August 2020

[Allan.W.]

After yesterdays surprising find of Sickle bearing bush Crickets at my local site ,i decided to give it another look ,and see if i could find any more ,i suppose i was on site for about 2 hours ,but only managed to find 1 ,a male ,but plenty of Long winged Coneheads about.

I did find lots of Small Coppers on the wing ,and saw around 10 ,very little variation amongst this colony ,but its early days ,and they are still emerging here .

Stumbled on another first for me at this site , a Wasp Spider ,which i,m now finding regularly finding on the North Downs.

As the weather began to pull in ,looking really threatening ,a male Clouded Yellow did a few fly-byes ,i really hope he manages to bump into
one of yesterdays females . As it started to spit and thunder ,i made my way back to the car ,keeping an eye out for a male Small Copper i,d
been watching on his territory ..............sure enough ,there he was perched at the top of a Fleabane ,wings tightly closed ...............waitng
for the downpour ..........He didn,t have to wait for long!

Allan.W.

[aeshna5]

Lovely Wasp Spider there Allen. Around my area of London they seem to have a declined a bit over the last couple of years. A couple of weeks ago I checked an area in Ruislip Woods where several were found on a walk I lead last year but found none this year. Richmond Park often supports plenty-when I checked a few Juncus patches yesterday I found one large female & a single egg sac.

In Richmond Park, due to deer pressure grazing, Ragwort is the main nectar plant for the butterflies & Small Copper relishes these & found several there yesterday.

[Allan.W.]

Yes Aeshcna ,i agree that Ragwort is the no.1 nectar source ,and if there is plenty 0f Ragwort and just a few Fleabane ,the
Coppers always go to the Ragwort ,which is the situation at Dungeness ,where there,s a huge Copper population ,but at Dungeness this year
where its been exceptionally dry and the Ragwort is in very short supply ,the Coppers will nectar .............where they can !
At this small local site ,the site is "yellow" with fleabane ,with a few Ragwort scattered around ,and here they favour Cowbane.
Regards Allan.W.

[Stevieb]

Still some fresh blues on the hill today. Beacon Hill

♂ Adonis Blue 31st Aug

♀ Common Blue 31st Aug

[Deborah]

Just found this on my garden table - very worn but I’m pretty sure it’s a Convolvulus Hawkmoth?
Any ideas if this is common for Central Brittany as I’ve not seen or heard of it before?

[David M]

Very nice, Deborah. I know a few people who'd be scared stiff of that!

Looks like it can be found throughout France:

https://www.lepinet.fr/especes/nation/l ... p?id=37910

[zigzag_wanderer]

Impressive moth Deborah.

Saw my first Brown Hairstreaks in our local fields today for about two and a half weeks. Three females were active along one south-facing blackthorn hedge.

Over the long weekend in those fields I've seen no Gatekeepers, one Meadow Brown (yesterday), one each of Comma, Common Blue, Small Heath (all today) and 2 Red Admiral. The only species seen over all 3 days were Small Copper, GV and Small whites and Speckled Wood.

The Grass Veneer moths are still around but in vastly reduced numbers from when I was flushing at least out one with every step.

I noted 3 Small Copper all in one very small area on Saturday. They seemed to be tolerating each other in the gloomy conditions.

After getting my brother's Migrant Hawker identified on here earlier, then I'm pretty confident that I snapped one today, along with a Common Darter (both female).

[Allan.W.]

Your "Meadow Browns " ,definately have that Brown Hairstreak look about them Zig-Zag .................very nice !!
Regards Allan.W.

[Deborah]

I’ll swap you my Convolvulus Hawkmoth for your Brown Hairstreaks Zig Zag - they’re still on my ‘would love to see’ list. And your photos are great!

[zigzag_wanderer]

Ah, good spot Allan !

Yes, I wondered who'd be the first to spot that deliberate mistake ...... ahem.....

[zigzag_wanderer]

I’ll swap you my Convolvulus Hawkmoth for your Brown Hairstreaks Zig Zag - they’re still on my ‘would love to see’ list. And your photos are great!

Thanks Deborah.... it was seeing a Brown Hairstreak landing close by me in those fields in early August last year that really ignited my interest in butterflies. I knew it was a bit "different" to the others I was seeing.

Our next door neighbour said he'd had a hawkmoth of some description on his patio 2 weeks ago, but to my knowledge I've never seen one - would love to.

The candy colours on yours are great- almost looks like it's got a favourite item of 70's knitwear on that won't quite do up fully these days !

[Sylvie_h]

Pant Y Sais Nature Reserve on 30th August :

Comma x1
Small tortoiseshell x2 (both in beautiful condition)
Red admiral x 2
Holly blue x1 female
Common blue x 1 male
Small copper x 2
Meadow brown x 4

There were a lot of devil's bit scabious (attracting a lot of insects) along the canal which makes me wonder why the Marsh fritillary is not found there (although one specimen was found at Crymlyn Burrows on the opposite side of the road by David M a few years ago).

Sylvie

[David M]

Yes, I still wonder where that individual came from, Sylvie, as well as the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries we both saw at Crymlyn earlier this year.

It wouldn't surprise me if Marshies were present around Crymlyn Bog. Much of it is pretty inaccessible and there aren't that many visitors.

I also found Green Hairstreaks on Kilvey Hill a couple of years ago. Never seen them before or since up there though.

[David M]

Saturday 29th, Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea:

Meadow Brown c20
Small Heath 9
Small White 5-10
Common Blue 8
Small Tortoiseshell 3
Red Admiral 2
Speckled Wood 2
Small Copper 2
Large White 2
Green Veined White 2
Brown Argus 1

[David M]

West Williamston in Pembrokeshire on 30th:

Small Tortoiseshell c50
Small White 20-30
Speckled Wood 15-20
Red Admiral 15-20
Green Veined White 5-10
Large White 4
Brown Hairstreak 3
Comma 2
Painted Lady 2
Holly Blue 2
Silver Washed Fritillary 2
Peacock 1

[Medard]

Just found this on my garden table - very worn

Hello Deborah, one that's not worn ,for you to admire, found in mid Somerset.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com

[Deborah]

Thanks for that! Especially as, sad to recount, the worn one was dead the next morning