Trevor

[Wurzel]

Does that one count as your first Specklie Trevor? After all there is only three quarters of it The rest of it looks so fresh it looks like it was caught almost as soon as it had emerged

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. I found a 2nd Specklie on Friday and that one had been in the wars too.

On Saturday 8th April I found some Small Tortoiseshells in their usual place in the meadow
after emerging from hibernation in the farm buildings at Halnaker, West Susssex.
In suitable weather they always make for the dandelions on offer in the meadow, just a
very short flight away from the many farm buildings.

Trevor.

[millerd]

Lovely to see them, Trevor. I was beginning to think there were more Large Tortoiseshells than Small ones in Sussex this year... There are precious few around my way at the moment.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

They are an annual event at that farm, Dave, usually in late March given good weather.
A few years back I gave up counting at 30, they were everywhere.
Yes it's LT's a plenty in Sussex at the moment, including several sightings not far from me!
i'm wondering if last summers heat was to their liking. If nothing else it should end
the theory that they are extinct in the UK.

[trevor]

I had the unusual sensation today of walking into an icy wind with the heat of the sun warming my back.
In these conditions I was lucky to see just the one ' White ' accurate ID was not possible in the few
seconds it settled for. My money is on Green Veined, as I had a millisecond glimpse of it in flight.
Bee Flies were more numerous than butteflies today!

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

That is a difficult one Trevor The way the light has caught the wings really shows up the veins but looking at the left hand wing I'd tentatively go for Small? You could just leave it as a U.F.W. not quite as catchy and much ruder than Smessex

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel, I'll leave the White indentification as you suggested!

Today at Halnaker just two, with the possibility of a third, Small Tortoiseshells were found in the meadow.
One of them, with the faded L/H forewing, was I am sure, the same individual photographed last Saturday
April 8th. With the weather of the last week I would think the ST's have had little opportunity for flight
let alone nectaring. At least today the icy air of late was replaced by something milder, indeed the car
was reading 15 to 16c on the way home in late afternoon. Bring it on!!

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

"I'll leave the White indentification as you suggested" - tell me about Trevor - I'm currently struggling through Cleopatras trying to find a Powdered Brimstone and trying to work out if the Green-veined were Balkan Green-veined (computer says yes so far) as well as the age old - is it or isn't a Southern Small White That is one of the few advantages of UK butterflies - a lot fewer identification headaches

Hopefully things will actually start going soon although over this way the week ahead looks cool and grey
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

I can see you have hours of fun ahead of you Wurzel, and we don't have dark Winter evenings at the moment.

As the Sun warmed the air through high cloud this morning I left home with good vibes.
At around 10.30 the car read 14c. After about 30 mins. at the old railway ( Cuckoo Trail )
I spotted one of two Peacocks, which later on were seen basking close together.
It was also good to see several very fresh Speckled Wood males and a very brief, feeble,
Specklie squabble. Another Speckled Wood drew my attention by it's flight pattern, and
sure enough it was my first female of the season.
The temperature was not quite warm enough for a male Brimstone to carry on patrolling,
and after a short while it landed in a very convenient position just below head height, with
Blackthorn blossom as a backdrop.

The rest of the week ahead is not quite as rosy as first forecast, back to cool easterly breezes.
We will see!

Trevor.

[Neil Freeman]

Some nice spring butteflies there Trevor.

The rest of the week ahead is not quite as rosy as first forecast, back to cool easterly breezes.

Same here Trevor, nothing like they were saying it was going to be a few days back.

Cheers,

Neil.

[trevor]

Thanks Neil. This weather is becoming tedious, nothing in late Feb, very little in March,
and April sightings have been sparse so far. Pearl Bordered Fritillaries should start to
show next week, but somehow I doubt it. Still looking for my first OT.

[essexbuzzard]

21C in north-west Scotland this week. I bet they’re seeing more than us at the moment. We all need a holiday up there, I think!

[bugboy]

Yup, I echo the frustrations above. Scratching around for butterflies in the gloom I managed to find a couple of Orange-tip yesterday but even with that encounter, I'm still struggling to accept Spring has arrived!

[trevor]

Thanks Guys. We had a taste of Spring this afternoon.

After the morning rain, this afternoon turned out fine with little to no breeze.
Along the Cuckoo Trail the only butterfly seen in any numbers was the Speckled Wood,
including a very finely marked female. As my walk progressed I could see a spiralling
Specklie territorial dispute in progress. Pausing to watch their antics it became obvious
this was an epic battle which went on for a good five mins. When they split up one of the
pair landed near me and was immediately joined by the other one. The resulting image
was a first for me. After about 10 secs of rest they carried on with their battle.
Also seen were two Small Whites.
When I arrived home I placed my camera on a side table and made a coffee and went
out into my garden, and there perched on a Bluebell was a male Orange Tip in a perfect position.
' That law ' came into play when I retrieved my camera, as I was just in time to see the OT
disappear over the fence. Still my first 2023 OT was seen in my garden, and shows that
they have emerged around here!

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

As I said on Face-the-book cracking set of shots Trevor That first one in particular as it shows some of the range in the variation of the species

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice Specklies, Trevor.

Good to know Orange Tips round your way have emerged...even though your garden visitor escaped your camera lens.

[Neil Freeman]

Some cracking Specklie shots there Trevor, especially the first duo

Cheers,

Neil.

[trevor]

Thanks Neil & David. Of the four Specklies seen today, one stood out from the others.

It was the bright sunshine that sent me out this morning, rather than the icy air.
The prize of the morning was my first Holly Blue of the year, a very fresh male.
It fluttered about a bit, from taking minerals from mud at the side of the path,
to basking open wing on Celandine, then sheltering beneath a Sycamore leaf.
Of the four Speckled Wood seen, one in particular was very brightly marked for a male.
The morning was completed by a fresh Small White. Not bad for a cool/cold morning.

Trevor.

[millerd]

As an aficionado of the species, Trevor, those are cracking Holly Blue shots. For some reason they seem to enjoy cold sunny mornings like today (I had my highest count so far this year early on this morning when it was still in single figure temperatures).

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots of the Holly Blue's Trevor, your right about them liking the cool mornings , that's when I got my shots Goldie