David M

[kevling]

Loving those female Brown Hairstreaks David. Great images.

Regards Kev

[David M]

Lovely Brown Hairstreaks, David, and great shots Glad that they're doing better than you thought they would, they look in really good nick for this time of the year

Thanks, Mike. I reckon they are about a week or so behind normal as by this time they are usually showing slight (or even moderate) wing damage. Hardly a mark on these three though, which was very satisfying.

Monday 23rd August – Unfinished business…

Although I saw 3 Brown Hairstreaks at West Williamston the previous day, what I had really hoped to accomplish was to test my theory that the females would be down in numbers to lay having had the previous few days written off by the weather.

Sunday had also been almost completely cloudy, so when Monday dawned bright, sunny and calm I repeated my journey and arrived at the site just prior to 10am.

Having been concerned about the future of the colony here these last few years due to extensive ash die-back, many of those fears were allayed today as I equalled my second best ever return of 7 females and even got to see a male low down in one of the remaining, healthy ash trees.

Clearly, the females were keen to get down to business as I found my first one at 10.29:

By 10.40, I’d found a second:

I watched this individual for about 10 minutes or so as she alternated between crawling amongst the blackthorn stems and basking. I’d barely moved away when I found a third at 11.04 – this one was the only worn-looking specimen seen:

The only individual I wasn’t able to photograph was #4, seen at 11.15 and out of reach of my camera having flown into a sunken area of blackthorn and bramble.

At half past eleven, I went back in the field adjacent to the car park, and duly found a further three here, the first being seen at 11.40:

The one in best condition was found at 12.01 quite close to the exit. She was an absolute beauty:

The final one was found in the same area at 12.48, though the slight wing wear and the missing antennal tip proved it was a different individual:

It had become increasingly cloudy just after midday, and by 1.15pm I decided to leave, which was a little frustrating, as had it remained sunny I may have beaten my record of 9 in a single day at this site. However, there are no complaints as this was a highly productive and enjoyable day.

I hope to return at some point in September for an egg count.

[David M]

Loving those female Brown Hairstreaks David. Great images.

Thanks, Kev. I'm not used to seeing them in such good condition. Usually, by late August they're a little worn but they are about a week behind normal so they're looking very nice.

[Katrina]

A beauty indeed! I am glad they are doing well on your site.

[Maximus]

Wonderful Brown hairstreak shots, David, glad that they are doing ok in your part of the UK

[millerd]

Your noon Hairstreak is as near perfect a specimen as you'll get, David. They seem to acquire scuffs and nicks so quickly (all that creeping down the stems of thorn bushes to lay eggs must be what does it!). Great shots.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

You've obviously caught your local Brown Hairstreaks just right David.
Are the males as elusive there as they are at Steyning ?.

Wonderful shots, stay well.
Trevor.

[David M]

A beauty indeed! I am glad they are doing well on your site.

Wonderful Brown hairstreak shots, David, glad that they are doing ok in your part of the UK

Thanks, Katrina/Mike. The egg count I undertake later this month should give me a clearer indication of how they're doing. Looks promising given the numbers of adults seen during my two visits though.

[David M]

Your noon Hairstreak is as near perfect a specimen as you'll get, David. They seem to acquire scuffs and nicks so quickly (all that creeping down the stems of thorn bushes to lay eggs must be what does it!). Great shots.

Thanks, Dave. I'm not used to seeing them in such condition down this neck of the woods. By late August, most females have got obvious wear. The 'noon' one has only a couple of very minor blemishes and is one of the nicest I've ever seen here.

[bugboy]

Those are some gorgeous Hairstreaks! If Bookham hadn't been so productive this year I'd be hitting that little green man a few times!

[David M]

You've obviously caught your local Brown Hairstreaks just right David.
Are the males as elusive there as they are at Steyning ?

Thanks, Trevor. The males are almost always up in the ash trees (what’s left of them) in early – mid August. I’ve only ever seen three low down in 12 years of visiting the site!

Those are some gorgeous Hairstreaks! If Bookham hadn't been so productive this year I'd be hitting that little green man a few times!

Glad you’ve seen a few yourself, Paul. This is a gem of a butterfly and offers a nice way to round off summer.

[David M]

Monday 23rd August – West Williamston….

Whilst 8 Brown Hairstreaks was an excellent return, I was slightly disappointed by the general numbers of other butterflies.

Small Tortoiseshells were commonest, with a couple of dozen or so seen, mostly on the sea asters above the high tide mark:

Speckled Woods and Large Whites were the only other species to reach double figures, although I was pleased to find a handful of worn, female Hedge Browns still enjoying their final days:

A few tatty female Silver Washed Fritillaries were also hanging on:

Three Common Blues were recorded, along with several Green Veined Whites, three Peacocks & Red Admirals, and solitary Comma and Small White.

[David M]

Thursday 26th August - Garden delights...

This time last year, my neighbour moved into a different property on my estate (with a large lawn at the front), and has diligently spent all year planting all manner of nectar-bearing flowers. Her rewards have been ample, as almost every time the sun is out there are clusters of butterflies on her buddleias, verbena, bowles mauve and scabious.

Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells and Small Whites have been the main visitors, but today she had this mint fresh Painted Lady visiting her, which was almost certainly the nicest specimen I've seen this year:

[Neil Freeman]

Just caught up with your Brown Hairstreaks David, some cracking photos there

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

Thanks, Neil. Was great to see so many of them given how few I've recorded at the site over the previous two years. Maybe things aren't as bad as I feared.

Friday 27th August – Nice variety….

A sunny morning tempted me down to the coast at Port Eynon to see what was about.

I decided I’d count the Small Tortoiseshells to the best of my ability today and the total was an encouraging 36:

Two species were around in greater numbers though: Meadow Browns and Common Blues, with around 50 of each seen in the grassy dunes:

Small and Large Whites were both into double figures, with 6 Painted Ladies recorded as well.

A solitary female Hedge Brown was seen, but only one Red Admiral, which was surprising.

Two other species observed – this lovely Small Copper was irresistible:

I was also delighted to find another female Wall Brown after seeing one on my previous visit:

[trevor]

Good to see your female Wall, David ,and that lovely Small Tortoiseshell.
All the Small Torts at Herstmonceux have gone, presumably into hibernation.
Watch this space next year.

Keep well,
Trevor.

[Katrina]

36 is definitely encouraging more than I have ever seen at one site

[David M]

Good to see your female Wall, David ,and that lovely Small Tortoiseshell.
All the Small Torts at Herstmonceux have gone, presumably into hibernation.

Thanks, Trevor. Wall Browns are always a pleasant surprise on the coast here. Small Tortoiseshells are more reliable, but like round your way, numbers have dropped now although most days there are a handful about.

[Benjamin]

A lovely late summer mix David. Small tortoiseshell certainly seems to have done well everywhere with some spectacular social media videos emerging of butterfly filled buddleias from the Southwest to Cumbria and right up into the Cairngorms. We’ve even done pretty well in Sussex as Trevor will tell you! Now if someone could just explain exactly why all these very different places have boomed that’d be super……

[Maximus]

Yes, a great late summer mix of butterflies, David Small Tortoiseshell numbers for September have been high here too, as have second brood Peacocks, not sure why