June 2021

[Stevieb]

A good selection this lunchtime despite the cloudy conditions. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire.

Dingy Skipper 1
Brimstone 1
Large White 2
Small White 5
Green-veined White 1
Common Blue 1
Adonis Blue 11
Red Admiral 1
Speckled Wood 4
Wall Brown 4
Small Heath 13

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

3rd June

[David M]

A good selection this lunchtime despite the cloudy conditions. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire.

Perfect for getting Wall Browns to settle with wings fully open though, Steve.

[millerd]

At Denbies Hillside today, a surprising number of Grizzled Skippers were still flying alongside a good emergence of first brood Adonis. In amongst the Grizzlies I found an ab. taras, the first I've ever seen. Unfortunately it must have been aware of its celebrity status, as when not posing precariously on wind-blown stalks, it was off chasing every other butterfly and a number of other insects as well. I manoeuvred reasonably close just once, but not long enough to get more than a couple of not-quite-focused shots as a record.

I was surprised how easy it was to spot this variety in flight - the forewings really stand out.

Dave

[Stevieb]

An eclectic mix from todays tour of West Wiltshire sites

Also met up with David M. Glad you connected with the Glanvilles David.

Glanville Fritillary - White Sheet Hill

Glanville Fritillary - White Sheet Hill

Common Blue - White Sheet Hill

Duke of Burgundy - Battlesbury Hill

Marsh Fritillary - Cotley Hill

Brown Argus - Battlesbury Hill

Adonis Blue - Cotley Hill

Grizzled Skipper - Cotley Hill

Small Heath - Cotley Hill

And what happens when you dont pick up after your dog

Adonis Blue - Battlesbury Hill

Adonis Blue - Battlesbury Hill

Adonis Blue - Battlesbury Hill

[Chris L]

And what happens when you dont pick up after your dog

Wow ! Absolutely amazing photo Stevie. That is about 6 months of sightings of this species for me.

Fantastic selection of species. A little bit jealous - but I shall get over it.

[Chris L]

A Marsh Fritillary gazes out over the Buckinghamshire countryside today and wonders how it came to be there... MFview 010621.JPG
Dave

That is a terrific photo Dave. Congratulations sir.

[Chris L]

Another 'lifer' for me on Wednesday to see this little colourful character. I made the long, gruelling drive from South Derbyshire to the meadows by Chambers Farm Wood, near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. Looking at a map one would think it wouldn't take long. Anyone who has suffered the Nottingham - Lincoln stretch of that journey will know what I mean. Fortunately 65 Marsh Fritillary greeted me on arrival.

[David M]

An eclectic mix from todays tour of West Wiltshire sites

Also met up with David M. Glad you connected with the Glanvilles David.

You look to have had a very productive day, Steve.

I hung on with the Glanvilles after you'd left. I don't often see them in the UK, and it was well worth spending more time in the dirt on my belly than at any time since I was a teenager (difference back then was that I was 10 stone rather than fifteen and a half!!)

Thanks again for your assistance.

[David M]

...Fortunately 65 Marsh Fritillary greeted me on arrival.

You sure earned that reward, Otep. Glad you got to see them. It's a beautiful species.

[Matsukaze]

Foxhole Slade, S Gower coast - 20+ Common Blue, 16 Small Blue, 10+ Dingy Skipper, Wall, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Large White. The blues and skippers had found a nice sheltered flowery sun-trap where part of the cliff had slumped and were chasing each other vigorously. The abundance of Small Blue was good to see, and the population here might just outnumber the population for the whole of Somerset.

[Rosalyn]

Black Hairstreak, Monks Wood, Cambs. High up and I only had a macro lens.

The second pic is a cropped

[David M]

Foxhole Slade, S Gower coast - 20+ Common Blue, 16 Small Blue, 10+ Dingy Skipper, Wall, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Large White. The blues and skippers had found a nice sheltered flowery sun-trap where part of the cliff had slumped and were chasing each other vigorously. The abundance of Small Blue was good to see, and the population here might just outnumber the population for the whole of Somerset.

