millerd

[trevor]

A definite mrgreen for that pristine White Admiral.
Especially that final shot, a classic pose. Nice Purple Hairstreak underside shot.

They are all looking worn or tatty now,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Butterfly shots Dave, the White Admiral looks really pristine, I didn't realise they'd been out so long, so glad I found one when I did here.Goldie

[millerd]

It is an odd one, Pauline, even taking account of the camera angle. The sex brand looks like a deep scar almost right through the wing.

Cheers, Trevor - that White Admiral was far more intent on a bit of nectaring than bothering with me standing over it. Considering how flighty and nervy they can be most of the time, I considered myself quite lucky.

Yes, Goldie, they've been around near enough a month now, and most are torn and tired. However, there seems to have been a prolonged emergence (possibly caused by that spell of cool weather in June) of several species - including SWF, White Admirals and Purple Emperors as well. This means there are some fresh-looking ones still around as well.

Thankfully, Sunday 30th June was not so hot, and more conducive to going out. I started off as I so often do with a morning walk around my local patch. Nearly half the 70-odd butterflies I saw were Meadow Browns, but I managed a pretty reasonable 15 different species today though with Small Skippers being the only other one in appreciable numbers.

female

male

There were however some notable finds, including my first Ringlet here this year. For such a common butterfly they are never numerous on this site and it's always reassuring to discover them every year.

The run of Marbled Whites continued, with just one seen again, though not in the same spot as the others I'd seen earlier.

There were also one or two brand new individuals of a few common species, showing how stunningly attractive these can sometimes be - this amazingly yellow female Green-veined White for instance...

...or this Red Admiral.

The new male GVW was not so spectacular...

...and a Small White even less so.

The trip wouldn't have been complete without a Comma...

...or a Holly Blue, though this one must be the last of the spring brood, surely.

It's never dull round here...

Dave

[millerd]

With the afternoon of 30th June looking to continue fine and increasingly warm again, a breezy hillside might be just the place, so I went north for a change, up to Aston Rowant. As I expected there were lots of Marbled Whites flying, with nearly as many Meadow Browns - plus Small Skippers (I didn't find any Essex), Small Heaths, Small Whites, Red Admirals, a Small Tortoiseshell and a few Painted Ladies.

Also whizzing about in their usual mad fashion were a dozen or so Dark Green Fritillaries. As the afternoon wore on, they started to settle a bit and nectar on the bramble beds at the bottom of the slopes. If the sun went in, they would find shelter amongst the leaves, and as I've noticed before they have a knack of finding others of their species and congregating in loose groups of three or four. In tracking one to the ground I've often disturbed several at once, ending up with none to photograph at all.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Lovely stuff Dave That Green-veined White is stunning even if it is a 'only a tiny bit Green-veined White' Lucious Red Admirals as well, although the Holly Blue does look a lot like I feel at the moment
Cracking DGFs - they're cracking looking butterflies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Monday 1st July, and Chiddingfold beckoned once more. Would there be Emperors on the track at last?

The answer was in the positive, though my photographic efforts were minimal and nothing special. I know I did spend a lot of time chatting again! It was a very sociable morning.

I see a White Admiral joined in the feasting on the ground too.

Dave

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - that GVW was exceptionally lemony and looked very yellow in flight, to the extent of me wondering what it was to start with. And you can't beat the velvet blackness of a fresh Red Admiral...

A quick afternoon stroll around a bit of my local patch later on 1st July threw up nothing exceptional today. Another Marbled White and a Small Tortoiseshell perhaps stand out.

Still only Small Skippers with no Essex yet to confuse. I did check...

Dave

[millerd]

Tuesday 2nd July, and Chiddingfold it was again. Another extremely sociable day and this time many more photos were taken.

Not just of Emperors either. Along with the Silver-washed Fritillaries, a female Dark Green was spotted. Apparently, this species is seen most years in these woods, but only in very small numbers. It was the first I'd seen here, certainly.

The SWF were starting to change behaviour a bit, coming down to take minerals from the track and nearby as well as nectaring on the bramble. I managed to observe this bit of behaviour pretty closely, with the butterfly becoming totally engrossed. Though mostly in the shade...

...it did eventually emerge into sunlight, still sucking up the salts it needed.

White Admirals quite often do this, and one quite fresh one was a case in point, allowing shots of that colourful underside.

However, the main event once again was the coming to ground of a Purple Emperor, this time affording us all some better views.

Dave

[David M]

Always nice to see a grounded Emperor, Dave, but that White Admiral on the stone path gives it a run for its money. Lovely specimen.

