Cheers Trevor
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
She was a very dusky maid that one - though to be honest the females that I did encounter were all rather dusky and looked like they'd gone a bit overboard with the mascara
Cheers Katrina
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I think she wasn't long out of the chrysalis as they do seem to fray at the edges quite quickly
Bentley Wood 24-06-2020
As it looked set to be a scorcher I decided to try and get to Bentley early so that I was there ready for when the butterflies started to fly and also because the early morning seems to be the best time for Purple Hairstreaks to come down to the deck. I managed to pull into the car park a few moments before 8am and set off directly down the main track. Already it was warm enough to be in short sleeves but only when in the sun, in the shade it was noticeably cooler, enough to raise a few goose bumps. So over the next 20 minutes of pretty solid walking I experienced many temperature changes – a good job I’m into Rock and not actually a Rock else I’d have been experiencing ‘Onion Skin Weathering! As I strolled along the main track to the Switchback and then onto to Donkey Copse and beyond even further I saw very few butterflies and even though I was straining my eyes looking on Bracken fronds for small, grey/brown butterflies that would hopefully be Purple Hairstreak all I could come up with were two a piece of Ringlet and Meadow Brown. By now I’d ended up at the track which opens up onto one of the fields and so I pressed on to see what was flying down here. It was still really quiet but just as I was thinking this the butterflies suddenly started appearing and the grass stems that previously had been devoid of life were now teeming with Smessex Skippers and Meadow Browns. There were a few Large Skippers about, mainly on Brambles on the periphery of the field and a few Marbled Whites added a touch of the class a la Pierrot, one of which clambered onto my offered hand, probably as its fore wing was slightly damaged. It could still fly and once it had absorbed enough heat from my digit it set off again leaving me to retrace my steps up the track and back to walk the woodland rides.
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As the path crossed the tree line I paused slightly past the border and scanned about me finding myself to be surrounded by Large Skippers, Ringlets and Meadow Browns. A Red Admiral did its level best to avoid my capturing it on film by hanging right at the back of the large Bramble bush that covered the verge from the edge of the path right back to the treeline. As I couldn’t ‘get’ to anything I decided to work my way back into the Wood to see what else had woken up but as I turned to leave I had a sense that I should have one last look over the Oaks that form the gateway to this section of the wood. I’m glad I did as a small silver butterfly jinked its way across the airspace from one canopy to another. My first Purple Hairstreak of 2020. I stayed for another 5 minutes of so but it didn’t come down from its perch just occasionally flew backwards and forwards between the Oaks so I moved on. Slightly further along the track among the usual shower a Red Admiral behaved in a slightly more friendly fashion, coming in a bit closer to the track so it was within reach of my lens and a couple of male Silver-washed acted like Hoons tearing about the place.
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On the twisty walk back through the wood to the corner of Donkey Copse I kept scanning as I walked trying to check the canopy and the deck and everything else in between at the same time. All the usual butterflies flew but like everything they were very flighty in the sun. I decided to have a proper look on the corner as this was where I’d encountered His Nibbs several years on the trot so I poured a coffee and deposited my bag and started slowly wandering round neck articulated through 90 degrees. There was no Emperor but a White Admiral flashed past and did a couple of searing runs which made the neck ache worthwhile. When I resumed searching at a lower altitude a male Silver-washed was an easy spot, standing out like a sore thumb but the H.Comma was surprisingly cryptic as it fed on whatever was impregnated in a piece of old rope, in fact it was only the movement that made me aware of its presence at all.
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I thought that as I was here I should have a look along the grassed track that runs the opposite way from the corner. The advantage of this little area is the closer growing trees and the aspect means that this rea stays shaded for much longer and so the butterflies should be more easily approachable. Indeed so it turned out. I’d only walked 20 metres or so along the track when the Bracken became alive with Silver-washed with at least 5in one view, possibly more as they kept swopping in, landing and then being disturbed or becoming embroiled in various brawls. A Peacock tried its best to stay out of it but didn’t have much luck and an H.Comma found that it’s usually effective camo was rendered redundant by the sharp eyes of the feisty Silver-washed. It was a wonderful sight to behold but not exactly conducive to great photos as I found that my subject was quickly becoming the victim of an attack. Luckily in the end I found one sitting calmly on a frond of Bracken slightly further along the path and so away from all the action. I have a suspicion that this one was fresh out of the box as not only was it immaculate but it seemed to glisten slightly as if the paint hadn’t yet dried.
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On the return there were about three Silver-washed happily carousing about on the first part of the track. As I watched them one landed quite close so I leant in for the shot and a small, silver butterfly took off and slowly flew up and at me – it was a Purple Hairstreak that had been down on the deck, and I’d missed it ahhhh! Cursing myself I headed back to the corner but my dark mood was brightened considerably as a large bat like shape flew across the track - darker, more obviously striped and more stocky than a White Admiral it was my first Purple Emperor of 2020. My frustrations with purple butterfly were squashed by the exultation of seeing a different Purple one. I headed back to the Switchback, buzzling slightly not even minding that the triangle down on the deck was only a Red Admiral pretender but also managing to get a few shots of a Bentley DGF.
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Once at the Switchback it was decision time, carry on up to the memorial to see if I could catch up with any Whitters or walk back to the car and home. The call of the Whitters won and so I made my way across the crossroads and set out North up towards the Memorial and the stand of Wytch Elms. On the way I had cause to stop when I was half way to my destination as ahead of me on the deck was a dark triangle on the track but alas it was only a Red Admiral taking salts from something icky. Again my disappointment was almost immediately dispelled. The Red Admiral that wasn’t a Purple Emperor took off and as I watched it fly across the verge and into the trees it spooked another Purple Hairstreak which, just like last one, flew up into the trees but unlike the other it stayed as a reasonable height whereby if I stood on tiptoes and held my camera out at arms’ length I was able to get a few shots. Chuffed with this I pressed onwards.
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Last year the few Wytch Elms on the side of the track as it curved round to the right held only a single White-letter Hairstreak and they were starting to show signs of succumbing to DED but this year they had succumbed with only an H.Comma taking advantage of the bare and decaying branches. So it seemed that my reliable White-letter site was over…then I remembered when I first read about the Bentley White-letters mentioned that they used to come down round the actual bench itself and so I set off along another track overshadowed by to find said bench. When I did I could see that I wasn’t going to have much luck there as it was shaded out so completely by the tress that had grown around it that is was almost pitch black. But slightly further along the path there were a few breaks and I could look up with my binoculars and check out the tops of the various trees. When I did I quickly spotted what I was hoping for – a dark grey, square cut looking butterfly that would fly out form its perch, attack something and then fly back and perch again. One of the times it did this the thing that it attacked was another grey, square cut butterfly – a second Whitter. I found a third on another tree slightly further back and then went back to watching the antics of the first- eventually it came down and perched so I was able to see the side-on profile through my binoculars. It was brilliant watching them and as I retraced my tracks back I realised that I was on for a ‘Hairstreak Fullhouse’!
The walk back was much quicker – buoyed at finding three firsts for the year and the good news about the Whitters and my happy wandering was only briefly interrupted as I was buzzed by a His Nibbs. He flew down the track towards me at speed, the sun catching his wings and flashing purple/electric blue, almost took my head off as he passed, circled me once, twice and then carried on at speed up and away. So two brief audiences with His Nibbs…hopefully I’ll get a grounded one soon. When I reached the Switchback I carried on down to Donkey Copse again mainly in the vain hope that I might find an Emperor down. I didn’t but there were a few Silver-washed about and also a fellow enthusiast down in a ditch. As we exchanged pleasantries a Purple Hairstreak landed down on the wood pile, but try as I might I couldn’t get close enough to it for anything sensible. It seemed that today though that when things weren’t going my way with one species another popped up to set things right again. This time it was the turn of a White Admiral. I didn’t want to try and get too close to it in case it did one but it was really nicely posed, feeding on Bramble it was face on so I had great views of those gorgeous under wings – such beautiful colours and pattern it gives the best Fritillaries a run for their money when it comes to the most attractive under wing.
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After this I finally made for home. It had been a cracking morning despite His Nibbs not playing fair. Though I wasn’t thinking that when I got home a read about 2 Purple Emperors at Groveley Woods and even one down on the deck at Garston Wood! Oh well this is still year 2 of 3 so next year…for definite!
His Nibbs plays hardball
White Admiral consoles me
Hairstreaks help as well
Have a goodun and stay safe
Wurzel