millerd

[millerd]

15th June: Box Hill DGFs

As mentioned, I ended up with a lot of underside shots, reflecting how the colours change markedly with different angles and light levels. This was achieved rather perforce, as the butterflies rarely stopped moving when on the brambles.

Those I found out on the downland were no easier, but this did include the only open-wing shot.

In warm weather, especially with a strongish breeze blowing, these butterflies display hill-topping behaviour on this ridge. I spotted one individual that had been distracted from this by something on the path that took its liking. Having settled on this, it remained unperturbably in rather Imperial fashion for some time. The bright chalky background made getting the images a bit tricky, but in the end some experimentation produced some decent results (to my eye anyway! )

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of DGFs I too love the way that the slightest shift in wing position totally changes the colour of the ground pattern - in some cases even looking like shiny silver dots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel. I've never really had the opportunity to photograph so many DGF undersides before, so the variety displayed with the different light and angles was a bit of a revelation. Those spots are really shiny!

On Thursday 16th June, in the continuing good weather, I followed through on my annual plan to visit Collard Hill for Large Blues. To maximise the once-a-year opportunity, I stayed overnight in a hotel in Glastonbury (thankfully well before the festival and any solsticial gatherings up on the Tor).

I arrived late morning, and soon found a number of the target species - though the initial couple had seen better days.

However, the second one did present me with an egg.

There were other opportunities, though the warmth and sunshine rather limited their willingness to open up.

One individual made a nice close juxtaposition with a Small Tortoiseshell.

Even towards the end of the afternoon, they started to roost without any late basking first.

In view of the hot day forecast for Friday, I resolved to be back on the hill early the following morning...

Dave

[millerd]

Friday 17th June: I was indeed back on Collard Hill by 0730, and it was pleasantly cool right at the outset. There wasn't another soul up there for about an hour, and the Large Blue males started flying on the lower parts of the slopes quite soon after my arrival. As I had hoped, there was some open wing behaviour, but it warmed up very quickly and the sun was very strong, so that soon stopped.

It was clearly going to be difficult to get further photos with it set to be a scorcher, so after another hour or so I decided to set off for home and leave the butterflies to the increasing numbers of other folk arriving to seek them out. The early start was definitely a good move.

Dave

[millerd]

Home again on Saturday 18th June, with cooler and cloudier weather. I caught up locally, finding that the only change really from my previous walk on 13th was that the number of Meadow Browns had apparently doubled - I counted just over 200. There were 15 species again - nearly the same roster, but the Holly Blues were absent being replaced by a single Painted Lady. It was quite a bright one too.

The constant low level supply of Small Tortoiseshells continued...

...as did that of Marbled Whites...

...and another Large Skipper had taken up residence in the favoured spot.

Numbers of new Commas were rising, splendidly bright creatures, and one of the joys locally at this time of year.

Also on the increase were the Small Skippers, with no Essex Skippers yet to confuse things (though this situation was not to last for long). I found a mating pair being persistently harassed by a second male.

Eventually they were left in peace (except by a certain bloke a few centimetres away with a camera... )

Every visit here produces some subtle differences from the previous one, and some fresh interest.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Large Blue shots Dave The couple of times I visited Collard I found the slopes to be quite slippy -is that still the case now?
"Eventually they were left in peace (except by a certain bloke a few centimetres away with a camera..."That bloke with the camera needs to be careful he could get into trouble for that

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel. Some parts of Collard are quite steep, and after a wet spell the paths made by the cows during the winter can be muddy and uneven. However, you can see the butterflies without risking ankle-turning though the males can be very active. The females in egg-laying mode are easier when they sit on the thyme plants. I noticed that Collard must be about 10 or so miles nearer to you than Daneways, and is probably an easier drive. However, Bugboy has highlighted that the presence of a pub close to the latter is very useful should it pour with rain.

That bloke with the camera needs to be careful he could get into trouble for that

Hmm. Not sure what the rules are on butterfly pornography to be honest...

Sunday 19th June followed a pattern that frequently repeated into July - sunny mornings first thing, but clouding up completely by lunchtime. In my part of the world though, it stayed mostly dry and temperatures always reached 22 or so.

I started with another local walk, and very soon found that Essex Skippers had joined the Small Skippers. As the cloud cover grew, it became easier to examine the two species and make a guess at numbers: 15 - 6 to the Smalls. It also allowed the identification of the specific features of the two butterflies.

Smalls first:

And the Essex:

The Essex Skippers became the 22nd species seen here this year.

Other interest: both male and female Marbled Whites...

...a fresh-looking male Common Blue...

...another Small Tortoiseshell...

...the only (pierid) white butterfly seen today...

...one of the many Meadow Browns...

...and a new female Small Heath that after a rest was caught in flight.

For the afternoon, I went elsewhere and hoped that it would remain bright enough for something to be flying.

Dave

[millerd]

My destination for the afternoon of 19th June was Bookham. It was bright enough (just) to keep the White Admirals in the air and stopping periodically to nectar. I saw no SWF though - they prefer proper sunshine to get them going unless it's very warm.

At one point I had six or seven flying around the bramble flowers in front of me, but those that settled did so very briefly and usually partly obscured by foliage. None was actually entirely whole either.

Dave

[millerd]

Monday 20th June was warmer and a bit sunnier. I decided to catch up with two other relatively local Heathland sites for Silver-studded Blues.

The first of these was at Dawneys Hill near Pirbright. This site looks to have been poorly managed for the species, and apparent attempts to deal with the rampant gorse here have just led to it coming back with a vengeance. The areas of heather have been reducing every year, and the SSB have gone along with them. I saw just a handful today - I spoke to a chap officially counting them who had some unkind words about the management as well.

A solitary female.

Also seen were a few Large and Small Skippers, plus what is becoming an attendee at almost every site I visit at the moment - a Marbled White, in constant motion in the warm sunshine.

On the way back I went to the second site, Chobham Common. This is a much bigger area and the species can be found fairly widespread across it, but I concentrated on one particular hotspot I have found. The results were more encouraging here, and there were quite a few active males.

However, I concentrated on a fresh female with its characteristic iridescence.

I had a scan around for them, but didn't spot any early Graylings - though it can't be long before they appear.

Dave

[Wurzel]

"I noticed that Collard must be about 10 or so miles nearer to you than Daneways, and is probably an easier drive." Cheers for that Dave - worth bearing in mind and also I might be able to swing by Priddy Pool for Small Pearls on the way The advantage of Daneways is that if I go after work half the journey there and back is already accounted for - so I only need a small extension on my mortgage to pay for the fuel A cracking set of White Admiral shots - sometimes I enjoy watching them so much that I forget to get any photos

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

It really is time I updated my diary. I will offer in mitigation that I have been not at all well (some folk know the details, which are a varied mixture ), but suffice it to say that from mid-July butterfly-chasing activity has been rather limited. Of course, I suspect I have missed out on less than I might have expected because the stupidly hot weather likely put paid to some of my plans anyway, and my recent return to gentle local walks has produced a real dearth of both species and numbers.

Catching up will be easier than it looks, simply because there will be periods with nothing in them! Nevertheless, I shall keep things briefer than normal - aside from anything, memories of odd days back in late June are a trifle misty to say the least. Anyway, it's good to be back, and I am always hopeful of a local late season surprise or two.

As a taster, one from today (12th September) from my largely empty local patch. 26 degree sunshine - quite possibly something we won't see again till 2023.

This individual was in precisely the same spot as the one I followed for six weeks during September/October last year.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Good to see you posting again Dave, and hopefully you are recovering well.
It seems you had one thing after another, nasty business.
All the best for some late season expeditions even if they have to be local.

That small Copper is a good start!
Trevor.

[Katrina]

Glad to see you are back. Nice Small Copper!

[essexbuzzard]

I wondered where you’d got to, Dave! Good to hear you’re on the mend.

[SarahM]

I wondered where you were too, sorry to hear you've been ill. Best wishes for a full recovery and welcome back Dave.

Sarah

[Neil Freeman]

I too was beginning to wonder if you were ok Dave. Sorry to hear about your health issues but glad you are on the mend now.

All the best,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Lovely Small Copper but even better to see you back Hope you're well on the way to recovery

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pete Eeles]

Welcome back, Dave - looking forward to more amazing shots of experiences that you always seem able to convey so well!

Cheers,

- Pete

[millerd]

Many, many thanks to everyone for all your kind thoughts and good wishes! That really means a lot to me. Hopefully things really are slowly returning to relative normality, though charging up and down chalk downs after Clouded Yellows probably won't be happening just yet...

So... Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Ah yes, 20th June!

From what I can remember, it was an increasingly sunny day, and late afternoon the thought struck me that I had yet to take the opportunity to see if my local patch still played host to Purple Hairstreaks amongst the relatively young oaks bordering the A3113 where it joins J14 of the M25.

Towards the end of the afternoon, conditions looked ideal for this neck-craning pursuit, and I set off. On the way, there were a few other things to see. Firstly came a Ringlet - the first here this year, but annoyingly evading the camera. Then there were these three...

...but before long I had spotted the target species darting around the tops of the trees. My camera really isn't suited to zooming in on swiftly-flying small insects fifty metres or so distant, so this is all I managed.

There really are butterflies in all those shots! However, it was good to confirm the species were still thriving in this spot - I saw at least half a dozen.

Together with the evasive Ringlet, that made 24 species locally this year.

Cheers,

Dave

[Benjamin]

Just echoing the thoughts of everyone else and welcoming you back Dave! Being absent for much of the summer myself I hadn’t realised you were unwell - very glad to hear you’re back on track and looking forward to catching up at some point.