[Wurzel]

Brilliant set of images Dave As David says that WA does give the Emperor a close run for its money

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, both - I've had a decent run with White Admirals this year and there have been some nice individuals.

The thing about grounded Emperors is that generally by late lunchtime, the excitement is over and there is the rest of the day to carry on and see something else. So later on 2nd July, I headed first for Denbies to see if there were any early Chalkhills out. I seached in vain - the hillside still largely belonged to the Marbled Whites. I did however see a new Small Copper in the usual spot at along the western side of Steers Field...

...and there were lots of Small Skippers around.

On the main slopes, I did manage to spot a few female DGF, but they never stopped for a second anywhere nearby. The highlight of the visit though was a mating pair of Marbled Whites, which allowed views from several angles clearly showing the marked difference in colour and markings between the sexes of what isn't just a "black-and-white" species at all.

Dave

[millerd]

It was turning into a fine evening, so I scurried from Denbies over to Box Hill (sadly too late for a NT cup of tea) to see if the DGF over there were calmer than those at Denbies. They were, somewhat, and the odd bits of cloud around sent them down into the grass. Annoyingly, when shaded like this, they had a tendency to shiver slightly which is apparently a warming mechanism but leads to blurred photos. I found a particularly new female that was particularly prone to this and provided not a single clear shot.

The males were somewhat better, but there were a few quivery wingtips.

As I'd seen before at Aston Rowant, there was a tendency to settle in small groups.

In the end, I spotted a near-immaculate individual basking in the late sunshine on a bit of shrub well off the ground - completely immobile.

That would have made a good end to the day, but there were one or two other little extras: a Small Tortoiseshell(I've been recording as many of these as I can since they are so thin on the ground these days);

My first Gatekeeper of 2019

Another Marbled White pairing

Finally, one or two more Marbled Whites, with a perfect male...

...and the underside of a female with more subtle colours.

That really was the end of the day - getting on for seven o'clock.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Some lovely shots there Dave, especially the Marbled White, Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

What a cracking Day you had there Dave with an enviable selection of species

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

That's a lovely dusky Copper Dave and some luscious Marbs and DGFs - the evening is the best time for them, the golden glow sets of their gingerness a treat

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Some sublime images in your recent posts, Dave, and I feel a bit guilty for overlooking the obvious candidates and saying that your abnormally vivid yellow Green Veined White is the most striking amongst the smorgasbord you've presented.

I'd love to see one marked like that!

[millerd]

Thank you all - it's been quite a few days, with lots of variety. That GVW did stand out as unusual, considering it's one of the commoner species amongst all those I've been seeing.

Wednesday 3rd July was a day off from Chiddingfold, with just a local trip out. Noteable today were the numbers of Small and Essex Skippers, allowing some contrasting shots...

spot the difference!

...and the return of new Common Blues. I'm not sure the first brood was even quite finished!

Another Small Tortoiseshell...

...and a lone Ringlet amongst many many Meadow Browns.

Dave

[millerd]

The mornings of 4th and 5th July were both once again spent in convivial company down in the woods of Chiddingfold, teasing this year's reluctant Purple Emperors down to the ground. We had hoped for better things as the weather had become a bit more humid as well as sunny which the consensus was that this is more conducive to this kind of sighting. On both days we were rewarded with sightings, but as earlier in the week, only small numbers. Writing this a few weeks later the memory blurs a bit, but on one day I particularly remember Andrew and I following an Emperor for some considerable distance along the track as it touched down for a few teasing seconds at a time - long enough for us to catch up, but not enough to even get the camera out. It keeps you fit...

A few shots from both days:

There would be one more trip down here to visit the Imperial court, a bit later on.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Some cracking shots Dave, I love the Emperor shots , I've not managed to see one so far, bit late now I think, so it's great to see yours Goldie

[millerd]

Thanks, Goldie. It takes a bit of perseverance but it's always worth it in the end.

I tried an early start down on the North Downs on Saturday 6th July, to beat a promised change in the weather and also to try and catch a few butterflies waking up. I started at Box Hill, and was greeted before I even reached Burford Spur by a White Admiral breakfasting on the brambles by the old fort.

Out on the slopes, though, everything was already largely supercharged, and I was lucky to get a single shot of a DGF.

Looking towards London, you could see the weather poised to move down from the north.

After a coffee, I popped over to Denbies, where it was much the same story. I did get some shots of what I think may have been the same Small Copper in Steers Field that I encountered last time.

The clouds soon caught up with me and I returned home. The now rather dull conditions meant I didn't see too much, but I managed a shot of one of the few remaining Painted Ladies...

...and one of the small number of Ringlets that can be found here.

Dave