ernie f

[ernie f]

30th April 2019, Magdalen Hill, 10.15-12.15, 50% cloud, 11-15 degrees

6 Brown Argus (my first this year)
1 Small Heath (my first this year)
1 Sm Copper, 3 H Blue, 4 Brim, 2 OTip, 1 S White, 2 Grizzled Skips, 1 Dingy Skip, 2 Red Ads, 7 Greenstreaks.

A male Brimstone pursued a female for awhile but it never ended in mating even though at one point they were dancing cheek-to-cheek.

[ernie f]

30th April 2019, Alice Holt Woods, 4-5 pm, mostly sunny, 17 degrees

2 Green-veined Whites (my first this year)
1 Red Ad, 2 Brim, 3 OTip, 3 Sp Wd, 1 Comma and 4 H Blues (including my first female of the year).

Coming in to land

Also heard my first Cuckoo of the year.

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Brown Argus - that means Marshies, Common Blues, Adonis Blues etc aren't far behind Cracking cheek to cheek and coming into land shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That's quite a range, ernie. Love those Brimstones....I guess they won't be around for much longer but they've had a great time of it thus far in 2019.

[ernie f]

Wurzel, David - In one day, my first GV White, Brown Argus and Small Heath of the year. So with all the stuff that's going on round here for me at the moment I was surprised that the Brimstone was the species that offered the greatest surprise. I don't even know how it was possible for these two butterflies to fly while physically in contact with each others wings in this way. I was not able to capture the wings downstroke in the next second after the "cheek-to-cheek" shot but presume the action must have pushed them apart.

[Goldie M]

Well done ernie, seen nothing here at all and I keep going out in the garden hoping , if I can't get out much that some thing will land Goldie

[David M]

...I was not able to capture the wings downstroke in the next second after the "cheek-to-cheek" shot but presume the action must have pushed them apart.

Only solution is to set your camera to 'burst' mode, thus taking about 10 images in quick succession. Whether they'll return a sharp image is another matter....

[ernie f]

2nd May 2019, Bentley Wood, 9.30-11 AM, 95% cloud. 10-12 degrees, 13 degrees in the fleeting sun

Cool and overcast. I must have been mad to travel from Alton in East Hampshire across to Bentley Wood on the border of Wiltshire and as it was the morning rush hour when I did, it took 1.5 hours.

I stayed no more than about 1 hour and saw only four butterflies while I was there - but am I disappointed? No! Because the butterflies I saw were 3 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and a Duke. Usually I visit this site later in the month when the PB and S-PB Frits are flying together but when I do this, the PB ones are usually getting a bit worn and tatty, so this year I decided to go earlier in May (knowing that Wurzel had already said they were there) so that I could get pics of them in better condition.

The cool, overcast weather meant they did not fly about much. Only when a sporadic bit of sun showed itself did they move from their perches but this was to my benefit because I could follow them and when they perched again they would do so for a long while and allowed me to get in close.

Both male and female were represented amongst the three I saw today.

At one point, one came to me and I was able to photograph it on my hand. It stayed there quite content for about 5 minutes before it flew off, none the worse for its experience with a human. It made my arm ache though to hold it still for so long.

A beetle I had never seen before came barrelling along the path. I looked it up when I got home. It is one of the species of Oil Beetle, most likely the Black Oil Beetle. They exude a substance that can cause blisters on the skin so should not be picked up. For this reason they are also known as Blister Beetles.

I knew that Dukes flew here but this is the first time I have seen one at this location.

2nd May 2019, Magdalen Hill, 11.30-12 noon, 100% cloud, 14 degrees

I had heard that Small Blues had already been recorded this year in the scrape at the top of the hill so despite the clouds I gave it a try on my return home. No Blues but did see a single Small Copper. The only butterfly that I did see at this reserve today but it was on a Primrose and I had never got a pic of a Copper on a Primrose before.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Pearls Ernie especially the 'double page spread' The cooler weather works wonders for the Pearls as you said, the last thing you want is a warm sunny day I'll send you a PM about the Duke as I'm heading back to the EC this weekend so it would be good to catch up with it?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

Lovely Pearls Ernie, particularly the 'on hand' experience. You've managed to get some real close up's recently, glad the trip worked out for you.

Cheers

[bugboy]

Hi Ernie, like you did on my diary I had to go back a bit to catch up on yours, some lovely juicy closeups of various species and quite a few I've yet to pin down this year too , although I may get a few more species over the weekend as long as the promised sun shows up!

