Trevor

[trevor]

TORTOISESHELL HEAVEN Part 2.

My next good find occurred shortly after the Large Tortoiseshell when on a visit to the old railway, in Hailsham.
This an excellent site for ex hibernators and early new species of the new season, but has always been poor for
Small Tortoiseshell sightings, so it was something of a surprise to find one there, nectaring on celandine on March 30th.
For some time after this sighting my score was LT1, ST1.
As spring turned towards summer I had a garden visit from a Small Tort. on 14th June, a very rare event! and
the first one since March 30th. On 23rd June I went over to Herstmoceux Castle and was surprised to count eight
Small Torts during my visit and this included some very fruity males trying their luck.
My East Sussex record of Small Tort sightings for 2019 and 2020 ( 6 for each year ) was now smashed with 10 sightings so far.
Two months later things were about to go off with a bang!, again at Herstmonceux.
On 15th of August during another visit to the gardens, the place was alive with Small Torts, they were all over the whole area!.
I have included a shot with no fewer than five in view. Counting was useless, there were just too many around.
What caused this population explosion I don't know, but I would like to think that those eight from June 23rd got lucky
and the mated females found the lush nettles by the moat just outside the garden walls.

At least one small area of Sussex was enjoying the sight of Small Tortoiseshells as they used to be everywhere.

[trevor]

In addition to the above, here are some more shots of the memorable ' Small Tortoiseshell Summer ' around here.
If they manage to hibernate successfully what's in store for 2022 ?.

[David M]

Heartwarming stuff, Trevor.

Small Tortoiseshells seem to have enjoyed a good year just about everywhere, and it's great to know just how numbers have risen multi-fold in your part of the south east.

One would hope that they will be around in decent numbers again next year, given how we have had no serious water shortages to desiccate the nettles.

Was good to be reminded of your Large Tortoiseshell encounter too. It can't be long before this insect is back on the UK list of species as it appears to be consolidating its status these last few years.

[trevor]

Thanks David. Yes the Small Tortoiseshell made a spectacular comeback around the gardens
at Herstmonceux Castle, but that was the only location where I saw large numbers around here.
Having said that I witnessed three garden visits ( unheard of before ) and it was not unusual to
see the odd one while out and about this year, so hopefully their parasite had a bad time in 2020.

As for Large Tortoiseshells I have never been convinced that they are extinct in the UK.
There are too many regular, if sporadic, sightings each year over a wide area.
For me I'd say scarce and elusive is more likely than extinct.

Just my thoughts. Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Fantastic set of images Trevor and of a personal triumph to boot - is the Small Tort bouncing back in the South East? Fingers crossed As for the Large Torts you could be right, I just wish they were a little less elusive, I've seen them in Poland but still don't have any shots

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

As for Large Tortoiseshells I have never been convinced that they are extinct in the UK.
There are too many regular, if sporadic, sightings each year over a wide area. For me I'd say scarce and elusive is more likely than extinct.

Very possibly, Trevor. Just look how long Black Hairstreaks round your way went under the radar for so long. On top of that, Large Tortoiseshells have a superficial resemblance to other, commoner species, and are very much creatures with a preference for trees, so who knows if they ever truly were extinct in the UK.

I think now that we have evidence of breeding that we can consider it a 'tenuous' resident once more. Hopefully a fair few of these millions of trees the government is promising to plant will be disease-resistant elms!

[trevor]

Thanks Wurzel & David. I will be keeping an eye on the Small Tortoiseshells at Herstmonceux
next Spring. Hopefully, with the numbers seen this Summer, some will make it through to Spring.

A blast from the past.

In late July 2017 I witnessed a large emergence of male Brown Hairstreaks at the Knepp estate
in West Sussex. In two visits the same week I counted 22 fresh males, nearly all on creeping thistle.
Of all the hundreds of shots I took on those visits I found one today of a fresh specimen with wings apart.
I had completely forgotten about the resulting image, which I have never improved upon to this day!.
Hopefully in 2022 I'll find that elusive open wing male, who knows !.

[Benjamin]

But Trevor:

“The Small Tortoiseshell, once a frequent visitor to gardens in the UK, had its third worst summer in the history of the Big Butterfly Count”

I always find the annual Big Butterfly Count report makes for an entertaining read. Good to get kids (and people in general) out looking at butterflies though, so best not to quibble too much over the headline making interpretation of data. Despite the headlines I’m sure those folks at BC understand the limitations of their count, don’t they?

[trevor]

I have never taken part in the big butterfly count, Ben, as it does not show the whole picture.
It may provide an insight into the health of the ' garden species ' but does little for others like
the Hairstreaks, Blues, Fritillaries or many of the rarer species.
The Small Tortoiseshell certainly had a better year in East Sussex in 2021. Besides the boom in
the population at Herstmonceux, it was not unusual to see a few when out and about. Whereas
in previous years I've had to search hard for them. 2022 will hopefully be interesting.

Looking forward to future reports on the PE larvae you are monitoring.
Stay well,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking Brostreak image Trevor - I reckon 2022 will be the season - perhaps a few days earlier than this year and they might be opening up and in slightly better nick?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

I'll go with that Wurzel, maybe the last week of July.
The image above was taken on 21/7/ 2017.

Stay well,
Trevor.

PS. Hot Cross buns on sale in ASDA !

[Wurzel]

I'll see you the seasonal nonsense and raise with my girls reporting Easter decorations (the little yellow chicks and bunnies) in Tyger in West Quay last weekend If they keep up at this rate they'll soon be selling 2023 calendars and Christmas decorations for 2025

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

In late July 2017 I witnessed a large emergence of male Brown Hairstreaks at the Knepp estate in West Sussex. In two visits the same week I counted 22 fresh males, nearly all on creeping thistle.
Of all the hundreds of shots I took on those visits I found one today of a fresh specimen with wings apart.
I had completely forgotten about the resulting image, which I have never improved upon to this day!.
Hopefully in 2022 I'll find that elusive open wing male, who knows.

That's one image I'm unlikely to ever obtain - a fresh, male Brown Hairstreak with wings open.

In 12 years at the Pembrokeshire site, I've only ever seen three males below head height, and all were worn.

[Neil Freeman]

A nice array of Small Tortoiseshells Trevor, glad to see you had a better year with them in 2021.

A species that, despite the headlines from the Big Butterfly Count, had another good year around my part of the midlands.

I too believe that the main use of the count is to increase awareness within the general population, the time period in which it takes place is too limited to provide any meaningful date, a prime example of this being the Small Tortoiseshells which, around here, had reached peak numbers and tailed off before the count started. The same thing happened last year with Marbled White which was all but finished before the count started so unsurprisingly the count this year said they had a better year which was not surprising given they were later emerging this year.

Cheers,

Neil.

[trevor]

I have a regular visitor to my garden in the form of a male Blackbird
with a largely white head. He was around last winter, and I have seen
him on numerous occasions this year. It is perhaps proof that male
Blackbirds don't stray far from their territory.
I'm afraid my image is poor as it was taken through double glazing.

Stay well all,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Interesting that the Blackbird is still there - normally they get seriously picked on and so struggle to survive, although this one has nice neat markings so perhaps he's seen by other Blackbirds as a trend setter?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. I hadn't thought of that Blackbird as a trend setter!.
But he holds his own in the spring territorial disputes with other males.

Thanks Neil. I would imagine BC obtain information from the sightings pages
of the various local BC websites and even UKB for an idea of the health of
species which occur either side of the Big Butterfly Count.

Stay well both,
Trevor .

[David M]

I have a regular visitor to my garden in the form of a male Blackbird
with a largely white head. He was around last winter, and I have seen
him on numerous occasions this year. It is perhaps proof that male
Blackbirds don't stray far from their territory.

That's one hell of a blackbird, Trevor. I've heard of albinos and even pieds but black with a white head has got to be pretty rare?

Hope you're putting out a few scraps for them all now the weather's turned colder.

[trevor]

Thanks David. He is pretty unique and often seen.

This afternoon at 3.30 we had the most spectacular rainbow I've ever seen.
Set against a dramatic sky the colours and brilliance just kept getting better.
All this so close to sunset.

Trevor.

[David M]

That's one hell of an intense rainbow, Trevor. Well captured (including the paler one beside it).