millerd

[millerd]

Thank you Trevor. They were nearly all very fresh, and if the emergence has been extended by the lousy weather, they may well overlap with the Emperors again.

Wednesday 19th May was actually forecast to be a sunnier day with less chance of showers, so another trip out seemed essential. This time I headed to Totternhoe once again, primarily to see whether many Dukes were out, and also on the chance that Small Blues might also have appeared.

As soon as I was on the path along the bottom of the chalk "cliff" I could tell from the still underdeveloped vegetation that the latter species was unlikely, but I soon spotted a few Dingy Skippers.

However, it was at the furthest point of my walk, in the last of the old chalk workings, that I found any Dukes. In the end I think there were perhaps half a dozen, including one female.

The female was clearly very full of eggs.

Inevitably the sun went in but it did mean I managed some good views of her colourful and attractive underside, and it is possible to see that she has six fully functional legs as opposed to the four of the males.

Aside from the fairly common Dingy Skippers, there was not much else flying. A couple of Peacocks popped up, and I was surprised by a faded Small Tortoiseshell at one point, but the only other interest came with a female Brimstone egg-laying on a tiny buckthorn sapling right in front of me.

Dave

[Katrina]

Great egg shots Dave,

[millerd]

Thank You, Katrina! It was good to get a shot of the actual egg laid by the butterfly in the first photo, and also to find a second one in the frame sufficiently close by to be pretty well in focus too.

I had intended to visit some other Chiltern sites on 19th May, but found I had spent too long with the Dukes and had run out of time. However, once back at home I was able to make the most of some more sunshine and look quickly round my local patch. I counted 30 butterflies of nine species (it doesn't sound much, but that's been good for this soggy May), but didn't manage many photos. Here are a few...

One sighting came as a surprise, as the last one I'd seen here had been way back on 24th April: a Small Tortoiseshell. A bit of a brief encounter too!

Dave

[millerd]

The less said about the weather on 20th and 21st May the better. I went out on 20th and saw nothing, and on 21st there seemed no point in venturing out at all.

A slight improvement on Saturday 22nd May tempted me out locally once again, firstly in the morning when there was a bit of brightness, and then again later on when there was some sunshine. Only around 20 butterflies were seen, though, with seven species represented. However, I found my highest count of Small Coppers here for the year (six). I think I'd seen all these individuals before at some point, but not all on the same day.

Three Small Heaths was also a high for the year so far (there would normally be double figures at this time of year).

I actually managed a shot of a Small White (as opposed to GVW which seem to monopolise things in the posing stakes).

A sign of approaching summer appeared in the form of a Burnet Companion moth - they usually turn up with the Common Blues, but these have yet to show themselves.

Sunday 23rd May was another day with nothing at all: cool, cloudy and often wet.

Dave

[Benjamin]

I think I'd seen all these individuals before at some point, but not all on the same day.

Always good to get to know your local coppers Dave

You’re doing a great job without much to work with at the moment, but hopefully that’s all about to change......

[millerd]

That's definitely worth a groan, Ben! Seriously, it's actually quite easy to get to know the individual Coppers, as the males stick to very limited territories and can be found in the same spots day in day out. They are also surprisingly long-lived - I've followed more than one for as long as five weeks during spells of good weather.

It's a sign that the weather has clamped down on butterfly activity when my diary is completely up-to-date: I'm actually posting on the day when I saw these butterflies...

Monday 24th May was brilliantly sunny until about nine o'clock, after which things degenerated into occasional patches of bright sunshine popping up betwen prolonged heavy showers with hail and thunder thrown in. I went out in that early spell of sunshine and almost immediately found a Holly Blue sitting amidst the brambles.

A bit later I spotted another flying around higher up, but before long the look of the sky to the west turned me smartly about. Unfortunately, not soon enough, as I didn't get home before being thoroughly drenched.

A little later, more sunshine appeared and the darker clouds seemed more distant, so I went out again, reasoning that the best way of drying myself off would be a combination of sunshine and the strongish breeze. This actually worked, amazingly! A quick circuit of my local patch produced curious results - I found just one Small Copper...

even soggy dandelions have nectar

...one Small Heath...

hanging on bravely in the wind

...and one Green-veined White...

the colour seems to have run on this one - must be all the rain

...but managed to find another five Holly Blues.

One bright spell of sunshine worked its magic one one of these.

