ernie f

[ernie f]

Wurzel, David - It's very strange. The fact that it was such a dramatic drop in SSB numbers at Broxhead this year and it affected the males far more than the females. Last year the numbers were good but the same as a previous year that I did a survey so I do not think it was just that last years figures were exceptionally good - it's certainly more likely that this years figures were worse. Plus - if Wurzel's site in Wiltshire had a good year, it's doubly odd (Wiltshire being next door to Hampshire). If overall climate is part of the reason it cannot be the whole reason. I agree it's more likely to be local issues of some kind but it's not something that is very obvious when you visit Broxhead. The place looked no different from usual. Last years heat may have impacted the ant population here which may explain the overall drop in numbers but not the disparity between the male and female numbers. I am still a little flummoxed by it.

[ernie f]

20th July 2019, Straits Enclosure, 1.30-2.30pm, mostly sunny, 22 degrees, after a day and night of almost continuous rain

Possibly my last visit to this site for this year - I felt like I was closing down a chapter. Change is in the air. I saw only one fading White Ad and one fading Pstreak and no P Emps, but as mid summer moves into late summer it was marked by seeing 4 Peacock, a Holly Blue and a Brimstone. Also Large Skips and Meadow Browns fading out, while there were far more Small and Large Whites.

Others today were Small Skip, Comma, Red Ad, Ringlet and Gatekeeper, SW Frits

Outgoing...

Incoming...

[ernie f]

21st Jul 2019, 8-8.30am, Magdalen Hill, 15 degrees, Full Sun turning abruptly to Full Cloud at 8.30

Another day – a change of scene. Mag Hill can get Chalkhill Blues in the hundreds as can its neighbour, St Catherine’s Hill. Just a few miles away at Old Winchester Hill there can be thousands! Guess how many I saw today?

One!

But it was a good one. I had come early hoping to get a close-up pic of one roosting and what I got was a series of pics of one very fresh male basking and feeding. I had a window of opportunity of about 30 minutes before the cloud set in. After that, apart from 1 Peacock, 1 Small Skip, 1 Marbled White and a handful of Meadow Brown – all was very still.

[Wurzel]

Good to see you got aChalkhill Ernie - bit one is definitely better than none and what a one Are they later emerging this year? Really interesting final shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You did right to get there early, ernie. I'm sure numbers will increase rapidly but in the meantime you had an audience with one admirably mint-fresh specimen.

[millerd]

A very nice Chalkhill, Ernie. There should be few more soon, as they are well and truly out at Denbies and at Aston Rowant, though perhaps in fewer numbers than usual on both sites.

Cheers,

Dave

[ernie f]

Wurzel, David, Dave - I am sure over the next few days we shall witness an eruption of Chalkhill Blues around here as we are getting proper summer weather now.

[ernie f]

23rd July 2019, 8-10am, Folly Hill (Caesar's Camp), Full Sun, 18-23 degrees

The other day I went to Magdalen Hill early, wanting to get close-up pics of Chalkhill Blues, and luckily I got one – but only one. Yet again, another species starting a bit later in the year than it normally does around here.

Today I went to Folly Hill with the same idea – to get a close-up of a Grayling. This time though I wondered if any would be flying there yet. I need not have worried. I found eleven without trying very hard and was early enough for them to stay still long enough for close-ups. By 10 am, at 23 degrees there was no chance, they were far too active, the males sparring regularly when they got too close to one another.

It never ceases to amaze me how well they can hide in plain sight. More than once I nearly stepped on one on the path!

When I got too close and disturbed them, they did their usual trick of flying round my back and landing directly behind me but I have sussed that trick now and spotted it every time they did it. However one clever little b****r, did it twice in succession and as I twirled round to look behind me I glimpsed it had taken off again and so I continued to twirl round - it ended up back in front of me again and landed pretty much on the spot from where it took off in the first place!

Also seen today at Folly Hill – 1 P Lady, 1 S Copper, 1 L White, 1 L Skip, 2 S Skip, 1 E Skip, 2 S White, 2 Peacock and 1 DG Frit (surprisingly for a heath, although it seemed to be just flying through). Also I cannot be sure but in the grassy area at the back I thought I saw a Small Blue – if it was not then I can’t think what it could have been.

All pics today are of the Grayling though.

[ernie f]

24th July 2019, 9.30-11am, Noar Hill, Full Sun 23-28 degrees

4 Brim, 4 Peacock, 3 L&S White, 1 L Skip, 9 S Skip (of which some prob Essex but didn’t check)
2 Red Ad, 6 M White, 1 GV White, 2 Sp Wd, 1 S Heath, 2 Cm Blue (M&F), G&R&MB
2 DG Frit - a male pursuing a female.

Also a Shaded Broad-bar moth...

...and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Not the best shot in the world and heavily cropped too, but my first of its snout-end.

