ernie f

[ernie f]

Bugboy, Wurzel, David - Thanks guys. It was a great morning at Wrecclesham. It seems the Glanvilles may well be on the up there once again.

[ernie f]

5th June 2019, 8.45 - 10.30 am, Bentley Wood, 12-15 degrees, started full sun, ended 90% cloud, sporadic breeze

I am glad I got here early - most of the action happened while the sun was out.

3 Small Pearl-bordered Frits (are they in decline here?)

2 Common Blue
1 Grizzled Skip (my first at this location and it actually landed on my camera lens at one point)

Playing peek-a-boo

1 Mother Shipton

1 Brown Silver-line

Also a Tree Pipit

[Wurzel]

Great shots of the Small Pearls Ernie Sadly they are in decline - you used to be able to find them fluttering about across the entire wood. The last couple of years have seen a drastic drop in their numbers but hopefully the recent clearing will benefit them as much as it seems to have benefited the Pearls.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Wurzel - Its sad to hear of their decline at Bentley Wood - I hope you are right that with the right environmental management they can improve.

[ernie f]

Here is a pic of a Grizzlie I forgot to add to my Bentley Wood post the other day.

[ernie f]

6th June 2019, 12.30-2pm, Noar Hill, 70% sun, 17 degrees, keen breeze

A bit quiet at Noar Hill this afternoon but not without interest.

9 C Blue, 5 S Blue, 5 S Heath, 3 Brim, 1 S White, 1 Sp Wood, 1 Large Skip (my first this year)
1 Mint moth, 1 Five-spot Burnet

1 Musk Orchid in bud

I am always surprised how much blue a Small Blue can have.

And I was shocked at the eye-colour of the 5-spot burnet. I had never looked before.

Here it is again sharing a buttercup with a fly (cannot Id as yet)

[Wurzel]

I've seen those fly things before but can'r remember the name but for some reason Radagast (Lord of the Rings) comes to mind when I see it Love the intimate shot of the Grizzlie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...I am always surprised how much blue a Small Blue can have.

Yes, they always seem to be up to mischief, don't they? They're feisty and punch above their weight too, which gives them character.

[ernie f]

David - I love those little ones too. I was amazed at the recent count of them at Hutchinson's Bank, Surrey. I think it was mr Sp(o)ck who recorded well over 1000! I am sure someone will correct me if my memory about this is flakey.

Wurzel - Yes its my aim this year to get as many mug shots of butterflies as I can. I will probably falter with the Hairstreaks though.

[ernie f]

8th June 2019, 2-2.30pm, The Straits, Sun and cloud in equal measure but rain either side of the half hour, 16 degrees

A very short walk at Alice Holt Woods - The Straits, mainly just to take a break from the DIY!!!

2 Sp Wd, 1 GV White, 1 C Blue.

Aced the Common Blue Mug-shot.

But also this nice Blood-vein moth.

And a Coreus marginatus bug.

[ernie f]

9th June 2019, 9.30-10 Broxhead, 50% sun 14 degrees

Awful. Did get my first Meadow Brown of the year and OK pics of a Common Heath but that was it.

10-11 am Alice Holt Woods, getting cloudier, 15 degrees

I saw more dogs being walked than butterflies. Number of dogs = 6, number of butterflies = 1 (It was a Speckled Wood)

But other stuff was:

Nemophora degeerella moths

Brown Silver-line moth

A Scorpion Fly

And a White-tailed Bumble Bee having a nap on a Buttercup!

[Wurzel]

Great shot of the Blood-vein Ernie I reckon you might do okay with the Hairstreaks if you can find them low down they can be quite accommodating?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You're certainly making the most regarding what's available to you, ernie.

At this time of year, we shouldn't be having to defer to day-flying moths, but that said, it's handy to have an interest in them for those occasions when the sun is on strike and the temperatures travel back in time to mid-April!!

[ernie f]

14th June 2019, 3.45-4.15 pm, 60% cloud, 17 degrees, breezy

For the last three days if it hasn't been raining it's been threatening to. Today at last the sun broke through. I spent 1/2 hour at Broxhead Heath in pursuit of Silver-studded Blues. It's been so atrocious they had not emerged here so far when they ought to have done so by this time of year.

You know when you go somewhere with hope but no expectation? That was me at Broxhead today.

When the cloud came over and the breeze picked up I wondered what the hell I was doing here at all.

Then I saw one. Yes, only one - but the conditions meant it wasn't going anywhere. I took a few shots then I thought, I know, I'll sever the heather frond it was roosting on and see if it stays. It did for a while so I took more pics and got really in close. It got fed up with me doing that so it flew, but to my amazement it landed on my camera. I edged it onto my finger and got a finger shot, then it flew onto my jumper - so I got a jumper shot. Finally I edged it back onto my finger and placed it back on a heather frond.

Nothing else there today except quite a lot of bees collecting nectar from the heather. There were so many I guessed they may have come from a local bee-keeper's hive.

[millerd]

Hi Ernie - just caught up with your diary, including those Glanvilles from way back on 2nd. That was a great morning, wasn't it, and good to meet you at last. Also good to see the SSB are out now - we just need some sunshine to tempt me out to see them!

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

That's the great thing about butterflying Ernie - it only takes one butterfly to make the day Lovely set of shots - especially like the close up and on the finger - both would be welcome additions to my 'collections'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Dave - Yes, it was a great day with the Glanville's, it was good to talk to you. It seems such a long time ago already. Sunshine! Ah, yes - I remember that.

Wurzel - SSB's are here at last (well, just the one) that day but still - it means for me that summer is here. Even though we have the temperature and showers of April. (As I recall in April we had the temperature and sun of June).

[ernie f]

16th June 2019, 1.15-1.45 pm, Broxhead Heath, Full cloud, 16 degrees, breeze and drizzle

Do I get a gold star for dedication to butterflying? Going out in drizzle!

My count of Silver-studded Blues DOUBLED today. I got a Grand Total of two!

Conditions meant they kept their wings tightly closed like the other day.

I recently bought myself a cheap UV torch and carry around with me in my camera bag. The idea was to see if shining it on butterfly wings would reveal anything special (like I might have expected from the Whites). I tried it on a couple of species but even in cloud mostly the sunlight is too much for anything to show up. I had the idea today to see if I shone the UV light on one SSB, maybe it would be fooled into thinking the sun had come out and open its wings for me.

Within a couple of seconds of shining the torch on it this happened!

This is the picture in natural light after I had used the torch.

By juggling camera and torch I was able to keep the UV light on the tops of its wings AS I took a picture and I got this...

Same butterfly, a bit blurred, but it's almost as if you can see through the upper wings to some of the markings it has underneath.

I was well chuffed.

The UV torch was in my left hand so the effect is greater on the left wings of the butterfly.

[Wurzel]

Definite marks for dedication Ernie Useful little trick I wonder if it only works on those butterflies that regularly open their wings or would it work on Hairstreaks - it would be great if it did I wonder how the butterfly is detecting UV - possibly seeing into that end of the spectrum like bees can?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Do I get a gold star for dedication to butterflying? Going out in drizzle!

My count of Silver-studded Blues DOUBLED today. I got a Grand Total of two!

Conditions meant they kept their wings tightly closed like the other day.

Yes you do, ernie. At worst you'll see the same total as you would if you remained at home.

That's an interesting experiment regarding the UV torch. I guess it would work best in early spring?