June 2023

[David M]

Monday 19th, Cors Caron, Tregaron:

Large Heath 4
Meadow Brown 1

[Ian Pratt]

I went to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen yesterday. Very few butterflies, including one easily photographed swallowtail, a few speckled woods, meadow browns and red admirals. Also one female brimstone. A very good number of dragonflies including Norfolk hawker, four-spotted chaser, black-tailed skimmer and scarce chaser.

[Vince Massimo]

News from Crawley:

On Sunday morning I did a quick check of my Brimstone larvae and counted approximately 45.

Brimstone larvae - Crawley, Sussex 18-June-2023

In the afternoon a small group of Sparrows discovered the larvae and before I could stop them, cleared the whole plant.

On a happier note, Sunday morning also produced a sighting of two of the three fox cubs in the garden, some still soggy after the overnight rain. The other being seen later.

Fox and cubs - Crawley, Sussex 18-June-2023

Fox cubs - Crawley, Sussex 18-June-2023

On 19th June, the transect at the North-west zone at Gatwick produced a surprise late Grizzled Skipper in a new sector. Most of the skippers seen in this local population are aberrant to some degree.

Grizzled Skipper - Gatwick, Sussex 19-June-2023

Grizzled Skipper - Gatwick, Sussex 19-June-2023

Vince

[David M]

That's a beauty, Vince!

[Jack Harrison]

NE Scotland 20th June

Large and Small Whites, while not unknown in this area, are never common. One of each on my Philadelphus bush today. Red Admirals continue to have a very good season.

That Red Admiral photo was taken with my bridge camera at 600 mm [equivalent] focal length from a distance of about 2.5 metres. The image was subsequently CROPPED !!! How wicked can I get

Jack

[Allan.W.]

Nice Grizzle Vince ! had about 5 or 6 trips looking for them this season and only saw them (3) on one occasion...............very poor year !
Mind you that said ,of the three ,two were Taras . Allan.W.

[Bertl]

Meadow brown and ringlet on my local patch in Aberdeen today.

[Ian Pratt]

Swallowtail photos taken on my mobile phone from the back of my compact camera. Better photos to follow. See below.

[millerd]

Despite the cloud today until late afternoon, it was warm and bright enough to see a few things flying.

Fairmile Common:
A mating pair of SSB (and a dozen or so others)...

...plus a couple of new (second brood?) Small Coppers.

Bookham Commons:
Several White Admirals seen in graceful flight, but only landing up in the trees; Meadow Browns, Large Skippers and a single Red Admiral. A nice fresh female Large Skipper kindly sat for me.

Box Hill:
The sun was trying to come out by the time I got here, and the Marbled Whites were just starting to float around above the top of the grass.

Some were newly emerged and quite docile, like this female.

They were joined by Large and Small Skippers, Meadow Browns galore,a few Small Heath, a couple of Common Blues and finally by three Dark Green Fritillaries. This last trio hopped from knapweed to knapweed, making the most of the late sunshine.

Even dull days at midsummer are productive!

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Is 2023 the year when the long anticipated Continental Swallowtail colonisation occurs?

Jack

[David M]

Is 2023 the year when the long anticipated Continental Swallowtail colonisation occurs?

Very possibly, Jack. I just hope they don't breed-out britannicus in Norfolk.

[bugboy]

Is 2023 the year when the long anticipated Continental Swallowtail colonisation occurs?

Very possibly, Jack. I just hope they don't breed-out britannicus in Norfolk.

I think if gorganus properly colonises it'll mean the fens of east anglia have dried out or become too saline for the Milk Parsley, so breeding with the continental race becomes a moot point

[bugboy]

On a brighter note, I had a nice little surprise as I was leaving Bookham at Lunchtime, this freshly emerged fella licking the path

Only had him for a minute and only managed several closed wing record shots but he did taunt me with flashes of purple, and flew off under my nose down the path.

[Wurzel]

That's a great find Bugboy
"That image of the Black Hairstreak puts every single one of mine to shame, Wurzel. 'Twas a great morning!" Cheers Dave It was a great morning and somehow I managed to make it to Botany Bay afterwards...
At least three White Admirals along the entrance path - one of which was all black and also what I'm sure was a Purple Hairstreak.
Over the River Lox and 5 Wood Whites along the track and a further 3 in the little field on one the left hand side after the path forks.

Don't know which brood these count as?
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I think if gorganus properly colonises it'll mean the fens of east anglia have dried out or become too saline for the Milk Parsley, so breeding with the continental race becomes a moot point

That's more than possible the way things are going, Paul.

[millerd]

That's a great find Bugboy

I will echo that!

...5 Wood Whites along the track and a further 3 in the little field on one the left hand side after the path forks.

Don't know which brood these count as?

Glad you found the Wood Whites (not to mention a Black Admiral and the lesser Purple One!). I would guess they are late first brood, especially as the photo is of an egg-laying female.

Unusual for this year so far - at least on my patch - was the sight today of a Painted Lady on one of the many knapweed flowers.

This was only the third one this year here. A few more new hutchinsoni Commas also appeared. This one was unusually sedate.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Wednesday 21st, St Govan’s Head, Pembrokeshire:

Silver Studded Blue 25
Small Heath 20-25
Dark Green Fritillary 17
Meadow Brown 15-20
Grayling 8
Common Blue 5
Small Blue 4
Large Skipper 3
Small Skipper 3
Red Admiral 1

[Jack Harrison]

I can't say I would get too upset if get too upset if Swallowtail gorganus mixed with britannicus (Chris Packham said the same a few years ago). I might presume that britannicus has only existed since the last Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago and left an isolated small population. 10,000 years is a mere blink in the total existence of Swallowtails in Europe, and maybe britannicus meeting its ancestral descendants is perfectly natural and only to be expected at some point.

Jack

[David M]

On a brighter note, I had a nice little surprise as I was leaving Bookham at Lunchtime, this freshly emerged fella licking the path...

Nice Midsummer's Day gift, Paul.

First of many, hopefully.

[David M]

Wednesday 21st, Holyland Wood, Pembroke:

White Letter Hairstreak 4
Large White 1
Speckled Wood 1
Ringlet 1
Red Admiral 1

As ever round here, the hairstreaks remained high in the elm canopy:

The Ringlet was somewhat easier: