millerd

[David M]

Good to see fresh Large Skippers joining the action, Dave; something for me to look forward to when I get home.

Again, those female Brown Argus are a joy, as are the recently emerged Holly Blues.

[millerd]

Yes, the Hill has never yet disappointed, Wurzel, and I think I've been there five or six years running now.

Curiously, David, that is the only Large Skipper I've seen so far round here. I hope a few more appear now the weather is set to warm up for a few days.

Tuesday 21st May: A day with a different focus. I had arranged to have a walk with a friend of mine up at Sharpenhoe Clappers in Bedfordshire. This is at the north-eastern end of the Chilterns, and as not unusual in these arts has the remains of old chalk pits. Butterflies had to be incidental to the day, but I was pleased to point out Green Hairstreaks to my friend, who like so many folk had never knowingly seen them before. There were also Brimstones, Orange Tips, GVW, Common Blues, Brown Argus, Dingy Skippers, Speckled Woods and Small Heaths. Apparently there are supposed to be Small Blues somewhere, but despite finding a bit of kidney vetch, I didn't spot any. I took astonishingly few photos...

It was actually my first visit to this spot - it is a delightful site, with some lovely views, and worth going back to look more closely at what it has to offer.

Dave

[millerd]

Wednesday 22nd May: Back to the butterflies in earnest today, and another of my annual pilgrimages, this time down to Hutchinsons Bank near Croydon. As usual I followed Bugboy's example and made the trip on public transport, using pretty well everything on offer - tube, bus, train and tram.

Unusually, Mr Sp0ck was not on hand to provide the latest news on what was around, so I made my way through the Cutting and headed by a fairly indirect route over to the "scrape" to see Small Blues. In fact, I encountered ones and twos of this species every few metres along all the paths, and arriving at my destination I found hundreds. There were also a couple of folk from the London Wildlife Trust, who were performing timed counts: they had just clocked 134 in 14 minutes. There was a good mix of male and female (fresh and worn), some mating pairs, and lots of egg-laying activity. Hundreds of Small Blues aren't as impressive as, say, hundreds of Marsh Fritillaries, but nevertheless, they were a great sight, and worthy of a separate post.

Obviously, I was also on the lookout for Glanville Fritillaries. I know a few had been seen the day before and though there appeared to have been none in the Cutting, in the past I had also encountered them on the path along the bottom, parallel to Featherbed Lane. Almost by magic, a medium-sized orange insect came towards me, skimming the path at no more than knee-height. As it sailed past, it was easy to identify - a Glanville. As expected it soon returned, and as luck would have it, the sun became a bit hazier causing the butterfly to stop and bask at regular intervals and take on nectar. It was a male, perhaps a couple of days old, but still very presentable. This turned out to be the only one I saw, but well worth seeing.

During the visit, I counted 15 species altogether, from the myriads of Small Blues to singletons of Large Skipper (probably the same female Bugboy had seen), and of course the Glanville Fritillary. Only 500 or so photos to sort through... But a great day out. A few of the rest before the Small Blue extravaganza.

[ernie f]

Fantastic recent pics, Dave.

Two years ago I was told of Hutchinson's Bank and went there for the Glanvilles because I was told they had died out at Wrecclesham. For me the trip to Hutchinson's is awful. I went by car both times and it took ages down all the suburban roads with an enormous amount of traffic. I saw no Glanvilles on either of my visits!

But as you say, the Small Blues are there in great numbers. I have never seen them in such numbers anywhere else. So my trips were not a complete wash-out.

[millerd]

The Small Blues of Hutchinsons Bank...

There really were a lot...

(enlarge this and count them)

...females, looking to lay and just basking...

...mating pairs...

...fresh new males with varying degrees of blue scaling...

As with those up at Pitstone, they took a liking to my sweat if I stayed any time in one spot

An endearing little butterfly!

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

They are indeed, Dave. Must have been a wonderful sight!

