October 08

[Paul]

Well, things still clinging on up here in North Yorks.. Peacock, x4 Red Admirals & x4 Commas yesterday, and x3 Red Admirals, x4 Commas, x1 GVW, x4 Speckled Woods and x1 Small Copper in the garden today!

[Perseus]

Hello,

2 October 2008
There was the faint bite of an autumn chill in the air on a morning of weak sunshine, and the butterflies did not emerge until near midday. At the northern end of the lower slopes of Mill Hill, three species could be seen resting on Devil's Bit Scabious and only later when the sun came out did many of the butterflies emerge in numbers and fluttered about so much that I could not be sure of the numbers.


Meadow Browns were the first seen, counted at least eight, and then I spotted a female Adonis Blue with her wings closed on Devil's Bit Scabious followed by a closed winged Small Copper on the same plant. Then magically as it warmed up slightly, two Meadow Browns began courting, two out of three Small Coppers chased each other all over the bank, more Adonis Blues appeared with at least half a dozen of each gender, the females in good condition and the males mostly ragged and torn. A Large White flew over the straggly hedgerow. In contrast, the Common Blues were ten minutes later to appear, with at least five males, some in fine condition, with at least one brown female identified. The last species on the lower slopes was a surprise Brown Argus, with at least five pristine individuals counted.
The scrub and middle slopes on Mill Hill added four Speckled Woods, two Red Admirals, two more Meadow Browns and another Small Copper. A faded Peacock Butterfly flew over the meadows at the top of Mill Hill, followed by another one and a Small Heath Butterfly. There was another Red Admiral on the Pixie Path, plus another one and a Comma Butterfly in the the Butterfly Copse next to the Waterworks Road. Two further Red Admirals were recorded in Shoreham town and the ourtskirts, with frequent Large Whites.
Eleven species

Summary:

In the weak sunshine, eleven species of butterfly were recorded from Soreham and the downs, ten of them on Mill Hill where the lower slopes still hosted enough butterflies for a visit. Most notable was a new batch of Brown Argus (5+). Others were Adonis Blues (12+), Common Blues (6+), Small Copper (4), frequent Large Whites, Small Heath (1), Peacock (2), Red Admirals (4+), Comma (1), Speckled Woods (4), Meadow Browns(8+).

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: October 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Oct2008.html

Adur Valley & Downs Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/groups/adur/pool/

[Padfield]

Enjoy your autumn. It looks as if the season is over for Asha and me:





Guy

[eccles]

Brrr! Is winter early this year, Guy?

[Susie]

Goodness me, already?!

Went for a quick yomp around Cissbury Ring, West Sussex, this morning it was a bit blustery but in the sunshine I found that there were still butterflies on the wing. Spotted Small Coppers, Adonis Blues, Common Blues, Meadow Browns and Large White. I am sure there would have been many more but I ran out of time.

[Padfield]

Brrr! Is winter early this year, Guy?

Yes - most unusual. This first snowfall will melt away completely in a few days but I imagine it will have sent a strong signal to the few butterflies still on the wing before it fell.

Cissbury Ring sounds a much pleasanter place to be.

Guy

[Susie]

The butterflies I saw this morning, apart from the Small Coppers, were looking very battered. I think the weather which is supposed to occur over the next few days will probably finish them off.

[Perseus]

Hello,

21 September 2008

cf.


Later, in the afternoon, I made a trip to Cissbury Ring with Jan Hamblett, where on the Nepcote approach seeded Rosebay Willowherb lined trail, a few clumps of Hemp Agrimony in one place attracted four Comma Butterflies, one Meadow Brown, a Speckled Wood and a Red Admiral. There were frequent Large Whites, but the walk was not for the purpose of recording butterflies, so the full record around the circular balustrades was incomplete.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: October 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Oct2008.html

[eccles]

It's been two days since the last sunshine, and the weather was pretty cold then as well. But a few hardy butterflies were around in sheltered spots by the River Avon. Conham Vale, Bristol, was the location last Friday, only about two miles from where I live. It was difficult to believe this was in a large city.
I got this speckled wood using my trusty old Minolta 70-210 f4 "beercan".

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I also tried out a Kenko Pro300 1.4x on a Sigma 105 EX macro, giving me a very useful 148mm F4 macro, and the quality shooting this comma was pretty good, I thought.

DSC07388.jpg (167.77 KiB) Viewed 2939 times

I also overstretched the beercan to get this red admiral that was browsing the last few flowers on a self seeded buddliea. Slightly backfocussed I think.

DSC07398.jpg (116.91 KiB) Viewed 2937 times

[Shirley Roulston]

A lovely Comma came into the garden to-day after almost a week of lashing rain and gale force winds. Managed a few photos.

Picture 004.jpg (50.06 KiB) Viewed 2827 times

Picture 040.jpg (47.43 KiB) Viewed 2812 times

a close up of a Red Admiral.

Picture 029.jpg (46.69 KiB) Viewed 2804 times

[Pete Eeles]

Nice one Shirley! The middle Comma and Red Admiral stand out for me. Good job!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Shirley Roulston]

Thanks Pete, I had friendly advice, if you cannot see its eye, don't take the photo. I seemed to have gone for the wrong end!! , we live and learn.

[Denise]

But doesn't it look better!
I like the second Comma too, very much. Do you get what I meant now.

Denise

[Shirley Roulston]

I do indeed Shirley

[Perseus]

Hello,

8 October 2008
The approaches to Mill Hill produced a Large White Butterfly and the first Red Admiral at the top of Slonk Hill Farm Road, north Shoreham. There were a few more of Red Admirals, a few Speckled Woods and a few Comma Butterflies, especially on the Pixie Path visiting Ivy.

After five days of rain and poor weather the herb layer of the lower slopes of Mill Hill was still springy and firm under foot. A Peacock Butterfly flew up and visited me. Otherwise all the butterflies were at the northern end and there were not very many of them, a handful of Meadow Browns, a tattered (torn and battered) male Adonis Blue, at least one fine condition male Common Blue and a Small Copper.
There were a few more Comma Butterflies visiting blackberries, and Speckled Woods in the shade as I returned by the ridge route. The Speckled Woods were darker in colour than two months ago and in fine condition. The total count of butterflies was about 30.
Nine species

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2008.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2007.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: October 2008
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Oct2008.html

Adur Valley & Downs Gallery
http://www.flickr.com/groups/adur/pool/

[Perseus]

This caterpillar was found on Shoreham beach at the beginning of October. Do you know which one it is please?


Adur Moths
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Moths.html

[Gruditch]

Is that the same as Nick B's http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... =14&t=2763



Saw a couple of Comma's today, plus a few Large Whites still enjoying the Autumn sunshine.

Gruditch

[Paul]

4x Red Admirals, 1x Speckled Wood &1x Peacock in garden this lunchtime.

[Dave McCormick]

yesterday I saw 3 small tortoiseshells, bit tattered but sunning and feeding themselves up and last night a possible autumal moth (need to ID properly, with 4 species looking so similar in Northern Ireland, it will take a bit of time maybe)

[Susie]

A very fast flying Peacock was dashing around overhead in Cranleigh this afternoon.