Maximus

[Pauline]

Hey, Mike, I saw that Chalkhill earlier this week. I thought I was imagining things! I didn't get a shot as it flew into thick vegetation and as I only had shorts on and have already taken 4 ticks off me this week ........... Really glad you got that shot. How d'you think it got there?

[Maximus]

Hi Pauline, i'm not sure where the nearest Chalkhill Blue site to Noar Hill is!

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots of the Painted Ladies Mike The Brostreaks don't seem to be playing ball yet this year, there's still hope though, last year I was still seeing females in good nick on 25th August - fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice find with the Chalkhill, Mike. Lovely, vibrant Clouded Yellows in your earlier post too.

[millerd]

I'm very envious of the Clouded Yellows, Mike. They look pretty fresh too. Fingers crossed a few more turn up later towards the end of the summer. Chalkhills do range out a bit, but it only seems to be the more obvious males. Females would probably go unnoticed. Noar Hill is chalk of course so as long as there is horseshoe vetch, colonisation is possible.

Cheers,

Dave

[Maximus]

Thanks,Wurzel, the Brostreaks are definitely not playing ball but you're right, there is still hope

The Chalkhill was unexpected, David, as were the Clouded Yellows

It was just right time right place, Dave, for the CY's, they'll probably be around well into November There may be some horseshoe vetch on the south side of Noar, near the stone circle.




21 st August

Another trip to Noar today, to look for that ‘needle in a haystack’ the Brown Hairstreak. We scoured the site looking in all the usually reliable places, but once again we drew a blank. They really do appear to be a bit thin on the ground this year! We moved on to another area and I went off to look in a side pit while Cathy looked elsewhere. Having no luck, I retraced my steps until I found Cathy again. When I got closer she quietly called me over as she had found a Brown Hairstreak nectaring on some hemp agrimony. When I joined her I could see the beautiful fresh female which she had found.

She was reluctant to open her wings, and then only to this degree!

The BH was very easy going, but it was not easy to get a good shot as firstly the wind was blowing the flower all over the place, and also she had her head buried deep in the blooms most of the time. She stayed nectaring for at least an hour, giving some other enthusiasts a chance to get some shots.
The site was very quiet on the butterfly front, which was rather surprising given the wealth of nectar sources! During our search we found plenty of Brimstones nectaring, in the usual place.

This one appeared to have some extra underwing markings, something I’ve not noticed before.


We also found a few Common Blues(male and female), Small Heaths, Brown Argus, Small and Large Whites and a couple of Red Admirals and Peacocks. Nice finally catching up with you P.

[trevor]

Lovely Brown Hairstreak, Mike. You are right they do seem rather scarce this year.
I've only seen two so far this season.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

That is a lovely Brostreak Mike At Shipton they've been in reasonable numbers - slightly less than usual but they're just not coming down as much as they have done in previous years and you have to really put the legwork in to get something Hopefully it was something to do with last seasons weather and they'll bounce back next year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice find with the Brown Hairstreak, Mike. They DO appear to be about in fewer numbers this year. Not quite sure why that might be.

Great that you saw plenty of Brimstones too. I see loads in spring here in south Wales but they're not a common sight in late summer.

[millerd]

A terrific Brown Hairstreak, Mike. I've never had much luck for them at Noar Hill in any season (only one butterfly in several years of looking) so that was a brilliant find. Brand spanking new, too.

Cheers,

Dave

[Maximus]

A belated thanks, chaps



This morning when my wife shouted up the stairs, “there’s a Red Admiral in the garden”, I was straight out of my sickbed and down the stairs like the proverbial rat up a drainpipe, grabbing a camera on the way out into the muddy quagmire that used to be our garden.

Sure enough this beauty was busy taking nectar from the verbena, making my effort of getting out there very worthwhile.

A couple of weeks ago I found this Painted Lady in our front garden, also nectaring on verbena, between the heavy showers on that day. She stayed feeding and resting for a while before finally disappearing - to the south I hope!

I also saw a male and female Brimstone in the garden on the same day, but alas no photos!

