Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

Wednesday 6th July.

Tuesday (5th) was another grey and dull day here until it finally brightened up late in the afternoon to leave clear skies overnight (yet again).
Sometime in the early hours it clouded over so this morning (Wednesday 6th) started off much the same again with wall to wall grey overcast, although the forecast said that we could expect it to brighten up a bit later with temperatures rising somewhat as the day went on.

With the morning free I decided to go and have a look around Blythe Valley over the other side of Solihull. For a number of reasons, including some grotty weather as well as being busy with family stuff, I have only visited this site once so far this year and with it being a reliable site for Marbled Whites I was keen to go for a look.
I arrived at 09.45am with the overcast still unbroken from horizon to horizon but with the car display showing 19 degrees it was already feeling quite warm. During the couple of hours that I wandered around the paths and various meadow areas here it gradually got warmer with some occasional brief spells when the sun broke through although it remained stubbornly overcast for most of the morning.
The lack of sun didn’t deter the butterflies however with hundreds of Meadow Browns and Ringlets bobbing about everywhere in conditions that were now feeling quite warm and muggy under the cloud cover.

Meadow Brown - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

I soon started seeing Marble Whites and during my time here I reckon I saw approximately 20 including a mating pair, not great numbers but with most of them looking to be quite fresh I think numbers will still build here.

Marbled White - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Marbled White - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Marbled White - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Marbled White pair - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

There were also loads of Small Skippers in every meadow and as usual I paid them some attention to try and identify any Essex Skippers amongst them and was eventually rewarded with a couple of definite Essex.

Small Skipper - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

I watched one particular male Small Skipper eyeing up a male Essex Skipper with both of them looking to be a bit confused for a while until the Small Skipper flew off and left the Essex to open his wings and bask for a bit.

Small & Essex Skippers - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Small & Essex Skippers - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Essex Skipper - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Essex Skipper - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

I have seen both Small and Essex Skipper adopt this wider open-wing pose when fresh instead of the more usual hind wings forward & fore wings raised pose (The X-wing pose) that both species usually adopt. In fact I photographed a Small Skipper in a similar flat pose the other day at Wagon Lane (see previous report).

At one point I watched what at first I thought was a curiously coloured day flying moth flying around one meadow. In flight it looked to be a strange combination of orange and white and it wasn’t until it went down that could see what it really was. It had actually found a pair of Small Skippers in cop and was trying to barge his way in and this showed that it was indeed a male Small Skipper with an almost totally white forewing.

Small Skippers - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Small Skippers - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Small Skippers - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

He was quite determined in his attempts to interrupt the pair but would occasionally fly off a short distance and settle for a while before returning to bother them again. After about 15 minutes of this he finally gave up and flew off at speed.

Small Skipper - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

Small Skipper - Blythe Valley 06.06.2022

I believe that this is classed as a pathological aberration and is caused by temperature changes in the pupa. I have seen Small Skippers before with similar white markings but never as much as on this example.

A few Large Skippers were also seen but these were all worn and faded now.

Other butterflies seen were a couple of Green-veined Whites and singles of Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Also my first Gatekeeper of the year, a male that stayed on the far side of a bramble patch and didn’t come anywhere close for a photo, not that I was bothered as they will no doubt be all over the place in a few days.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Allan.W.]

Thats a very unusual male Essex Neil (not the one with the pale wing ) the single fresh male ,could it be AB;Suffusa .
Nice find .................A real Beauty !
Regards Allan .W.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Allan. I think it is the unusual flat pose plus the fact that it is a very fresh example that together make the dark markings look more prominent, so for me I think it is within normal variation.

Friday 8th July – Eyed Hawk-moth larvae.

I mentioned a few weeks back that I had a female Eyed Hawk-moth to my garden moth trap and that she had left me with some eggs which I was (hopefully) going to rear.

Female Eyed Hawk-moth, a good excuse to post this photo again.

Eggs laid in plastic pot she was kept in ready to release.

Two weeks later, on 30th June, these eggs started hatching and over the next couple of days all but two of them hatched. I transferred the newly hatched larvae into a plastic container with some cut sallow as foodplant. Eyed Hawk-moths will also use other willows and also apple but I have read that sallow is the preferred foodplant and the larvae grow more slowly when feeding on apple.
The newly hatched larvae were about 5mm long and the photo below was taken with the larvae about three days old and already grown to 7-8mm.

First instar larvae 02.07.2022

Another couple of shots taken a couple of days later.

First instar 04.07.2022

First instar 02.07.2022

They stayed in this first instar for about a week before shedding their skin into the second instar. They are now about 10mm in length and more recognisable as mini versions of the fully grown caterpillar and are already adopting the classic resting posture with the front part of the body raised up, a posture that gives rise to the American name for this group of moths – Sphinx Moths.

Second instar 08.07.2022

Second instar 08.07.2022

Second instar 08.07.2022

I believe that they will go through five instars before pupating and I will hopefully capture each stage, although they won’t change much in overall appearance now other than growing much bigger and the tail horn becoming blue in the last instar.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Interesting variation and behaviours in those Skippers Neil I've just been helped a mate out with some IDs from Greece and that 'flat' Essex with the interrupted sex brand brought Levatine Skipper to mind for a second there

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That's an extraordinary Small Skipper with the white suffusion, Neil. Hard to conclude how that happened.

The Eyed Hawk moth is beautiful - definitely worthy of a multitude of postings!

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel. I am just glad I don't have the multitude of continental skippers to contend with, Small and Essex take up enough of my limited time.

Thanks David. I believe that the normal reason(s) given for things like that white wing are sudden temperature fluctuations whilst the butterfly is developing in the pupae which lead to problems with the pigments forming properly.

Saturday 9th July.

Scorchio!

Right from the off today (Saturday), the warm sun was shining down from clear blue skies and it didn’t take long for the butterflies to be up and about in my garden, in fact I saw the first whites passing through as I was getting some breakfast at around 07.30am.
I was fairly busy with household and garden stuff during the morning but saw quite a few butterflies in the garden including increasing numbers of Green-veined Whites, my first summer brood Holly Blues and a Comma as well as at least three different male Speckled Wood in the usual spots. Also a few Ringlets bobbing about where I leave areas of long grass. These were all very active in the warm sun so I didn’t bother trying to get any photos.

In the afternoon, I wandered down to Wagon Lane, primarily to get some more sallow for the Eyed Hawk cats but still did a quick circuit. Lots of butterflies were seen consisting mainly of Meadow Browns and Ringlets along with Small / Essex Skippers. A few more Essex were confirmed today but they were still greatly outnumbered by the Small Skippers, many of which are still looking quite fresh.

Not so many Small Tortoiseshells seen here today, around half a dozen, and those I did see were sticking to the shade down amongst the large bramble patches, I guess the afternoon sun was too much for them. As in the previous couple of years, I am seeing reports that some are going into hibernation already as well as others going on to produce a second brood.

Similar numbers of Commas were also seen…

Comma - Wagon Lane 09.07.2022

… and I was watching one flitting back and forth over a bramble patch when my eye caught some movement towards the back of the patch, a Silver-washed Fritillary. It shuffled about on the flowers and I only managed to get a couple of ropy record shots before it was off at high speed into the distance and that was the last I saw of it.

Silver-washed Fritillary - Wagon Lane 09.07.2022

This is the second year on the trot I have seen one here and this adds to the evidence that they are moving into the Solihull area.

A couple of Red Admirals were also seen, neither of which were in particularly good condition but one was looking a bit better than the other and was the only butterfly that actually sat in a half decent pose today.

Red Admiral - Wagon Lane 09.07.2022

A couple of Gatekeepers, the first at this spot this year, completed the tally for today.

Gatekeeper - Wagon Lane 09.07.2022

Definitely a session spent more watching the butterflies rather than trying to take many photos, it was simply too warm (hot) and the butterflies too active plus the bright afternoon sun is too harsh for decent photos. Having said that sometimes it is just good to watch them doing what they are supposed to be doing, flying about.

Looks like we have a few more days of scorchio ahead of us, probably too hot for my liking but I am never happy

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Clearwing update.

Over the past week or so I have put some of my various lures out, rotating them and missing days every now and then so as not to have any particular lure out on consecutive days so as the males can get about their normal business of looking for real females. This has become complicated a bit due to the fact that some species will turn up to other lures than the one that is the main attractant. A case in point is the Orange-tailed Clearwing which is known to be attracted to the VES lure which is the lure for Yellow-legged Clearwing. I have also recently had a couple of Orange-tailed Cleawings come to the FOR lure which is designed for Red-tipped Clearwings. I did wonder if I had accidentally cross contaminated the lures and looked on the ALS website for further information where I found a table that shows that Orange-tailed Clearwing is a known incidental catch to the FOR lure. Furthermore it appears that these lures are all based on a limited number of base compounds which explains why closely related species will come to them.

Anyway, on Friday 8th I put the FOR lure out and had five Red-tipped Clearwings and a single Orange-tailed come to it.

Orange-tailed Clearwing - Coverdale 08.07.2022

Red-tipped Clearwing - Coverdale 08.07.2022

I also put the VES lure out later in the afternoon and had a single Yellow-tailed Clearwing just before 6.00pm. Yellow-legged Clearwings tend to fly later in the day than most of the other species which is why I put the lure out later which also reduces the chances of inadvertantly catching Orange-tailed Clearwings which tend to fly between 11.00am and 3.00pm.

Yellow-legged Clearwing - Coverdale 08.07.2022

The following day I put the MYO lure out. This is the lure for Red-belted Clearwings and although I have already had this species a few weeks ago, they came to the CUL lure. This lure is for Large-Red-belted Clearwing, a very local species in Warwickshire and one that I am not likely to get in my garden but I certainly won't if I don't try. Again, this lure is known to also attract Red-belted Cleawings and both last year and this I have had quite few of these to it.
The MYO lure is more effective however and from just before midday and 3.00pm I had no less than 17 Red-belted Clearwings to it.

Red-belted Clearwing - Coverdale 09.07.2022

I have also been trying the API lure for Six-belted Clearwing, both in my garden and at my local spot at Wagon Lane, so far without any success. I don't know if this species actually occurs around here but again, If I don't try, I won't know.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Neil Hulme]

Very nice, Neil - fabulous moths!
I have a few to post when the mad scramble of the Purple Emperor season finally subsides.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Neil. They are certainly a fascinating group of moths.
Looking forward to when you post yours.

Monday 11th July.

After a scorching hot Saturday, Sunday was even hotter here and temperatures continued to rise on Monday resulting in the warmest day so far this year.
The butterflies didn’t seem to like the heat and on both days I didn’t see much activity in the garden until later in the afternoon and early evening with Green-veined Whites still flying well past 7.00pm.

Later on Sunday afternoon, a female Comma came passing though and fluttered around the nettles at the bottom of the garden but despite landing a few times to check them out I didn’t see her actually lay any eggs.

Comma - Coverdale 10.07.2022
07

The only other butterfly that stayed still long enough for a photo was a Large Skipper that visited one of my Lavenders later in the afternoon.

Large Skipper - Coverdale 10.07.2022

On Monday, I managed a few more photos, again later in the afternoon, when I watched a couple of Ringlets, a Meadow Brown and a Green-veined White feeding on the bramble patch at the bottom of the garden.

Ringlet - Coverdale 11.07.2022

Meadow Brown - Coverdale 11.07.2022

Green-veined White - Coverdale 11.07.2022

A Holly Blue also stopped very briefly, just long enough for me to grab a quick shot before it was off again.

Holly Blue - Coverdale 11.07.2022

A bit later a female Comma came and settled to bask in the early evening sun and a close comparison with the one from the day before shows it to be a different individual.

Comma - Coverdale 11.07.2022

Today (Tuesday) has been a strange day. Some overnight cloud made for a sticky and uncomfortable night and this cloud has persisted all day making it quite dull at times but still warm and muggy. We have also had some drops of rain on and off through the day but nothing that has come to much. It looks like the next couple of days are going to be a bit more comfortable, if still fairly warm, and then temperatures are on the rise again with a heat warning for early next week. Mind you, that is days away still so we’ll see.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Moff shots...definitely need to get myself over to the ALS website Lovely set of shots and that Meadow Brown is interesting - it could almost be a Southern Gatekeeper

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel. That Meadow Brown was a nice large female and I was curious to see if she had any extra orange on her topside but she stubbornly refused to open up in the afternoon sun.

Wednesday 13th July.

A cloudy morning and much cooler than of late to start with although as the morning went on the cloud began to break up and it started to warm up a bit. It actually felt much more pleasant than it has done over recent days with even yesterday’s (Tuesday) cloud and occasional rain leaving it still feeling unpleasantly warm and humid.
Around 10.00am I had a wander down to Wagon Lane to get fresh sallow for my Eyed Hawk caterpillars and have a look around. Despite the cloudy and cooler conditions…or more probably because of them…there were more butterflies to be seen than on my last visit when I think a lot of them were hiding from the hot sun.

Lots of Skippers were seen with Essex now seeming to outnumber the Small and a few Large Skippers still about.

Essex Skipper - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Essex Skipper - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Small Skipper - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Large Skipper - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

A few Small Tortoiseshells were seen but these were now looking a bit worn and faded and nowhere near the numbers that I was seeing a week or so ago. I am seeing reports of some of these tucking themselves up in the usual sheds, garages, outhouses etc ready for hibernation so that would explain the drop in numbers.

Half a dozen Commas were also spotted around my circuit, mostly lurking around the many patches of brambles here.

Comma - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Comma - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Comma - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

The Orange theme was continued by a dozen or so Gatekeepers, all males so far.

Gatekeeper - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Comma - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Comma - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

A single male Speckled Wood was holding station by a gap in the hedgerow, a spot that is occupied continuously throughout the season by a succession of these.

Speckled Wood - Wagon Lane 13.07.2022

Other than that, a good number of 'whites' were seen actively flying about, most of those I could confirm being Green-veined but with at least one definite Large White and Small White as well.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Thursday 14th July.

This morning I decided to pop over the other side of Solihull and spend a couple of hours at Blythe Valley Park.
I left home at 09.30am and arrived 15 minutes later with just a bit of high level wispy cloud in otherwise blue skies and the temperature on the car display reading 18 degrees.
My usual circuit around the paths and meadows here produced lots of butterflies of mostly the same common species seen yesterday at Wagon Lane only, in most cases, in higher numbers. Meadow Browns were everywhere as were Small / Essex Skippers. In the case of the skippers, I took enough record shots to confirm that both species were here in roughly equal numbers overall, with Small Skippers being more numerous in some meadow areas and Essex in others. A lot more females of both species were also noted today. A couple of Large Skippers were also seen, both worn and faded looking males.

Meadow Brown pair - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Ringlets are on the wane now with those seen being well past their best but Gatekeepers have increased to take their place with 40 to 50, maybe more, seen all around the site. These were again all males with no females seen today.

Gatekeeper - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Gatekeeper - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

These included an excessa that ironically was the only one I saw that looked to have any wear.

Gatekeeper ab. excessa - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Four different Commas were spotted, one each in widely separated spots around the circuit and as the cloud built up during my time here these were spotted basking as well as feeding on brambles or thistles.

Comma - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Comma - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Comma underside of the one above - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Comma - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

I often hear Green Woodpeckers as I am wandering around here but more often than not the only view I get is of their tail feathers as they disappear into the distance. Today I spotted one fly into a tree in front of me along the path and managed to get a couple of shots, albeit distant ones, before it flew off again.

Green Woodpecker - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

My main reason for coming here this morning however was to try for Six-belted Clearwing with the API lure. Over the past couple of weeks I have put this lure out in my garden and also taken it to Wagon Lane, so far without any success. On my previous visits to Blythe Valley I have noted large amounts of Birds-foot Trefoil, the larval foodplant of the Six-belted Clearwing, so thought it was worth trying. I did try here last year on one occasion, without success, but I think the conditions were against it that time with too much cloud and wind.
Anyway, I picked a likely looking spot and hung the lure up in a small net bag and kept my eye on it as I wandered about close by. Within ten minutes I spotted a Six-belted Clearwing approach, and then another, and then another, until a minute or two later I had five all flying around together.

Meadow area with lots of Birds-foot Trefoil - Blythe Valley 14.07.2022

Two of five that came to the lure at one time.

During this time a cloud came over and most of them disappeared except one that landed close by in a perfect pose for some photos.

Six-belted Clearwing - Blythe Valley 17.07.2022

The one above when the sun came back out.

I then carried on around the circuit and hung the lure up a couple more times in different areas and each time had a single Six-belted to it.

Six-belted clearwing to the lure in the second spot.

Until this morning, I hadn’t known for certain if Six-belted Clearwings occurred around Solihull. I am aware of one coming to a lure in a garden in south Birmingham a couple of years ago but apart from that, most of the Warwickshire records I have seen have come from further south in the county. Now I know that they are not too far away, albeit the other side of Solihull, I will carry on trying for one in my garden and maybe some other local spots.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Allan.W.]

Hello Neil ,
You,ve been having some excellent results with your Clearwing lures this season ! and some superb shots as well and you finally got your Six-Belted
Oddly enough ,the six -belted seems to be the most numerous and easily lured here in Kent ,but i don,t hang the lure ,but position it on top of the foodplant ,must try hanging the lure for them ,the clearwing that i struggle with is the Currant .............no luck at all there . As a matter of interest ,how do you get them to sit still on a leaf ,mine generally fly in and circle the lure ,but rarely land ! Keep up the good Work !
Regards Allan.W.

[Pauline]

So envious of your Green Woodpecker shot Neil. I can't tell you how many years I have tried to get a shot as good as yours. I see plenty of them - trouble is, they see me first!

[Wurzel]

Cracking Hedgies/Gatekeepers Neil - I had great fun counting the spots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Alan. The Six-belted is probably more widesread around here than previoulsy thought, as the use of pheromone lures is also proving for many of these species. Current Clearwing was actually the first species I had in my garden when I first started using these lures in 2020, I have had a few each year but not as many as the other species I get here.
I was lucky with the Six-belted, that one just happened to settle in a good pose when the sun went in. For the ones I have photographed in my garden, I usually pot them and put them in the shade for 10-15 minutes which calms them down a bit, for the most part these being sun loving insects. I then tip them out onto a leaf or piece of wood, also in the shade, and hope they don't take off before I have got a couple of shots. A lot depends on how warm the day is.

That is usually my experience Pauline, either I just hear them or see them speeding off into the distance, usually sounding like they are laughing at me.

I thought of you Wurzel when I saw the excessa. I figured you would be counting spots around this time

Cheers,

Neil.

[Neil Freeman]

Saturday 16th July.

With temperatures set to rise to uncomfortable levels for the next few days, we decided to spend Saturday morning down at Snitterfield Bushes near Stratford-upon-Avon before it got too hot.
We left home just turned 09.00am and arrived 40 minutes later with the car display showing a nice and comfortable 18 degrees. I think I have mentioned before that this reserve is split into two halves bisected by a road with both sides being similar and consisting of mixed woodland that has regenerated on the site of an old WW2 airfield.
We set off on the track into the north side first and soon started seeing Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Green-veined Whites, a couple of Large Whites and a few Silver-washed Fritillaries.
As we carried on around the paths we saw more SWFs along with Commas and some new summer Peacocks. Most of the SWFs that we saw were bit worn and showing signs of life amongst the brambles.

Silver-washed Fritillary male - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

Silver-washed Fritillary male - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

Silver-washed Fritillary female - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

Silver-washed Fritillary male - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

SWF female and Comma - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

Comma - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

With hardly a cloud in the sky it was quickly warming up and the butterflies were mostly in constant motion with just the occasional touchdown on the brambles to refuel. In fact I started seeing some of the butterflies already taking to the shade to get out of the sun.

Peacock hiding in the shade - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

After wandering around this side of the reserve for an hour or so we returned to the car where Jane had a rest while I had a look around the south side, seeing pretty much the same selection of species that we had already seen.

Other butterflies seen included a couple of Marbled Whites, a single Red Admiral and a few Purple Hairstreaks flitting about around the top of some oak trees.

Marbled White - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

The same Marbled White as above in a different pose Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

Red Admiral - Snitterfield Bushes 16.07.2022

We left at 11.45 as it was warming up, having spent a very pleasant couple of hours here. I have since heard that a Purple Emperor and a SWF valesina were both seen here after we left but we missed both of these this time.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Neil, you'd better luck with the Marbled White's then I had, Lovely shots , both your early and later ones, your Silver Washed Frits are great
Goldie

[David M]

Some nice reports lately, Neil. You're certainly mastering the art of moth luring!

Agree about the temperatures. Anything over 28c usually suppresses activity. 38c will all but put paid to it!!

[Neil Freeman]

Monday 18th July.

Thursday 14th July.

Until this morning, I hadn’t known for certain if Six-belted Clearwings occurred around Solihull. I am aware of one coming to a lure in a garden in south Birmingham a couple of years ago but apart from that, most of the Warwickshire records I have seen have come from further south in the county. Now I know that they are not too far away, albeit the other side of Solihull, I will carry on trying for one in my garden and maybe some other local spots.

Bingo!
I put the API lure out in the garden this afternoon (Monday 18th) and had a single Six-belted Clearwing arrive around 3.00pm. Maybe they are dispersing a bit in the heat?
A bit worn with some damage to it's wings but a record is a record

Six-belted Clearwing - Coverdale 18.07.2022

That makes 7 species of Clearwing in the garden now.

Cheers,

Neil.