Somehow, a sight like that makes up a bit for all the rain.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A brilliant set of posts Dave - the only problem I've got is keeping up! Those Wood Whites are lush and the backlit one is simply devine Then there are the Dingies and Dukes and too many Coppers to mention - cracking one and all! It makes me long for retirement - only 23 years to go by current RAs!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I do like a backlit Wood White! Attractive though they are, once you've taken a few standard underside views they can get a bit same-y. However, one or two seemed quite dusky underneath and close to had a high proportion of black scales.

Tuesday 25th May warranted only a shortish local excursion, with more cool, mostly cloudy weather. Some highlights...

There must be shortage of honeydew on the leaves, forcing this Holly Blue to copy the local Orange Tips and GVW.

An unusual combination.

Dave

[millerd]

Wednesday 26th May began the long-promised slow change from cold wet cloudy spring to something a bit more seasonal. The day started sunny, but cloud built quite quickly and it was only a bit warmer than it had been. However, there was enough sun to tempt me up to Pitstone to look for Small Blues. The paths through the woodland from the church to the old chalk quarry were very wet and muddy, but once out in the open, things improved.

Dingy Skippers appeared almost immediately, and were around everywhere in small numbers. Not much larger than the Small Blues I was looking for and with the habit of chasing anything else the Dingies caused several false alarms before I actually tracked down my target for the day.

Rather than the dozens (hundreds, even?)of Small Blues I've seen here in previous years there were only a handful, but they were still their usual friendly selves.

Most were males...

...but I did find a lone female.

The hawthorn scrub that borders the site seems to be managed so that some is cut right back each year leading to none getting much above a couple of metres or so in height. This does mean you can suddenly find yourself eye-to-eye with a Green Hairsteak...

...or more unusually, a Common Blue.

Also seen here today were several Small Heaths and a few Brimstones, but I failed to find any Grizzled Skippers.

The cloud cover became more extensive, and after a circuit of nearby College Lake (very few butterflies here: Common Blues, Dingies, a few Brimstones and a single Red Admiral), I headed for home.

Dave

[millerd]

Back home on 26th May, some late sunshine tempted me out briefly - always worth it! Today was no exception as I found my first Comma since 24th April. It looked as if it had just emerged from hibernation, and maybe it had: sleeping through the cold April and cold wet May and responding to the prospect of some warmer days now.

There were a few Holly Blues around, and inevitably a roosting Orange Tip. However, the photos revealed that this one was actually indulging in a small nightcap prior to settling down for the night.

This species - usually in roosting mode - has been the universal standby during this chilly spring and sadly must soon come to the end of its season. As always, they will be missed.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Brilliant study of the Small Blue Dave Is it just me or do the wings of the females appear slightly more rounded? Saw a few Orange-tips going strong still today how much longer for these stalwarts I wonder? Sorry you couldn't make it today - although Burnt-tip Orchids aside I don;t think you'd have seen anything different from what you'd have encountered at Cotley - catch-up with you soon

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel! Yes, I do reckon female Small Blues have more-rounded wings having looked at a few shots.

Thursday 27th May and at last the weather showed signs of really improving. I made my way down to Denbies Hillside while the traffic was still relatively light (from the BH weekend I suspect the M25 will return to its normal congested state). I was curious to see how well the first brood Adonis Blues were doing, considering how few there were in the 2020 second brood.

I'm glad to say there appeared to be reasonable numbers - I saw well over a dozen males, and found three females. The latter are difficult to spot, so there may have been quite a few more.

Though the Adonis were the main attraction, the hillside now abounded with a variety of species: many Dingy Skippers and Small Heath, plenty of Common Blues and Brown Argus, several Grizzled Skippers, male Green Hairstreaks still jousting in their usual spots (though looking a bit worn now) plus the odd female spotted down in the grass looking for places to lay, a handful of Small Coppers, Brimstones, a Peacock or two and even a Holly Blue.

The cloud started to expand and even dominate a bit, so I decided to head over to Box Hill, get a coffee, and see how things were doing over there.

Dave

[millerd]

On the other side of the Mole Valley on 27th May, there was sunshine. I've noticed once or twice before that the cloud seems to build over the crest of the Downs at Denbies, but as it drifts east over the valley on a westerly breeze it often dissipates somewhat to grace Box Hill with more sunshine.

However, on this side there weren't as many butterflies. There were lowish numbers of Common Blues, Small Heaths and Dingy Skippers, plus a few Brown Argus and Brimstones which between them provided most photo opportunities. A fresh Brown Argus is always hard to resist...

...and finding a male/female gyrating pair of Brimstones is potentially good value too. If the female decides to go to ground as the male hassles her, she is likely to open her wings flat as part of her rejection behaviour. Sometimes he will do likewise, but in the kerfuffle it can be possible to catch him anyway with wings akimbo as well. I think the "flap rate" must be relatively low because such shots are not that difficult to achieve. The downside is that such behaviour only occurs with worn butterflies that are approaching nine or ten months old.

I squeezed in a quick look at my local patch around 5pm on returning home, but only a handful of butterflies were still flying. They did however include the first Common Blue of the year here...

...a late flying female Orange Tip...

...and one of three Small Heaths.

Dave

[trevor]

Interesting to see that Small Blue on your shoe.
The same happened to me at Toternhoe a few years back, when several took to my shoes,
as I walked they followed me and landed again when I stopped, perhaps they are attracted
to a certain bouquet that only old shoes can exude!.

Great stuff, Dave.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

"Yes, I do reckon female Small Blues have more-rounded wings having looked at a few shots." Phew I though it was just me Cracking set of Adonis shots - I've only managed photos of females so far this season what's that all about? Great Brimstone shots - I watched a pair the other day and the female was flying backwards to avoid the male (possibly to keep her abdomen well away from the male?) did you see something similar?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[bugboy]

"Yes, I do reckon female Small Blues have more-rounded wings having looked at a few shots." Phew I though it was just me
Wurzel

The same can be said for quite a few species, Small Coppers, other Blues, Skippers also often show this trait.

[millerd]

Cheers, Trevor - Small Blues (the males at least) are very attracted to people: I've frequently had them settle on me, both skin and clothing. In a spot with a lot flying, if you sit still they will come to you.

The Brimstone behaviour is interesting, Wurzel. The female performs all kinds of mid-air contortions to avoid the males, but if forced to the ground opens her wings flat and waves her abdomen at the male in the manner of other pierids rejectng such attention. I've seen Clouded Yellows do something similar, but the female keeps her wings open only for very brief moments (unfortunately).

I've noticed the more-rounded female wings in Small Coppers and Brown Argus, Buggy; however, with other blues the colour is such a big distinguishing feature that wing shape is overlooked. I'll look out for it.

With the weather continuing to resemble spring properly at long last, on Friday 28th May I devoted more time to a look at my local patch. It was well worth it - I recorded 12 species, the highest of the year so far. However, at 44, the total number of butterflies was disappointingly low. Those seen were representative of the change between early and late spring, with hibernators wearing out and being replaced by lovely new examples of other species. Those seen today:

Small Heath 10

Brown Argus 7

female

male

male

Common Blue 7

Holly Blue 4

laying on goats' rue

Small Copper 3

Orange Tip 3

GVW 2

Brimstone 1

Small Tortoiseshell 1

last legs

Peacock 1

Painted Lady 1

The final species (Small White 1) I failed to get a shot of.

The increasingly summery (dare I say it) weather now dragged me off in search of more exotic seasonal specialities in further-flung locations.
Croydon, for example...

Dave

[Katrina]

Wonderful range of species - well done for getting a decent photo of them all.

[Neil Freeman]

"Yes, I do reckon female Small Blues have more-rounded wings having looked at a few shots." Phew I though it was just me
Wurzel

The same can be said for quite a few species, Small Coppers, other Blues, Skippers also often show this trait.

I believe it is a normal thing for females of most species to have larger more rounded wings than the males, even if it is not always obvious. An evolutionary development for carrying heavier egg laden bodies.

An impressive array of species lately Dave with some cracking photos

Cheers,

Neil.

[Medard]

Fast food
I apologize for the off topic post but not being able to visit France either for Butterflies or the gastronomic delights of France is so very depressing.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com

A recent post referred to and pictured a large snail, I've lost track of the original post but thought the original poster might like this picture of a Roman Snail, known in France as the Escargot or Burgundy snail , I have also heard them referred to as Colimaçons.

Cagouille is also a regional name used in the Charente -Maritime, apparently the region has the biggest  number of snail consumers earning the inhabitants the nickname of 'cagouillards' no offence intended to the good people of the Charente -Maritime its one of my favorite departments of France.

Mirror Mirror on the wall whos the fairest Snail of all, an imaginative roundabout decor.Snails are known as Cagouille in the
departement of Charent- Maritime.