June 2023

[aeshna5]

Yesterday on Chobham Common

13 (1 female) Silver-studded Blue
5 Small Heath
2 Meadow Brown
1 Large Skipper
1 Small Skipper

Otherwise pair of Clouded Buff, 3 Brown Silver-lines, Brown China-mark.

Lots of Emperors (dragons) , Broad-bodied & Four-spotted Chasers & some Keeled Skimmers.

Good numbers of Mottled Beeflies & their host the sand wasp, Ammophila pubescens.

Confiding female Roe Deer, Red Kite, Buzzard, Woodlark & Stonechats.

[millerd]

As well as Black Hairstreaks in good numbers, a Small Skipper popped up at Epsom Common yesterday evening (14th).

My first for the year.

I'd also seen a hutchinsoni Comma on my local patch earlier in the day, but the heat and sunshine had supercharged it and I couldn't get a shot.

Dave

[David M]

Thursday 15th, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan:

Large Skipper 15-20
Meadow Brown 15-20
Dark Green Fritillary 10-15
High Brown Fritillary 5-10
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 5
Speckled Wood 4
Common Blue 3
Small Skipper 1
Small Blue 1
Red Admiral 1
Comma 1
Ringlet 1

[millerd]

Thursday 15th, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan:


Dark Green Fritillary 10-15
High Brown Fritillary 5-10
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 5

Lovely shots of that trio, David.

It must be great to see such cracking Fritillaries on home turf for a change!

Cheers,

Dave

[Charles Nicol]

another lovely day at Sundon Quarry.... the Marbled Whites were more willing to be photographed today

i was wondering what this little plant with pink flowers might be ?

Charles

[lee3764]

Saw my earliest ever Small Skipper (male) today 15th June, 2023) at 12:30pm at Bodmin Hill, Lostwithiel in a garden with long grass. I have checked Butterfly Conservation's 'First Sighting' section on their website for 2023 & there hasn't been a Small Skipper recorded yet this year!! Cornwall turns up trumps again!! All the best.......Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[David M]

Thursday 15th, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan:


Dark Green Fritillary 10-15
High Brown Fritillary 5-10
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 5

Lovely shots of that trio, David.

It must be great to see such cracking Fritillaries on home turf for a change!

Cheers,

Dave

It was nice just to see plenty of butterflies for a change, Dave. This is the best site in the whole of Wales so once I knew High Browns were on the wing, visiting was practically mandatory!!

[PhilBJohnson]

Life Cycle Timing of Orange-tip caterpillar and walk to pupation
In June, when there might have bene most evaporation in Lincolnshire, for an Orange-tip caterpillar, it was a race to life cycle, in afternoon sun, devouring hydrated Garlic mustard seed pods, then finding native, perennial, woody stemmed (overwintered), "stand all year "Honeysuckle nearby, with a stem diameter of about 3-4mm, to construct with silk, it's pupal holding position.
"Jack by the hedge"
After a race through vulnerability, their fifth instar skin change to pupa, might have left them, without a parasite and then a camauflaged wait for about ten months, with the pupa looking like an overwintering honeysuckle leaf bud, avoiding predation (including human gardening disturbance nearby, that might have led a foraging bird there), to then hopefully emerge as a beautiful Spring butterfly, in time, gracing next year's Spring flowers they loved and also some Anthocharis cardamines ("flower grace") depended on."

Orange-tip, preparation for skin change to pupa. June 16th 2023

[Jack Harrison]

16 th June  Late Peacock garden centre near Nairn
.
Jack

[aeshna5]

Saw my earliest ever Small Skipper (male) today 15th June, 2023) at 12:30pm at Bodmin Hill, Lostwithiel in a garden with long grass. I have checked Butterfly Conservation's 'First Sighting' section on their website for 2023 & there hasn't been a Small Skipper recorded yet this year!! Cornwall turns up trumps again!! All the best.......Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

Matched Small Skipper date (see above) in Surrey on 15th.

[aeshna5]

another lovely day at Sundon Quarry.... the Marbled Whites were more willing to be photographed today




52976429892_d6afc8d38b_c.jpg

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52976429767_ac43079e0a_c.jpg

i was wondering what this little plant with pink flowers might be ?

Charles

Common Centaury for your pink flower, Charles.

[Charles Nicol]

Common Centaury for your pink flower, Charles.

thank you so much aeshna



Charles

[millerd]

Saw my earliest ever Small Skipper (male) today 15th June, 2023) at 12:30pm at Bodmin Hill, Lostwithiel in a garden with long grass. I have checked Butterfly Conservation's 'First Sighting' section on their website for 2023 & there hasn't been a Small Skipper recorded yet this year!! Cornwall turns up trumps again!! All the best.......Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

One was seen (and photographed) at Epsom on 14th, and on the Hampshire coast even earlier on 12th June. BC don't seem to be keeping their first sightings info up to date at the moment...

Dave

[Bertl]

Staying up in Forres for the weekend so visited Grantown on Spey this morning to look for NBA.

Lots of NBA and SPBF on the wing. Very active in the hot sun


Cheers

Bert.

[David M]

Love these images, Bertl. It's rare for us to see this UK form on here so thanks for sharing.

[essexbuzzard]

Yes, an excellent range of images for the rest of us to enjoy!

[Medard]

My walk along the Sweet Track was disappointing as regards butterflies, one Red Admiral,and three Specked Woods, however returning along the old S and D track a small Dragonfly caught my attention a male Scarce Chaser, this cheered me , my first sighting of the Male of this species, returning home another surprise awaited, a Large Skipper in the garden , last year was the first time I have recorded this species in the garden, life is full of surprises !!!
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

The Sweet track

Male Scarce Chaser

Female Scarce Chaser

Large Skipper.

[David M]

Impressive images of those dragonflies, Jim.

[millerd]

Rumour had it that there might be a rare sighting of a Wurzel away from its Salisbury habitat, so I set off early for Epsom Common only to find the rumour to have substance. Also seen were a good number of Black Hairstreaks, some of which were quite obliging...

...and one or two other species including a Marbled White...

...and a special bonus: a fresh White Admiral.

I don't think I've ever seen that particular trio at the same site on the same day before.

As ever, a fuller account will appear later in my PD (and much later in Wurzel's... )

Dave

[Lawts]

Tough going at St. Abb's Head this morning. I wasn't there for ages, but in the time I was, I managed one Northern Brown Argus, and another probable. I was looking in what I'd been told was the best spot, so quite surprised there weren't more. A lovely specimen though.
Also 1 Small Copper.