Bugboys mission

[David M]

...it’s so much easier photographing Whites when they choose to settle amongst a snowy cloud of Cow Parsley flowers!

Yes, it adds an 'other-worldly' effect when these species alight upon the fragile-looking umbellifer flowers, doesn't it? It's an irresistible mix of the dainty and the delicate.

Nice too to know that you saw sizeable numbers of Painted Ladies on 11 May too. 40 or 50 of anything is impressive right now; I'd be happy with 9 or 10!!

[bugboy]

Thanks Katrina, a reminder that we shouldn’t ignore our commonest butterflies if we needed one .
Thanks Wurzel, I suspect there’s a number of factors which decide bedtime for the Pearls, it was interesting that the ones I was watching all reacted at pretty much the same time though give or take a minute or two.
I’m sorry Goldie, I didn’t mean to rub it in. I couldn’t believe it that my camera found them with such a busy background, and they’re not slow either!
It was nice to see so many so soon after the last major influx David… although after the recent few days of weather one wonders whether we’ll see much of the progeny, fingers crossed though eh
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May 2021

I’d booked Monday 17th off quite a while ago. Since then I’d ruined the day by also booking a dentist appointment for the afternoon, my first visit since before the end of the world happened. To take my mind off it I ignored the high risk of getting drenched and went off to Wanstead Park to see if there was enough sun to wake up some Green Hairstreaks. A brisk wind kept the clouds moving along, with occasional sunny spells waking up the odd White, and more notably (at least for this year) a Speckled Wood along the way.

I arrived at the Green Hairstreak lair at the tail end of another sunny spell just in time to find a couple of Small Coppers looking for somewhere to rest and wait for the return of the sun. Minutes later the first few drops of rain could be felt and I made a mad dash for a tree to shelter from a 5-minute deluge. Once the shower had passed, I relocated the Copper to find it had done that thing they always do, turn round Hairstreak style so they are side on to the direction of the sun, or at least where the sun would be.

The suns half attempted effort to escape the clutches of the clouds stirred another copper, this one a female. I followed her around for a bit as the sun appeared and vanished, she was a bit of a looker and obviously knew it by the way she posed.

There were about 6 or so Coppers in this little sun trap and in the absence of the Hairstreaks they made interesting company. I watched a pairing take place which was preceded by short game of their version of kiss chase and a bit of ‘flashing’ from the eager to impress male.

The pairing itself took place on one of the footpaths and they looked like they were quite happy to settle there so I moved them to a safer place. I think the picture of them on my finger is what Wurzel refers to as a twofer.

Like all the other Coppers they ‘Hairstreaked’ their orientation when rested between sunny spells.

I did actually manage to see a real Hairstreak but he only stayed for a short while and not particularly close.

During cloudy periods I did switch to stalking a pair of Green Woodpeckers, the male thought he was hiding from me as he yaffled from the top of a tree. The female was somewhat bolder as she made a mess of herself probing the many ant nests that litter this patch of the park. For those not in the know, to sex a Green Woodpecker you look at ‘moustache’ which is red with a black border in the male and solid black in the female.

The only other butterflies I saw here was a shy Peacock and what may or may not have been a Painted Lady who nearly took my head off. The stars today were however the Small Coppers.

On the way back I came across a second Speckled Wood and stopped to admire the hundreds of male Adela reaumurella Longhorn moths. I attempted some in flight shots of them with mixed results.

I’d been lucky with the rain after the first sharp shower but the 10-minute walk home from the train station was exceedingly wet as a thunderstorm passed over, I got home in a rather soggy mess. On the plus side though, my dental check-up was pleasantly brief. Overall a pretty good day in the end

[Benjamin]

Really nice whites on Cow Parsley a while back Paul, and great to see the Small Coppers performing at Wanstead. Their ancestors were just as pretty.

[bugboy]

Thanks Ben, good to know these Coppers come are descended from good stock !
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May 2021

Monday the 24th, the first day of another week off and with a promise of some drier weather in the offing…. not today though. I made an abortive recce to another new site for me, Roding Valley Nature Reserve. The only plus that came from this trip was the discovery that my new camera bag is indeed as waterproof as the makers claim it to be.

I made it back to the station just in time to avoid a second drenching and was then rewarded with a mostly blue sky for the journey home. A few errands later and another dry spell tempted me out onto the marshes for an hour to much better results, albeit from just two butterflies. The Orange-tip first caught my eye fluttering around a patch of Cow Parsley in bright sun. I thought at first, he was trying to locate a female that he’d been harassing, when he suddenly settled on his chosen floret and promptly shut up shop. The sun was still shining brightly so “that’s weird” was my initial thought when the sun was suddenly obscured by a fast-moving dark cloud. As I’d noted a few weeks ago in Epping Forest, I’m convinced they know a clouds on the way and are able to choose a suitable roosting spot before they lose the energy giving sun. I don’t really know the science behind polarised light and how it works but my gut says it’s their ability to see this that allows them to sense oncoming clouds. Anyway, here’s the pictures .

