Neil Freeman

[bugboy]

Great set of reports and glad you managed to catch up with a few species you would have missed had you not been able to get away from local spots. I agree with you about the Red Admiral Bialbata being a dubious aberration. Apparently it's only an aberration if seen in the male, it's considered normal in the females

[millerd]

What a terrific week you had in Cornwall, Neil, and a great record of what you saw down there. I think for me the highlight would always be the Small Pearls - plus the open-wing Grayling!

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Your camera has ' frozen ' that Hummingbird Hawkmoth beautifully.
Of course to get shots like that you have to get the subject in frame and focussed.
The way they dart around none of the above is easy!.

Great stuff, keep well.
Trevor.

Thanks Trevor. Definitely not easy, I just managed a couple of decent shots out of 30 odd taken each time.

A brilliant collection of shots Neil especially the Clouded Yellow and the Hummingbird Hawk It's interesting that there seem to be more and more of the 'extra orange' Meadow Browns as that was what they looked like in France when I was there two years ago and if I recall they're the continental race - is the increasing frequency of this variation a sign of climate change?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel. I think it probably is related to climate change, either that or simply that I am looking for them now more often at a time when they are often overlooked in favour of more 'premium' species.

Looks like you had an excellent break, Neil. Some lovely butterflies there, and, of course, one spectacular moth which you have captured superbly.

I guess Essex Skippers haven't made it that far west yet?

I believe that Essex Skippers have made it to Cornwall but are still only to be found there in a few isolated colonies. I have certainly not seen one there yet.

Great set of reports and glad you managed to catch up with a few species you would have missed had you not been able to get away from local spots. I agree with you about the Red Admiral Bialbata being a dubious aberration. Apparently it's only an aberration if seen in the male, it's considered normal in the females

Thanks Bugboy. Yes, there are a few aspects of some so called named abs that I feel are a bit of a nonsense. I certainly feel that some of them in some species fall within normal variation. I suppose it is down to our aurelian forebears obsession with putting everything into a nice neat box when in reality nature is more fluid than that.

What a terrific week you had in Cornwall, Neil, and a great record of what you saw down there. I think for me the highlight would always be the Small Pearls - plus the open-wing Grayling!

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave. Yes, a great week with so many highlights, especially the Small Pearls which were nice and fresh.

Tuesday 11th August

After returning home last Friday (7th August), the weather has been very warm and muggy and we have had a number of thunderstorms, some consisting of littler more than a few rumbles, but others that have been accompanied by torrential rain or even hail.
The only time that I have been out to look for any butterflies this week was Tuesday morning when I dropped Jane off at her mom's for a couple of hours and I went to have a look around Blythe Valley Park.

It was still quite wet to start with after a thunderstorm the previous night but with the temperature already up into the mid twenties by mid morning it was drying out rapidly although feeling quite humid.
Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns were flying in good numbers with some of both species still in good condition.

Gatekeeper female - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

Quite a few Common Blues were seen scattered about the various meadow areas here although it has to be said they were not as numerous as I have seen here in the past. The males were too active for photos as they chased each other about but a nice blue female was more accommodating as she fluttered about more unobtrusively.

Common Blue female - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

I also spotted three Small Coppers in separate parts of the site, all males that were actively chasing off everything else before returning to their favoured perches.

Small Copper - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

Small Copper - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

Small Copper - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

All three common whites were seen and seemed to be an even split between all three species. These rarely stopped in the warm conditions but I did find a pair of Small Whites in cop that provided a photo opportunity.

Small White pair - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

Small Tortoiseshells have been ubiquitous for me this year and sure enough I saw a handful again today although the only chance for a photo was when it clouded over a bit later in the morning.

Small Tortoiseshell - Blythe Valley 11.08.2020

By midday the clouds had built up to about 80% cover which made it feel uncomfortably muggy and humid so I wandered back to the car and went back to pick up Jane.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of shots Neil - I've not seen a Gatekeeper in such good nick for a while now - where's she been hiding

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Allan.W.]

Thoroughly enjoyed your Lizard reports Neil,brilliant ,can,t wait to get back there again ,we absolutely love it there ! and like yourself we
stayed at Kennack sands ,last time we were down. Didn,t see as much,as yourself butterfly-wise but found some incredible plants .
This year we had a last minute booking further up near Newquay....................very busy ! but still managed to find some exceptional plants ,and three butterfly species I didn,t expect to see in 2020 ,Grayling ,Silver -studded Blue and Dark Green Frit ,actually found Silver Studs at Lands End ....
Most unexpected. Regards Allan.W.

[essexbuzzard]

Great report from Cornwall, Neil. Truth be told, I’m a bit with envy, having shelved our plans to go there at the same time. But it goes without saying, I’m delighted it worked out for you and your family.

And a great set of pictures for the rest of us to enjoy!

[Neil Freeman]

Cracking set of shots Neil - I've not seen a Gatekeeper in such good nick for a while now - where's she been hiding

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel. There are still some decent looking Gatekeepers around here although most are looking a bit tired now and well past their best.

Thoroughly enjoyed your Lizard reports Neil,brilliant ,can,t wait to get back there again ,we absolutely love it there ! and like yourself we
stayed at Kennack sands ,last time we were down. Didn,t see as much,as yourself butterfly-wise but found some incredible plants .
This year we had a last minute booking further up near Newquay....................very busy ! but still managed to find some exceptional plants ,and three butterfly species I didn,t expect to see in 2020 ,Grayling ,Silver -studded Blue and Dark Green Frit ,actually found Silver Studs at Lands End ....
Most unexpected. Regards Allan.W.

Thanks Allan. Yes, I love it down there myself and hope to return many times. I have seen Silver-studded Blues down there in past years, usually at Upton Towans near Hayle in late May/early June. We were planning on going again around that time earlier this year but that was one of our trips that got cancelled.

Great report from Cornwall, Neil. Truth be told, I’m a bit with envy, having shelved our plans to go there at the same time. But it goes without saying, I’m delighted it worked out for you and your family.

And a great set of pictures for the rest of us to enjoy!

Thanks Mark. I must admit, I was a bit nervous about how we would get on this time, especially after a horrendous journey going down on the M5. I have since heard that the usual tourist traps were busy, especially Newquay and St Ives, but we found the Lizard to be no worse than usual in early August given that it is peak holiday time then anyway.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

That's a beautiful female Hedge Brown in your last sequence, Neil; the Common Blue is lovely too.

I guess it's tricky to come back to reality and just see your usual 'local' species, but you managed to get away this summer which is a feat in itself given the situation.

I hope you find plenty to interest you before autumn closes in.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks David. Hopefully I have another trip to look forward to in a week or so

Thursday 20th August

This past week has seen some pretty grotty weather here with lots of rain, some of it very heavy, over the last few days. With an improvement forecast for Thursday, I decided to drive over to Grafton Wood in Worcestershire for an attempt to see a Brown Hairstreak this year, having missed them for the past couple of years.
A couple of weeks back I had seen reports of lots of males coming down at Grafton, with one report of 16 different males recorded on one day, an unprecedented number for there. With us being down in Cornwall the other week, followed by some very unsettled weather since then, yesterday was the first chance I had to get over there.

It is about an hours drive to Grafton Wood for me and I arrived just before 10.00am, parked by the church and took the path across the farm to the wood. It was a pleasant morning with plenty of blue sky and white fluffy clouds and would have been perfect conditions if it wasn't for a stiff breeze blowing across the open fields. I hoped that it would be a bit more sheltered within the wood itself but on passing through the entrance gate and and setting off along the ride, I noticed how much the upper reaches of the trees were being blown about which did not look too promising for hairstreak activity.
I spent the next three hours wandering around the various 'hotspots' in the wood and had just two sightings of females that fluttered about within stands of blackthorn and stayed well out of reach for a photo. I also saw a couple more 'possibles' flying higher up but think that these were probably male Vapourer Moths which also fly here at this time and are often mistaken for Brown Hairstreaks from a distance.

