ernie f

[Wurzel]

Cracking Small Copper shot from the last post Ernie I know what you mean about the Autumn creeping up on us things do seem to be heading for an early doors - although at this time of year the weather can turn on a sixpence

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

14 Small Coppers is pretty impressive at any time of year, ernie. I doubt I've seen so many in a single day more than a handful of times in my life.

Love the Ruby Bolete - a very mice colour for a mushroom. Looks like someone's spilled a glass of burgundy on it.

[ernie f]

Thanks guys. Broxhead Common is a fine late year location for me because of the Small Coppers. I can normally guarantee fair numbers here in Sep/Oct and sometimes, in extended summers they can grow into large numbers.

[ernie f]

Broxhead again this morning. I saw 12 Small Coppers today, 5 of which were in a different part of the common to last time so adding these to my count from before I get 19 in total here so far. (There was also one on the other side of the common in early summer - but this is not a good site for them at that time of year).

Todays pic shows the gold-dust effect. Click on pic to enlarge and see it better.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shot Ernie I noticed that golden dusting before on fresh individuals - I reckon that as they age they 'tarnish' and that golden dusting shows up as a greenish patina

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

...Todays pic shows the gold-dust effect. Click on pic to enlarge and see it better.

Sure does, ernie. It has a 'brassy' effect like some of the ringlets on the continent.

Very attractive.

[ernie f]

Thanks Guys, yet another species I am lucky enough to have near me in reasonable numbers. Makes the end of the season interesting.

[ernie f]

Broxhead again.

6 Small Coppers today but I didn't cover much ground to get them. Five of them I had probably already seen on previous recent visits but one was on its own not far from the reserve entrance and because I had seen none there so far this year, it must have been one new to me, bringing my total for this site to 20 this year. Usually when I see individuals of this species, both male and female, they tend to stick around one patch but not this one. I first saw it crawling around the sheep's sorrel so supposed it was a female investigating egg-laying opportunities but sadly I disturbed it - and instead of just flying off a little way, circling and coming back after a while it flew off fast and high over a gorse bush and into the distance and did not return.

One male was pursuing a female - walking along behind it and for the first time this year I witnessed the female doing its "turkey trot" go-away signal.

Someone else posted a toadstool pic recently - the Blackening Waxcap - one that is notorious for changing dramatically as it ages.

Today I saw my first Tawny Grizette of the year. Two were beside each other, one fresh and the other aged, showing side by side how difficult it can be to ID fungi!!!

[Wurzel]

Interesting behaviour Ernie - I've not seen Small Coppers walking after each other before - another thing to add to the ever growing list of 'things to look out for- I don't mind how big it gets My wife's 'Jobs' list on the other hand A Tawny Grizette - what a cracking name!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Wurzel - It is fascinating to watch them do this. Small Coppers seem to have so many interesting behaviors. There's the pursuing walk, the Turkey Trot of the female, the Stalk Walk of the male, they tickle one another with their legs while in-cop and perform the wing-roll on occasion. I've even seen a female Turkey Trot in flight while being pursued by a male, a most unusual thing while she is on the ground but quite a spectacle in the air!

[ernie f]

Noar Hill, 12th Sep 2020

The season in decline but still some interest here.

First I'm glad to report the Ivy Bee colony is thriving again this year at Noar Hill.

Next - a pair of Common Blues in-cop. A bit late in the year, but better late than never, eh?

A couple of years back I went to Old Winchester Hill to see 10's of thousands of Autumn Gentian in bloom. Normally purple of course but there was one and only one white version of this plant there. I scanned the slopes with my bins to prove this was the only one to myself. So it must be quite rare.

But I have recently discovered two patches of the white version at Noar Hill. I counted 8 plants in total but they do not all bloom at the same time. A few were in bloom a couple of weeks ago and today there were three in bloom, all different from the ones I saw before.

[Allan.W.]

Good find Ernie ! ,seen hundreds of Autumn Gentian ,down the years ...............but have never seen a White one .
Brilliant find ! Regards Allan.W.

[Wurzel]

Good to see the Blues making hay and having a roll in the hay while the sun shines Ernie - it that mixing metaphors or multi-tasking? Interesting to see the Gentians -my only experience of them is seeing them on a slide show given at a local RSPB group meeting which gave me the misconception that they're alpine species only seen clinging to the side of the Matterhorn

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Fascinating looking at the Small Copper behaviour, Ernie. I am also lucky enough to have a thriving Copper colony nearby, and despite the numbers, I've hardly seen much interaction between males and females so you have given me some pointers as to what to look for. Certainly no pairings...yet.

I was wondering how things were at Noar Hill - after seeing a Cloudie egg-laying back on 23rd July, it occurred to me that there might be some offspring appearing any time now... Nice Common Blue pair with the sky behind them though!

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

...6 Small Coppers today...one male was pursuing a female - walking along behind it and for the first time this year I witnessed the female doing its "turkey trot" go-away signal...

They are comical the way they go about their courtship business, aren't they?

Good to see you've latched onto a Common Blue pairing too, ernie. That's pretty impressive for mid-September.

[ernie f]

Allan - I knew there were alba varieties of certain species of plant but until I saw a White Autumn Gentian I didn't even know they came in white. It wasn't mentioned in any of my plant books.

Wurzel - Well Noar Hill and The Matterhorn do have one thing in common. They are both hills!

Dave - I did not see any Clouded Yellows at Noar Hill that day but thanks for the tip. I'll try again with a wider search at that location soon.

David - I didn't expect to see very many butterflies at all in the hour I spent at Noar Hill yesterday so I was quite surprised by the mating Common Blues. I first saw the male on its own fending off a Small Copper then when I glanced again the Small Copper was gone and in its place was the female Common Blue. The male sidled up to her and the rest, as they say, is history. I couldn't quite believe I saw them connect right there in front of me. The pic I took was after waiting some while for them to settle. I then picked the flower they were on and held it up to the sky for the picture. The camera was on super-macro and the lens was about 4 cm away from them. They stayed like that for ages while I took too many photos of them.

[ernie f]

Broxhead on a sunny Sunday morn - how lovely.

With a wider search than I have done so far this year here, I found 12 Small Coppers, 3 of which were in a different location to the ones I have been seeing recently bringing my count here for this Autumn to 23. This sounds a lot but Broxhead in recent years has been far better than this for numbers. Also, no Brown Argus that I usually find here around this time either.

However, did see my first "Blue Badge" of the year.

Also one male was doing a "Stalk Walk" down a heather frond. Another first of the year.

Plus L White, Comma, Red Ad, Red Kite and three Common Lizards.

Not a bad little haul in 1 hour.

[Katrina]

I am a bit late reading your posts but I love the SSS on scabious with the blue sky behind

[Wurzel]

Love that first shot Ernie - a mixture of close up and stained glass - brill

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Katrina - Thanks. I'm a bit of a sucker for butterfly pics backed with blue sky.
Wurzel - Sometimes you just get lucky don't you? Mostly these critters spot you coming a mile off (well a couple of feet anyways) but once in a while you can get right in their face and since they arrange themselves so their backs are to the sun, being in front of them automatically results in a stained-glass effect.