[trevor]

Excellent OT shots, Paul. I have noticed that the floret of Cow Parsley is the
first choice for an OT taking cover during a cloudy spell.
Is it a coincidence that the patterning on their underside blends in perfectly
with the flower head when at rest. I have a few shots taken in previous years,
where an OT is all but invisible in such a situation.

Keep up the good work,
Trevor.

[millerd]

Interesting observations about the Orange Tips, Buggy. As well as anticipating approaching clouds, they also seem to know when a bit of light cloud is merely transient and the sun is about to return, and carry on flying when you think they are about to stop! It's almost a shame that every year we learn all their little ways and then they disappear until the following March and the memory has to be refreshed. I say "almost" because rediscovering Orange Tips is always a delight.

Cheers,

Dave

[Padfield]

Here's a theory. We tend to judge whether the sun's out on the basis of sight - so using the narrow, visible part of the spectrum. Now, while shorter wavelenths (UV) readily pass through clouds, longer wavelengths (IR) are easily stopped by even light clouds. Perhaps clouds present a larger and more diffuse outline when perceived in IR. IR, of course, is heat radiation and very important to butterflies. Maybe there's a period before the sun passes visibly behind a cloud when its heat is already being perceptibly diminished by the invisible edges of the cloud. Indeed, maybe there's a whole gradient of heat from beyond the cloud to well within it which we miss, being focused on visible light. If butterflies are primarily sensing the heat, they may thus know what's going to happen before we do.

Guy

[Wurzel]

Brilliant shot Bugboy and that is indeed a Twofer, and also a , one for the Small Copper in the hand (one shot I'd like in that particular collection) and the other for the in cop - another much coveted gap in my in cop collection . Lovely White shots with the OTs proving once again that they've been the saving grace of this terrible spring

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Here's a theory. We tend to judge whether the sun's out on the basis of sight - so using the narrow, visible part of the spectrum. Now, while shorter wavelenths (UV) readily pass through clouds, longer wavelengths (IR) are easily stopped by even light clouds. Perhaps clouds present a larger and more diffuse outline when perceived in IR. IR, of course, is heat radiation and very important to butterflies. Maybe there's a period before the sun passes visibly behind a cloud when its heat is already being perceptibly diminished by the invisible edges of the cloud. Indeed, maybe there's a whole gradient of heat from beyond the cloud to well within it which we miss, being focused on visible light. If butterflies are primarily sensing the heat, they may thus know what's going to happen before we do.

Guy

That all sounds very plausible. I have also wondered if they can sense slight changes in atmospheric pressure too.

Great reports recently with some great photos, especially those on the cow parsley flowers .

Cheers,

Neil

[David M]

..Monday the 24th, the first day of another week off and with a promise of some drier weather in the offing…. not today though.

Indeed. I too attempted to visit a site but turned back halfway there when a wall of rain greeted me (which remained for 2-3 hours)

Well done for persevering, Paul, and that was an interesting theory regarding Orange Tips and their sensitivity to changes in light conditions, as was Guy's insightful response.

Looks like the rest of your week off should be kinder to you.

[bugboy]

Thanks for all the comments

Here's a theory. We tend to judge whether the sun's out on the basis of sight - so using the narrow, visible part of the spectrum. Now, while shorter wavelenths (UV) readily pass through clouds, longer wavelengths (IR) are easily stopped by even light clouds. Perhaps clouds present a larger and more diffuse outline when perceived in IR. IR, of course, is heat radiation and very important to butterflies. Maybe there's a period before the sun passes visibly behind a cloud when its heat is already being perceptibly diminished by the invisible edges of the cloud. Indeed, maybe there's a whole gradient of heat from beyond the cloud to well within it which we miss, being focused on visible light. If butterflies are primarily sensing the heat, they may thus know what's going to happen before we do.

Guy

An extremely plausible theory Guy. I googled 'polarised light for dummies' last night and fell into a Google black hole... too much information is as confusing as too little sometimes I think (if I understood correctly) clouds have little effect on polarisation of light waves so perhaps your theory holds more weight. I suspect like many things it's not a clear cut 'one thing' but a combination of subtle changes they're sensitive to that allows them to sense minute changes in light intensity/temperature etc.

[bugboy]

I’ve always found Cow Parsley to be the plant of choice too Trevor. They are certainly much harder to pick out than when settled on Garlic Mustard! Here’s a little something I put together a few years ago, just messing around on the computer really and it might hurt your eye’s if you stare at it for too long!