During my wanderings, I met up with a few other enthusiasts, including a couple of acquaintances from West Mids. BC, and we all seemed to be having a similar day with just two of them having managed record shots. I also met and had a chat with John Tilt, the reserve manager, and his view was that the recent bad weather had ended the good numbers of males coming down and we were back to the normal 'state of play' with random females coming down on their egg laying forays. He also agreed that it was a bit too windy for them today and he had only seen a couple himself.

There were plenty of other butterflies to be seen along the more sheltered rides although it has to be said they were mostly whites with good numbers of all three common species seen. Amongst the other species were a few fresh looking Red Admiral, and singles of Comma, Brimstone, Small Copper and Common Blue. Also, a couple of raggedy old Silver-washed Fritillaries were still flying about.

Red Admiral - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

Red Admiral - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

Red Admiral - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

Comma - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

Brimstone - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

As well as the butterflies, there were loads of Dragonflies in the wood, mostly Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers.
At one point I was photographing a pair of darters in cop when another chap came along and said they were Ruddy Darters. Looking at the photos back home, I am sure that I can see stripes on the legs which would make them Common Darters.

Common Darters (I think) - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

One quite dramatic little episode occurred when I was chatting to one of the West Mids BC members and he called out something that had landed just behind me. A closer look showed this to be an Emperor Dragonfly that had brought down a Migrant Hawker and was proceeding to devour it on the ground, a proper case of the hunter becoming the prey.

Emperor Dragonfly with Migrant Hawker prey - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

Emperor Dragonfly with Migrant Hawker prey - Grafton Wood 20.08.2020

I know that all dragonflies are efficient predators and I have seen larger Dragonflies take Damselflies before, but this was the first time that I had witnessed one take another large dragonfly.

All in all, a pleasant trip even if I was only partially successful in my main goal with just the two Brown Hairstreaks briefly seen and no photo opportunities.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

[bugboy]

Hi Neil, great pics as usual, particularly the Emperor Dragonfly shots. I know they do this but I've never witnessed it myself, the takedown must have been impressive! I agree, those definitely aren't Ruddy Darters, the legs are clearly striped.

[Pauline]

That's a great shot of the Emperor Dragonfly Neil!

[Wurzel]

Sorry to hear that the Brostreaks didn't play ball Neil - they have been a bit tricky at times this season but then there's always next year Mind you the shots of the Emperor must have offered some consolation

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Bugboy. I didn't actually witness the takedown myself, they were already on the ground by the time I turned around. As you say, it must have been an impressive thing to see. Thanks also for the confirmation on the darters.

Thanks Pauline. A species that I see fairly often but have very few photos of.

Thanks Wurzel. At least it wasn't just me, a couple of the chaps I spoke to are locals who know the wood well and they were struggling too. Just too breezy.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Monday 24th August.

Not much to report from around here over the past few days with some very autumn like weather bringing in bands of rain, some of it very heavy, along with some blustery winds.

Up until today (Monday 24th), the only butterflies I have seen since last Thursday have been a couple of the ever reliable Speckled Wood in the garden and a few passing whites during the occasional brighter spell.

This morning started off once again with a thick gloomy overcast and it felt quite cool up until mid morning when the clouds began to thin a bit.
As it warmed up the garden Specklies appeared with at least two males up to their usual territorial antics.

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 24.08.2020

A female was also spotted sneakily making her way through the garden and avoiding the attention of the males.

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 24.08.2020

By mid-day, some blue sky could be seen and some nice sunny spells were making it feel quite pleasant so I decided to take a walk down to my local spot by Wagon Lane Park.

The most numerous butterfly seen there today was Speckled Wood with about a dozen seen scattered around the site, including a number of females.

Speckled Wood male - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

Speckled Wood female - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

Speckled Wood female - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

Meadow Browns look like they have finished here now but a few female Gatekeepers were still hanging on albeit well past their best now.

Gatekeeper female - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

A couple of large buddleias are growing wild in one corner and these played host to a single Comma and Red Admiral.

Comma - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

Red Admiral - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

Red Admiral - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

For me, the best butterfly seen here today was a single Small Copper. Despite it being a bit worn this is only the second one I have seen here with the other one being back in 2018. It had a decent set of blue spots too, a pity it was no longer in best condition.

Small Copper - Wagon Lane 24.08.2020

A few Small and Green-veined Whites were also seen during the hour that I spent here before I circled back and headed home.

Back home again, the garden Specklies were still performing and I reckon I identified a couple of different males making it four separate males plus the one female seen in the garden today.

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 24.08.2020

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 24.08.2020

Looks like time to batten down the hatches again tomorrow with storm Francis bringing more rain and gales.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Neil, the Dragon Fly always looks frightening to me, I saw one attacking a High Brown Frit, at Gait Barrow once , it was huge and put me off them for life Lovely shots of the Speckie, when their fresh they seem to have a slight greenish tint which you've captured
Weather's awful here, we can't seem to get rid of the storms, hope fully we'll get the sunshine back for the week-end Goldie

[Wurzel]

Interesting to see the difference in the wear and tear on those Specklies Neil - a lovely sequence of shots but the Small Copper pips them to the post for me The weather will get better next week and we'll probably have a heatwave in a fortnight's time, once all the schools have started back

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to know you're still seeing a few butterflies, Neil. Conditions have been lousy here too, and now that it's about to settle down it's set to go much cooler.

Amazing images of the dragonfly 'snatch' in your previous post. That Emperor must have been hungry to take such sizeable prey down.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Goldie. Lots of Specklies here at the moment in all sorts of conditions.

Thanks Wurzel. I'm with you with the Small Copper, especially as it was only my second one from that site. Fingers crossed for the weather next week, I will be down in Dorset for a few days.

Thanks David. I have heard stories of Emperor Dragonflies taking down sizable prey including (unfortunately) a female Purple Emperor at Ryton Wood.


Garden Moths update – August.

So far this month I have only had the moth trap out a few times. The first week of the month we were in Cornwall and much as I would have liked to take a trap down there, with Jane, Sarah and the grand kids plus all their luggage, there simply wasn't room in the car. Since then the weather has been very unsettled (to say the least) with some heavy rain and high winds on some nights.
Nevertheless, there have been some suitable nights and when I have lit up I have continued to get a nice selection of moths albeit with nothing particularly outstanding for here.
Total numbers are still fairly low but species numbers are continuing to hold up with my tally so far this year standing at 228 species made up of 138 macros and 90 micros. Two new (albeit classed as common and widespread) species for the garden have turned up during this period, a Tawny Speckled Pug on the night of 13th August and Six-striped Rustic on the night of 15th. I actually had three Six-striped Rustics on the 15th and curiously this is the only night so far I have seen these.

Tawny Speckled Pug - Coverdale 13.08.2020

Six-striped Rustic - Coverdale 15.08.2020

The Old Lady Moth is a nice chunky late summer species of which I usually get a few each year. I often read that these don't often come to light but I think that they possibly come to actinic traps like mine more often than to M.V.

Old Lady - Coverdale 09.08.2020

The Dusky thorn is another late summer species that I usually see a small number of each year.

Dusky thorn - Coverdale 09.08.2020

I probably see just as many, if not more, Yellow Shells during the daytime when they are easily disturbed. They only have a single generation but, in a similar way to Meadow Browns, can be seen throughout the summer and often turn up in my trap into September.

Yellow Shell - Coverdale 18.08.2020

Other moths have included a number of second generations of species that I have already seen earlier in the year.

Willow Beauty - Coverdale 11.08.2020

Spectacle - Coverdale 13.08.2020

Flame Shoulder - Coverdale 13.08.2020

I have had a few Silver Y and Diamondback Moths, both of which are migrant species, but in both cases they could just as easily be home grown descendants of earlier arrivals.

Silver Y - Coverdale 13.08.2020

Diamondback - Coverdale 09.08.2020

The nights are noticeably drawing in now and I should soon start to see some of the typical autumn species turning up.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Love the way the Dusky Thorn has Brylcreemed it's antennae back, looks like a proper Teddy Boy
Hope you have a great time next week; "Freemans go mad in Dorset""

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Lovely moths again, Neil. The spectacle and the flame shoulder stand out for me. It'll be interesting to see what autumn brings in your trap?

Safe journey to and from Dorset. I look forward to finding out what you see in due course (maybe a migrant or two?)