September 2022

[David M]

Always a decent month for migrants and their progeny (so long as we don't get washed out).

Clouded Yellows and Long Tailed Blues would be nice....

[David M]

Thursday 1st, National Botanic Gardens, nr. Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire:

Small White 30-40,
Common Blue 4
Red Admiral 2
Small Tortoiseshell 2
Speckled Wood 1
Meadow Brown 1
Green Veined White 1

[Trev Sawyer]

Heads up for a Grand Surprise guys... There seems to have been a potential influx of Camberwell Beauty - three seen in Cambs/Essex this month already!... Oh, and another Queen of Spain Fritillary!

[SarahM]

I was overjoyed yesterday to see my first ever Clouded Yellows. Two males seen together on the Lancashire coast flying over masses of Sea Asters and only briefly stopping to nectar. What a colour and what a gorgeous butterfly. I had expected to have to travel South to find one.

Sarah

[Allan.W.]

Q of S Fritillary seen and in view for 45 minutes yesterday at St Margarets Bay Kent ..............pristine ,fresh specimen . Another photograped in Orlestone forest (Kent ) mid afternoon today.
Allan.W.

[David M]

I was overjoyed yesterday to see my first ever Clouded Yellows. Two males seen together on the Lancashire coast flying over masses of Sea Asters and only briefly stopping to nectar. What a colour and what a gorgeous butterfly. I had expected to have to travel South to find one.

Delighted for you, Sarah. They don't get that far north too often!! A sign of how good a year they're having. I've bumped into 5 of them in south Wales this last couple of weeks, which I think is a record for me.

As you say, beautiful insects and a joy to encounter.

[David M]

Heads up for a Grand Surprise guys... There seems to have been a potential influx of Camberwell Beauty - three seen in Cambs/Essex this month already!... Oh, and another Queen of Spain Fritillary!

Very interesting, Trev. Thanks for the heads-up. All these easterlies we've been having this last few weeks must be having an effect!

[SarahM]

Thank you David.

[Allan.W.]

Yesterdays post concerning Q of S Frittillaries in Kent (posted yesterday ) ...................they were'nt my records (Unfortunately !!) but both appeared on the Kent Butterflies facebook page. Allan.W.

[Pauline]

Really thrilled for you Sarah. I can still remember the first time I saw one (a long time ago) yet that excitement never seems to fade. You must be so chuffed to get such a great photo because they can be quite tricky. Well done!

[SarahM]

Thank you Pauline. I was very happy to get a few photos in reasonable focus as they didn't stay still for more than a few seconds.

[Matsukaze]

Wytham Wood, Oxford, 4 September 2022 - 3+ Speckled Woods, chasing; Red Admiral and Comma. The open areas of the wood, with their scattered trees and grass bleached yellow, have the look of prime Great Banded Grayling habitat.

[Allan.W.]

My usual sections of Orlestone forest (Kent ) are closed for road repairs for the next few days ,so i thought i,d try another larger section of the same woodland complex ,usually pretty good for butterflies ,i generally stay away because sadly a lot of the dog owners that use these sections let their dogs c@@p anywhere and don,t pick up ! and if they do pick it up they leave it hanging up or laying by the side of the path .........I just don,t get it ! anyway .............off the soapbox !
from the car park to the best open area is a walk of around a third of a mile ,I noted just one Peacock and nothing else
along the way ,a lot of nectar sources are pretty frazzled . As i reached the open area it seemed that it was more or less the same . I walked on and flushed a Clouded Yellow ,a female ,who made a pretty swift exit ,its generally pretty good for Small Coppers here ,but not a one on show but i did find find a male and female Common Blue ,shortly after i noticed another Clouded Yellow ,it was very intent on feeding ,mainly on the Common Fleabane .
As i got a shot or two of this one,another approached it ,a male ,he moved in and tried his luck ,but gave up and he too started feeding .This pair were still present twenty minutes later ,when my time was up ,and i started back to the car ,as i stepped up onto the main path i noticed another Cloudy,
this time an "Helice" female ,second of the season for me ...............Very pleased !
The Painted Lady and the Green-vein are from a few days back.
Allan.W.

[Deborah]

Butterfly heaven for me yesterday. In very breezy sunshine and showers a second Helice Clouded Yellow, about 800 metres from where I saw the one I posted on 19th August. The same one??
Then back home and a female Brown Hairstreak in the garden close to the house. First ever sighting of one and completely unexpected. I’d hopes of seeing one at the coast if the weather conditions were right.

[David M]

Butterfly heaven indeed, Deborah! Can't be many unexpected appearances better than a female Brown Hairstreak. You must have been overjoyed.

[Deborah]

Butterfly heaven indeed, Deborah! Can't be many unexpected appearances better than a female Brown Hairstreak. You must have been overjoyed.

She was sitting on a chaenomeles japonica leaf. There’s a lot of Blackthorn here, but the Brittany butterfly atlas doesn’t show any recorded sightings in my area. Most are coastal - and I was hoping for the right conditions to go and search... Now I can sit in the garden and watch for a return visit!

[petesmith]

Butterfly heaven indeed, Deborah! Can't be many unexpected appearances better than a female Brown Hairstreak. You must have been overjoyed.

She was sitting on a chaenomeles japonica leaf. There’s a lot of Blackthorn here, but the Brittany butterfly atlas doesn’t show any recorded sightings in my area. Most are coastal - and I was hoping for the right conditions to go and search... Now I can sit in the garden and watch for a return visit!

Interesting sighting there Deborah. Whereabouts in Brittany are you? I remember being quite surprised to find a number of Brown Hairstreak eggs some years ago on blackthorn on my Father's land in Brittany. He had a property near St.Guyomard, about 20km inland (NE) from Vannes. Blackthorn was about in small quantity, but the habitat certainly wasn't typical Brown Hairstreak territory as I know it from the UK!

[Jack Harrison]

Mark of Respect.

I was sitting on a bench in Lossiemouth doing nothing. It seems that doing nothing is a "mark of respect" for the late Queen.
But then I had a problem.

A Painted Lady - my first of the year - landed in front of me. Was I to abide by the protocol and continue to pay my respects (in thought) to HM?

The butterfly came conveniently closer.

I committed a treasonable act and took some photos.

I trust that the point behind this post is obvious enough.

Jack

[Deborah]

Common and Short-tailed Blues today in the Lucerne/Clover next to my garden. Both still looking very fresh.

[Jack Harrison]

Anyone with thoughts as to why ST Blue does not occur in UK (today)?

Jack