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of shots Mike - I can see why that Red Admiral had you racing out of your sick bed - cracking looking butterfly as was the Painted Lady Hope you an get to leave the sick bed soon

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Nice Red Admiral, Mike - enough to make you feel better all on its own I should think. The Painted Lady was a lovely individual as well.

All the best to you - I hope you are properly up and about before the season finally comes to an end.

Cheers,

Dave

[Maximus]

Thanks, Wurzel and Dave I've had a very bad bout of the flu which has lasted for almost three weeks Can't have a flu jab as I get very bad reaction to it



Lovely sunny day and I found two Red Admirals bushwacking each other in our front garden. Managed to get a shot of one basking in an unusual place.

Also saw a Large White which didn't stop, first one for ages.

[Wurzel]

Hope you're on the mend Mike. Cracking shots - I like it when butterflies pose on something a little different - it seems to make them even more attractive

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Seems like there is collective suffering on UKB right now - you, Trevor and ernie f have all been laid low lately.

Glad to know you were able to get up to see the Red Admiral. Hopefully it provided a temporary lift.

Here's wishing you well, Mike. Three weeks is a long time to be affected by flu'.

[Neil Freeman]

Sorry to hear that you have been ill Mike, hope you are on the mend now.

Cracking Red Admirals and Painted Ladies, does me good to see them and I haven't been ill

Cheers,

Neil.

[Maximus]

Thanks chaps, much appreciated


My first post for a long while and like most others we have been ‘confined to quarters’, apart from our daily walks and trips to the supermarket.

We decided to take our daily exercise at Noar Hill on Monday, as it looked like our last chance before the weather changed for the worst. It’s less than a thirty minute drive from us, although the roadworks on the A31 made it exactly 31 mins, door to door. However by the end of our visit we had clocked up almost 10,000 steps, in the five hours that we spent in this beautiful location. Hopefully this falls well within the government’s latest recommendations for time spent travelling versus time spent walking in the countryside.

Of course we wanted to see the Dukes, and they certainly didn’t disappoint, and we remarked that it was almost as if Covid-19 didn’t exist, such is the beauty and tranquility that prevails, at this most lovely of sites.

During our visit we only saw one other person with a camera (at a distance), and a couple walking along the adjoining footpath.

Noar Hill.

Walking up the lane and into the site we soon encountered our first Duke, perched on a Cowslip, a nice dusky individual..

Duke of Burgundy male.

And another just along the path..

Duke of Burgundy male.

And then a different butterfly landed in front of us,
which turned out to be a lovely Dingy Skipper.

Dingy Skipper male.

As we neared the end of the pit we found our first Duchess sitting low in the grass, what a stunner..

Duke of Burgundy female.

The pit where we found our first Dukes and Dingy Skipper.

We made our way up through the site finding some more Dukes along the way. When we reached the top pit I noticed two Dukes flying very close to one another, and, as luck would have it they both landed on a Blackthorn branch right in front of me at about chest height. I then realised that they were male and female and watched as the male bent his abdomen around and coupled with the female, without any kind of protest from her.

Male coupling with the female.

This is the first time I have witnessed the actual moment of coupling

The mating pair.

One thought I had on looking at the photos is that the female appears to have a very enlarged abdomen, and I wonder if she has already mated?
This was a real highlight.


Walking back down through the site we saw a flash of blue and managed a quick shot of a very fresh looking Common Blue, before it was disturbed by a bee and disappeared high into a tree and was lost from sight.

Common Blue male.

We only saw the one Common Blue as we did with the following..

Small Heath male.

We also found this Duchess, with a different ground colour to the others we saw..

Duke of Burgundy female.

What a fantastic way to spend a sunny afternoon, in the summertime

[Pauline]

I'm so pleased you managed to get there Mike - lovely image of the mating pair but as you say, not much courtship, is there? Did you manage to check for eggs?

[bugboy]

Very jealous of you being able to see them this year, some fantastic looking Dukes and Duchesses there . Hopefully whatever new normal we are left with next year allows us all to visit these sites again at our leasure