millerd

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 5:48 pm

The colours on those Silver Studs is still so vibrant Dave - they seem to take on a more violet blue hue when it's cloudier

How was the heath there - its difficult to tell as the butterflies will seek out any available flowers?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Katrina · Post by **Katrina** » Sun Jun 21, 2020 6:40 pm

I love the second last shot the blue on pink is brilliant.
I think I may miss this species this year

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:55 pm

These seemed to be very new butterflies, Wurzel - deep shiny blue enhanced by it being mostly cloudy. The heath here is different from the other sites in that there is a lot of bell heather, and the cross-leaved heath flowers a bit later and seemed to have mostly escaped the frost. Consequently, the SSB are synchronised with the flowers and were not lacking in nectar opportunities.

Thank you, Katrina - it is a great combination!

Tuesday 16th June. Another fine morning with thundery showers threatened later. However, the forecasts seemed to show that the eastern side of southern England might escape those downpours, so I took the opportunity to drive over to Essex for a couple of targets. I knew it might be a bit early for larger numbers of White-letter Hairstreaks at Hadleigh, but I also knew the Heath Fritillaries had been out in various spots for a while, and didn't want to miss them.

I parked at Leigh-on-Sea station (deserted!) and walked all along the bottom path on the southern edge of Hadleigh Country Park. Scrubby hedgerow elms line a fair bit of this path, with convenient brambles flowering underneath them. There are also lots of grassland areas with flowers. I saw a good variety of species. As I've noticed before, Holly Blues here are some weeks behind my local population and I saw about a dozen on and around the brambles which they clearly use as a foodplant.

There were several new Commas, including this rather dark one.

The grassy areas hosted good numbers of fresh Marbled Whites...

...and I also found a Ringlet skulking in the grass under the brambles.

I spent a lot of time following skippers to try and establish positive identification of Essex Skippers, but to start with, all were Small.

Patience paid off in the end, and I found what I was looking for.

Interestingly, the Essex were easier to approach than the Small - if I'd known that earlier, I wouldn't have chased quite so many...

However, the main target was the White-letters. I saw the first ones not far from the station, but they were squabbling high up, and there were only three or four.

Others appeared later on, but as so often happens, at awkward angles to the light.

In the end, while I was actually trying to get a shot of a Marbled White on the brambles, a female Hairstreak came and plonked itself right next to me in a near-perfect position.

Sometimes luck can be firmly on your side!

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:17 pm

That is a brill shot of the Whitter Dave - the 'W' really stands out

Mind you I better save some Mr Greens for the other reports from this trip

Good news about the Silver Studs at that other site

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:33 pm

Probably my best shot yet of a WLH, Wurzel, and as I said, luck played a major role in it! I'm very pleased with that one.

Later on 16th June, I left the station car park in sunshine and drove a handful of miles to one of the nearby woods between Hadleigh and Rayleigh. By the time I arrived twenty minutes or so later, there was a lot of cloud, but it was still very warm, and I was confident that this would not have put my next target off in any way. Various woods in this area have populations of Heath Fritillary and more effort has been put in recently to manage and maintain these after several disappeared. I had seen a report of good numbers in Pound Wood and this is where I ended up. I visited this site once before some years back and amazingly remembered the way from the entrance to the area under the power line that hosts the butterfly. To be honest, it feels a bit artificial as a series of narrow rectangular blocks have been cut, following the cables overhead, completely separate from the network of paths in the wood. There are well-trampled routes through and between these. Stepping across the threshold into the first one, I was immediately met by a series of Heath Fritillaries, basking open-winged in the bright conditions. A bit of light rain soon afterwards made no difference, and it was only when the sun came out properly that they started moving around. There were both male and female butterflies, varying from those just emerged to some that looked quite worn. There was a range of variation in markings as well, and I amassed a fair few photos in a relatively short time. The undersides are beautifully marked, and a backlit underside rivals any other similar fritillary.

Undersides first:

Uppersides:

Finally, that stained-glass backlit shot...

An excellent day again, well-worth the trip over to Essex.

Dave

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:56 pm

Had it not been for lockdown this is a day out I would have already done this year, perhaps on more than one occasion! great shots

essexbuzzard · Post by **essexbuzzard** » Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:45 pm

Glad your trip to Essex proved productive,Dave.

I have visited various Heath Fritillary woods this year, and found their populations rather variable. Good in some, not so at other sites. But, overall, satisfactory.

White-letter numbers have not built since last week, when I visited yesterday, so seem to be having a poor year.

Andy Wilson · Post by **Andy Wilson** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:20 am

I must confess I share some of your concerns about the Heath Fritillary locations being artificial. I have visited East Blean Woods in Kent most years recently (but not this year), and the place is always full of them if you go to the right place at the right time in the right weather conditions. But all around there is hardly anything. It's like they are living in a gilded cage.

However, I suppose we would be worse off if they had just been allowed to become extinct in eastern England. It's a conundrum.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:45 pm

Absolutely cracking shots - glad I saved the Mr Greens

I've seen this species in France and they were never as dark as the British ones - I wonder why they're so heavily marked in the UK?

Maybe they'll be classed as a new subspecies - so i can get an 'armchair' tick

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:17 pm

Yes, Buggy, it must be unbelievably frustrating not to be able to get out even down the road to Essex. Hopefully things will continue to ease and you'll soon get to see more.

Cheers, Mark - yes the annual visit to Essex is an essential and very worthwhile trip. It's a shame the WLH are a bit thin on the ground here so far - every year I've visited before there have always been a profusion. Pound Wood seemed good for the Heath Frits, with plenty of new individuals and they were their usual obliging selves - in cloudy conditions I can't think of an easier butterfly to be honest.

I agree, Andy. It always seems odd that in the UK they survive (generally with a fair amount of specialist help) in certain select habitats with very particular requirements and can sometimes be seen in large numbers - yet on the continent they appear to be a butterfly that turns up all over the place in odd ones and twos.

Thanks Wurzel - having never seen a French one myself, I didn't realise that ours were noticeably darker - it may also be something to do with none of those shots (bar one) being taken in sunshine!

Some of the males I saw at Hockley last year were possibly even darker. Interesting.

Wednesday 17th June. A similar day in prospect weatherwise, and time for a traditional curtain-raiser visit to Chiddingfold before the Purple season kicks off (though there is always the outside chance of an early Emperor).

I arrived quite early at the Botany Bay entrance coincidentally at the same moment as Andrew555. We then ambled gently around the woods seeing what was about. The immediate first impression was that the White Admirals were well underway and were having a good year - plenty were flying, and were reasonably amenable and generally still unblemished.

SWF were hardly in evidence at all, and a couple of flybys were the only evidence that they were out at all. Of other species, the verges had plenty of sparring Large Skippers...

...and a few Meadow Browns, but were noticeably lacking in Ringlets (normally one of the commonest butterflies encountered at this point in the season). However, there were still a handful of Wood Whites left from the first brood, pottering slowly but relentlessly along the rides...

...and towards the Oaken Wood end we encountered a few Marbled Whites.

One particular highlight of the day was coming across a Dark Green Fritillary in one of the "cleared" areas which is now becoming more choked with vegetation each year.

There is a continuing small population of this species in the wood which certainly adds to the variety here.

A good day (and good to see you again, Andrew!). Things looked nicely set for more exciting times on the next visit in a few days...

Dave

David M · Post by **David M** » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:19 pm

Wow! You've really filled the scrapbook with those Heath Frits, Dave. Beautiful and vivid images showing both uppers and unders. Can't fault it. Well done.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 8:57 pm

Thank you, David.

I was very pleased with that set of Heath Fritillary images - like you say, a pretty comprehensive set! Conditions were ideal, which very much helps.

The next two days, Thursday 18th and Friday 19th June, both involved rain and I remained local on both days. On 18th, the Red Admiral caterpillar that had pupated on a nettle sitting in a glass of water on my kitchen windowsill decided to emerge in the middle of a hefty shower. I was luckily close by as it made its way out of its tent and found a suitable angle to hang its wings out to pump up and dry.

After a while, I saw a hint of blue sky in the distance, and the light level increased. The butterfly was ready and waiting and as soon as it was bright enough (never mind the bit of drizzle still falling) it launched itself through the open window and away. The timing of its emergence in relation to the improvement in the weather was pretty well spot on.

Later on, there was some proper sunshine, and a wander out locally revealed that a number of Commas had decided to make the most of it.

There was also another brand new Red Admiral basking.

Amongst other butterflies seen was an ageing Brown Argus...

...and a new male Green-veined White.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:15 pm

The weather on 19th was nothing special either, but enough to bring out another selection of Commas. The hutchinsoni form is such a splendid creature.

Quite a few Small Skippers were flying, and not one I checked was of the Essex variety. Hopefully there will be some here this year, though numbers have been falling recently.

High up, I spotted a Large White sitting in a tree as they frequently do in this area.

New Red Admirals...

...and Small Tortoiseshells...

...were now joined by new Peacocks.

These were amazingly flighty (the breeze didn't help), but they looked quite dark in the glimpses I got of them. They are very early, and there could be many more considering how many caterpillars I have seen. It is also quite feasible that they will go on to breed again, rather than go into hibernation. A few did in 2019, and I've observed this phenomenon before that as well, so in an early year the chances no doubt increase.

Finally, I had a brief sighting of another new species for the year - a Gatekeeper. I had been following one of the Commas, when another flash of orange pottered across in front of me. It couldn't be a Large Skipper, as rather than perch on the foliage, it went into it and hid in the shade. I peered in and discovered its identity, disturbing it so that it flew up into a tree instead. A photo for the record (of sorts) was possible here at least.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:15 pm

Saturday 20th June. Better weather, with more sunshine, at least to start with. Today had to be the day to head back to Chiddingfold and start looking for Purple Emperors in earnest. Other like-minded folk were around, and naturally the first I bumped into was Trevor, who had set up camp at the spot he had found most favoured in 2019. After a while looking at what else the wood had to offer...

...I returned to Trevor's post to find that the first Emperor of the season had appeared in my absence. Luckily, it was still around - and stayed around for quite a while despite a short shower.

However, even though things brightened up again, we saw no further Emperors. Still, things were underway, and the buzz that comes with this time of year was now apparent.

Dave

Goldie M · Post by **Goldie M** » Fri Jun 26, 2020 8:31 pm

Some cracking shots in your posts Dave

I'm still stuck with the Whites

roll on Kent,

Goldie

Neil Freeman · Post by **Neil Freeman** » Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:56 am

Blimey Dave, it is difficult to keep up with you

I have only just seen your White Admiral photos from 17th June, the second one is a real cracker

Cheers,

Neil.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sat Jun 27, 2020 5:06 pm

Absolutely blinding set of report recently Dave

His Nibbs, gorgeous White Admirals, cute Smessex, glowing Commas - stunning stuff!

But favourite has to be...the return of the Hedge Brown!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:56 pm

Thank you, Goldie - I'm sure Kent will do you proud.

Thanks, Neil - I have been out a bit recently, but the warm weather has been an encouragement!

It's interesting that you should like that particular shot as the original was rather overexposed. I was shooting through a dark patch into a small contrasting pool of bright sunshine where the butterfly was sitting, and the camera (unsophisticated beast that it is) was adjusting for the wider view rather than the bit in the middle. To achieve what you see here required quite a lot of "tweakery".

Cheers, Wurzel!

I thought you'd be pleased to see that the Hedgies have appeared, though he's a bit early and I've yet to see another either here or anywhere else. It can't be long now, though.

Returning home on 20th June, walking round to the local shop I spotted this Comma in a rather curious pose on a bit of barbed wire.

Sunday 21st June. The morning's weather wasn't anything special, but it improved later on, so I popped down to Bookham and wandered around the woods there for a while. Reaching a recognised high point, I found two or three people craning their necks skyward, and sure enough there were a number of unmistakeable Purple Emperors chasing each other around the treetops. They were too far up for me to manage any photos, so after ten or fifteen minutes I carried on to a large sheltered stand of bramble sitting in the sunshine where I found White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries, including my first sighting of a female of the latter species. Unfortunately, she appeared to be the first female the various male butterflies had seen too, and they bothered her constantly - but she showed no interest.