David M

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, looks like I'd be better visiting Wales for the Grizzlies That last shot of one is great Goldie

[David M]

Thanks, Goldie. I'm sure you'll find Grizzlies far nearer to home than south Wales!

A look back at 2022

May

On 7th, the day I arrived back from Spain, I stayed close to home and headed over to Fairwood Common where my first Green Hairstreaks were waiting:

The next day was sunny and pleasant, so I went down to Cwm Ivy & Whiteford Burrows, where I found Common Blues on the wing:

There were a handful of other ‘firsts’ for the year, including Brown Argus:

Small Heath and Small Blue were the others:

There were no vanessids at all, meaning that we had moved on from the mid-spring period, but there were plenty of Orange Tips which are always welcome:

On 12th, I went a little further afield to Kenfig Dunes and was pleased to find quite a few Wall Browns:

[David M]

A look back at 2022

May cont….

Unlike 2021, where the middle part of May was cool and cloudy, this year it was largely fine and sunny. On 14th I made my first longer distance journey to Rodborough Common, Glos, where I found over 20 Dukes of Burgundy:

I was delighted to find Adonis Blues had emerged too:

I went back via Haugh Wood in Herefordshire but was disappointed not to find any Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. The area where they used to be reliable was now largely overgrown, and there was a large fence around the slope opposite where some clearance work was going on. That said, there were a small number of Wood Whites about:

By now it was late afternoon, but I still had time to call in at Ewyas Harold Common, as I knew this would be my last chance to see PBFs on UK soil this year. Thankfully, there were a few about, although they were past their best:

Whilst photographing this one, something didn’t seem right. That’s because it wasn’t – it was a Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary; the first I’ve ever seen at this site:

I duly informed management at this site after I got home and it appears that they have been recorded there in the past, though very infrequently.

[David M]

A look back at 2022

May cont….

The period between 17th and 24th May was largely cloudy, and with a trip to France looming on 25th, I used the time to stay local and await the emergence of the Marsh & Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries close to my home.

Green Hairstreaks kept me entertained, especially when nectaring from bluebells:

My first Painted Lady turned up too:

Eventually, on 21st, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries revealed themselves:

Usually, Marsh Fritillaries emerge in synchrony so it was no surprise when I returned the following day and finally found a couple:

My last image before leaving for France was of this Painted Lady in my neighbour’s garden on 24th May:

[David M]

A look back at 2022

June

Didn’t spend too many days of this month at home, although I had a last opportunity on 3rd to check up on my local Marsh Fritillary populations:

I had only one full day on 14th between trips to North Greece and Italy/France to get out again, and I was lucky that the weather was favourable and that I managed to see both Dark Green Fritillary and Marbled White at Whiteford Burrows:

That afternoon, I also caught up with my first domestic Large Skippers on Fairwood Common:

I also saw my first summer brood Small Tortoiseshell:

With 35 consecutive days to then spend in Europe, it would be the latter part of July when I would get to see butterflies in the UK again.

[David M]

A look back at 2022


July

By the time I’d returned from a marathon stint abroad, things were past their peak from a butterfly perspective.
My first task, on 21st, was to catch up with my local High Brown Fritillaries in the Alun Valley near Bridgend. Climbing up Old Castle Down, I saw my first UK Hedge Browns of the year:

My first Ringlets appeared too…in good numbers:

Once in the large thistle patch by the railway bridge, I found several still decent looking female High Browns having a late season feast:

The following day, I got out for a local visit and managed to find a few Graylings at Mumbles Head:

I also found a couple of Small Skippers, which I thought I might miss out on due to the heatwave which had shrivelled the vegetation and rather burned things out:

[David M]

A look back at 2022

July cont….

With a trip to Spain commencing on 29th, I was keen to catch up with Essex Skippers, which can be found on Castle Meadows in Abergavenny. Prior to that though, I twice visited Nicholaston Burrows to look for Purple Hairstreaks, managing to see a couple on 25th:

The following day was a blank one for quercusia, but I was able to get my first image of a home-grown Silver Washed Fritillary for 2022:

Second brood Small Blues were about too:

This female Green Veined White was a beauty:

On 27th, Castle Meadows had, unfortunately, been savagely cut and I couldn’t find any Essex Skippers, although this Small Copper provided some compensation:

Feeling frustrated, I got in the car and drove over to Swells Hill Bank near Stroud, where I duly found several Essex Skippers:

As a bonus, there were good numbers of Chalkhill Blues around:

The biggest surprise though was seeing a couple of late Marbled Whites, although both were well past their best:

Two days later, I flew out to Spain, not returning to the UK until 9th August.

[Goldie M]

That's a good shot of the Grayling David , I always seemed to get shots where they were near stones and they didn't blend in too well, I must see if I can find any this year Goldie

[David M]

A look back at 2022

August

I came back from a cooler than normal Spain to a raging hot Wales, where temperatures exceeded 30c even in Swansea!

A local excursion on 10th gave a foretaste of things to come, as butterfly activity was rather suppressed due to the heat. With that in mind, I arrived early on 11th at West Williamston in Pembrokeshire to find the horse in the top field wearing a fly mask and a large body cover, presumably to protect it from the abnormal temperatures.

There were quite a few butterflies active between 930 and 1030am, including several male Brown Hairstreaks jousting in an ash tree by the gate in the lower field:

A short while later I was delighted to find a pristine female investigating the blackthorn suckers along the foreshore:

Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Lady were seen nectaring near the scrub line:

On 13th, the heat peaked (it was 32c when I drove home from Kenfig Dunes), but another early start rewarded me with hundreds of butterflies, mainly Meadow Browns and Common Blues, but also several Graylings at this coastal site:

A few second brood Wall Browns were about too:

I briefly got sight of a Clouded Yellow, but it flew some distance beyond an inaccessible area and I wasn’t able to re-find it despite 10 minutes’ searching.

With several Clouded Yellows having been reported from Cosmeston Lakes near Cardiff, I thought I pay a visit there myself on 19th to check things out.

The territory looked just like the place for them, with grassy meadows and lots of knapweed and thistles, but despite over two hours wandering around, I didn’t see any.

Meadow Browns were numerous again:

So were Common Blues:

The heatwave had taken its toll on the habitat though, with the grass scorched yellow and lots of stunted plants which had suffered from lack of rainfall.

[David M]

That's a good shot of the Grayling David , I always seemed to get shots where they were near stones and they didn't blend in too well..

Thanks, Goldie. Unusual to see them nectaring at ground level. As you say, they're usually camouflaged on the rock faces making them difficult to do justice to.

[Goldie M]

Some lovely shots there David of the Brown Hair Streak, It's another one on my list too get, not having seen one. I have seen an egg it was at Gaits Barrow
I don't know if some one introduced them or what, I was with a group of people then and we were all looking for the Hair Streak , no luck I'm afraid
Goldie

[David M]

Some lovely shots there David of the Brown Hair Streak, It's another one on my list too get, not having seen one. I have seen an egg it was at Gaits Barrow. I don't know if some one introduced them or what...

Almost certainly an artificial introduction, Goldie: https://landscapetrust.org.uk/brown-hai ... dale-aonb/

[Goldie M]

Yes David, I think so too, If they have taken at Gaits Burrow and people have seen them , I never did, Goldie

[David M]

Monday 30th January 2023 – Times, they are a-changing…..

Until a couple of years ago, I would never have considered going out looking for butterflies in the month of January. Lately though, this has changed, and when today’s overcast weather forecast turned out to be hopelessly wrong (instead, it was sunny, 8c with 11mph winds) I reckoned it was worth an hour’s walk up the path in Park Wood, a couple of miles from my home.

At this time of year the sun doesn’t rise sufficiently high to light up the bulk of the path, but after 400m or so, there is an open clearing by a set of cottages:

I was admiring the many snowdrops growing under the hedgerow when I suddenly noticed a Red Admiral fluttering weakly. It briefly came down on the dead bracken but then flew about 30 yards away on the far side of the cleared area. Unfortunately, in walking over to where I thought it had landed, I got my co-ordinates wrong and disturbed it, whereupon it flew some distance away into the shaded part of the woodland.

Amazingly however, on returning to the snowdrop patch there was another Red Admiral busily taking nectar from these flowers:

After a couple of minutes, it flew behind the trees and having walked round to the adjacent track I briefly watched it soar into the upper canopy of a conifer.

This is only the second time I’ve seen a January butterfly in the UK, and the first time I’ve managed to photograph one.

With several days of relatively mild & benign weather on the way (assuming the forecasters have got it right this time) it should surely be worth taking a few local walks in lightly wooded areas as clearly a few can be tempted out in late January & early February.

[Goldie M]

The Admiral looks lovely on those Snow Drops David , a real photo to treasure Goldie

[David M]

Thanks, Goldie. Yes, it was a completely unexpected surprise. I've never seen any butterfly nectaring from snowdrops before.

[trevor]

When an image is posted of a Red Admiral on snowdrops there can be no dispute
about the time of year the shot was taken! Great stuff David.

Congrats,
Trevor.

[millerd]

A splendid find, David, and great shots of what has to be a very unusual juxtaposition of butterfly and flower.

Cheers,

Dave

[Pete Eeles]

I can't say I've ever seen a butterfly on a Snowdrop. What a great series of shots that really epitomise the ability of the Red Admiral to overwinter on our shores these days! And so complementary to Vince's studies of overwintering eggs and Dave Miller's work on overwintering larvae. So much to learn and study ... !

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

When an image is posted of a Red Admiral on snowdrops there can be no dispute about the time of year the shot was taken! Great stuff David.

I’d like to think not, Trevor. There were no other obvious nectar sources so I suppose it had no choice.