millerd

[millerd]

The relative freedom to travel that the summer brought meant I was able to spend some time in August visiting Yorkshire and other parts of the north of England. One of the joys of these visits is encountering good numbers of Small Tortoiseshells in almost every location.

Wilberfoss 30th

Allerthorpe 30th

Kiplingcotes 31st

The reliable site for Small Coppers, Calley Heath, didn't fail...

...and also produced the best Painted Lady I saw all year...

...plus some nice Commas feeding up pre-hibernation.

A visit to Kiplingcotes on 6th gave me a notable sighting in an Essex Skipper - they have only just arrived here as they spread slowly northwards.

Another annual event is the sight of Red Admirals indulging themselves on the windfall Victoria plums in my sister's garden.

My visit at the start of August coincided with the start of the major heatwave at home down south, and conditions were thankfully much more comfortable up there. In fact I had to keep a close eye on the forecast for the next part of my trip, which was to visit Smardale Gill for the first time to see England's best colony of Scotch Argus. Luckily, the prognostications became increasingly favourable as the 9th approached, and the day itself was largely sunny, pleasantly warm and with light winds. Scotch Argus were everywhere.

I followed by dropping into Arnside en route to my overnight hotel in Lancaster, and then again the following morning. However, the Scotch Argus here were disappointing in comparison...

...though I did spot a late Grayling, of the smaller variety found here which may be closely linked to the subspecies found on the Great Orme in North Wales..

Gatekeepers were the only other species of note.

I headed back south on 10th, and watched the temperature rise steadily from a pleasant 22 up on the Knott to around 37 at Heathrow. However, I had made plans - knowing my upstairs maisonette would be like an oven at night, I had booked into local hotels for the next three nights. Air-conditioned decent sleep awaited, and at a reasonable cost too, as the downswing in air travel had triggered a big reduction in room rates. All within walking distance of home too.

More August to come, at more southern sites.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Brilliant report Dave - those Scotch Argus Argus definitely near the top of my 'most wanted' list Is the Smardale site easy to get to?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - Smardale and the Scotch Argus were very much a major highlight of 2020. The spot is not really that tricky to get to - as long as you are in the North of England already that is! I drove from the other side of York, over to the A1(M) and up to Scotch Corner, then across the Pennines to Brough on the A66. Then it was down to Kirkby Stephen followed by a couple of miles or so on country lanes. Afterwards, it wasn't all that far to the M6 and then south to Arnside. I don't use a SatNav (I consider them dangerously distracting) and the route was easy enough to memorise. If you plan to go, a side trip from a stay in the Lakes is probably the best bet.

The rest of August was spent down South, generally either on the various chalk downs or in the woodland at Bookham. Chalk downs in August mean blue butterflies: there seemed to be good numbers of Chalkhills, but the second brood of Adonis was much less numerous than the first, especially at Denbies. They fared better at Aston Rowant, however.

2nd Box Hill

14th Denbies

14th Denbies

24th Aston Rowant

Chalkhills were particularly good at this Chiltern site too, with a lot of variety among the females including one example with quite a bit of blue.

male 1st August Aston Rowant

female 1st August Aston Rowant

female 1st August Aston Rowant

In the same locations throughout the whole month there were Silver-spotted Skippers. Again Aston Rowant held the largest numbers, but they were also widespread at both Box Hill and Denbies. These two individuals, seen separately...

male 1st August Aston Rowant

female 1st August Aston Rowant

...joined soon after these shots were taken.

pair 1st August Aston Rowant

I made seven trips down to Bookham in August, primarily to seek out Brown Hairstreaks. The first trip (on 4th) continued my run of luck with finding males low down - I saw at least four.

However, things went downhill and my search for fresh females resulted in me finding only worn examples on 16th...

...and then on 23rd.

Not far from this last sighting, a Common Blue female appeared, looking a bit out of place in the woodland blackthorn thickets.

I did also manage to fit in a visit to Dawneys Hill at the stat of the month for another look at the Grayling colony. Numbers seemed on the low side.

And so that was August. There was definitely an end-of-season feel to it as overall numbers dropped off and even the second broods of many species began to look tired. However, September was certainly not a disappointment in 2020...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Those Adonis have gotten me pining for Spring Dave - and hoping that things will have improved by then That female Chalkhill is really interesting as the blue is very reminiscent of the males shade - I wonder if that could be a partial gyandromorph? Thanks for the Smardale info - now I've got to try and wangle a family trip up that way - wish me luck with that one

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

No problem, Wurzel - best of luck with the planning for a trip up that way. Take in Arnside as well if you can - great views and an old-fashioned seaside resort at the bottom as well.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Down in the south of England at least, September these days is just a continuation of summer as far as the weather is concerned. In 2020, the average daily maximum temperature for the month near me at Heathrow was just over 21.5 degrees, and 29 was reached twice during a particularly warm eleven day spell between 12th and 22nd. Average daily sunshine was 5.7 hours - notable given that this figure exceeded the daily averages for both July and August, and wasn't all that far short of June's. Bearing in mind the much shorter days (less than 12 hours by the end of the month) compared to the other months (close to 16 hours around Midsummer's Day), this total really was impressive.

The sunshine no doubt contributed to 16 different species making an appearance on my local patch in September (comparing favourably with the 14 seen in August). The best day for individual sightings was 19th (with 54), and the day with the most species seen was 16th (12 species). Two of those on 16th had not been seen at all during the previous month - Peacock and Brimstone.

There was also the last new species seen here this year when a Clouded Yellow appeared on 29th, making the final tally for 2020 a nice round 25 species.

I'm pleased to say that this Cloudie was just the start of a good run of sightings of the species well into October.

September was the month when third broods appeared in several species - some quite modestly (Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Heath, Small Copper) and some in good numbers (Small White and Common Blue). The Peacocks seen (and those in October and November) may well have been second brood individuals. The last Meadow Browns were spotted on 4th - which seems early to me...

curiously "washed-out" looking

...and the last GVW on 19th. The lone Painted Lady seen on 14th was the last of only ten seen all year here. Only two Commas appeared all month - rather worrying especially as none at all followed in October.

completely new, with drops of meconium on the leaf below

Red Admirals did better, with 8 seen on the 8th (a total not to be surpassed again thereafter in 2020).

I'll have a look at the third brooders in the next post.

Dave

[Wurzel]

More cracking shots Dave - really helping me get through the gloom of January! there was a deficit of Commas this year - I didn't see that many in Spring and wasn't tripping over the H.Commas either Hopefully they just got on and started hibernating early - fingers crossed

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - here's another selection to blow the January grey damp chilliness away...

Third broods of certain species are routine these days on my local patch, but numbers vary from year to year. In 2020, for example, the usually reliable Holly Blues produced only a few examples in September (and even fewer in October and none in November - breaking a run of several good autumns).

Brown Argus were also thin on the ground, with just one or two seen towards the end of the month.

Small Heaths fly nearly continuously from May to October, but there was a distinct third peak in September.

Speckled Woods are also difficult to separate into broods, especially with their staggered springtime emergence, but fresh September examples (and later) may well be third brooders. Overall, their numbers were higher in 2020 than they had been at any time since April.

The third round of Small Coppers had started at the end of August, and was sustained through September, but in no great numbers (things were different down at Staines Moor, as I'll come to in due course).

However, the two most numerous species this month were Small Whites and Common Blues, with both having significant third broods peaking mid-month, but lingering on into October and beyond.

The Common Blue bounty was repeated elsewhere (notably down at Mill Hill in Sussex), and was certainly the best showing of a third brood I've seen locally in over ten years of observations.

I fitted in a few walks down to Staines Moor, where the third brood of Small Coppers handsomely lived up to expectations, and also began the usual late summer/early autumn visits to the Sussex coast where the season lasts that bit longer, and is now reguarly generating a final flourish in the form of LTBs. There were one or two other trips out as well.

I think a separate post will be needed to do these justice.

Dave

[trevor]

You certainly had a full and varied year in 2020, Dave.
A mrgreen for that successful trip to Smardale Gill and the resulting images.
I must get there one day, I have never seen any of the Northern species.

Keep safe and well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Job done, blues chased away - cheers again Dave Lovely shot of the open Small White - really difficult to get hem like that and that male Common Blue is definitely a sight for winter weary eyes

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Not actually too bad a year, considering, Trevor. The retrospective still has a few gems left to come as well. The endless spring sunshine certainly increased numbers on my local patch (or at least it allowed me to count a lot more!) Though I didn't travel as much as usual, the trips I made were generally well worth it as well: the Smardale visit does stand out.

No problem, Wurzel - more to come...

Staines Moor in September was not surprisingly all about Small Coppers. Numbers at the start of the month were well into double figures, though they tailed off later. Third broods of Common Blue, Brown Argus and Small Heath also featured, but only the last of these in any numbers.

There were also one or two Red Admirals.

A few more examples of what may well be my Butterfly of the Year:

The last individual appeared partially bleached - whether a true aberration or not I wouldn't like to say.

After hearing from Bugboy that the recent bad fire had luckily left their habitat relatively unscathed, I went to Chobham Common again to see the Graylings. I was surprised at how numerous they were so late in the year.

I also popped down to Bookham again, but things were definitely looking very end-of-season here. A single Brown Hairstreak on 1st...

...and a nice Common Blue on 17th were the highlights.

Denbies in September proved very disappointing, with a scattering of Silver-spotted Skippers, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns (and a few Small Coppers of course) being all there was to see. Blue butterflies of all types had largely vanished, though one Common Blue did stand out by lacking the characteristic forewing underside spot that distinguishes it from its relatives on the continent.

Aston Rowant was again rather a contrast, and deserves its own post.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Just catching up on your diary Dave, brightens things up considerably on a cold Saturday morning...we had snow again last night which has frozen over to leave it treacherous underfoot.

...dropping into Arnside en route to my overnight hotel in Lancaster, and then again the following morning. However, the Scotch Argus here were disappointing in comparison...

I remember that the Scotch Argus were well down in numbers at Arnside on my last visit (in 2018) from what they used to be a few years before. A run of poor summers up there hadn't helped but some of the best areas were getting scrubbed up quite badly. Not sure if there has been any management up there since but I remember meeting some local BC branch members there who were quite concerned about the state of the habitat.

I have never visited Smardale, will have to look into it sometime in the future although I can't see it being this year.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots Dave, you covered quite a variety of species last year, lets hope we can do the same this year Goldie

[Wurzel]

Another brilliant post Dave - really brightening up what was a monochrome day - first snowy white and black and then a kinda dull grey I've read that Common Blues don't always have the cell spot but I've never seen one that didn't...until now!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you, Neil - I can certainly recommend Smardale if you're in the area. About an hour from Arnside if you were staying there.

Cheers, Wurzel. I've seen a few Common Blues like that before, and there was another on my local patch during the same week. Curious.

Thanks to you Goldie too! All things considered, I didn't do too badly in 2020 with the Sussex LTBs in September allowing me to reach the 50 species mark for the year (I think it had been 56 in 2019, however).

As mentioned earlier, the North Downs were rather disappointing in September 2020. By contrast the terrific Chiltern location of Aston Rowant was far from it. I made three visits (on 2nd, 15th and 20th) and encountered Adonis Blues on each occasion.

On the first trip, there were still a few Chalkhills...

...and also some fresh Siver-spotted Skippers.

Meadow Browns (as others have commented) seem to start opening up more readily late in the year and obliged for me too.

The visit on the 15th was notable for a couple of yellow butterflies that appeared together - a male Brimstone...

...and a female Clouded Yellow.

A few days later on 20th the Cloudie had moved on, but there were still a few Adonis...

...including this pair of males going hammer and tongs on the ground.

Small Coppers were tussling too, but they were more measured in their approach.

As the month continued, the focus moved down to the south coast. The summer lingers longer in Sussex, and it feels like stepping back a week or so to wander out on the slopes of Mill Hill. However, my September visits started on 7th, with a trip to High & Over and third brood Walls. I didn't arrive early enough to catch them waking up, and they were very active and were not basking within reach.

The centre of attention was now Whitehawk Hill next to Brighton Racecourse, with a series of outings there to see the numbers of Long-tailed Blues. There were many familiar faces again as well as a good number of new ones: some folk had travelled some distance to see the butterflies. I made three trips (on 11th, 18th and 28th), the first of which was the best for the LTBs as the wind had swung round on 18th and moved the butterflies and by 28th they were well past their best.

11th

11th

18th

However, the trip on 28th was made by the appearance of a very obliging female Clouded Yellow.

Despite all this late season bounty, I was not finished with Sussex just yet: four visits to Mill Hill completed the September picture and I think yet again a separate post is the right way to cover those days out.

Dave

[trevor]

Your 'open wing ' Cloudie shots have convinced me that my next camera
should have a decent burst shooting capability.

Looking at your Autumn selection I think you would agree that the 2020
Autumn was a vintage one in terms of late sightings, with the added bonus
of plentiful Long Tailed Blues and Clouded yellows.

Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking set of LTB shots Dave but I better comment on the open wing Cloudy shot Dave before I run out of Lovely Wall as well Not long to go - what about 4 weeks - now?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Benjamin]

Great to see you at Whitehawk Dave - perhaps it was your last visit as the season was definitely coming to a close. It’s becoming a great end of season meet up - if we could just squeeze a pub in somewhere it’d be perfect. Maybe this year.....

[millerd]

Thank you, Trevor. Though I do use the burst mode on my camera to achieve open-wing shots of Wood Whites and Brimstones, I've never used it successfully with Clouded Yellows. My in flight shots have all been complete flukes, catching the insect as it zoomed by or as it took off.

Cheers, Wurzel - they were very productive visits down to Sussex, helped by a run of good weather.

Thanks Ben - yes, good to see you again as well and your suggestion as to refreshment possibilities is favourably noted...

To round off September, I need to cover the four visits I made to Mill Hill, also down in Sussex. Two of these were combined with the Brighton trips, making very full days. I went to this splendid bit of chalk downland on 11th, 21st, 22nd and 28th, and the common factor throughout was the staggering abundance of third brood Common Blues. I thought they had done well on my local patch, but I haven't seen the numbers there around at Mill Hill anywhere for a long time. The second brood must have been reasonably early and conditions must have been ideal for their offspring.

Also notable were good numbers of Clouded Yellows throughout (they'd arrived in July and presumably these were the next generation)

and also third brood Wall Browns.

However, the Common Blues stole the show, particularly the females with a huge variety of colouring on display.

Interestingly, amongst the dozens of females around on 22nd, this male stood out: absolutely perfect.

As I left Mill Hill (and Sussex) for the last time in 2020, I was treated to a very nice new Red Admiral.

On now to October, and the season really did properly decline - but still with a highlight or two.

[Wurzel]

Crickey Dave really enjoyed your Blue phase You've got the full range of blue females there

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Those Common Blues at Mill Hill were a sight to behold, Wurzel. That really is a small fraction of the photos I took, which were in turn just a dip-sample of the variety of females flying. Brilliant days.

OCTOBER 2020

Looking back, I see that with one minor exception I only visited my local patch during October. By this time there is not much to see that cannot be found here, and the exceptions (Walls for example) are getting a bit worn.

Some statistics: the weather was unexceptional except for lack of sunshine and for including the UK's wettest-ever day on the 3rd. At Heathrow, only an hour and threequarters worth of sun was recorded daily on average, the average daily high was 15 degrees and the highest temperature of the month was only 19 (on 21st). There were no frosts, with nothing lower than 5 degrees recorded.

During the month, I saw 11 different species altogether, with a high of 8 species on 7th. The highest count was on 5th, with 33 individuals seen. The most commonly seen species were Common Blues and Small Whites - the former species continuing its remarkable third brood with 11 being seen among the 33 on the 5th. Notable sightings were probable second brood Peacocks, and a selection of Clouded Yellows which turned up in ones and twos (three on 5th) on almost every day I went out. All were males. On the disappointing side, I saw only two Holly Blues all month, and no Commas at all.
Seven species made their last appearances of the year: Brown Argus (1st), Small Heath (7th),

Holly Blue (8th),

Large White (9th),

Clouded Yellow (19th),

Small White (22nd)

and Small Copper (22nd).

Those were the last photos I took of each species - however, the Clouded Yellows especially provided a host of other opportunities, so I will include those, and a selection of others, in the next post.