Cow-wheat: It's a plant I only ever notice when looking for Heath Fritillary since it's the principle food plant of the Kent & Essex colonies. Easy to find when they're on the wing as it's in flower at the same time but at this time of year it's quite inconspicuous and does bear a passing resemblance to grass. Like it's relative, Yellow Rattle, it's a partial parasite on nearby plants. I think it prefers acid soils.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Pearls ernie especially the one on your Hand Goldie

[David M]

Cool weather at this time of year is never terribly exciting, but it CAN play into your hands as far as photographing butterflies is concerned, as your images show, ernie.

Great that you managed a full underside shot with that specimen hanging on to the grass blade. Well done with the Duke of Burgundy too.

Have to say that last image of Magdalen Hill is amazing. I don't think I've ever seen so many cowslips!

[ernie f]

Wurzel - It was my lucky day. I was pleased just to be able to get the standard single under-wing shot but could not believe it when the double underwing shot presented itself.

Andrew - Thanks. Its not often you get a butterfly land on you but when you do it makes you feel great. The last time this happened to me was when a Silver-studded Blue landed on my ear. Luckily I was with my wife at the time and she took that pic!

Bugboy - I am trying to get close-up shots whenever I can this year. Of course the cool and often cloudy weather makes it a bit easier. I am looking forward to the warmer, sunny summer days but know that will be the end of the super-close-up shots. Also, thanks for the lowdown on the Cow-wheat. I have never seen a Heath Frit but then I have not gone looking for them either. One day I shall and probably get the Cow-wheat at the same time.

Goldie - The Pearl on the hand was one of those lifetime experiences. It may have helped that the butterflies were not being constantly disturbed. On sunny days at this location during Pearl flying time it can get a bit crowded with butterfly enthusiasts chasing them everywhere. On that cool, overcast morning - I was the only one there. I had the place to myself. For some of the time I just sat on the bench and watched how serene and quiet the Eastern Clearing was.

Dave - Re the pic of Magdalen Hill. That is the Cowslips looking in just one direction (I think south). I could easily have taken another to the west and another to the north and got almost as many in shot each time. They brightened up an otherwise gloomy day.

[David M]

Re the pic of Magdalen Hill. That is the Cowslips looking in just one direction (I think south). I could easily have taken another to the west and another to the north and got almost as many in shot each time.

Amazing. Sounds like the UK’s cowslip capital, ernie. Who needs sunshine when you’ve got 10,000+ bright yellow flowers in all directions?

[ernie f]

10th May 2019, 11-12 noon, Noar Hill, 60% cloud, 13 degrees, light breeze.

After days of drab, cold, rainy weather - a break opened up!!! So I went to Noar Hill for an hour.

I only visited three pits and a small part of the bridleway but in that time plenty of Dukes and Dingies. In one pit three Dukes and a Dingy were twirling around in a sparring flight. On the bridleway another three Dingies were doing the same. Also I saw 1 OTip, 1 Greenstreak and 3 S Heath.

My primary aim today though was to try and get a close-up shot of a Small Heath. If you have been following my PD recently you can see it has become a quest of mine to get Butterfly close-ups.

Yep.
Mission accomplished.

[Neil Freeman]

I'm really impressed by all those Cowslips on Magdalen Hill, nothing like that around my way. The only comparable amount of yellow here is in fields full of oilseed rape. I know what I would rather see.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

..My primary aim today though was to try and get a close-up shot of a Small Heath. If you have been following my PD recently you can see it has become a quest of mine to get Butterfly close-ups.

You're absolutely right to do so, ernie. It's always good when someone conjures something up that's a little 'removed' from the norm, be that early stages, interesting behaviour, or views of butterflies that tend to be overlooked.

Personally, I just need to catch up with Small Heath, period.

So many of us take them for granted but they're becoming scarcer every year.

[ernie f]

Neil - There are thousands of Cowslips at Magdalen. Here is a pic from a previous year of the bottom of the hill on the other side.

They were not quite as dense there this year but the field above it was! Also the central part of the reserve had a whole bundle of them too.

However, having said all that, if you look closer at the image I posted the other day, you will see that the hill in the distance that looks coninuous with Magdalen, in fact is not and the distance yellow is in fact a field of Rape!

[ernie f]

David - I am beginning to take none of our butterflies for granted. Even some of the others that have been common in the past may take a hit at any time what with climate change and all.