Bugboys mission

[trevor]

It was something of a relief to see the SPBF again this year at PCH.
From what I saw there was an improvement in numbers over last year, and as your
shots confirm there were a good number of females around.

I was one of the doubters about their return this year, glad to be proved wrong.

Trevor.

[Goldie M]

HI! Bugboy, I love your Green Hair Streak shots, especially the one on the Daisy I've missed them this year Goldie

[Wurzel]

Great set of shots Bugboy Alas I had to travel for my Small Pearls this year as at Bentley they seem to have suffered the same fate as at Abbots Wood

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks for the comments. Sadly I am going to have to temporarily leave my PD dormant for a while due to laptop issues. Hopefully they are fixable issues but only time will tell .

[Wurzel]

Sorry to hear that Bugboy Hope you can get it sorted - technology is great right up 'til the point when it goes wrong In the meantime do you want me to slow down with my PD so I don't get ahead of you

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Sorry to hear that Bugboy Hope you can get it sorted - technology is great right up 'til the point when it goes wrong In the meantime do you want me to slow down with my PD so I don't get ahead of you

Have a goodun

Wurzel

It's been taken to laptop hospital this afternoon and I'm away next week so it might be a fortnight before I can do another post so that would be very gallant of you wurzel

[Goldie M]

Sorry to hear about your computer Bugboy, hope you've a good week a way any way. Goldie

[kevling]

Bugboy, Absolutely love those SPBF photos. Such an elegant species. I paid my first visit to Park Corner Heath the year before Covid and found them.

Kind Regards
Kev

[David M]

Nice job with the SPBFs, Paul. Hope your laptop gets fixed quickly and your PD can continue.

[bugboy]

Thanks for all the comments. The laptop is now back from hospital with a brand new motherboard (the old one was starting to fry apparently) and Windows reinstalled,,, everything seems tickety-boo so far so lets try and catch up a bit !

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May 2022

Saturday 28th. Another return to Ivinghoe Beacon to say goodbye to the Dukes for another year (seems like they’ve had a good season just about everywhere) and to see if the Marsh Fritillaries numbers have increased since I last saw them. Before reaching the Beacon though the burgeoning Common Blue season made its presence known, dotted everywhere either roosting or basking in the short-lived sunny spells.

I quickly found a Marshie when I got to their slope, a somewhat aged, greasy looking female. A second fresher one was less willing to pose.

Dukes were still around in reasonable numbers, although even the fairer sex were now looking a bit shabby. A splendid female Common Blue was in tip top condition and did a good job of distracting me for a while after which I came across a third Marshie.

After this a detour over to Pitstone Quarry to see how the Small Blues were doing beckoned, with more distractions along the way including a nice fresh Red Admiral.

The Small Blues were in out in good numbers, with many, predictably looking a little worse for wear now but there were some still looking in good shape.

tbc

[bugboy]

May 2022

Saturday 28th (cont). I returned to the Beacon for the final part of the day where the Common Blues were still….. common! Brown Argus had showed up sporadically throughout the day, mostly past their best but I did find one fresh chap.

Often when I’m out looking at wildlife I’m reminded that the wildlife is also looking at me, here’s a Pheasant doing just that!

Dingy and Grizzled Skippers were still to be found, mostly now rather more living up to their names given their age, but a rather nice female did pose for me and a another two Marshies was found giving a final days total of five.

finally back at Aldbury Nowers I stopped by some Garlic Mustard to check for Cats, finding several and also an adult male Orange-tip who remained airborn until vanishing over the hedge.

[millerd]

Good to hear your laptop is feeling much better now! It means a look back to late spring and the Chiltern Marshie contingent - they do seem to be well-(re)established here now, and you got to see more than the singleton I found. Still, that was a very windy day.

I particularly like that Common Blue sitting facing you from the hawthorn sprig.

Looking forward to the further catching up you are going to have to do lest Wurzel overtake you...

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

Thanks Dave, think I saw a grand total of 9 so perhaps 20 or 30 may have been present over the whole flight period. In the interests of catching up with lost time (and making sure I stay ahead of Wurzel of course), I'll fit in the final report from May before heading off tomorrow to spend a few days looking for butterflies in, if the forecast is to be believed, less than ideal conditions!

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May 2022

Sunday 29th. A few hours at Bookham to see if anything had started to emerge here, a bit early for the woodland specialists that take up much of my spare time in the coming months but you never know these days. I noted a fair few Orange-tip cats along the path leading up from Effingham Junction but the biggest surprise awaited me as I turned the corner onto the path around Banks Common. Neither a rare nor localised species but one, which only really dawned on me when I saw it, that I have never seen here before.

