Janet Turnbull]

Staying overnight at the Jaegermeister Hotel we went for an early evening walk before dinner. There is a wildlife walk from the hotel'. We saw a total of 10 species: in the hotel garden was a Holly Blue

and a Red Admiral. Along the walk were several Red Admirals, some of which were vevry fresh looking; Meadow Browns, Ringlets, GVW, other whites, Speckled Wood,Large Skippers, Small Skippers. A patch of purple loosestrife was laden with skippers of all kinds and I also came across a couple of hesperidae heteropterus morpheus - Large Chequered Skippers.

Small Skippers

The path then turned a corner and became a little more breezy and with the sun in my eyes I did not see many more other than whites which flew across the path and some more Meadow Browns.
The following morning we were to continue on to Denmark but first we walked up to where we'd seen the LCSs the day before. There were several on the purple flowers and quite docile although they would not come onto my hand.
Another 'find' was a dark brown butterfly with white and orange markings I could not ID - can anyone help, please?

And a hare!

[Pauline]

That's a first brood Map Janet - I was lucky enough to photograph them in Dorset a few years ago.

[dave brown]

Hi Janet. Your Blue Damselfly (05/07) is the Common Blue Damselfly . Nice photo.

[Padfield]

Just because it's such an interesting butterfly, I'll correct Pauline's typo and point out that the map is second brood. This is a strikingly dimorphic species, the first brood resembling a fritillary and the second a white admiral. It's very unclear to me as to why this should be.

The common blue damselfly is also interesting. The thorax definitely looks like Enellagma (common blue) but the second abdominal segment really doesn't!

Guy

[Pauline]

You're very diplomatic Guy. I'm afraid it wasn't a typo - I think this heat is frying my brain Apologies Janet - I didn't intend to cause you further confusion. Of course I knew it was second brood as I saw them in August but my fingers are working faster than my recall

[Janet Turnbull]

Pauline, Guy, Dave: Thank you all for your input here! I wondered if it was a Map but it didn't fit the pictures of the upperwings, and it seems my common blue damselfly might be a shade less than common!

[Janet Turnbull]

I took myself off for a walk along the local lanes and noted that the barley fields looked ready for harvest. There were clouds of white butterflies flying low over them which made me think they were organically farmed. In a field edge I came across some Small Coppers which, when I checked the photos, turned out to be Scarce Coppers.

A Brimstone flew purposefully by, then another examined the flowers for nectar.

Returning to base via a main road I noticed there were no butterflies flying over the adjacent grain fields and there were a great number of sad white butterfly bodies lying along the roadside.
Back at the house I chased down a tiny Brown Argus which doesn't have as many markings on its underwing as the British version

and trying to look inconspicuous in the grass was an attractive moth

[Wurzel]

Brilliant shots of the Chequered, Map and Scarce Coppers Janet Your Brown Argus is mighty fine, is it an aberrant or the local race?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

I agree with Guy about your Blue Damselfly, a guess we can put it down as an ab. That's a very interesting Argus and your final moth is a Clouded Magpie Abraxas sylvata. and to finish a few for those gorgeous Coppers!