millerd

[David M]

That is indeed a bizarre example of wing damage, Dave. Still, the butterfly was presumably able to fly and at least you have got some images of Green Veined Whites, which is something I struggle to do every year (especially in spring).

[millerd]

Yes, Wurzel & David, difficult to imagine how that damage could have been caused, since it was such a neat hole and the wing was not torn as such. Still, the GVW was able to fly perfectly well.

You're right, Trevor - In the chill air of 15th, I found another amenable Orange Tip in what is becoming a favoured little spot for them (there were actually three there today (18th), a female and two males). I first spotted this male sitting tight on the cuckoo flower during a protracted cloudy period, and after a few close-up shots of the beautiful underside I carried on walking.

Watching the sky a bit later on, I realised that a distant band of blue was actually moving my way and that if I stepped up a gear I might just get back to the Orange Tip as the sun came out again.

They are great subjects for a little study like this!

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 17th April was a better day, with long hours of uninterrupted sunshine - though the temperature remained no higher than 13 degrees on my local patch after another frosty start. Over the course of the day I managed to count around 70 butterflies, with nearly a third of them being Peacocks and Orange Tips and Small/GV Whites accounting for most of the remainder. I also managed to see at least one of each of the nine species I've spotted here this year, including my first shot of a 2021 Holly Blue (albeit from some way off!).

The first of many again I hope, though they have had a very slow start to the season this year. The constant bright sunshine made things mobile despite the chilly air, so I didn't come home with that many photos today.

Dave

[millerd]

Sunday 18th April was better still. Though the sunshine was a bit hazy at times, it was noticeably warmer and there were even more butterflies around so my tally was nudging the 100 mark at the end of the afternoon. Before a general commentary on the day, there was a bit of unusual Orange Tip behaviour worth describing before it subsides into fuzzy memory!

It is common enough to see male Orange Tips accost females and watch the classic rejection behaviour as the female clearly wants nothing to do with it. However, at one point today I spotted a male Orange Tip minding his own business basking on the ground. Suddenly (just after I had taken a shot) he was abruptly assaulted by a female which approached from behind and vigorously shoved him off his perch. Taken completely aback by this, he flew off, leaving the female in the clearly favoured spot.

Here is the sequence:

happily basking

unsubtle approach from the rear

unceremoniously bundled off the perch

flying off in confusion (or possibly disgust)

it's my spot now

She found another companion later on, but seemed happy enough to share this particular suntrap.

Fascinating. More from the day in the next post.

Dave

[bugboy]

still only seen two Orange-tips this year!

[trevor]

still only seen two Orange-tips this year!

Same here, one on Tuesday, the other yesterday. Where's that cloud when you need it!.

Great stuff, Dave. Open wing male and female in one shot isn't bad going!.
Some wonderful sequences captured

Take care,
Trevor.

[millerd]

I believe your Orange Tip tally has improved a bit now, Buggy!

I hope yours will too, Trevor, as the sunshine continues.

Sunday 18th April was largely sunny again and markedly warmer (probably reaching 16 degrees late afternoon). Around a hundred butterflies were seen with Peacocks and Orange Tips each accounting for about a quarter of the total. As well as the Orange Tip behavioural highlight above, there were other females in the mix now...

...and late on I found another (male) head-height rooster.

Though I only came across three, I did at least make the closer acquaintance of a Holly Blue.

One of the others was a female.

I'm still finding the odd Small Tortoiseshell...

...but there are rather more Commas, including this particularly orange individual.

The only Speckled Wood I spotted was very lively, and I only managed a shot from a bit of a distance.

Amongst the many Peacocks I came across a pair setting about the idea of making more Peacocks. When disturbed, they flew closely for a while before the female dived deep into thick brambles with the male close behind.

Finally (while initially watching a trio of Orange Tips gyrating nearby) I found a male GVW low down on a metal fence. It appeared to have recently emerged as its wings were still a bit floppy. I searched the ground beneath it for traces of a chrysalis shell, but couldn't locate one.

A particularly interesting day, all told!

Dave

[Goldie M]

WoW!!!!! Dave, your certainly getting some great shots, I'm seeing Orange Tips but only in flight certainly not seen a Holly Blue yet. Goldie

[Wurzel]

Good to see that you've got back into your whispering ways Dave My Holly Blues so far this year have been "oh look it's a...correction was a Holly Blue" Interesting OT behaviour - so she shoves him off from the spot and then shows him the rejection pose - that's a bit like flipping him the bird how rude!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you Goldie - I'm sure the Hollies will soon find their way to your garden soon! It seems to attract all manner of butterflies. Sooner or later an Orange Tip will pause there too.

Cheers, Wurzel - yes that female Orange Tip was a real madam. I failed to mention that she also chased another male at one point...

Monday 19th April was forecast (at last) to be a real cracker of a day, with lots of sunshine and higher temperatures. I decided it was time to head out somewhere away from my local patch, and elected to visit Denbies. In these times of light traffic, it only took just over half an hour and it felt really good to wander the slopes again. Though there were a few folk around the top of the hill near the car park, down on the main hillside there was no one. I started out by looking for Green Hairstreaks in their usual haunt on the hawthorns by the steps, but without success. However, as I set off across the hill I almost immediately stumbled upon a Grizzled Skipper.

This proved to be just the first of around a dozen, though most were along the bottom of the hillside just up from the border fence.

Back then to the top of the steps, and just along the path back to the gate a small dark butterfly flew past at ankle height. Luckily I managed to track its rapid flight and found my first Green Hairstreak of 2021 right down on the ground. Its lack of interest in perching made me think it might be a female.

I turned into Steers Field, and along the path at the bottom where another Grizzlie popped up - I've never encountered one here before. Continuing into the meadow to the east of Steers Field (where there were good numbers of Silver-spots last August) I found a few more Grizzlies. They are clearly more widespread across the site than I had thought.

Also seen at Denbies today - Peacocks, Brimstones, Orange Tips and a single Comma.

Dave

[Katrina]

A dozen Grizzlies seems a good haul! I am still waiting to see my first GH of the year

[Wurzel]

Ace Grizzlies Dave - it looks liek they're coming out in force at the moment Have a for the Greenstreak as I searched all their favourite spots at Martin Down on the weekend with no joy. Pearls were seen this weekend as well but Bentley is normally a couple of weeks behind the first sightings

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

Great to see your Grizzlies and particularly the Green Hairstreak .
I went out on Monday with the same two species in mind, but no luck locally yet.

I think yesterday was the day butterflies have been waiting for.

Great stuff,
Trevor.

[millerd]

The numbers of Grizzlies surprised me too, Katrina, as theyare usually hard work at Denbies, particularly when they are just starting. Rare for them to outdo the Green Hairstreaks so comprehensively!

Cheers, Wurzel - I'm sure you'll find the Green Ones somewhere soon and I suppose May is the best month for them. I wonder how Bentley will be this year? I certainly hope to venture down there at some point... Keep me posted!

I suspect you'll be wandering up the road before long to look for Pearls, Trevor - and you'll likely find Green Hairstreaks and Grizzlies while you're there if I remember rightly. What a great place to have on your doorstep...

After the morning at Denbies on 19th, I had the afternoon to wander around my local patch too. There were more species here: I spotted eight in all including my first Large White of the year. It was a fresh male and was seen being harassed by two male Small Whites and a male Orange Tip. I assume the pheremones given off by the newly hatched butterfly caused their quite hectic interest, despite it not being a female. As to species, its size gave it away, and I did get glimpses of the dark wingtips. The "in flight" shot wasn't the best... Large White leading, then Orange Tip and two Small Whites.

Today's tally:

Peacock 12
Orange Tip 12
Brimstone 8
Small White 7
GVW 5
Comma 2
Holly Blue 1
Large White 1

One or two photos only as the warm sunshine kept thing very active.

[millerd]

Tuesday 20th April started out as another sunny warm day, though some cloud did build up later on. After the successes at Denbies, I thought I'd head north this time to another of my favourite haunts, Aston Rowant. I chose the noisier north side, as I know it better and have never had much success on the other part of the reserve for some reason. The M40 is still quieter than usual too - it took only 25 minutes to get there, and the same on the way back.

I walked out along the path at the top of the slope almost to the gate, and just as I was about to cut the corner and head downhill, I was circled by a small dark butterfly. Before I could focus on its flight, it was intercepted by another, and then a third. Once the kerfuffle had resolved itself into individual insects, it was clear that here were a trio of Green Hairstreaks. As I continued along the hedgeline, I disturbed more of the same species, perching as they love to do on the brilliant green of the new hawthorn leaves, and then squabbling with each other before returning to the same spot. They afforded many photo opportunities - when perched in these bushes, close approaches are relatively easy. I counted them as I descended the slope and easily reached double figures before I reached the bottom.

I caught one as it took off, but at 1/400 sec it was sadly just a brown blur.

I also started to see other butterflies - mostly Brimstones (both sexes) which perhaps is unsurprising as I think one of my Hairstreak shots has the butterfly sitting on a buckthorn shoot.

Peacocks were frequent too, but I only found singletons of Orange Tip and Small Tortoiseshell. As I plodded back to the start along the bottom of the slope, I only found one further Green Hairstreak in a spot where I've seen several in the past.

Perhaps the colony has relocated! However, I managed to count three Grizzled Skippers in this area -in some previous years I've not seen at all on these slopes.

Finally as the cloud built during the wander back through the woodland to the car, I disturbed a couple of Speckled Woods.

Another splendid morning with some lovely butterflies.

Dave

[Chris L]

Fantastic photos and narratives Dave. I was particularly taken with the friendly Holly Blue, the male and female Orange Tip and the extremely crisp and pristine Speckled Wood from 18 April. It has a lovely rich, dark colour to it. Grizzled Skipper photos are always nice to look at. Such a nice butterfly.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Grizzlies and Greenstreaks Dave I manged to get my first Greenstreak yesterday during a 5 minute stop off on the way home - it was the only butterfly that I saw I've got a fair few of those in-flight shots, even with Sports mode they come out a brown blur, they've got some acceleration!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

OH! Dave, now I am jealous of your Grizzled Skipper shots Goldie

[David M]

You've certainly had lift-off these last few days, Dave. Well done getting basking male and female Orange Tips in the same frame - that doesn't happen every day (or even every year).

Also good to see you back to 'whispering ways' with your Holly Blues.

[trevor]

A mrgreen or two for your Green Hairstreaks and Grizzlies
I've searched for both locally without success, needs another week around here.
Abbots Wood was dead today!.

Stay well,
Trevor.