Moving on I came across a nest of young Peacock cats and then my first Large Skipper of the year, somewhat later than I usually see them.

My usual search for White Admiral cats came up with just the one.

I found another batch of Peacock cats and whilst getting a few snaps a shadow passed overhead. A low flying Buzzard. Whilst switching lenses the Buzzard was joined by a rather noisy Jackdaw who was clearly not happy with its presence, presumably a nest was nearby. Its interesting how the much larger bird can easily out manoeuvre its assailant, seemingly with virtually no effort.

Adult butterflies were very thin on the ground. Apart from the earlier two species, a few Speckled Wood and a handful of Whites were all I’d seen. I did manage to sneak up on a sunbathing Lizard.

The only opportunity to capture one of the Whites was when a male GVW decided to very persistently pester a female. She couldn’t have made her feelings in the whole saga clearer but the message really wasn’t getting through!

She looked genuinely exhausted when he finally buggered off!

I whiled away a bit of time watching a Cardinal Beetle, waiting for it to take flight. They give you ample warning they about to lift off and the unfurling of the hindwings takes a moment so it’s quite easy to capture the moment.

The final sighting was an aged Brimstone, nectaring where the Green Hairstreak was seen earlier.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Bugboy, Love your Green Hair Streak shot, sorry to say I missed them this yearGoldie

[bugboy]

Sorry to hear you missed them this year Goldie still, always next year

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June 2022

Friday 3rd. Realising I'd neglected to visit Hutchinsons Bank for the resident Glanvilles, I managed to fit in a few hours in the afternoon. Commitments at work later did mean it was a flying visit though, even though its much closer than many of the sites I visit, it still takes over an hour to get there so I just had to hope they were waiting for me in the usual spots. I bumped into a fellow enthusiast shortly after arriving who informed me there were lots about when he last visited on the Tuesday but none had yet to be seen today. Annoyingly I had planned to come on Tuesday when I had the whole day free, but the forecast had put me off!

Well I was here now so I set off to take in all the usual spots, seeing quite a few people wandering around with cameras but no one seemed to be focused on anything other than the Small Blue which were still around in decent numbers. I also found a full grown Dark Green Fritillary cat wandering across a path, looking for somewhere to hang itself up for a couple of weeks.

After nearly 2 hours though, the target had yet to show itself, and after one last wander through the cutting I was just about to leave when a lady called me over, excitedly pointing at an Ox-eye Daisy.

Either I'd walked straight past her or she'd snuck down behind me (I prefer the latter scenario). She stayed for nearly 10 minutes, fluttering from flower to flower and resting during cloudy spells before skedaddling over the fence at the top.

I managed to find time to photograph a few other species before having to leave again however, not the kind of butterflying I enjoy, all a bit rushed. I didn't really take into account the travelling to and from when I cooked up the plan but at least it wasn't a complete wasted effort.

[millerd]

Aside from that very nice female Glanville, Paul, finding that DGF cat by chance rates as a highpoint for me. You could spend ages looking for one of those in the grass, and one decides to trundle across in front of you!

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

"(and making sure I stay ahead of Wurzel of course)"...I have been holding off to make it easier for you

That is a beautifully marked Glanville and sterling work with the DGF cat

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Glad your journey was rewarded with that Glanville, Paul. Must say that your Small Heath is almost as delightful!

[bugboy]

Thanks Dave, that’s actually the second DGF cat I’ve found this year, the first was on my last visit to Ivinghoe, also found on the path. However it was suffering from a terminal case of death!
That’s very gracious of you Wurzel
Thanks David, it was a rather nice Small Heath wasn’t it

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June 2022

Saturday 4th. A sunny day at work gave me the chance to have a lunchtime wander but without any regional specialities available in central London there is very little to be found in the first week of June. A few Speckled Wood were about and the Large Skippers had started to emerge but it was a Painted Lady that garnered most of my attention.

Monday 6th was the start of another week off, with at least one trip to Norfolk already pencilled in. However today was very much grey and a tad drizzly but since I’d been photographing Black Hairstreak in similar conditions last year I headed off for a couple of hours at Epsom Common to see if I could get a repeat audience. Well to cut a long story short (there’s not much to say apart from the fact it remained grey and a tad drizzly) I saw a single one very briefly flutter around the top of some Blackthorn . A few bits and bobs...

Juvenile Blue Tit

Hoverfly (Xanthogramma sp.)

Scorpionfly

Not sure what this beetle was up, and I don't think he did either!

[Wurzel]

I've had similar days to this Bugboy - sometimes the 'just get out there' doesn't always work mind you when it does it's extra special

Have a goodun

Wurzel