Pauline

[Pauline]

Thanks Dave - I've never used the burst mode either so something else to try. It's interesting to know SSS roost in trees at a different site. Previously I have only ever seen them in small Hawthorn (which is also where they go during showers) but these are definitely going about 15 ft up. I watched them again yesterday both during the showers and going to roost. Didn't see any egg-laying yet but the males are starting to look worn:

The weather yesterday

[Wurzel]

You've made me want to get out and try for some more Silver Spots Pauline Love the first shot - looks like they're standing on tip-toes

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Pauline]

They're such a charismatic little butterfly Wurzel - even worn they look appealing Not the only ones to look worn..... the male BH at Noar Hill are sadly so worn they hardly merit a photo - and still no more females

and the weather wasn't much better today either!

[millerd]

Perhaps we're seeing all the male Brown Hairstreaks down low this year because they have given up looking for lady companions up in the trees... Maybe they are as confused and as puzzled as we are about the lack of females.

Dave

[David M]

That's an interesting observation with the SSS's roosting in the trees, Pauline. I'd have assumed, like other smaller butterflies, that they'd be more likely to hunker down in the grasses.

As for female BHs, I haven't had the chance to look for them myself yet (and it may be a week before I do given the dreadful weather forecast). However, one thing I've learned is that this species hates wind, so if you've had, like we have, a series of blustery days then that may explain why the females have been reluctant to descend.

[millerd]

As for female BHs, I haven't had the chance to look for them myself yet (and it may be a week before I do given the dreadful weather forecast). However, one thing I've learned is that this species hates wind, so if you've had, like we have, a series of blustery days then that may explain why the females have been reluctant to descend.

I'll let Pauline comment on weather conditions in her part of the world - this is her diary after all - but it's worth mentioning that a bit further east, there has been mostly calm weather since the end of July, throughout the heatwave and the relatively dull and sometimes thundery days since. Whatever the mystery factor is, it therefore most likely isn't the wind, but it has encouraged males to nectar down low and has kept the females largely out of sight.

Please feel free to delete this intrusion on your diary, Pauline, if you consider it out of place.

Cheers,

Dave

[Pauline]

Thank you Dave, David for your thought provoking comments. I have been reflecting on the points you have both made. I would like to be able to say 'here's what I think' but the truth is I know very little and the more I find out the more I realise I don't know. Here are a few of the things that I think I know, ie, that I have noted over the years. The same butterfly species will sometimes behave differently on different sites, presumably making the best of its environment. For example, the male BH at Noar Hill have (in the years I have been observing them) been very reliable in coming down low, mostly nectaring on Hemp Agrimony. This never used to be the case at Steyning and was, I believe, the reason Trevor visited NH a few years back.

Just because a butterfly is observed doing something once doesn't mean that this behaviour/activity is set in stone. The behaviour of butterflies can also change over a period of time. Buggy made a valid point recently about butterfly behaviour being defined by a collector in 1840 (or words to that effect) and it is often the case that butterfly behaviour is passed by word of mouth third or fourth hand and is believed whether accurate or not. Personally I have experienced this several times. eg BH is a 'morning' butterfly. It egg lays between 11,00 and 1.00pm. For Noar Hill that just isn't true - and there's the thing; I can only talk about NH as I am there probably 60+ times each year and other sites may be different. To that end I would be very interested to know how many BH you find David.

The last 2 seasons have been a struggle for BH at NH and I am not sure whether that is localised or whether it is more widespread. There seems to have been some mismanagement at Steyning which might account for the difficulties there but Shipton seems to be doing OK? As to the weather, over the years I have watched butterflies go about their activities in weather normal sane folk wouldn't venture out in. When I saw the 6/7 male BH low down on 28 July the wind was so strong it was blowing the leaves from the top of the trees. At the time I assumed that was why the males had descended - to miss the worst of the weather. Whether males and females of the same species might behave differently is something I hadn't really considered until now. However, I have been to NH a number of times recently (twice one day) in various weather conditions and have been unable to find any more females and more worryingly, any eggs. Last year I reported that huge numbers of eggs had been predated and over the winter some prime blackthorn hedges had been destroyed. However, I couldn't even begin to speculate/predict what is going on with the BH this season. I am sure time will tell and folk more experienced than me will be able to analyse and explain.

[David M]

...The same butterfly species will sometimes behave differently on different sites, presumably making the best of its environment. For example, the male BH at Noar Hill have (in the years I have been observing them) been very reliable in coming down low, mostly nectaring on Hemp Agrimony. This never used to be the case at Steyning and was, I believe, the reason Trevor visited NH a few years back.

That's particularly true with Brown Hairstreak, Pauline. For instance, ours in west Wales are never seen nectaring, even though there are plenty of thistles which seem to attract the species in southern England at many sites.

Also, they will fly quite happily in temperatures of 15c, which somewhat defies what I've seen written about this species requiring much warmer conditions to become active.

The last couple of years have been a little strange too. In 2018, when everything else was emerging early due to the prolonged heatwave, this species remained largely wedded to its normal flight period. In 2019, in spite of seemingly reasonable weather, they were very few in number throughout their range. Looks like they're creating a new conundrum for us this year!

[Pauline]

I'm hoping that with the benefit of hindsight it will all become clearer David. It often does

This one is just for you Neil! A couple of times a year I buy 100 mixed herbs and plant up about 20 hanging baskets and tubs and place them around the rabbit's run. This means that when I shut them away in the evening I can pick a nice fresh selection which they love. However, the squirrel (a different squirrel) is causing havoc. Thankfully (so far) she has not touched the plants but is collecting material from the liners in the basket, presumably to line her nest. Trouble is, my plants are now in danger of dropping through the bottom of the planter! But hey, who could begrudge her a comfortable bed for her little'uns

'My' Holly Blues are now showing significant wear from weather and bird attack:

[bugboy]

Hi Pauline, for what it's worth re. the BH behaviour. From what I've noticed through here and other social media sites it would seem that poor years and good years are pretty much consistent across the board (not withstanding other factors at some sites like the browsing cows and mistakenly pruned Blackthorn at Steyning), at least from reports from all the best known sites. 3 years ago males and females were coming down in droves at Bookham and I remember reports from Knepp, Shipton etc saying much the same. The next two years sightings dropped seemingly everywhere and now this year, loads of males but only starting from late morning: play has started at 11am at both Shipton and Bookham. It would be interesting to know what their daily routine is like further south in their range in Europe. Given that we're in the middle of a climate change event perhaps they are currently trying to adjust/adapt?

[Pauline]

Thank you for your thoughts Buggy but I am afraid as far as Noar Hill is concerned I have to disagree. There have not been many males this season and those that have been seen have mostly been between 8.00am and 9.30 am. I would be interested to know why you think otherwise. As previously stated I cannot comment on other sites as I don't visit frequently enough. I do hope you are not relying on the times from my camera as it is a 'new' one and the clock hasn't been set properly.

[bugboy]

Thank you for your thoughts Buggy but I am afraid as far as Noar Hill is concerned I have to disagree. There have not been many males this season and those that have been seen have mostly been between 8.00am and 9.30 am. I would be interested to know why you think otherwise. As previously stated I cannot comment on other sites as I don't visit frequently enough. I do hope you are not relying on the times from my camera as it is a 'new' one and the clock hasn't been set properly.

It's not in any way scientific, just what I've noticed from the best known sites over the past few years. Tbh I wouldn't include Noar Hill in that simply because I don't generally see as many reports from there as some of the others, mostly just from you. As always we can say general things but there will always be an exception to the rule.

[Wurzel]

Good to see the Squirrel collecting Hay while the sun shines Pauline - does it know something that the BBC Weather people don't

As for the Brown Hairstreaks...well I've got two pence in my pocket and what with nowhere taking cash I may as well throw it in I reckon Noar Hill is an interesting site as I've only been to Shipton Bellinger and Alners Gorse looking for Brostreaks and in all the years I've been looking the only time I've seen them before 11 is when we had the heatwave (two years ago?), also all the reports I've seen from other sites and the 'ones and twos' that turn up in this area are also from 11 onwards so it seems like the Brostreaks at Noar Hill are early risers! The females are starting to turn up now at Shipton - at least 5 this afternoon at Shipton and only 1 (definite) male and the females we saw were egg laying so perhaps they've been around and have got on with business and are now becoming more visible? Also I've noticed over the years at Shipton that the females often start turning up later in the day than the males - so perhaps again they've been there but missed? Not bad for 2p that I reckon

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Cheers guys - more corroboration (if any were needed) that butterflies do indeed behave differently on different sites and highlighting the danger of generalisation. I do believe (though he may wish to confirm) that during the visits Dave made to Noar Hill this season there were not loads of males and they were down before 11.00am. I was there again yesterday and had mixed feelings about finding only my 3rd female of a season which I believe is almost over at that site. Far from pristine:

[Allan.W.]

Hello Pauline,
On the subject of roosting Silver- Spots ,at my local site (Temple Ewell /Lydden .Kent ) i,ll admit i,ve never watched them going to roost or roosting
before rain ,but what i can say is that when i have found roosting individuals ,they have normally been found on plant flower heads,such as
St Johns wort or Knapweed species,early morning ,would never have thought to look "up" and into the trees .............something for another time,
perhaps ,as others suggested their roosting habits vary from site to site.
Regards Allan.W.

[Neil Freeman]

This one is just for you Neil! A couple of times a year I buy 100 mixed herbs and plant up about 20 hanging baskets and tubs and place them around the rabbit's run.

Thanks Pauline. From your earlier posts, you can add another 'herb' to that number

I currently have a couple of squirrels in the garden most days that seem to spend most of their time chasing each other about like mad things. Quite entertaining when they are running around and jumping across all the trees .
I have an anti-squirrel baffle on my bird feeders but they do get seeds that fall to the floor. I never thought before what these seeds may include

Regarding your thoughts on the Brown Hairstreaks, just to add a midlands perspective, I went to Grafton Wood yesterday but with only limited success (more details in my PD shortly). Whilst there I met the reserve manager and we had chat about the Brown Hairstreaks there. Good numbers of males were coming down to nectar on Hemp Agrimony and other plants a couple of weeks back but the recent bad weather here has ended that. No males have been seen this week but apart from yesterday the weather has been pretty awful here. The females started coming down on their egg laying forays last week and can potentially be seen any time from early morning through to late afternoon, which apparently is the normal state of play for this site.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Pauline]

Hi Allan - thanks for taking the time to let me know. It should be obvious really, shouldn't it, that butterflies behave according to their surroundings. I remember a time many years ago when several folk at Bentley Wood told me that PBF roosted on bracken. It seemed feasible to me as they seemed to hang under the bracken during showers. On a more local site near Fernhurst I waited late in the day to get a shot of a PBF roosting. As the sun dipped they came onto the track to warm up but as the sun disappeared they flew up into the pine trees and roosted there. I was so frustrated the next morning at 5.00am I carried a step ladder through the woods and got the shots of my roosting PBF!

I can't understand why folk don't like squirrels Neil. They are such a source of entertainment. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me about your local BH. I remember an incident from my early butterfly days when BH were a lot more reliable than they seem to be now. Mike Gibbons, along with the rest of us, had been taking shots of a female BH nectaring during the afternoon. He lived in Christchurch I believe which I imagine is well over an hour's drive from Selbourne. Having arrived home they realised his wife had left her hand bag on Noar Hill. By the time they arrived back at NH it was about 7.00pm and the female BH was still nectaring where they had left it! So there you have it - a morning butterfly

PS you'd better check out that fallen seed

Just a few more shots from Thursday's visit to Noar Hill:

Meadow Brown egg:

Don't really know why I take so many shots of spiders .......

A bit autumnal now:

[Pauline]

I would have liked to have seen a few more female Brown Hairstreak before I go but it doesn’t look as if that is going to happen any time soon. However, I couldn’t just go without reflecting on my 2020 season which has been rather strange to say the least. At the start of the year I was told that I may have 2 different types of cancer. After various (and numerous) scans, x-rays, blood tests etc it turned out this was incorrect on both accounts. A worrying and stressful couple of months tho’. Just getting over that when we had to go into Lockdown, slapping on various constraints, meaning I was unable to see a few species which I had hoped to see.

I shall remember this season as it being a struggle to see many species. With the exception of the Purple Hairstreak which seemed to be everywhere it seems that the numbers of other Hairstreaks have been down on my local sites. I include the Green Hairstreak in this – although it might not have seemed obvious they were definitely not in the sort of numbers I am used to seeing around here.

I have never before been as disillusioned, discouraged, demoralised and disappointed as I have been in 2020. This was mostly as a result of my frequent encounters with collectors during the PE season. I initially brought this to the attention of various authorities (although I suspect they may have already been aware) but I am not going to let the issue drop. I feel quite strongly that there should be more transparency over such activity with an ability to monitor and manage its effects.

Another favourite of mine, the SSS have thankfully managed to thrive this year in greater numbers than I have seen for a while with the added bonus that QECP are (hopefully) going to start to manage that site from October. I’d like to think I was influential in their decision. The roosting habits of the SSS on this site do make me wonder tho’ if they are adapting to their ‘woodland’ environment.

A highlight for me this season was rearing the Dukes and all the discoveries I made along the way. Of note was the eating of the shed skin from 1st instar only and the sequence of dramatic colour changes leading up to the skin shedding in all instars, amongst other observations. I have been led to believe that this has not been recorded previously.

Amazing things that I have seen in my pursuit of butterflies cannot be ignored – the mother deer feeding and washing her fawn, the pink grasshopper, the Sand Lizards, the nest of Adders, the Turtle Doves ….. the list goes on and on. Encounters I shall never forget and would never have had if it weren’t for the butterflies.

The weather has at times been challenging ranging from 37 degrees to torrential thunderstorms and strong gales, causing more problems for myself than it did for the butterflies I suspect. However, it has been good to see some migrants this season including Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady. There is still time to see LTB. The news that Large Tortoiseshells are breeding in Dorset was also welcome. Perhaps it won’t be too long before I see one which has bred on these shores.

I always enjoy the interaction with other butterfly enthusiasts and despite the difficulties of social distancing, this year has been no exception. I am hoping that by this time next year social interaction will be a whole lot easier. In the meantime, take care and keep safe.

[Goldie M]

Sorry your going so soon Pauline, you sound a little down, cheer up, you may have me for company yet Some lovely shots of the Butterflies and some interesting information you've found this year in-spite of the Virus, take care, keep in touch. Goldie

[Wurzel]

A fantastic collection of round upshots Pauline Have a good break but I reckon maybe some LTB's might bring you out of hibernation

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel