July 2020
Re: July 2020
Took a walk out at Drum castle on Deeside today. It was a bit windy but still a few butterflies on the wing. Managed to see my first speckled woods of the season. There were still a few common blues around. Plenty of worn ringlets and meadow browns. Very few tortoiseshells and no sign of any commas or painted ladies quite yet.
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- Posts: 386
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:15 am
- Location: Mid Sussex
Re: July 2020
Took a wander round the local fields again this afternoon.
There are, I'm estimating, 8-10 times as many summer brood Common Blues. I may be underestimated the spring numbers but I didn't see many at all.
The really big numbers amongst the blues seem to be Brown Argus though. They must outnumber CBs by 2 to 1. I keep hoping one may be a Small Blue. But all the ones I track are BAs. I don't think there's any kidney vetch in the fields anyway.
The biggest thing for me was seeing a Small Tortoiseshell again - people elsewhere must think that's mad, but this is the first I've seen for a good few weeks.
Gatekeepers by far the biggest numbers now albeit some starting to look a bit faded. MBs in good numbers too. 4-5 Ringlets, 2-3 GV and S whites, still a few skippers, although I only saw one Large. Great to see some Small Heath again too.
There are, I'm estimating, 8-10 times as many summer brood Common Blues. I may be underestimated the spring numbers but I didn't see many at all.
The really big numbers amongst the blues seem to be Brown Argus though. They must outnumber CBs by 2 to 1. I keep hoping one may be a Small Blue. But all the ones I track are BAs. I don't think there's any kidney vetch in the fields anyway.
The biggest thing for me was seeing a Small Tortoiseshell again - people elsewhere must think that's mad, but this is the first I've seen for a good few weeks.
Gatekeepers by far the biggest numbers now albeit some starting to look a bit faded. MBs in good numbers too. 4-5 Ringlets, 2-3 GV and S whites, still a few skippers, although I only saw one Large. Great to see some Small Heath again too.
Re: July 2020
My first 2020 Brown Hairstreak at Bookham this morning - a male some distance away sitting on top of the bracken (probably newly emerged from the undergrowth beneath). As soon as the sun came back out, it took off for the trees. Apologies for the rather fuzzy photo.
Dave- Charles Nicol
- Posts: 1603
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:57 pm
- Location: Cambridge
Re: July 2020
Walked all the way round Grafham Water this afternoon
Saw this Comma basking on a wooden bench:
Saw this Comma basking on a wooden bench:
Re: July 2020
July 22nd - plenty of Chalkhill Blues on Portland:
Lulworth Skippers about too:
Over 20 species seen in a single morning without too much effort. I reckon it's possible to top 25 here at this time of year if you search thoroughly and enjoy a bit of luck.
Lulworth Skippers about too:
Over 20 species seen in a single morning without too much effort. I reckon it's possible to top 25 here at this time of year if you search thoroughly and enjoy a bit of luck.
Re: July 2020
Good numbers of Gatekeepers and Small Whites nectaring and chasing in the garden over the past few days. There are a few rather small male Gatekeepers which I keep mistaking for Small Coppers (which are not having a good year locally). The Gatekeepers have come out earlier than the fleabane on which they usually nectar, but are finding a big stand of small scabious to be a more than adequate substitute.
There are freshly-emerged Peacocks, too, which have been out for a couple of weeks, rather low numbers at any one time but the emergence seems to be over a more extended period than usual. Like the Gatekeepers, their preferred nectar source (buddleia) is not properly in flower yet.
There are freshly-emerged Peacocks, too, which have been out for a couple of weeks, rather low numbers at any one time but the emergence seems to be over a more extended period than usual. Like the Gatekeepers, their preferred nectar source (buddleia) is not properly in flower yet.
Re: July 2020
Great stuff from Dorset David, well done on the LT!
Recent from East Sussex, 2nd brood Dingy Skipper.
Male Wall.
Two males and a female.
She escaped their attentions.
Clouded Yellow.
Looks like a male.
Recent from East Sussex, 2nd brood Dingy Skipper.
Male Wall.
Two males and a female.
She escaped their attentions.
Clouded Yellow.
Looks like a male.
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- Posts: 386
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:15 am
- Location: Mid Sussex
Re: July 2020
The good thing with my WFH lunch hour is I get to walk round my local fields for 50 minutes.
The bad thing is it is only 50 mins. So when you see your first ever male Brown Hairstreak towards the end of that time and it decides to fly up higher then you can't really hang around waiting for it to possibly come down lower again.
Nipped back there straight after work at 5pm. Plenty of Gatekeepers and an Oak Eggar, but definitely no Brown Hairstreaks on show.
The bad thing is it is only 50 mins. So when you see your first ever male Brown Hairstreak towards the end of that time and it decides to fly up higher then you can't really hang around waiting for it to possibly come down lower again.
Nipped back there straight after work at 5pm. Plenty of Gatekeepers and an Oak Eggar, but definitely no Brown Hairstreaks on show.
Re: July 2020
An excellent day out today, 2 male Brown Hairstreak nectaring on thistles plus a third male and a nice female taunting us from up in the Ash master tree at Bookham, looks like it's going to be a bumper crop of them this year . Then off to Box Hill where I found good numbers of Silver-spotted Skipper zooming around in the sun .
Some addictions are good for the soul!
Re: July 2020
My first Graylings of the year seen at Bracelet Bay on the Gower this morning:
Re: July 2020
Unusual visitor to our lawn a couple of days ago in North Yorkshire... perfectly healthy, just a little cool. Had one before a couple of weeks ago... I was grubbing around in the bottom of a hawthorn hedge whilst fencing (not pleasant) and saw something move on the ground right next to me... same species!!!!
More pics on http://ptkbutterflies.wixsite.com/photo-art - should you wish to look, I hope you like the site..
Re: July 2020
A nice female there Kip. D'you have Elm close to you?
Re: July 2020
Annual trip to the south of the county for Silver-spotted Skipper and Brown Hairstreak.
Re: July 2020
A few pictures from Kent ,a day or two back ,mostly from Temple Ewell ,near Dover ,a wonderful downland reserve ,i tried one or two new (for me ) areas which i,ve rarely visited ,an early start paid dividends ,the Chalkhills were just waking ,and sitting in the grass stems ,with wings wide open ,as i moved along ,and my shadow hit them they flew up in some numbers .
Although the new area was ideal for the Chalkhills and the Common Blues ,the grass was maybe a little long for the Silver -Spotted Skippers ,that said
I still managed to find five ,all males as far as i could see. While i was strolling about i stumbled across a pair of Plume moth (sp;) enjoying the sun . Although i managed to find 6 Small Blue at Temple Ewell
my Small Blue picture was taken at near by Samphire Ho.And finally a Willow Emerald Damselfly ,taken this morning along the Royal Military canal
a fairly recent colonist. Regards Allan.W.
(click once )Although the new area was ideal for the Chalkhills and the Common Blues ,the grass was maybe a little long for the Silver -Spotted Skippers ,that said
I still managed to find five ,all males as far as i could see. While i was strolling about i stumbled across a pair of Plume moth (sp;) enjoying the sun . Although i managed to find 6 Small Blue at Temple Ewell
my Small Blue picture was taken at near by Samphire Ho.And finally a Willow Emerald Damselfly ,taken this morning along the Royal Military canal
a fairly recent colonist. Regards Allan.W.
- Jack Harrison
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- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:55 pm
- Location: Nairn, Highland
- Contact:
Re: July 2020
Scotch Argus
I have been checking every day for the past week or so. Clearly today, 31s July, there was a mass emergence. Males only and very active so couldn't photograph.
A Tortoiseshell came indoors to hibernate but I lost it somewhere in the house. My usual practice is to catch, box them in a cool spot and then towards the end of the year, put them in the fridge to ensure proper hibernation. I never seem to lose any by this method and it's more successful than leaving them hiding behind curtains in a centrally heated house.
Found this active one today (feeding on Devil's Bit Scabious) at about 1,000 feet / 300 metres above sea level. Small Tortoiseshells are abundant up here and I am fairly sure that they are routinely double brooded but some from the first brood go into hibernation (good strategy - Wall Brown take note!)
Jack
I have been checking every day for the past week or so. Clearly today, 31s July, there was a mass emergence. Males only and very active so couldn't photograph.
A Tortoiseshell came indoors to hibernate but I lost it somewhere in the house. My usual practice is to catch, box them in a cool spot and then towards the end of the year, put them in the fridge to ensure proper hibernation. I never seem to lose any by this method and it's more successful than leaving them hiding behind curtains in a centrally heated house.
Found this active one today (feeding on Devil's Bit Scabious) at about 1,000 feet / 300 metres above sea level. Small Tortoiseshells are abundant up here and I am fairly sure that they are routinely double brooded but some from the first brood go into hibernation (good strategy - Wall Brown take note!)
Jack
Re: July 2020
Took a walk through St. Abbs NNR today. Lots of small copper and meadow browns on the wing, a few Grayling, some large skippers and a few walls that wouldn’t land for a photo.