[Wurzel]

Great looking set of Glannie shots Dave Are they 'wild ones' (or at least wild as in the progeny of last year) ?
Fantastic Small Blues - it seems that most species so far are having a great season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

The Small Blues of Hutchinsons Bank...

There really were a lot..

I made it 13, Dave.

The only other UK butterfly I've seen in such numbers in a small area like that is Silver Studded Blue at Prees Heath.

[millerd]

Cheers, chaps. The Small Blues are definitely doing well this year, and yes, I made it 13 too, David - there were many more not far out of shot as well.

Thursday 23rd May. Another decent day, and this time a longish drive down to Sussex to look at the Small Pearls at Park Corner Heath. As Neil Hulme has described, this reintroduction is proving very successful, and I saw good numbers of fresh butterflies. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay until the early evening, when they start to pose particularly well, and as I left a variety of other folk began to appear, including Neil himself, Andrew and Trevor.

The most notable butterfly of the day was the unusual ab., pictured beautifully in Neil's PD and which I'd encountered on and off throughout the afternoon. I spent most of the time in one spot, and it came along regularly, easy to recognise by its darker appearance (it appeared in flight to have black borders), smaller size and less energetic flight. I managed a few shots from time to time when it appeared and reappeared.

There were plenty of other fresh individuals to choose from as well.

Dave

[trevor]

Lovely PBF ab Dave, and a nicely marked female.
It was an all male show, after I saw you.

A mrgreen for that ab. .

Trevor.

[Pauline]

I'm with Trevor on that one Dave - stunning Ab Small Blues certainly seem to be having a great season as they were in unprecedented numbers at Paulsgrove (100's) - great shots of them too. I'm waiting here impatiently for your shots of my local Glanvilles behind the fur coats ) - hope you're not going to keep me waiting 2 weeks?

[Wurzel]

I'm with the others Dave that is a cracking looking aberrant Hopefully you can show me the way to Narnia tomorrow

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That's quite some aberrant, Dave. Lovely specimen.

Great to see SPBFs doing so well after a long absence.

[millerd]

Cheers, Trevor - good to see you, if only in passing (though we've caught up since of course!).

Thank you, Pauline! Glanville shots coming up in due course... It was a very successful outing as I'm sure Wurzel will agree. Narnia came good

The SPBF are indeed doing well down there, David.

Friday 24th May: Back to my local patch for the day. I counted 118 butterflies of 11 species today, with Common Blues now topping the list with 34 seen. Colourful females were now appearing amongst the males.

New Brown Argus were still appearing, including this female with unusually rounded wings....

...and there were still one or two fresh examples of Holly Blues around too.

As ever there were a few Small Coppers in the mix.

Always some interest here...

Dave

[millerd]

On Saturday 25th May with a decent bit of weather forecast I thought I'd have a look at a new site for me, the BBOWT reserve at College Lake near Tring. In fact, this spot is very close to the old chalk workings at Pitstone and the Chiltern ridge including Aldbury Nowers, Pitstone Hill and Ivinghoe is within sight too. College Lake is mainly a "bird" site, but it advertises a decent selection of butterflies as well.

Walking round the lake at a very leisurely pace took a couple of hours. The most noticeable feature was that there were Small Blues everywhere, with a particular concentration along the northeastern side (the bank here faces southwest), where there is abundant kidney vetch. This plant can be found all over the site in fact. Numbers of this diminutive butterfly were in the hundreds:

There were also good numbers of Common Blues, Brimstones and Small Heaths, and a handful of Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper, plus a single Small Copper.

Well worth the visit, and easily combined with one or two of the other sites in the area.

Dave

[millerd]

After the visit to College Lake on 25th May, I drove along the foot of the ridge of the Chilterns to Aston Rowant. As is usual, it was fairly windy here, but it was soon apparent that there were good numbers of Adonis Blues across the hillside along with the Common Blues. The latter probably outnumbered the former (but only just), though the Brown Argus outdid both of the other two by some way. It is an excellent site for them, with rock rose being the favoured foodplant here rather than the cranesbill used on my local patch. This butterfly certainly seems to have made a success of this diversification. Also seen were Small Heaths, plus a few Green Hairstreaks, Small Coppers, threadbare Dingy Skippers and Brimstones and a single very worn Grizzlie.

And the Blues...
Adonis:

Common:

Dave

[MrSp0ck]

Fantastic recent pics, Dave.

Two years ago I was told of Hutchinson's Bank and went there for the Glanvilles because I was told they had died out at Wrecclesham. For me the trip to Hutchinson's is awful. I went by car both times and it took ages down all the suburban roads with an enormous amount of traffic. I saw no Glanvilles on either of my visits!

But as you say, the Small Blues are there in great numbers. I have never seen them in such numbers anywhere else. So my trips were not a complete wash-out.

Off at Junction 6 M25, and via Caterham by-pass and country lanes Halliloo Valley & Featherbed Lane, takes about 14 minutes from the M25. I put a map up on here a couple of years ago with all the junctions marked with Street View, We had 44 Glanvilles on transect this year, but they have emerged in small numbers from April20th - to 1st June. so far on the transect Small Blues are 1062. Some Glanville females were laying over easter, so will be interesting to see if they go through, larvae hibernate from the end of July in the 5th sometimes 4th instar.

[millerd]

Thanks for the info, Mr Sp0ck - I have never considered going to Hutchinson's Bank by car, as the public transport route for me is a better (and cheaper) option. I spend too much time on the M25 as it is...

Another reason to stay local again on Sunday 26th May, though the weather wasn't so good today anyway. Only half a dozen species seen around lunchtime, though Common Blues and Brown Argus both managed well into double figures again.

Holly Blues are laying now on Goat's Rue, as I saw them do last year. As this grows in the middle of the field area where there are plenty of Common Blues, there can be real confusion as to what is what.

The female Common Blues continue to provide colourful examples

though you can't tell from underneath...

There are still plenty of fresh males too.

I watched one male and one female nectaring together quite calmly until the male appeared to realise the sex of his companion. He approached and became over-amorous and off she went.

One Brown Argus female had a slight hint of white around the central forewing spots (ab. snelleri I believe)

and there was a very fresh male.

Amongst the rest, a couple of Small Coppers and a nice-looking Small Heath.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Woah Dave I reckon you're 'working' harder now that you're retired A cracking collection of butterflies - especially the BA ab which I reckon is good for that particular ab Good use of threadbare to describe the worn Dingy (I'll have to remember to use that term ), very fitting especially (if my memory serves me correctly ) as those terms for moths etc came about because they were compared to carpets

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

You're right, Wurzel - there's a lot going on and it is a job to keep up, even just on my local patch... Never mind everything else! I agree - Dingy Skippers bear a strong resemblance to carpets, especially as they wear and the fringes become tatty.

Monday 28th May - I thought I'd try Wrecclesham following Pauline and Ernie's selection of shots, but failed to find the mysterious point of access to the site today. It clouded over as well, and wasn't particularly warm, but I returned home via Chiddingfold to look for roosting Wood Whites. More sunshine did appear, so the butterflies were flying as well as roosting, and there was plenty of interaction between them too.

On arrival just past the bridge, I met a couple of ladies who had found an Eyed Hawk Moth, something I'd not seen before. Quite an impressive insect:

There were also still good numbers of Brimstones flying, with males persistently accosting females, but being rejected. This sort of behaviour appears to become quite common as they reach the end of their long lives.

However, I was really here for the Wood Whites. Firstly, some nice individuals:

Next, an attempt at an open-wing shot which even a pretty quick shutter speed couldn't freeze:

Finally, some interactions, including some more with their wings open:

This threesome is something I haven't seen before, but I suppose it's just a variation on a theme:

After the arrival of the second male, the sun went in and they settled down like this:

Fascinating species!

Dave