July 2023
Re: July 2023
Monday 17th, Fermyn Woods:
Ringlet 500-750
Hedge Brown 200-300
Large Skipper 100-150
Meadow Brown 60-80
Purple Hairstreak 50-70
Green Veined White 40-60
Comma 40-60
Silver Washed Fritillary 30-40
Red Admiral 20-30
Speckled Wood 20-30
Small Skipper 20-30
Large White 10-20
Small White 6-10
White Admiral 6
Peacock 5
Brimstone 2
Purple Emperor 1
Holly Blue 1
Ringlet 500-750
Hedge Brown 200-300
Large Skipper 100-150
Meadow Brown 60-80
Purple Hairstreak 50-70
Green Veined White 40-60
Comma 40-60
Silver Washed Fritillary 30-40
Red Admiral 20-30
Speckled Wood 20-30
Small Skipper 20-30
Large White 10-20
Small White 6-10
White Admiral 6
Peacock 5
Brimstone 2
Purple Emperor 1
Holly Blue 1
- Jack Harrison
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Re: July 2023
There used to be Marbled Whites at the edge of Fermyn Wood by the gap before Lady Wood further south.
And there used to be MANY Purple Emperors but I guess it's a bit late in the season now (and in any case, I gather the habitat has been ruined)
Jack
And there used to be MANY Purple Emperors but I guess it's a bit late in the season now (and in any case, I gather the habitat has been ruined)
Jack
Re: July 2023
I would have found the Marbled Whites had I not been so engrossed with the Purple Hairstreaks, Jack. I ended up spending most of my time on the bridleway at the other entrance to the wood.
I knew there wouldn't be any Emperors on the ground; it's too late in the season for that, but I was lucky to see one flying above an intersection of tracks which, given its size, I deemed likely to be a female.
I knew there wouldn't be any Emperors on the ground; it's too late in the season for that, but I was lucky to see one flying above an intersection of tracks which, given its size, I deemed likely to be a female.
- Vince Massimo
- Administrator & Stock Contributor
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- Location: Crawley, Sussex
Re: July 2023
Swallowtail update:
After the sighting in my Lancing garden on 7th July, I have seen reports of two Sussex hill-topping individuals near the coast on 10th and 17th, plus an egg-layer in Brighton on 18th.
Of the two eggs laid in my garden, one was found to have hatched by 19th July, but the larva seems to have died shortly after emergence.
Egg No. 2 seems to have rolled whilst being laid and was upside down. It failed to colour-up and subsequently shrivelled.
Other sightings today during a long walk around Lancing and Shoreham:
65 Large White, 400 Small White, 22 Green-veined White (estimated), 1 Brimstone, 1 Clouded Yellow, 96 Red Admiral, 18 Peacock, 6 Painted Lady, 2 Comma, 94 Gatekeeper, 33 Meadow Brown, 1 Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue plus 4 Humming-bird Hawk-moth.
Vince
After the sighting in my Lancing garden on 7th July, I have seen reports of two Sussex hill-topping individuals near the coast on 10th and 17th, plus an egg-layer in Brighton on 18th.
Of the two eggs laid in my garden, one was found to have hatched by 19th July, but the larva seems to have died shortly after emergence.
Egg No. 2 seems to have rolled whilst being laid and was upside down. It failed to colour-up and subsequently shrivelled.
Other sightings today during a long walk around Lancing and Shoreham:
65 Large White, 400 Small White, 22 Green-veined White (estimated), 1 Brimstone, 1 Clouded Yellow, 96 Red Admiral, 18 Peacock, 6 Painted Lady, 2 Comma, 94 Gatekeeper, 33 Meadow Brown, 1 Common Blue, 1 Holly Blue plus 4 Humming-bird Hawk-moth.
Vince
- Pete Eeles
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Re: July 2023
Oh no - that's a real shame, Vince, and I'm absolutely gutted for you. Still, quite an incredible record nonetheless.
Cheers,
- Pete
Cheers,
- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
Re: July 2023
Hold the front page.....after a '4 site saga' today at Rodborough and around Wotton under Edge I counted 27 species
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Whites; Large, Small, Green-veined, Brimstone
Blues etc; Holly, Chalkhill, Common, Small, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Purple and White-letter Hairstreak
Nymphs; Peacock, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma
Browns; Meadow, Marbled White, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood and a very tatty Small Heath
Frits; Dark Green, Silver-washed
Skippers; Essex, Small
exhausted but happy
Re: July 2023
Ah, but that involves multiple sites, sifenn.
If anyone can rustle up 25 species at any one site, or 30 or more on a single day at a variety of sites, then I will consider that to be worthy of entry into the 'Panthaeon'.
Of course, if you visit France, Italy, Spain, Greece, etc, you can expect that number within less than an hour, which begs the question - why are we Britsh so enamoured with butterflies?
If anyone can rustle up 25 species at any one site, or 30 or more on a single day at a variety of sites, then I will consider that to be worthy of entry into the 'Panthaeon'.
Of course, if you visit France, Italy, Spain, Greece, etc, you can expect that number within less than an hour, which begs the question - why are we Britsh so enamoured with butterflies?
Re: July 2023
Lovely small copper ab. caeruleopunctata seen today inter alia,and a very fresh brown argus.
Re: July 2023
Tiger in the garden.
Today in the garden ,my first Red Admiral of the year and a surprise visit by a Jersey tiger
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com
Today in the garden ,my first Red Admiral of the year and a surprise visit by a Jersey tiger
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com
Re: July 2023
My local patch continues to provide surprises.
A stone's throw from J14 of the M25 today I was watching the Red Admirals and Peacocks again as they nectared on one of several wild buddleias in the area. There were one or two Commas in the mix, and I thought I'd spotted a particularly large one on one of the fronds. I was wrong - it was a male Silver-washed Fritillary, the first I've seen here in fifteen years of watching butterflies. I wonder where it originated? I shall have to see where the nearest known site is...
The old adage about butterflies remains apt: always expect the unexpected.
A full report will follow at some point.
Dave
A stone's throw from J14 of the M25 today I was watching the Red Admirals and Peacocks again as they nectared on one of several wild buddleias in the area. There were one or two Commas in the mix, and I thought I'd spotted a particularly large one on one of the fronds. I was wrong - it was a male Silver-washed Fritillary, the first I've seen here in fifteen years of watching butterflies. I wonder where it originated? I shall have to see where the nearest known site is...
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
A full report will follow at some point.
Dave
Re: July 2023
Been spending a lot of time recently looking for scarce dragonflies in our local woodlands with some success and been trying for a reasonable shot of the scarce (but spreading !) Southern Migrant Hawker ,mainly a Blue full coloured male ...................a beautiful insect ,and after 2 females ,an immature male ,one afternoon i managed to find 2 mature males ........................quite made my season .
Every so often i found myself looking through the masses of Gatekeepers on the wing ,and was amazed at the variation ..............heres a few of them . And what i was really looking for .......................Male Southern Migrant Hawker. Allan.W.
Every so often i found myself looking through the masses of Gatekeepers on the wing ,and was amazed at the variation ..............heres a few of them . And what i was really looking for .......................Male Southern Migrant Hawker. Allan.W.
Re: July 2023
Wednesday 19th - my first UK Painted Lady of the year, seen in my neighbour's garden!!
Re: July 2023
Dave - I've had SWF in the garden here a few times - if there's a colony within a few miles, even a small one, they will wander outside it to quite some degree.
Re: July 2023
Friday 21st - Very pleasant surprise to have two beautiful Large Whites in my garden having seen precious few of this species domestically in 2023:
Re: July 2023
Sunday 23rd, Swell's Hill Bank, Glos:
Meadow Brown 80-100
Chalkhill Blue 60-80
Hedge Brown 40-50
Small Blue 20-30
Brown Argus 15-20
Small/EssexSkipp 10-15
Large White 5-10
Small White 5-10
Marbled White 6
Dark Green Fritillary 2
Red Admiral 1
Comma 1
Peacock 1
Meadow Brown 80-100
Chalkhill Blue 60-80
Hedge Brown 40-50
Small Blue 20-30
Brown Argus 15-20
Small/EssexSkipp 10-15
Large White 5-10
Small White 5-10
Marbled White 6
Dark Green Fritillary 2
Red Admiral 1
Comma 1
Peacock 1
Re: July 2023
Arreton Down on the Isle of Wight is a great place to see chalk hill blues. Photos below.
Also at Newtown there were some very fresh peacock butterflies, one of my favourites.
Also at Newtown there were some very fresh peacock butterflies, one of my favourites.
Re: July 2023
Aston Rowant on the Chilterns was awash with butterflies this morning, with many hundreds of Brown Argus outnumbering everything else by miles. However, I was still unable to track down any Silver-spotted Skippers: surely they can't be far off emerging. There were decent numbers of Chalkhills and Common Blues, Small Coppers into double figures, plus all the other species you might expect (except for Small Heath).
There were several opportunities for three-species-in-a-shot, some in an attractive setting... ...some not. And I have no idea what these two male Common Blues were doing.
Dave-
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- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:23 pm
Re: July 2023
Plenty of Graylings at Kynance Cove currently, and stupendous numbers of Gatekeepers. No second generation Small Pearl-border Fritillaries yet, they will emerge next week. A sprinkle of rain seems to have finished off my ageing LUMIX, so no pictures.
Re: July 2023
Small Pearl-bordered were flying at coastal sites in West Penwith last weekessexbuzzard wrote: ↑Thu Jul 27, 2023 8:57 pm Plenty of Graylings at Kynance Cove currently, and stupendous numbers of Gatekeepers. No second generation Small Pearl-border Fritillaries yet, they will emerge next week. A sprinkle of rain seems to have finished off my ageing LUMIX, so no pictures.
Re: July 2023
Same here. They're having a second superb summer in a row!