Didn't know you were on the Gower, Chris. Numbers of Marsh & Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries are starting to build nicely if you want to check out that spot I gave you a while back.

[Alexc]

“Stevieb wrote: ↑
An eclectic mix from todays tour of West Wiltshire sites

Also met up with David M. Glad you connected with the Glanvilles David.”

Any ideas who is releasing the Glanville’s at this site and why??

[zigzag_wanderer]

Went up Wolstonbury again yesterday. Similar species/number counts to last week, except I did see very fresh looking Small Blue this time, maybe 15. I reckon there'll be loads next week. Green Hairstreak still elusive though and couldn't positively ID any Adonis in amongst the many Common Blue. Did see a common lizard up there for the first time though.

Got my first Large Skip of the year today in my local field (saw circa 5 in total) but the big winner locally seems to be Small Heath. Wads of them about ! My patch is also very good for Mother Shipton and numbers of those are starting to really pick up now with virtually every group of buttercups having at least one.

Saw a few Scorpion flies in the hedgerows, plus growing numbers of dragon and damselflies.

[Matsukaze]

Foxhole Slade, S Gower coast - 20+ Common Blue, 16 Small Blue, 10+ Dingy Skipper, Wall, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Large White. The blues and skippers had found a nice sheltered flowery sun-trap where part of the cliff had slumped and were chasing each other vigorously. The abundance of Small Blue was good to see, and the population here might just outnumber the population for the whole of Somerset.

Didn't know you were on the Gower, Chris. Numbers of Marsh & Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries are starting to build nicely if you want to check out that spot I gave you a while back.

Yes, we seem to have swapped areas with you also checking out the White Sheet Hill Glanvilles early last week. They've been popular - I took the long way round to find them and looked down on the punchbowl where they were flying to find it being searched by five lepidopterists...

I had a quick check for Marsh/SPBF on Friday evening - nothing doing, only a single Small Heath, but will try again later in the week, hopefully with more adequate footwear. I'm trying for all the UK fritillaries this year and SPBF is still yet to be checked off - High Brown and Heath next to worry about.

[Chris L]

...Fortunately 65 Marsh Fritillary greeted me on arrival.

You sure earned that reward, Otep. Glad you got to see them. It's a beautiful species.

Thank you David.

[Old Wolf]

A day out at Old Hunstanton Beach in Norfolk on 1st June gave me a couple of hours in the Dunes where 8 or 9 flighty Wall were seen with a positive ID on a female, four Small Heath a Brown Argus and a Green Hairstreak.

A trip to Salcey Forest on 5th looking for a lifer was successful with 9-10 Wood Whites seen, all male and not making getting a picture easy. Also seen were two female Holy Blue, a female Red Admiral, two Speckled Wood, a male Orange Tip and Brimstone, a tatty Green Veined White and also managed to find my first Orange Tip eggs. Three on a cuckoo flower (I think) at a junction near the horse box car park.

[David M]

...I had a quick check for Marsh/SPBF on Friday evening - nothing doing, only a single Small Heath, but will try again later in the week, hopefully with more adequate footwear. I'm trying for all the UK fritillaries this year and SPBF is still yet to be checked off - High Brown and Heath next to worry about.

Just let me know if you need the detailed co-ordinates again, Chris.

I was on the Common this afternoon and saw 29 Marsh Frits and 9 SPBFs so they are about in reasonable numbers, and those numbers should progressively increase for at least the next week.

[Bertl]

Visited Glasdrum NNR , nr Oban today. 15 to 20 chequered skippers, 15 to 20 SPBF, 6 small copper and 10 small heath seen.

[David M]

Visited Glasdrum NNR , nr Oban today. 15 to 20 chequered skippers, 15 to 20 SPBF, 6 small copper and 10 small heath seen.

Nice to see palaemon on the Sightings page, Bertl, especially that first individual, with the unusually extended fawn patches.