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May 2021

Tuesday the 25th. Day two of my week of was significantly drier than the previous day and I saw a lot more butterflies as a result. I went south to Mill Hill where there were rumours of bluer skies in the offing. The promised blue sky took a while to appear and when it did come it wasn’t anything to write home about, it was enough to get my fix though. The slope has turned gold since my last visit with all the Horshshoe Vetch coming into bloom and it was a species that relies on it that was the main target. Adonis Blue had been recorded at a few sites the previous week so I hoped they’d be out here too.

My early start and still cool conditions meant it was roosting butterflies to start with, Grizzlies were relatively easy to find, particularly the one who’d chosen a last year’s Mullein flower spike. I love how they roost with their antennae sticking out sideways. Dingy's were somewhat less obvious

The first butterflies to show a bit of activity were Common Blues followed by the Skippers, Small Heaths and Coppers. Had I not seen the Dingy Skipper darting off to sit out a cloudy spell I’d never have seen him, he did a much better job at hiding than the earlier Grizzlie.

Spot the Dingy.

The first target appeared about an hour and half after arriving, I suspect just hours old and when the suns warmth roused him I followed him around, filling my boots.

As the day continued and sunny spells allowed the temperature to grow, most of the usual suspects put in an appearance, with several more Adonis showing up. The only female I found was already attached to a male. Close by I found a pair of Common Blues, the female dragging the male unceremoniously across a path (presumably a gust of wind had blown them from their perch, there was a stiff breeze blowing). Placing my finger in front of her she happily crawled on, with male still in tow, giving me the opportunity to set up a ‘spot the difference’ picture. I don’t think it’s coincidence they positioned themselves to mirror the Adonis, I think they both angled themselves in a manner to gain maximum warmth from the cloudy skies.

Some more male Adonis distracted me for a few minutes and upon my return the Commons had disengaged, but the male decided he wanted more. She was having none of it though and it did look for all the world like some sort of lover’s tiff had taken place (much to the embarrassment of the Adonis pair). Perhaps a bunch of flowers would have been a better option rather than flashing his bits at her! He finally buggered off leaving her to bask, she was a looker!

There weren’t many Small Heath but one did catch my eye with a partial second ocelli attached to the main one and the beginnings of another one lower down.

My normal route to and from the hill side around the horse paddocks on the south side of the bypass provided some interest too. I’ve never seen Green Hairstreak here before (no reason why they wouldn’t be lurking here though). I like the matt finish they have when the sun’s not lighting them up

and I at last managed to get a Holly Blue settled this year: behold, my first Holly Blue picture of 2021!

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots Bugboy - the 'where's the Dingy' is a cracker - got him in the end though Things seem to have kicked off nicely recently - log may it continue

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

The double pair is a great shot, Buggy, and I like the cloud-beset Green Hairstreak too. You can get some really bizarre-looking photos when they are angled oddly in full sunshine.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

That pair of pairs is a quadruple-whammy, Paul. Excellent work.

I know what you mean about following butterflies when a cloudy spell is just beginning to break up. It's a delight to be able to fill your boots before they get too hyperactive.

I dread to think how many Adonis Blues will be around on that hill right now with such a carpet of horseshoe vetch!

[Neil Freeman]

Love the quad shot of the Blues, great stuff

Some cracking photos of a nice selections of species.

Cheers,

Neil.

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, yes things have very suddenly sprung to life with the result that now I’m getting further and further behind on here, oh well .
Thanks Dave, although it was a set up shot, they positioned themselves that way themselves with no help from me.
Thanks David, hopefully it’s a sea of gold and electric blue now
Thanks Neil
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May 2021

Wednesday the 26th was time to catch up with another species I missed out on last year. I’d planned a trip into the Chilton’s several times already this year but the troublesome weather had always quashed them. The promised glorious sunny weather this week was taking an age to arrive, every evening it seemed to be being put back a day but at least it wasn’t torrential rain or blowing a gale… or both, so despite varying degrees of cloud cover I set off to find some Dukes. It was decidedly cloudy and cool to start with at Aldbury Nowers, but as has often happened this year, a couple of Orange-tip were found just to ensure the day wasn’t going to be a complete failure.

Across the ridgeway walk where I’d normally be distracted by various springtime species, I saw not a single butterfly. The cloud cover had thankfully begun to break though, just in time for any Dukes that might be stirring from their slumber. I was however distracted by a low flying Red Kite who, just as I was quickly swapping lenses, turned on a sixpence and dropped into the grass close to me. The resulting extremely rushed and appalling images are just about good enough to show what was probably an unfortunate Slow Worm in its talons. It was fully aware of my presence!

The first Dukes were indeed just stirring when I arrived at the first hotspot, territories had yet to be sorted and they would vanish over a hawthorn bush as quickly as they appeared. Amongst these early risers were a couple of Brown Argus, also making their 2021 debut for me.

If I could keep eyes on them during the brief sunny spells, the clouds made the Duke’s easy targets to get a few snaps, sometimes doing quite elaborate balancing acts.

Late morning moved to afternoon and with longer breaks in the clouds, territories were now being defended with some of the males looked decidedly fresh considering how late in the season it is.

As well as the Dukes still looking fresh the same could be said for the spring Skippers. Other stuff seen included a Corn Bunting, several Brimstone (always numerous in these parts), more Red Kite close encounters (this time 6 floating around) and one of my favourite Beetles, the Bloody-nose Beetle sauntering casually along on one of the paths. I find them all too often here on the paths after a fatal accident, but this one was safely returned to the grass verge.

[Wurzel]

Those Dukes do look in fine fettle Bugboy Mind you their numbers only started to build last week over this way so we could be seeing them for a little while longer yet Plus there's the later emerging Woodland Dukes still to come as well

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, yes July Dukes aren’t out of the question this year!
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May 2021

Guess where I went on Thursday the 27th….

It could be seen as a grave error of judgment but a combination of things led to me spending a whole day wandering around looking for butterflies under a thick layer of cloud. I’d noticed the first Swallowtail had been seen (the actual site wasn’t noted) the week before. I’d also recently discovered it’s rather easy for me to get to Strumpshaw from East London. I’m not sure how or why I hadn’t discovered this before, whether the nearest station wasn’t in use enough for it to be practical or the price was prohibitively high, but anyway to get a return fare that didn’t require a second mortgage you need to book in advance by a few days (a price that’s cheaper than the shorter return trip to the south coast). This minor detail means a total reliance on an accurate weather forecast, I’m sure you can now see how events came to pass .

I did hope that the cloud would burn back to the coast, which it kinda did, by around 5pm which was coincidentally the time of my return train, and far too late anyway .

I did find a few butterflies over the course of the day. The first being a female Orange-tip along Tinkers Lane. I took the fact she had decided to feed as a good omen but that was just a sneaky Red Herring, she was sat on the same flower head 6 hours later when I left.

A very slight thinning of the cloud cover and an almost imperceptible increase in temperature roused a Brown Argus on the slope behind the late Doctors residence. Later in the afternoon a found a Green-veined White and a Speckled Wood and even later a Red Admiral enjoying the just appearing sun. Two more Orange-tip completed my grand total of seven butterfly sightings in 6 hours.

Most of the day was spent birding which thankfully Strumpshaw Fen isn’t short off. The reedbeds and surrounding woodland were alive with the sounds of Warblers: Reed, Sedge, Willow, Blackcap, Cetti’s, Chiffchaff and Grasshopper Warbler were all picked out along with the scratchy call of the Reed Bunting. If I’d got there before 7am or stayed after 9pm I might even have seen a Bluethroat that had set up home here recently, an uncommon vagrant to our shores. I did spent a fair bit of time watching the Swifts and House Martins.

The local pair of Marsh Harrier popped up occasionally, but only when I was on the other side of the fen and a Male Sparrowhawk made a flyby.

This Pheasant made me smile, have you ever seen any animal with such resigned look about it. I think he'd had an encounter with the Despair Squid

I did manage a lifer, a new species of Damselfly for my tick list. This is the Variable Damselfly which caught my eye due to a deeper blue than the Common Blue and Azure Damselflies I’m used to seeing

It will come as no surprise that no Swallowtails were seen, I did resort to searching for pupae around patches of Milk Parsley and it was whilst looking for them that I realised a possible means of camouflage used by the caterpillar. The flowerheads of one of the sedges (I think a Carex sp.) that the Milk Parsley grows amongst do actually bear more than a passing resemblance to a fat Swallowtail caterpillar. I don’t know whether these are still around when the caterpillars are but that probably doesn’t matter. The birds that are around when the caterpillars are at their plumpest are the same birds currently foraging like mad to feed nestfulls of hungry mouths. Indeed it might well work better having the flowerheads around first so the birds have already learned that these fat black and green things aren’t edible, so by the time the caterpillars are at their plumpest the birds are merely glancing over them.

My eyes at least were easily fooled at a quick glance.

[Wurzel]

Sorry to hear that you drew a blank Bugboy - the weather forecasts this year have been quite variable in accuracy - it seems they're most accurate when forecasting long range bad weather and pretty pants for anything else! You could be onto something with the camouflage idea there as for a moment whilst scrolling up the page I thought that you'd found a few cats

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel