David M

[Allan.W.]

Theres something very odd about that Comma David .The tips of the forewing show a very whitish patch ,for me very reminiscent of Small Tort and the inner section of the hindwings also very ST like with the darkened inner section (closest to the body) .
As we know hybrids do occur ie; Adonis x Chalkhill (AB;Polonus ) wonder what the chances are Comma x Small Tort ,after all they are both Nettle feeders and are pretty closely related ........................ Just a thought !
Allan.W.

[Pauline]

Just catching up with your diary David. You must know by now that I admire something a bit different. Whilst your BH shots with open wings are really lovely the images I admire the most are the ones with the acorn and sloe - very unusual and fall into that category of ones I wish I'd taken. Sooooo envious

[essexbuzzard]

I actually like the BH on the oak. Very seasonal.

Perhaps the BH of Wales are less fussy, in terms of weather, than those in the south-east of England?

Whether this is the case or not, you’ve got some lovely pictures there!

[David M]

...As we know hybrids do occur ie; Adonis x Chalkhill (AB;Polonus ) wonder what the chances are Comma x Small Tort ,after all they are both Nettle feeders and are pretty closely related ..

I don't believe that's possible, Allan (although I regularly see Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks cosying up to one another in courtship, not to mention Meadow Browns and Ringlets trying it on with one another).

That said, I've always thought that False Comma looks like a love-child of Large Tortoiseshell & Comma, so who knows.

[Allan.W.]

Hello David ,
You say its not possible David .......but it does occur ie; AB;Polonus a naturally occuring hybrid between two closely related species also in our photo library there are several mating (cross matings ) i do agree its very unlikely ...........but for maybe not impossible.
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

...I reckon the "rules" regarding Brown Hairstreak behaviour need to be treated with a bit more scepticism these days, David. The males are frequently seen nectaring low down and do not spend their lives up in ash trees, the species can be found low down soon after 9 a.m., and the weather doesn't have to be warm and sunny for them to fly.

You can also add regional variations in behaviour to that, Dave. Both sexes are almost never seen nectaring in this part of Wales, and certainly the females will be active in cloudy and cool conditions (I've seen them in temperatures as low as 14c).

Saturday 2nd September – Couldn’t resist.…

Given the improvement in the weather, I was unable to resist the temptation of paying a return visit to Teifi Marshes. My first visit was in predominantly cloudy conditions, with temperatures maxing out at just 16c and a fair breeze blowing. I wanted to see what would be about in near perfect conditions, as today was 24c, scarcely any cloud and barely a sniff of wind.

It was a real pleasure driving there on near empty roads in the sunshine with the roof down on my car, and when I arrived at 10.15am I was eager to see what I could find as conditions were excellent:

Once again, I spotted a Brown Hairstreak high in an oak tree within 5 minutes. I decided not to bother trying to photograph it as I was sure I’d see plenty more. Instead, I took aim at this very late male Hedge Brown that suddenly appeared near my feet:

Then, within a couple of minutes, I disturbed another Brown Hairstreak in the grass nearby. This one was near-perfect, which is quite surprising given the date:

I followed her for around ten minutes as she didn’t appear to be in a hurry to do much. She posed nicely on the tip of a fern:

Then she settled on a bramble leaf and probed it for fluids:

Eventually, she flew up into the trees and I continued my circuit, coming across a third Brown Hairstreak on the opposite side of the meadow:

Then, as had happened on my previous visit, none were seen for over an hour. I had to content myself with this striking Comma:

This Peacock was on the same buddleia every single time I passed by:

I saw one more betulae in flight before I decided to head back to my car. However, I was in for a big surprise on the way out – there was another female at the bottom of the steps leading down from the visitor centre:

Another was sighted whilst walking back along the path to the car park and just before I got there I stopped to take an image of this Small Tortoiseshell:

I was in this area when a small butterfly caught my eye:

Amazingly, it was a seventh female betulae flying from the open meadow towards the tree cover on the opposite side.

So, once again, searching for this species proved to be feast and famine. Three were seen within 40 minutes at the beginning, and another three within quarter of an hour at the end. In between was a two hour gap with just one seen in-flight.

I was a little disappointed not to get to double figures (which would have been a first for me) but a total of 14 over two separate visits within 3 days is not something to complain about.

[Katrina]

Your trip certainly paid dividends beautiful collection of photos,

[Goldie M]

Super shots David Goldie

[David M]

Good work with the Brown Hairstreaks David........well captured ,definately on my "must see again " list (its been a while !) for next season..

Thanks, Allan. This butterfly is truly special. For me, it's a "must see" every year.

Sunday 3rd September – Migrant hunt.…

Another beautiful morning which tempted me out to the dunes at Port Eynon to see if I could find any Clouded Yellows.

Several had been reported at coastal locations near Cardiff over the past few days, so my rationale was that if any had ventured further west then the numerous valerian flowers at this spot would likely tempt them to hang around a while.

I didn’t have long to wait. After passing through the car park my first butterfly was a Small White. My second though was a male Clouded Yellow on valerian along this pathway:

It wouldn’t tolerate a close approach and I lost it within a minute. I did manage to pick it up again some while later but it remained extremely flighty and disappeared quite quickly again.

I wandered around the dunes and saw my 8th, 9th and 10th UK Painted Ladies of the year:

There were half a dozen Small Tortoiseshells too:

Small Whites were numerous and Meadow Browns weren’t far behind, with several of them looking quite fresh. Seven Large Whites were seen, including this female:

I scoured the copious everlasting pea growth too, just in case a stray Long-Tailed Blue had found its way here. A tad optimistic, but I’m confident that one day they’ll arrive at this location:

Other butterflies seen were Red Admiral, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown & Green Veined White. There were also multi-dozens of Silver Ys and a couple of hummingbird hawk moths.

[David M]

Just catching up with your diary David. You must know by now that I admire something a bit different. Whilst your BH shots with open wings are really lovely the images I admire the most are the ones with the acorn and sloe - very unusual and fall into that category of ones I wish I'd taken.

Thanks, Pauline. This site has better vantage points than West Williamston so it's easier to get near them in the trees and shrubs and see them doing a variety of different things.

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, you've got more Green grass then we've got here I see you found a Clouded Yellow too I think my hopes have gone for one of those so well spotted. Goldie

[David M]

Wednesday 6th September – What joy!…

Weekday, kids back at school, 26c temperatures, cloudless skies, barely a breath of wind and beautiful surroundings….what’s not to like about that juxtaposition of events?

I fancied a trip to Rhossili Head for a variety of reasons, the main one being the potential for further Clouded Yellows, and the secondary one to check out the hay meadows that had been so joyously productive at the back end of July.

Those meadows still contained plenty of flowers, although the thistles and the brambles had now all but disappeared:

There were many hundreds of Small Whites flying amongst these fields:

The Meadow Browns, seen in huge numbers a few weeks earlier, were all but gone – I saw a mere four! Hedge Browns had also practically vanished. Just two were seen, which was actually two more than I expected.

This Small Copper, one of five encountered, was a welcome distraction as I made my way down the headland:

I eventually arrived at this stretch by the coast:

Here, I saw a Brown Argus, a Small Heath, and best of all, two male Clouded Yellows that came in from the sea:

Neither settled for longer than a few seconds and there wasn’t a great deal by way of nectar-bearing flowers to attract them. I had hoped they might find the clover fields to their liking but I didn’t see any more individuals further inland.

I walked up to the top of the cliff where the view over Worm’s Head at high tide was as good as ever:

Fifteen species on a September day is a creditable tally. Aside from those mentioned above, others to make the list were Common Blue, Large White, Red Admiral, Comma, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood & Green Veined White.

[David M]

I actually like the BH on the oak. Very seasonal. Perhaps the BH of Wales are less fussy, in terms of weather, than those in the south-east of England?

Thanks, Mark. I believe Welsh BHs must be less fussy given the less favourable climate they are exposed to. I've regularly seen them in cloudy and cool conditions.

Thursday 7th September – Away from the coast…

Time today for my annual visit with my neighbour to celebrate her birthday at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales near Cross Hands.

This was undoubtedly the hottest weather we have experienced in September at this site – it rose to 27c just prior to leaving. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of butterflies about, with Small Whites all over the cabbage/nasturtium patches in the walled gardens. This one caught my eye with its unusual arrangement of forewing spots:

Red Admirals were ubiquitous too, with at least 50 seen:

Pleasingly, Small Tortoiseshells were around in good numbers too; certainly over two dozen of them:

Commas were disappointing. Only three were seen:

A solitary Peacock was the other vanessid recorded. Surprisingly, no Painted Ladies were about:

This section full of verbena proved particularly appealing:

Other species seen were Speckled Wood, Large & Green Veined White, Holly Blue and this Small Copper:

[David M]

Your trip certainly paid dividends beautiful collection of photos,

Thanks, Katrina. I shall certainly be visiting this site every year from now on.

Super shots David

Thank you, Goldie. Easy when it’s a species as accommodating as Brown Hairstreak.

[David M]

Friday 8th September – Another roaster…

This incredible run of hot weather continued, so I ventured down to Port Eynon for a couple of hours in the late morning, arriving to a relatively empty car park now that schools have gone back.

There was a little hazy cloud in the sky but temperatures were touching 27c again so for once I was quite grateful. I climbed the rocky promontory to take advantage of the breeze:

Out on the dunes, Small Whites were at their zenith, with over two hundred seen. The next commonest species was Meadow Brown with just 23!
I searched this area of the dunes for Clouded Yellows:

No luck with those, but I did see a handful of Common Blues, a couple of Large Whites, two Painted Ladies, a Small Tortoiseshell and this hummingbird hawk moth:

I ventured away from the dunes for a little while, picking up several Speckled Woods, a Small Copper, a Comma and a Green Veined White in the more wooded areas, before arriving at an ivy-covered wall which had two Red Admirals feasting on the flowers:

As I prepared to do a second circuit something caught my eye – it was a Clouded Yellow. Mindful of my previous three this autumn being distinctly unapproachable, I let this one fly around for a little while until it eventually landed on a hawkweed flower:

Soon after, it opted for a cranesbill, providing a nice colour contrast:

It suddenly became quite docile and once it found the valerian it transformed into one of the best-behaved male Clouded Yellows I’ve ever encountered:

I tried a few speculative in-flight shots as it was coming in to land on flowers:

Several other people noticed it during this 15 minute period when it was feeding, with one couple actually knowing exactly what it was!
This run of south-easterlies has clearly tempted a few further north and west of their usual haunts. I also read that there had been more further east nearer to Cardiff.

The only negative part of the day was getting trapped in a traffic jam on the country lanes leading out from Horton due to an accident. Sweltering in a car on a single track lane in the month of September isn’t something I’ve ever experienced before!

[trevor]

Excellent Clouded Yellow sequence, David. Unlike me you have a camera that can ' freeze ' the action.
They are being seen around here, but in lower numbers compared to recent years.

[David M]

Hi! David, you've got more Green grass then we've got here I see you found a Clouded Yellow too I think my hopes have gone for one of those so well spotted.

Been decent numbers of them round here, Goldie; certainly the most I've ever seen. There's plenty of time to find one round your way. They'll keep going till the cold weather arrives.

Saturday 9th September – Aberthaw Beach…

A new site today, and not one that will win any beauty contests, but a fellow member of the S. Wales BC Group had reported half a dozen Clouded Yellows a few days earlier, and with this amazing weather steadfastly refusing to leave us, I reckoned it was worth a look.

It was a pleasant drive down past the High Brown site in Ewenny, through Llantwit Major and down a single track road next to a decommissioned power station, where there was a handily placed car park right by the beach.

This a view of the site once through the gate behind the sea defences:

I hadn’t been there more than 2 minutes when I spotted a Clouded Yellow. It disappeared for a little while before I picked it up again resting on some greenery close to the beach:

A fellow enthusiast had come down for the same reason and it was wonderful to watch her excitement at seeing her first ever crocea.

In spite of a little sea mist, it was extremely warm and this meant that hundreds of butterflies were on the wing, the bulk of them being Small Whites.
There were a dozen and a half Large Whites about too, both males and females:

Around two dozen Painted Ladies were cruising around, which tripled my UK tally for the year in just two and a half hours:

Meadow Browns and Red Admirals were also in double figures, whilst Common Blue, Small Copper and this Small Tortoiseshell also appeared:

Two more Clouded Yellows were seen before I left:

Another exceedingly pleasant outing!

[David M]

Excellent Clouded Yellow sequence, David. Unlike me you have a camera that can freeze the action.
They are being seen around here, but in lower numbers compared to recent years.

Thanks, Trevor. The 'Sports Mode' won't take pin sharp images of flying butterflies, but as they slow down to land it's easier to get a shot that isn't too blurred.

Wednesday 13th September – Cooler, but still productive…

The Mediterranean-type temperatures had now given way to more normal ones, but with daytime highs of around 20c and good sunny spells, today was certainly suitable for a couple of hours down at the coastal dunes in Port Eynon.

I thought I’d try to count the Small Whites whilst I was there – I reached 136 which was a significant decrease on the 200+ I saw at the same location five days earlier.

The next commonest butterfly was Large White with 18, the majority of which were females enjoying the profusion of valerian, especially in the village churchyard:

In amongst these Whites was a hummingbird hawk moth:

Now that the ivy has started flowering, Red Admiral sightings are on the rise:

On the wane though are Meadow Browns. They’ve probably got less than a fortnight left:

Nine Painted Ladies was a decent return:

Always good to see a few Small Coppers and there were five today:

Five Speckled Woods were seen, with singletons of Common Blue & Comma, but again the highlight was the appearance of two more male Clouded Yellows:

It’s got to the stage where I am now expecting them rather than hoping for them.

[Allan.W.]

Good to see that someones seeing a few Clouded Yellows David ..........nice one ! they,re very thin on the ground this season in Kent ,the only place where a few are being consistantly reported here is on the isle of Grain (Cliffe Pools )..........i suppose its still early ......things may pick up yet ..............Some excellent reports !
Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Great shots of the Cloudy Yellow David, I also like the the shot of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth I love watching them on the flowers Goldie