June 2022

Charles Nicol · Post by **Charles Nicol** » Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:47 am

Crispin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:44 pm I haven't posted on here for some time but just wanted to confirm my observations.
Small Tortoiseshell seems to be having an ok year, I have seen more than I would typically expect, better than the last 15 or so years.
A poor year for Small copper so far.

Is this what others have noticed?

Small Tortoiseshell are having an OK year where i have been ( Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire ), and so far i have seen 0 Small Coppers.

Small Heaths & Marbled Whites are the winners so far

Andrew555 · Post by **Andrew555** » Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:30 pm

High Brown Fritillary male and female from Heddon's Mouth. A DGF male dropped by to say hello, she ignored him and he didn't try anything!

As for Small Tortoiseshell, there were certainly plenty around Exmoor.

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:55 pm

I'm only a few miles west of you Crispin so reassuring to know your observations match mine, although not sure why the Small Copper numbers are down. I've only seen one and none at all at work which has an artificial gravel/soil mound where males were fighting over territory from late April through to October last year.

Small Skippers seem to be doing OK though, although my highlight of the week would be the Praenubila Four-spotted Chaser. This seemed to have an issue with its top right wing although this didn't seem to bother it in the slightest.

Is the spider a Fencepost Jumping spider ? (What a fantastically niche name that is !).

aeshna5 · Post by **aeshna5** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 5:15 am

Agree to the spider being Marpissa muscosa.

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:03 am

Andrew555 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:30 pm...A DGF male dropped by to say hello, she ignored him and he didn't try anything!

That's a hell of a combo, Andrew. Well done!

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 10:02 am

aeshna5 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 25, 2022 5:15 am Agree to the spider being Marpissa muscosa.

Thanks for the confirmation aeshna5. I need to work on my enthusiasm for the very spindly ones but jumping spiders are very impressively built.

If everywhere else is drawing a blank then a scour of the netting walls of house #5 normally turns up something. This was on the outside. The zebra spider I posted last year was on the inside. That distinction is slightly more blurred now as large areas of the roof are now open to the elements.

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 1:33 pm

My first Gatekeeper of the season in Epping Forest this morning.

Jack Harrison · Post by **Jack Harrison** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 5:26 pm

Very early Ringlets north Scotland.

My wife was horse riding on 22nd June and thought she saw a Ringlet. "Not impossible" I said. But I was dubious. Then today 25th, I had a definite sighting.

My earliest butterfly season was 77 years ago. Ringlet in east Norfolk was a late July / August butterfly. I have no real information about north Scotland in those days but I don't think it even occurred in my current location near the Moray Firth. Certainly when I lived (worked) in the Aberdeen area in the 1980s, Ringlets were very local and I had to make an effort to see them! Monymusk for example.

Jack

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:03 pm

The first of the summer brood of Holly Blues appeared on my local patch this morning: two males.

A tired female from the spring brood was also seen, but in a different spot.

Cheers,

Dave

Matsukaze · Post by **Matsukaze** » Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:09 pm

Aylesbeare and Venn Ottery Commons, East Devon. Silver studded blues just out, Grayling, the real surprise being a Green Hairstreak in reasonable condition. Long may it continue.

Ian Pratt · Post by **Ian Pratt** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 7:18 am

Small tortoiseshells have been very abundant on the Isle of Wight, and a good number of white admirals too in local woods. However, very poor generally for butterflies and dragonflies.

Allan.W. · Post by **Allan.W.** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 1:06 pm

After nearly 40 years of trying ,I finally notched my 35th Butterfly species for the Orlestone Forest ,Kent ,a Purple Emperor . I was watching a couple of White Admiral slowly circling around on the bone dry ride ,and settling occasionally ,when i noticed behind them in the centre
of the ride ,at about 20 metres ,a "Classic " Sharks fin ...............Bins up ,and bingo ! a large Purple Emperor ,seemingly trying its luck ,the same as the Admirals ,i remembered the advice .....not to approach until it was "locked in " and feeding well, before moving in ,and i didn,t approach ,but it seemed to be having no luck ,and kept landing for a few seconds ,then scittering along a few metres towards me ,it glided by me at Knee height ,and landed about 15 metres behind me ,i watched the spot ,and after some time walked slowly towards it ..................but it had gone !
Regards Allan.W.

Ian Pratt · Post by **Ian Pratt** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 7:46 pm

Pauline wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:58 pm Fabulous underside shot Ian. You've certainly done justice to that gorgeous butterfly

Thank you.

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:47 pm

Congrats for that Allan, reward for perseverance.

I'd love to see one. I've been stuck on 38 species in total for a fair time now, seen within a 2.5 mile radius of my home. I'd like to try and get that to 40 before I admit defeat and start using transport other than Shanks's Pony to get further ticks. This might never happen mind

After the deer pics last week, I thought I'd better mow the lawn today. I did stop to take some snaps during this task. I got two shots at a moth in the bramble, both out of focus of course, but I'm sure it's a Rosy Tabby from its posture and colouration.

A much larger moth flew past me and went to the top of our berberis. I got a much better snap of this than I did of the Scorched Wing a week or so back which was at a similar height, but I'm finding it harder to ID, even with the hopefully diagnostic white patches on the wings. Any help appreciated as always. It looked much whiter in flight than when landed.

Around 5pm I nipped over into our local fields. Saw my first Ringlet of the year (I note this is after Jack's in north Scotland !) and my first Peacock for ages.

Allan.W. · Post by **Allan.W.** » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:58 pm

Thanks for that Zig-Zag ! it made my day ....................a fitting end to our first weeks holiday .........Well pleased ! Your moth is a Box tree moth ,dark form . We visited Old Lodge .....Brilliant reserve ,a bit early for some hoped for Dragonflies but did see all 3 variations of female Small Red
Damselfly + a Raft Spider ,Redstarts and Tree Pipit..................Will definately be going back !
Regards Allan.W.

Bertl · Post by **Bertl** » Mon Jun 27, 2022 6:14 pm

Visited the grantown on spey site again late morning today. Was hoping to see some dark green fritillary but unfortunately nothing on the wing.....they were prolific last year at this site.....maybe too early? Lots of small Pearl bordered fritillary, small heath and northern brown argus on the wing. Not too many fresh NBA. Thanks again Jack Harrison for recommending this site to me.

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:20 pm

Some "firsts" of the year from my local patch today in rather hit-and-miss weather: A Gatekeeper that eluded the camera, a very fresh second brood male Common Blue...

...and a brand new Peacock.

Dave

PhilBJohnson · Post by **PhilBJohnson** » Tue Jun 28, 2022 5:51 am

Wow, that's an early Peacock, Dave.
Sorry, this video slots in two days earlier June 25th 2022 (My time lapsed processing time) , Lincolnshire.
Peacock butterfly Instar 5
Please see youtube video link:

https://youtu.be/F6A_-_EnmX0

It was thought that a Peacock spent about 15 days as a pupae, so projecting this, most have a single annual generation, so we are expecting these, in the first half of July.