ernie f

[ernie f]

Sleaford & Broxhead - 8th Sep 2018

Recently on two separate days I counted the Small Coppers at the remnant of heath at Sleaford and it came to 16 each time. On the strength of this I assumed the population had arrived at its peak. I have lost count how many occasions this year I have come to the wrong conclusion about something that seemed sensible based on the facts I had at the time. Today the count there went up to 20! Its as if there is some subtle, invisible force at work determined to prove me wrong. I don’t mind though – I like being wrong in this way when things are better than I expected.

The Brown Argus were also about.

This little friend cadged a lift. I don’t know what it is though. Bright green with a brown head, it was no more than 2 inches long and moved quite fast.

A short hop round the corner to Broxhead and I found one, further Small Copper in a location not yet visited for them this year so I can increase my record location score here by one to 74.

Incidentally my annual total for this species this year now stands at 143. I still have a way to go to exceed my annual record of 177.

Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day.

This one from Broxhead some months ago now. A Woodlark singing.

[Wurzel]

I've not seen Woodlark for years now Ernie -the best one was sitting on a wire at the edge of the Białowieża Forest I love their descending 'lu, lu,lu' call Anyway enough birds I love the shot of the Brown Argus

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Lovely Woodlark, ernie….and your Brown Argus makes me green too. They seem to be everywhere at the moment except on my patch.

[ernie f]

Thanks, guys. I always like shots of butterflies with blue sky behind and this one was very obliging.

In fact he hung around a bit longer and it turned into a bit of a photo-shoot.

Here is another from the same shoot...

[ernie f]

Folly Hill - 9th Sep 2018

One last visit here this year. There were still 5 Grayling seen and heaps of Small Heath. Also Speckled Wood, Large White and even a faded Common Blue. Only two Small Coppers.

There was a Treble Bar moth too.

Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day

The Common Darters were swarming. There were four pairs for example ovipositing in one small puddle. Others were mating and others perching. In fact they were the main feature of the reserve today.

[Wurzel]

Interesting to see how the orange from the top of the fore wing pales into the cream with age on the Grayling Ernie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see Graylings extending their flight period into September, ernie. Nice too that there are still plenty of Small Heaths about near you.

[Goldie M]

No Graylings at Southport when I was there ernie , you've got a great shot of one there Goldie

[ernie f]

Thanks, everyone. I must admit I went there for the Coppers. I assumed Grayling would still be there but I did not expect to see any - so seeing five with at least two unfrayed albeit faded examples was a bonus. They did that thing of flying around and then landing on the ground directly behind me as someone recently posted - but now I know that trick, I have the upper hand.

[ernie f]

Broxhead (Sandcliff-end) - 10th Sep 2018

One Comma, one Speckled Wood and a Marsh Tit flock. No Small Coppers – and I covered quite a distance through habitat one might expect them to flourish in. It was in fact a long walk where nothing much happened.

On sand

More fungi, though. See below.



Broxhead (Small Copper Lek)

Many Coppers flying, some still very fresh, one or two fraying. Brown Argus still about.

Frensham Little Pond

A short visit late in the day just across the country line into Surrey. Five Small Coppers in a relatively small area on the heath closest to the car park. This brings my annual total to 151. I am not likely to improve on my annual record of 177 unless Kingsley takes off in a big way like it did in 2016.

Non-butterfly Snapshots of the day

And so Autumn progresses. The Grey Dogtooth was very prevalent and there was one Earthball (a fungus that can become very common on the heaths around here). The Tawny Grisettes are now growing in “bunches” and there was a nice, fresh Brown Birch Bolete.

Grisette bunch

Brown Birch Bolete

[Wurzel]

Hopefully we'll get a it of an Indian Summer and you'll reach your target Ernie, not far to go Love the shot of the Brown Argus on the Heather

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That bolette looks good enough to eat, ernie! Is it comestible?

I wouldn't rule out breaking your Copper record in all honesty. This is a butterfly that can still be on the wing in early November so there are several weeks left yet for you to see them.

[Goldie M]

Lovely scenery shot ernie, you can always tell when Autum's here with the Fungus, I watched a program this morning about it and it said it was nature's way of cleaning up It them showed Kew Gardens where they'd stored loads of dried fungus in drawers, very interesting program.Goldie

[ernie f]

Wurzel. To get the Brown Argus with both wings underside in shot I had to rest the camera at an angle on the ground and press the button without being able to properly see what I was taking. Lucky or what?

David. That particular mushroom is edible. I am told all the pore-cap mushrooms are but I am certainly not an expert and I would never advise anyone to pick them and eat them.

Goldie. Fungi as simply essential to nature. They do far more than we think. For example I once saw a TV programme which showed that trees are able to communicate chemically with their neighbours through the root-like fungal mycelia that form a dense network under the soil surface.

[Wurzel]

The lucky one's are always the best Ernie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

David. That particular mushroom is edible. I am told all the pore-cap mushrooms are but I am certainly not an expert and I would never advise anyone to pick them and eat them.

Certainly looks tempting, ernie, though like you say it's best to err on the side of caution.

[ernie f]

Shortheath - 13th Sep 2018

Bronze Age barrow at Shortheath

In my quest to increase my Small Copper count I am aware I must be very critical about double-counting. I am almost paranoid about it now because I think it might be a close-run thing beating my annual record count which as I said in at least two previous posts stands at 177 (See how obsessed I am getting about it?).

My last visit to Shortheath was on 1st September 2018 and on that day I found 6 in the lek area. Today I found 7 in the lek area but an additional 7 around the Bronze Age burial mound. So that's 14 today minus the 6 on the 1st assuming they were the same ones leaves 8 new ones to add to my total.

Kingsley – same day

My last visit to Kingsley was on the 6th Sep when I saw one Small Copper and the time before that was the 2nd Sep when I again saw another one and the day before that when I saw three others. Now removing the double-counting is a bit more complicated here. The place where I saw three, today I only saw one. The place on the 6th where I saw one, this time I saw one about 50 paces away so I am going to consider that to be the same one so it cancels out. The remaining place where I saw one, today I saw none. I covered the entire reserve. It was exhausting because I found I had to disturb them to see them and that meant continually criss-crossing the paths of the reserve where the prospect for them looked most promising. By my calculation that leaves 17 new ones at Kingsley today. In my last post I said I did not stand much chance beating my record unless Kingsley took off like it did in 2016. In 2016 I counted 29 here so after a shaky start its certainly picking-up now.

My annual count now becomes 151 (from previously) + 8 + 17 = 176

Crumbs I thought to myself. I am now only 1 away from my previous annual record and 2 from breaking it.

Exciting stuff, eh? Well, no – probably not for you reading this but it is for me doing it.

Here is a picture of one encounter that I was fascinated by. This one had the light glancing off it at just the right angle to make its hind-wings appear blue.

I also saw a female Common Blue with a very blue flush and it was pretty fresh considering this is mid-September.

Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day

This one from Kingsley today. A male Southern Hawker taking a short rest - and I do mean short as it buzzed off after I managed to take two quick shots of it.

[Wurzel]

I like that number, 176, Ernie That is a lush looking Common Blue female, in very fine fettle for September

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nothing obsessive about your Copper count, ernie. We all have our 'pet' projects near to where we live - just look at Hoggers!

Personally, I like to take in my local rarer species such as Marsh and Pearl Bordered Fritillaries, as well as more general habitat species such as Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Orange Tip, Marbled White and........yes, Small Coppers!

[ernie f]

Thanks guys. Its nice to know my obsession is shared.