millerd

[millerd]

In amongst all the other Aristocratic Nymphalid splendour on show over the five days was a single Peacock. A month earlier, this species had been the most numerous, but all the others had now apparently disappeared into hibernation, probably into the sheds and outhouses down the garden.

Dave

[millerd]

Easy to overlook in some ways were the Large and Small Whites. There were more of the latter - unless you counted caterpillars, in which case there were overwhelmingly more Large Whites. They had made a complete mess of the nasturtiums in some areas.

Earlier breeding had led to there being many chrysalids attached to various parts of the house.

There were also empty shells where previous adults had hatched. With butterflies still flying and eggs still being laid, all stages were easy to find at the same time. Small Whites were easier to photograph - their larger relatives stayed mostly higher up on the buddleia and were very restless.

Dave

[millerd]

To conclude the Yorkshire adventures, there were the Red Admirals.

Their numbers appeared to gradually increase, but then on the last couple of days they seemed to have disappeared. However, this was not the case - they had just discovered the fallen fruit from the Victoria plum tree rotting in the grass, and considered this far better fare than mere buddleia nectar.

Overall, it was like going back in time for these few days - a buddleia full of glorious butterfly colour!

Dave

[Wurzel]

A stunning sequence Dave though I reckon the final image is the take away shot - almost sums it up! I find it hard sometimes to work out why some of the commonest species are also the most dazzling whilst people have to go to great lengths to see rare little brown jobs

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel. I know it has often been said, but if any of those species were truly rare, we would travel a long way to see them for certain.

Back on home turf again on Sunday 1st September. Nothing too surprising, but there was a very new Small Copper flying...

...and there were Commas around (something I hadn't seen in my sister's garden at all).

a female I think, with less jagged edges...

...and by contrast, a male

One particular point of interest was seeing a very scruffy and pale Painted Lady fluttering around in the undergrowth - a closer look revealed she had laid an egg on a low-growing mallow plant.

A selection of some of the rest:

Dave

[Wurzel]

Lovely Small Copper Dave and the Painted Lady has one set of blue pupils in the hind wing eyes Interesting observation of the sexual dimorphism in the Commas - I'd noticed that some were more 'pointy' than others but hadn't twigged that it could have been down to gender

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel. The Painted Lady was very new, and had a sheen across its wings at certain angles to the light. I hadn't noticed the extra blue spots, though - I've seen this before, though it doesn't seem to crop up very often.

I only read this recently about distinguishing the sexes of Commas. It seems to hold for both broods too if I remember rightly.

With lots more sunshine, I took a trip up to Aston Rowant later in the day on 1st September. I was hoping that one or two Clouded Yellows might have found their way here, as it is a spot they have favoured in other years - but no luck today. However, there were still plenty of (mostly a bit worn) Silver-spotted Skippers still on the wing.

This last one actually looked completely new.

There were some late Chalkhills, definitely showing their age...

competing with an Adonis on a carline thistle

...but some of the Adonis were much fresher.

There was some courtship...

...and I found one example of ab. krodeli - or a close approximation. Reduced underside spotting certainly.

Also flying were numbers of weary-looking Brown Argus, one or two Common Blues, plus Small Whites, Small Heaths and Meadow Browns.

Dave

[Wurzel]

"I only read this recently about distinguishing the sexes of Commas." Certainly a useful little trick Dave -I'll have to give it a try the next time I come across a Comma, luckily there still might be a little time left to do so this season
That Silver Spot does look in fine fettle - which means that they have a pretty long flight period - must be a Skipper thing?
You also do alright for ab. krodeli - I think I've only ever seen 2, one of which was with you at the Hill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

The Skipper looked unusually fresh for the time of the season - but they do go on for a while. I saw a very battered individual at Denbies yesterday (20th September) which will no doubt be posted here at some future date...

I seem to find the krodeli ab. at one site or another almost every year, Wurzel. As with this one, there often seems to be some other congenital wing damage.

Monday 2nd September. Between getting the car serviced and successfully MOT'd, I found time for one of my regular counts on my local patch:

Green-veined White 22
Small White 19
Speckled Wood 8
Common Blue 8
Brown Argus 7
Red Admiral 7
Painted Lady 7
Small Heath 7
Large White 5
Meadow Brown 5
Small Copper 2
Holly Blue 2
Comma 2

There really had been a sudden upswing in GVW numbers with the new brood apparently emerging all at once.

No other surprises, though interestingly this was the last day I have seen Meadow Browns here this year.

As ever, a selection of what was on offer:

almost managing to be camouflaged

another bright new example

to compare with all the GVW, a strongly marked female

a nice new example

wings tight shut in the strong sunshine

On Tuesday 3rd September, I only had a very short trip out, but managed a rare shot of a Large White...

...plus a Small White couple with the female rebuffing an over-eager male.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff again Dave I was out myself this weekend and there are still one or two 'fresh' looking butterflies about though they're getting fewer and farther between
Am I right in thinking that Comma is male - just trying out the ID trick

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Could be, Wurzel... Admittedly it's easier when there's one of each in front of you to see the subtle difference!

There are still new butterflies about three weeks on from the events covered by this diary - I shall get there in he end! Meanwhile, back to Thursday 4th September. Mornings are distinctly cooler now as you might expect so I delayed going out a bit. First stop was at Fairmile Common, just on the off chance that there might be a rogue second brood SSB as there was here last year. No luck, but I did have a long chat with the chap from the local council who leads the management of the site. There were a few butterflies - notably Small Coppers, doing well on the abundance of sheep's sorrel growing here.

Also seen were a scattering of Small Heaths and one or two faded Brown Argus.

Next stop on 4th was just down the road at Bookham for one last search for Brown Hairstreaks. Warmer and sunnier by the time I arrived, it wasn't very long before the familiar figure of Bugboy came in sight, clearly determined on a similar mission. Today, our combined resources did the trick and we found two (possibly three?) different female Hairstreaks.

Hopefully the site will have recovered a bit next year from the loss of one of the principal blackthorn hedgerows - at least there were a few butterflies around in the end.

Dave

[bugboy]

After so many failed attempts I felt like we were almost tripping over the little blighters that day, and there were no Gatekeepers getting in the way to which was a bonus

[David M]

Better late than never with the Hairstreaks, Dave. In fact, for the first week in September they're actually quite presentable looking.

Where were they all in August?

[Wurzel]

Congrats on the Brostreaks Dave They aren't too shabby for September though I don't know why I'm surprised at that as when I started butterflying I used to leave seeking the Brostreaks until the very end of August and I can remember some flight charts showing them almost into October Looking for them at the end of July is, for me, a relatively new habit Lovely Small Coppers too, although they probably won't get much of a look in with the Brostreaks hogging the limelight

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

It was a bit of a welcome change, Buggy, after so many blanks drawn at Bookham this season.

Cheers, David and Wurzel - I've lost track of what those Hairstreaks were up to this year, but it was good to see them again, even if it was September.

No more of them now, but there will be plenty of Coppers in the posts ahead.

For the next few days I stayed local, with the weather not being that brilliant, and no definite targets out elsewhere just yet. Things here were gradually on the decline, as might be expected, but as ever there were one or two points of interest among the outings on 5th, 7th and 8th of September (6th was one of those "blank" days - which are actually rather rare).

First of all was a puddling Holly Blue - not a rarity you might think, but instead of the fresh male I expected, this one turned out to be a worn female. This does seem unusual behaviour...

Nice new Commas brightened things up...

...along with the ubiquitous Painted Ladies.

One was spotted cleaning its proboscis after a long stint of nectaring on the buddleia.

There were some fairly fresh Small Coppers around...

...and a selection of Whites.

I found some Common Blues, possibly a new brood or maybe just some late ones from the summer emergence.

The Brown Argus were certainly not that new.

Just a few Red Admirals...

...and one or two Small Heaths.

Today's guest moth spot goes to this one: The Box Tree Moth.

This is an attractive, but rapidly spreading pest species which is capable of ruining many hours of careful topiary. I have found an infestation very close by and will post more on this separately.

Dave

[David M]

Today's guest moth spot goes to this one: The Box Tree Moth.......This is an attractive, but rapidly spreading pest species which is capable of ruining many hours of careful topiary. I have found an infestation very close by and will post more on this separately.

Yes, Dave. It has done great damage to the area where we stay in the Mercantour in the French Alps. The damn things are like a plague, flying by day as well as by night. There aren't enough predators to check their numbers and the wild box trees have been decimated.

I sincerely hope we don't suffer a similar invasion in Britain.

[millerd]

...It has done great damage to the area where we stay in the Mercantour in the French Alps. The damn things are like a plague, flying by day as well as by night. There aren't enough predators to check their numbers and the wild box trees have been decimated.

I sincerely hope we don't suffer a similar invasion in Britain.

Unfortunately, David, I think we already have. Once people start to realise what's happening to their carefully manicured hedges, it will be too late. However, I don't know how wild trees and bushes are faring (at Box Hill for instance - the name is no coincidence), but this is a real threat to them.

As I mentioned, I will start a separate thread on this subject and include my local discoveries.

Tuesday September 10th: After several days at home, my itchy feet took me down to Denbies for another late summer look and the hope of a Clouded Yellow or two. Yet again, they hadn't appeared, but the remaining population of blue butterflies was some compensation. First of all, there were still Chalkhills flying - their season is quite an extended one compared to their near relatives. I think these two were females (so tricky with both on the wing together with a high degree of wear).

Most of the males were distinctly tatty...

...but amazingly one or two were really quite fresh in appearance.

There were far more Adonis, but only one or two of the females actually looked new.

The males were definitely showing signs of wear, but had taken on the characteristic deepening of their blue colour that comes with age.

I found one congenital aberration - not quite a krodeli...

The Blues were the main attraction, but a rather splendid Small Copper was also flying...

....and one of the many Small Heaths was quite striking too.

There was even a brand new Comma, a telltale splodge of meconium on the leaf below it.

Late summer - or early autumn? Elements of both.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That is a late Chalkhill Dave I wonder why he'd slept in? That is a lovely looking Small Heath with those little white spots It's a shame the Box Tree Moth is as attractive as it is - it' so much easier to dislike invasive pest species when they're obnoxious

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

A male Chalkhill looking newer than the Adonis was a bit of a turnup, Wurzel: the latest one of the year quite probably. Small Heaths were numerous across the hillside, as they have been all year from the end of April. I think Denbies must be the best site I know for them, and this one looked to be a newly-emerged specimen.

The Box Tree Moth has a different colour variant which is if anything subtly more attractive - as you'll see in forthcoming installments...

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

Box moths have arrived in Essex the last couple of years-my neighbours hedge has gone from green to bare within weeks.

I have tried feeding the caterpillars to robins-they don’t seem interested!