[Wurzel]

Great set of shots Ernie Grayling for me are probably the most entertaining butterflies, you can really interact with them unlike other species They certainly give me the run around

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Wurzel - Yes, Grayling can be fun to watch and at times you seem to be in the centre of it all as they flit around you.

[ernie f]

25th July 2019, 7.15-9.30am, Folly Hill, Full Sun, 20-27 degrees, slight breeze

So on a day that was forecast to be the hottest July day on record with temperatures touching perhaps 38 or even 39 degrees in the south-east I thought I had better get out early and just as well I did because I was on site by 7.15 and it was already 20 degrees in the sun.

I decided to go to the spot where for the past two years the Grayling had been at their best. For a while I roamed, searched and found nothing. Then near the main entrance path I disturbed one and it flew off. A little later, ditto. Bother. But then one came to the ground for a while. Nice. But then it, too flew but I saw it go and it went quite some way. Luckily I was able to follow it and I arrived at the very spot I had originally set out from. This tree.

At this place I had found none at all between 7.15 am and 8.30 am but now, at 8.30 am I found five. It seems they had slowly been making their way to this spot from their roosts. At one point I saw all five at once. Three males were in the air sparring together while two were on the ground beneath (spectators?). A moment later two were sparring, then they split and one got entangled in a bout with another that flew up to engage him. It was all very boisterous.

One was feeding from the heather and would move one of his forewings independently of the other. Was he doing this to keep balance in the slight breeze?

One landed on my shoe.

Then one landed on my arm momentarily (twice). Then on my shoe again, then my T-shirt and repeatedly on my trousers. In fact one seemed to like me so much that he chose me to be his ally in battle. He would land on my trousers, use me as a look-out tower, chase off any other butterfly he saw from that vantage point then came back to land on my trousers again. I lost count how many times this happened but it had to be at least half a dozen.

As time wore on, there were fewer and fewer near this tree. Each time one broke away I followed it and each time they would cross over some sandy ground before finally pushing-off for good. This sandy ground was an open round expanse encircled by heather, gorse and young pines. It reminded me of an arena and it only then dawned on me that what I had found was Grayling lek.

At 9.30 am only one Grayling remained. The pine tree which is the main focus of all this activity is on a slight mound so I called him the “King of the Hill”.

The King of the Hill

There was an interloper working the grasses on the periphery of the Grayling lekking “arena”. He was a Small Copper.

Busy doing repeated “stalk-walks” down various grass and plant stems. He kept himself very much to himself and was never chased by a Grayling while I watched. The Grayling seemed to find it more fun to chase the Gatekeepers or each other all the time.

[Wurzel]

Interesting description of the behaviour Ernie - from reading it I think I found a 'lek' when I visited my site Great set of shoe and trouser shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Glad you got your Grayling 'fix', ernie. They're wonderful butterflies, constantly interested in we humans (and with a penchant for blue jeans too!)

Going early was a good move - this species is notoriously tricky in warm weather.

[ernie f]

Thanks guys. Its nice to have a Grayling site no more than 10 miles from me. There are heaths closer to me but they don't seem to attract this species.

[ernie f]

29th July 2019, 3-4 pm, St Catherine's Hill, Mostly sunny, 23 degrees

A short trip here today. I only visited one small part but it was very clear the Chalkhills were finally out in force with quite a few females in the mix too. Also Common and Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Comma, Small and Large Skips (fading a bit by now), S&L White, Brim, Peacock.

The late summer bunch (SS Skip/Adonis/Clouded Yellow) were not yet in evidence here but it can only be a few days wait now.

[trevor]

Some lovely Graylings there Ernie. They look very fine on Heather.
The one posing on a Heather stem is a gem of a shot.

Trevor.

[ernie f]

Thanks, Trevor - Grayling are a fun butterfly to be with aren't they?

[ernie f]

31st July 2019, 9.30-10.30 am, Noar Hill, 80% cloud, 17 degrees, keen breeze

I did not actually get as far as the reserve proper today. I spent the entire hour standing in front of the Brown Hairstreak Master Tree (A Beech) on the bridlepath side of the first entrance gate to the reserve.

While there I saw: L Skip, SW Frit, Sp Wd, M Brown, GKeeper, Red Ad, S White, Yellow Shell and three male Brown Hairstreaks.

I first saw the hairstreaks all in flight at the same time but only for a moment. After that it was one at a time. They never came down while I was there, remaining in the middle section of the tree all the while. However I managed to get a couple of record shots but these are on 60x magnification and then cropped afterwards so they are not my best Brostreak pics by any means. But it's great to seem them again - my first this year.

Yellow Shell

[Goldie M]

Hi! ernie, great shots of the Graylings, I've to travel to Southport Dunes to see them next this year I'm afraid, so it's good to see yours Goldie