Janet Turnbull

[David M]

..David - thank you for the comparison picture. Do they normally occur together? Just to confuse things, this Blue was at a different location from the other Idas and was practically indistinguishable from the greyish background.P1410374 Is this an Idas Blue.jpg

Idas and SSB commonly occur together in the Alps, Janet. They share similar habitat.

By the way, that last image is of Cranberry Blue, a butterfly that's been on my hit list for a while.

Great sighting!

[Janet Turnbull]

By the way, that last image is of Cranberry Blue, a butterfly that's been on my hit list for a while.
Great sighting!

Wow - I'm made up! And to think I nearly overlooked it as a faded specimen..

[David M]

Wow - I'm made up! And to think I nearly overlooked it as a faded specimen..

So you should be, although it's principally a northern European butterfly whose distribution extends as far south as the Queyras region in France. It's not a common species that far south and I'd love to see it one day (perhaps a trip to Scandanavia might help!!)

[Janet Turnbull]

Back in Brexit Britain. The weather hasn't been great but today a friend and I went off to Wharfedale to recce a walk to take the group in a couple of weeks' time. Knowing my companion would want to do the walk and not get too sidetracked by butterflies, I only had a compact camera (lighter to carry, too) so although my photos were very limited today, it meant I could just enjoy the butterflies.
Along a stretch of the Dales Way fluttering among in the tall grass and thistles and basking on the stony path, were several Scotch Argus; they appeared a little faded, some were damaged, but of course the darkest, most handsome one did not want to be photographed.

The sun had not really made a full appearance at that point but by mid afternoon, as we passed it on the way back there were easily 50 Peacocks nectaring on the thistles. They were super fresh-out-of-the-box, bright and undamaged. Just by the chapel was a large buddleia bush on which it was hard to see the flowers, there were that many Peacocks on it. Easily 75-100. Half a dozen each of Red Admirals and Small Torts, one faded Painted Lady and one indeterminate white. Joan found a bench in the shade while I attempted to estimate what was one the bush. She isn't a great butterfly fan but even she had to admit the vast number of Peacocks was a sight to behold.
I was also thrilled to find a pair of courting Small Coppers although the only pics that turned out well was of this one

[millerd]

An interesting spot to find Scotch Argus, Janet. Accepted wisdom seems to suggest that there are now only two sites for this species in England, both in Cumbria (Arnside and Scardale Gill). To quote from the bit about Scotch Argus in the species list elsewhere on UKB:
"...A colony at Grassington in Mid-west Yorkshire, famous for a particular race that had reduced orange markings, became extinct in 1923..."
This is just a few miles south of where you were. Have they been reintroduced, I wonder?

Great to hear about the profusion of Peacocks too. They are having an excellent year, but down here in the south they have already gone into hibernation for the most part.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking shot of the Scotch Argus I didn't know that they were around up there Great to hear about the huge numbers of Peacocks as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Janet Turnbull]

Thanks, Dave and Wurzel - I checked on the Yorkshire BC branch and there is no rerecord of a sighting so I have sent the details to them. I wonder if it's a new colony!

[David M]

I've heard reports of this colony before and suspect it was an introduction. The butterflies, however, are in decent nick given the date - normally, they're on their last legs by the end of the second week of August.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Janet, Interesting find with the Scotch Argus.

Further to Daves (Millard) comments. I knew I had seen something somewhere about Scotch Argus at Grassington so had a look.

From 'The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland' - Thomas & Lewington.

' There were once several colonies in northern England, for example at Castle Eden Dene near Durham, at Fawden in Northumberland, and at Grassington in Yorkshire.
The Large Scotch Argus colony at Grassington was famous because it supported a highly distinctive race. The males had almost no orange on their upperwings, while that on the females was little more than on a normal male'

Have you had a response from Yorkshire BC yet?

Cheers,

Neil.

[Janet Turnbull]

Hi Janet, Interesting find with the Scotch Argus.

Have you had a response from Yorkshire BC yet?

Cheers,

Neil.

Hi Neil - Dave Ramsden, Recorder for the area, tells me there was an 'unofficial reintroduction' of Scotch Argus which appears to be doing reasonably well and expanding its range. The earliest record the local Recorder has is from 2011. He added that there has been no ongoing site maintenance for the species.
I don't know if it's supposed to be a secret so I have deleted the description of the exact spot!
Janet

[Goldie M]

Well spotted Janet!! I believe the Large Heath are being reintroduced into the Lancashire and Cheshire area's, Chester Zoo have got the caterpillars , where about 's, I'm not sure but some where in the Greater Manchester area which I'm in but I don't know where about yet and will wait to see if that's also a secret ( if I find out ) before saying where ,Goldie

[David M]

Well spotted Janet!! I believe the Large Heath are being reintroduced into the Lancashire and Cheshire area's, Chester Zoo have got the caterpillars , where about 's, I'm not sure but some where in the Greater Manchester area which I'm in but I don't know where about yet and will wait to see if that's also a secret ( if I find out ) before saying where ,Goldie

It's not a secret, Goldie. 150 larvae are being raised at Chester Zoo for release at two peat bogs where they used to occur some years ago:

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/l ... -cheshire/

[Janet Turnbull]

I remembered reading about that, Goldie but couldn't think where - so thanks Dave for finding it. Risley Moss is quite close to me so I'll make a point of looking for them!
Janet

[Janet Turnbull]

Visited Rixton Clay Pits yesterday. It was overcast but a few Painted Ladies and Small Torts flew up from the flowers as I went by. A patch of hemp agrimony held half a dozen nectaring Red Admirals, getting what they could before the rain came. At a signal they all decided to up sticks and disappeared, and not long afterwards the rain began. The information board was popular with the Common Darters who fancied themselves as life models.

I managed a few photos, mainly of Common Darters, but the midges won the day, delighted that I was wearing a short sleeved T-shirt, and sent me home.
Today I paid a return visit, more suitably dressed with two layers of long sleeves, and went back to the midge bowl where I was bitten several more times..
The sun brought out a few more butterflies but the hemp agrimony patch was bereft. A tired Comon Blue and an enormous hoverfly, enjoyed licking the fleabane and more Common Darters settled on the midge fence.

There is an oak wood near the car park and I spent a while scanning the trees for Hairstreaks, but there were none that I could see. Down at ground level was a huge fungus - could it be Chicken of the Woods?

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Janet - I reckon your Hoverfly is Volucella inanis and the fungus looks good for Chicken of the Wood Cracking Small Tort shot, a nicely dark one and I love the image of the Darter having an existential crisis, I just see it trying to work out "Who am I?"

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Always cover yourself when visiting wetlands! Nice to see a Red Admiral amongst the cast, Janet. I'm wondering where they've all gone to this year.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Janet, I'll have to look up Risley Moss , I've not a clue where that is Nice shot of the Tortoiseshell Janet Goldie

[Janet Turnbull]

Hi! Janet, I'll have to look up Risley Moss , I've not a clue where that is Nice shot of the Tortoiseshell Janet Goldie

Thanks, Goldie! Risley Moss is near the M62 at Warrington. I've never been but it looks as if it might be worth dicing with the satnav..! Janet

[Janet Turnbull]

The white buddleia in the garden has been in full flower for a month now, and has its own fan club of regular visitors; up to 5 Painted Ladies, 3 Red Admirals and a Small Tortoiseshell. A couple of Large Whites ignore it, preferring the purple flowers on the Loosestrife and what is left of the purple buddleia.
After the strong winds and rain yesterday I thought the butterflies would be done for, but this morning was calm and sunny if much cooler at only 9 degrees. As the temperature rose, two Red Ads, two PLs, a Small Tort and a Comma appeared.

And today I cut the grass. I'd left it since April to see what would happen; it grew and went to seed. It actually looked quite attractive but it was a bit impractical for a small garden.

We did get a visit from a Small Skipper which looked very much at home but it was only couch grass, not Yorkshire Fog. So a few days ago I strimmed the top layer of seed off, and today mowed it on the mower's highest setting, disturbing one of these moths in the effort - I've never been able to identify them.

A very long flying insect went scurrying across the path - it was about an inch long

Meanwhile on the bird feeder, there was a raiding party of 6 Long-tailed tits, hotly pursued by a company of Blue and Great tits!

[Jack Harrison]

I might try Purple Loosestrife again. I was successful with this basically riverside plant in a dry garden in Norfolk. How dry is your garden Janet?

Jack