September 2019

[aeshna5]

Badgerbob

We also saw a White Stork that probably came from the Knepp Estate

Do they breed there?

Superb photo Bob. The trailing edge "split flaps" are of great interest to this retired aviator.

Jack

They attempted to breed there this year but failed. Part of a re-introduction scheme, so the hope is they will in the future.

[David M]

...Best of all, my target for the day, Clouded Yellow, three sightings.

Good stuff, Gareth. Great that they've reached Wales this year....and we still have a few more days of perfect weather so there may well be more of them!

[David M]

Excellent numbers of butterflies on the south Gower coast on Saturday 14th.

Painted Ladies were well into three figures:

Small Whites 50+
Small Tortoiseshells 30+
Common Blue 15-20

Another bonus was seeing three different Clouded Yellows, two females and one male:

Also seen were a couple of Green Veined Whites, three Red Admirals, four Small Coppers, a Large White, a Speckled Wood and two Brown Argus.

[Ian Pratt]

Not strictly UK and I apologise in advance.Blue butterfly seen recently in SW France. Any ideas? Also, scarce swallowtail and Lang's short tailed blue.

[Allan.W.]

Amongst numerous Comma, today , in Orlestone forest Kent ,a single 2nd brood White Admiral ,nectaring on Devils -bit Scabious.
Allan.W.

[bugboy]

Just a little taster of something I saw down Sussex way today . Full details will be seen in my PD sometime next month!

[Ian Pratt]

Not strictly UK and I apologise in advance.Blue butterfly seen recently in SW France. Any ideas? Also, scarce swallowtail and Lang's short tailed blue.

Possible Chapman's blue?

[David M]

Just a little taster of something I saw down Sussex way today . Full details will be seen in my PD sometime next month!

I think that merits a change to your chronology, BB!

PDs don't necessarily have to be in strict chronological order.

[millerd]

What I take to be two second brood Peacocks seen today (22nd) on my local patch near Heathrow before the rain started. None has been seen here since July, and these two were absolutely fresh.

As a bonus, the first Clouded Yellow of 2019 also made an appearance on the site, taking the year's species total here to 26.

Full details and more photos to come in my PD in the fullness of time...

Dave

[David M]

More butterflies to report at Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula on Wednesday 18th September.

50+ Painted Ladies, 20-30 Small Tortoiseshells and maybe 40 or so Small Whites.

Only a handful of Red Admirals (they continue to be scarce this autumn):

A handful of ageing Common Blues and a solitary Brown Argus. One male Clouded Yellow refusing to settle. Four Large Whites, two male and two female:

A total of 7 Small Coppers, all of which bar one looked very fresh:

[MrSp0ck]

Monday 23rd September

At Hutchinsons Bank a pairing of Clouded Yellows and a Brown Hairstreak.

Tuesday 24th at the Brilliant Butterfly Banks project Launch, we managed to see about 6 Clouded Yellows at 4pm, after the heavy rain all the morning and later in the evening we managed to have a sunny spell for the site walk.

[MrSp0ck]

Small Blue reported at Howell Hill Surrey. Is this a late 2nd Brood or a 3rd Brood adult. Any thoughts Neil.

The last fresh Small Blue at Hutchinsons Bank was 8 weeks ago, with the numbers we have, any fresh ones now would be third Brood, this asks the question that in this year of extra broods is this one at Howell Hill a 3rd Brood adult it was a male. unfortunatly our year total of 1420 on the transect would not increase after this week, if any more are seen.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi MrSp0ck

Quoting from The Butterflies of Sussex:

"Flight Period

Nowadays the Small Blue typically flies in two broods, from early May to early July, and from mid July to early September. The second brood is significantly smaller in size (up to c.20% of the first) and on some sites it may be dropped during and immediately following particularly disadvantageous years. This occurred in the infamously poor summer of 2012, leading Sussex Species Champion David Harris to comment on “… an apparent 80% decline in numbers of Small Blue compared with 2011, with the second brood almost non-existent”.

The absence of a second brood harks back to earlier times, when prior to the early 1990s a summer flight was only partial and occasional. The first appearance of the Small Blue was at least two weeks later during that era.

Perhaps surprisingly, given the significantly weaker nature of the second brood, David Harris recognises an occasional third flight in Sussex, comprising just a handful of adults during mid and late September. I have personally witnessed freshly emerged Small Blues as late as 24 September, which provides some support for this contention. All three broods potentially overlap, and the average flight season observed between 2010 and 2014 was 8 May to 6 September."

In my opinion, certainly a third brood.

BWs, Neil

[Testudo Man]

A round up of September for me...its been a little quiet, on the butterfly front.
Both Queensdown Warren, and Bluebell Hill sites, were visited over this month.
Highlights for me were as follows -

Finally connecting with a few Small Coppers at QDW.
Images are not cropped, unless stated.

13/9/19.

21/9/19.

Just the one 2nd brood male Adonis Blue found at Bluebell Hill. He looked fresh when i spotted him on the 14/9/19.
I also spotted him a week later (still looking quite fresh)...an still the only Adonis Blue to be found on site!
2 fresh 3rd brood male Common Blues, an 2 fresh 3rd brood Brown Argus joined the lonely male Adonis, on the 21/9/19.

Adonis Blue on the 14/9/19.

The same (i think!) lonely male Adonis seen on the 21/9/19.
Great Autumn colours in the background for this image. The sun was low in the sky, so it sure was "Golden Hour".

[downland boy]

During the current spell of inclement weather I have downloaded some photographs from my camera including this Small Copper (ab. extensa) seen on 12th September in East Sussex.


http://eastsussexwanderer.blogspot.co.uk

[Chris Jackson]

Not strictly UK and I apologise in advance.Blue butterfly seen recently in SW France. Any ideas? Also, scarce swallowtail and Lang's short tailed blue.

P. dorylas running late ? P. escheri, P. thersites, why not ? The intense blue of the uppers makes me think more of dorylas or escheri.
Chris

[Jack Harrison]

My wife, currently in the middle of Ireland (co Cavan) reports many Speckled Woods today 29 September and a few Painted Ladies – so they got that far during the migration.

Jack

[David M]

Plenty of butterflies at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales on Saturday 21st September.

Painted Ladies were the most numerous with 80-100 seen:

Small Tortoiseshells numbered around two dozen:

Also seen were a handful of Red Admirals, 30-40 Small Whites, a couple of Commas, a solitary Peacock and this female Large White ovipositing on nasturtiums: