millerd

[millerd]

Cheers, everyone. It was great to see the Red Admirals, and to find one so very fresh as well. I wonder if it was a local, rather than one of the new arrivals from the continent?

Sunday 19th April. More sunshine, and reasonably warm again as well. The most curious thing about today's sightings was that I ony saw one Peacock - surely that bit of rain can't have finished them off. Orange Tips (19) and Holly Blues (an amazing 31 counted) comprised the vast majority of what was flying on my local patch today. There were two more Red Admirals - one spotted flying strongly north, and the other marking out a territory in the same place as the one seen on 18th. In fact, it was actually sitting on precisely the same perch as the one I saw back on 15th. Definitely a different butterfly to all those previously seen.

This is behaviour I have noted before - certain sheltered nooks are frequented by a series of Red Admirals. Problems arise when numbers build and two or more try to occupy the same space. And then the Speckled Woods get involved...

In amongst the many Holly Blues flying, I actually found a mating pair here for the first time (remarkable it's taken so long really). They weren't very accessible and I only found them because of the repeated visits from other male butterflies.

There were plenty of other HB photo opportunities of course.

who says they don't visit flowers?

A selection of some of the rest on show:

Altogether, around seventy butterflies of ten species seen.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots of the Holly Blue Dave , I've yet to see one maybe one will move into the Garden shortly Goldie

[Wurzel]

"In amongst the many Holly Blues flying, I actually found a mating pair here for the first time (remarkable it's taken so long really)."Perhaps that's why the rest are so accommodating Dave - they're running cover for the very shy mating pairs Lovely set of shots of the HB's but my face has to be the initial Red Admiral - gorgeous, velvety looking I can't seem to get near them at the moment

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

...In amongst the many Holly Blues flying, I actually found a mating pair here for the first time (remarkable it's taken so long really). They weren't very accessible and I only found them because of the repeated visits from other male butterflies.

Well done, Dave. Good things come to those who wait!

Nice Red Admiral too. Hope we'll see a few more of these shortly.

[millerd]

Thank you, Goldie - I'm sure a Holly Blue will find its way into your grden sooner or later.

Interesting theory, Wurzel - there are so many, they could be diverting my attention all the time...

Thanks, David - yes, it's been a while coming, that pairing. And Red Admirals are on the increase now...

Monday 20th April. More sunshine, and up to 19 degrees again. Curiously, no Red Admirals today, but there were a few Small Tortoiseshells hanging on, including this wraith of a specimen.

Around a hundred butterflies of ten species counted locally today. A selection:

Dave

[Wurzel]

"Interesting theory, Wurzel - there are so many, they could be diverting my attention all the time... "what that says about the Holly Blue I couldn't possibly comment Good to see the Small Torts hanging on in there Dave and a cracking Green-veined White

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Great final image, Dave. That Orange Tip is gorgeous.

I daresay this next week or so will see a gradual disappearance of all the adult overwinterers. Good that Holly Blues seem to hang on round your way to compensate for this.

[trevor]

Some nice fresh Holly Blues, Dave, and a mating pair!
You're right about Specklies getting involved, sending up the Butterfly you've just focussed on.
Sometimes they can work in our favour, by sending up something we hadn't noticed.

Great sets of images, as usual.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Lovely Orange Tips Dave, and I'm envious of your Holly Blues Goldie

[millerd]

Thank you all once again. Being tied to my local patch, plus this extraordinary run of good weather, certainly provides ample oportunity to get out at different times of the day and see how things vary. Being out by nine or alternatively after four in the afternoon seem to provide the best results.

Tuesday 21st April was a case in point. It was brilliantly sunny again, but the fresh wind was quite chilly first thing. The Holly Blues were out, but largely sitting tightly closed low down on the vegetation. With your eye attuned to those little silver triangles, it was surprising just how many there were.

Orange Tips are also early risers, and they were certainly first on the wing today. As things warmed, sheltered spots became real suntraps, and Peacocks and the odd Comma were still to be found basking in them.

The Hollies then started to wake up and stretch their wings and before long the males were patrolling all the hedgerows with the odd female sitting more quietly or flying less obtrusively.

A short extra walk late in the day was perfect timing for the recently arrived Red Admirals - found once again in the same sunspot, though different individuals than before.

This was also time for the Orange Tips and white butterflies to slow down, have a last bit of nectar and a quick sunbathe before settling down for the evening.

I also discovered that Holly Blues seem to like the way I taste. This one clung on relentlessly slurping on my finger despite the wind blowing strongly enough to bend its wings right over.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Crickey Dave the open Holly Blue female (before the Red Admirals) is an absolute cracker And then to really rub it in you've got one crawling over your hand - looks like you're a Black Belt 9th Dan Holly Blue Whisperer now!
"Being out by nine or alternatively after four in the afternoon seem to provide the best results"...too true - but unfortunately both times I can't be out a the moment (working from home and feeding the kids)

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Just love those female Holly Blues, Dave.

I see you've got back to your 'whispering' method now.

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - she was rather a splendid creature, wasn't she? At the moment, the males are quite keen on a bit of moisture (often to be found on damp shady patches) so tempting one onto a finger wasn't too difficult. It then hung on and continued sucking up whatever it had found regardless of the buffetting by the wind. I'm afraid my nearly 15-year-old son has to work around my outings - breakfast before an early one and dinner after a later one! To be fair, he comes along on any late afternoon stroll often as not.

Thank you, David - you'd think I'd be fed up with Holly Blue photos by now, but they are such attractive beasties, there's always another angle you can come up with. I know some folk find them tricky, but to be honest, the local population here are generally very amenable as you can see.

Wednesday 22nd April. The run of extraordinary weather continued along with sunshine all day, it was warmer and less windy. The breakdown of species continued as before, but as always there were some points of interest. I found a female Brimstone, an unusually small one that I mistook for a Green-veined White at first, with her fluttering flight in and out of the hedgerow. However, having correctly identified her, I realised she had led me to an alder buckthorn growing in the midst of the overall bramble tangle, and was carefully selecting sprigs of bursting buds on which to lay eggs. I have never been able to pick out this shrub in the local vegetation, but here was the best qualified guide there could be!

looking for the best spot

this is the one!

the result

Overall, there were perhaps a few more Brimstones (especially females) about today than recently - maybe the stronger wind discouraged them.

There were more females amongst the healthy Orange Tip numbers as well...

...but the settled males are hard to resist as well - their season is all too brief.

There were more Red Admirals today too - seven popped up in patches of sunshine along the mostly shaded bits of path, and of course they were squabbling every time they encountered one another, soaring high into the sky in twos and threes.

Lots of Holly Blues, naturally...

this female was taking a lot of interest in this nettle top

taking on minerals from a more traditional source

the classic pose

Dave

[Wurzel]

Are you passing on the ways of the Whisperer to your son Dave? I'll have to keep a look out for damper patches next time I encounter a Holly Blue Dave as I've only witnessed them taking salts once before Good numbers of Red Admirals as well - 7 in one sitting isn't to be sneezed at

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

He takes a bit of an interest, Wurzel, can recognise all the local species, and finds things like the Brimstone egg worth looking at. However, he's a bit tired of spotting blue butterflies at the moment... I see Holly Blues taking minerals from damp spots along the edges of the paths on most days, though they never congregate in any numbers - two at most in fact. With rain forecast in the days ahead, they may well be doing a bit more of this in the sunny spells in between the showers.

Thursday 23rd April. A very warm day, up to 24 degrees at Heathrow and constant sunshine again. I decided to take today's walk 10-15 minutes drive away (the lack of traffic made the trip very short) at the southern part of Bedfont Lakes Country Park. Much quieter and far less manicured than the bit north of the railway, and I virtually had the place to myself. I was surprised how few butterflies there were, compared to my usual daily fare - half a dozen Peacocks, a few Brimstones, Orange Tips and Whites, and only four or five Holly Blues flying much higher up than I'm used to. I've seen many more in previous years. One Brimstone stopped for a breather.

However, my target here was none of these - I was seeking out the Green Hairstreaks that can be found almost anywhere on the site. I found one quite quickly in a spot where the grass is left to grow long and Birds' Foot Trefoil is mixed in with it, but it took off for nearby trees and disappeared. I wandered a bit further to another wilder bit of the park, well out of the way of normal footfall, and was rewarded with another Green Hairstreak - a female investigating another low-growing patch of BFT with a view to laying. However, she was equally happy to spend periods just sitting in the sunshine, so I took advantage.

I felt lucky to have found this butterfly, as I may well not have another opportunity to see them this year.

A quick stroll round my local patch later produced nothing of note, but I couldn't not take at least one Holly Blue photo. This one was nectaring, appropriately, on the flowers on the Holly tree.

Dave

[trevor]

Well done with the Green Hairstreaks, Dave. Good clear shots to complement them.
They can be tricky to photograph in sunshine, as the wing surface tends to fluoresce,
resulting in a white blob in the photo. I have yet to find a GH so far this year, hope
to put that right today.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

[David M]

I'm glad you stumbled upon that Green Hairstreak, Dave. If we're not going to be allowed to range far and wide then some species are going to be tricky, if not impossible, to observe this year.

Agree with your comment regarding locating the buckthorn bushes - leave it to the female Brimstones; they can 'sniff' it out from hundreds of yards away.

[millerd]

Thank you, Trevor - a nice bit of luck there, and the Hairstreak was a bit of a poser too, offering both sides for my admiring glances.

Cheers, David. I was very pleased to see this one.

Dave

[millerd]

I just noticed an oddity I forgot to include on my post relating to the 22nd April.

I really did a double-take when I saw this particular Holly Blue. You'd think its parents had had an assignation over on Collard Hill...

However, I think the curious symmetrical pattern is probably caused by some moisture trapped between its wings when roosting, and otherwise it appeared to be a perfectly normal male butterfly.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great work getting the Greenstreaks Dave It's good to get another species 'ticked off though it's going to be tricky this year Interesting Holly Blue - I reckon you're right about it being 'water damage' as they would explain the shape and the symmetry although at a glance you'd have been forgiven for thinking 'Large Blue'

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel