July 10th > Onwards

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
Yesterday I went searching for the Large Tortoiseshell which was seen near Wilmington a few days back. No sign , but I did see my first Grayling of the year and plenty of fresh Chalkhill Blues amongst the Marbled Whites and DGFs. I never have much luck getting a decent photograph of the Grayling, but this female Chalkhill Blue posed nicely.

Chalkhill.jpg (186.42 KiB) Viewed 2087 times

Neil

[Perseus]

Hello,

15 July 2008
Shoreham area
As so often happens when one butterfly species ceases (the Small Blues were not recorded) than fresh butterflies appear with a new brood. The new ones were the occasional Holly Blues in Shoreham town and the outskirts, one Wall Brown over the A27 dual carriageway north of the Dovecote Estate, and a Brimstone Butterfly on the the lower slopes of Mill Hill. The occasional Peacock Butterflies were fresh as well.

Chalkhill Blues were just beginning on Mill Hill with 24 strong flying males noted. The fourteen butterfly species recorded in an hour and a half was the most in a single day this year.
Four extra species were seen on 14 July 2008. The first female Chalkhill Blue was seen on 13 July 2008.

The most I have recorded in a single day locally is 18, with 17 or 18 recorded in most years on a single day.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Cheers


Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: July 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/July2008.html
Adur Valley & Downs Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/groups/adur/pool/

[Denise]

The last few days since returning from my hols have been dismal in my garden. 1 Gatekeeper (my first this year) 1 Holly Blue, 6 Large White, 2 Small White and a dozen or so second brood Speckled Wood. I know that the weather is naff, but not a single Red Admiral or Small tort despite my buddleia, Verbena and Field Scabious being in full bloom.
What's going on?

Denise

[Jack Harrison]

Denise said:

not a single Red Admiral or Small tort despite my buddleia, Verbena and Field Scabious being in full bloom.

In my experience, butterflies don't really begin using buddleia until later in the season. Sure, there is the odd one on the early blooms, but I am confident that the best is yet to come. I don't think for example, many new brood Peacocks are out yet - only a handful of reports to date - but I anticipate seeing plenty on the buddleias in two or three weeks time when the best of the flowering would seem to be over. There must be something special in terms of nectar as the blooms begin to fade.

Jack

[Perseus]

The last few days since returning from my hols have been dismal in my garden. 1 Gatekeeper (my first this year) 1 Holly Blue, 6 Large White, 2 Small White and a dozen or so second brood Speckled Wood. I know that the weather is naff, but not a single Red Admiral or Small tort despite my buddleia, Verbena and Field Scabious being in full bloom.
What's going on?

Denise

Hello Denise

Where do you Live? Immingrants are flying north now. Where are your Peacocks?

Andy
Sussex

[Annie]

The tiniest glimpse of a Blue as it passed over our yard at work about five minutes ago - but too high and too swift to ID!

[Denise]

Hello Denise

Where do you Live? Immingrants are flying north now. Where are your Peacocks?

Andy
Sussex

Hi Andy,

I live in Bristol. No Peacocks either! but I just had a Comma in the garden.
The weather here is overcast with the odd bit of drizzle today, but it looks to be improving after Saturday.

Cheers
Denise

[Jack Harrison]

Annie wrote:

The tiniest glimpse of a Blue as it passed over our yard at work about five minutes ago - but too high and too swift to ID!

Being a high flyer, it could only have been a Holly Blue.

All the blues in Britain except the extremely rare migrant, Long Tailed Blue NEVER (at least in my experience) fly high. But although Holly Blues often fly high, they will quite sometimes come down to ground level. So if you see a low flying blue, you can never be sure of the ID. But a high flyer has to be a Holly.

Jack

[Annie]

Thanks Jack!

You lot really are rather lovely and helpful, aren't you!

[Perseus]

This recent photograph has not been enhanced:

[Tony Moore]

Hi Y'all,

I had a walk at Aqualate Park (Salop) today. Between spits of rain I managed to find one female Purple Hairstreak, high in an Oak. Then, just by the car, a perfect pair of GVWs. They posed nicely, and it quite made my day! Canon IXUS compact.
A.M.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Antonym,
Very nice! Great composition. One of those 'under-rated' species.
Neil

[Susie]

Reminds me a little bit of this pair I took at Southwater on Monday.

[Martin]

Holly Blue, Comma, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock on my allotment today

[sahikmet]

Hi,

Today 10-12 fresh Dark green fritillary at Aston Rowant Bold Hill. Wind made difficult to gaet steady shoots.

Cheers

Sezar

[Jack Harrison]

Newly established colony of Marbled Whites South Cambridgeshire, just 400 metres from where I live. First seen here in 2007 and have been sighted in 2008 for the past three weeks, max count 10+. Today, 19th, just one seen but in the near-gale, but that was an unexpected bonus. So I am very happy that one of my favourite species now occurs within walking distance of home. Amidst all the gloom and doom about our butterflies,Marbled White is a success story.

Attached photo shows the habitat (foreground).

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

Nice to hear some good news, when it comes to butterflies. Thanks for that Jack!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Nice to hear some good news, when it comes to butterflies.

I hesitated about showing a habitat picture but I thought, what the hell. It makes a change from pictures of butterflies.

Maybe it would be helpful, especially for newcomers to our obsession, to have a section on the website showing butterfly habitats. I have 60+ years experience, but even so am continually surprised at the types of habitat that certain species utilise.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

That's an excellent idea Jack. I'll add it to the enhancement list (which I intend to poll people about!).

Cheers,

- Pete

[Shirley Roulston]

Hi Jack,

I thought that your photo of the field is very interesting, I have a six acre hay field which I left so that the Meadow Browns could have a habitat which they like. I have noticed that this year the yellow flower Bird's Foot Trefoil is starting to spread at a great speed of knots, in your photo there seams to be a yellow flower in that field, do you know what it is. I sure that I haven't got a hope in you know what in getting Marbled White's, but its nice to grow something instead of boring old silage.