ernie f

[Wurzel]

Good work with the open wing Greenstreak Ernie Is the mark on the fore wing the sex brand do you think or am I seeing things again?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice to see you also saw double figure PBFs at Siccaridge, ernie. Thanks once again for the tip-off.

[ernie f]

Hi Wurzel

I took a closer look at the open wing Greenstreak shot (and another pic of the same individual, again with wings open, that I took at the same time but didn't post). My books say and show the sex brands as small light marks close to the leading edge of the forewings. I have to say from what I can see from my pics that it is possible but inconclusive. There does seem to be a lighter mark on one of the forewings but it doesn't appear to be in the correct position on the wing. Of course these wings are actually moving during flight which complicates matters a bit.

[ernie f]

Selsley Common today

Dukes seem to be finished now. Number of other butterflies are a bit on the low side, but included Small Heaths and Dingies, Common Blue and Small Blue and one last Greenstreak holding on.

However did see this stunning, fresh and very obliging Yellow Shell.

Weather forecast at the moment suggests rain on and off for the whole of the next week up until Friday. Yuk. After that I guess we will be into the summertime species.

[Wurzel]

Cheers for your further investigation Ernie

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

..Number of other butterflies are a bit on the low side...

That was my experience too, ernie.

When such good sites return poor numbers one can only conclude that butterflies are suffering another bad year so far.

[ernie f]

I checked one of my butterfly books for the flight period of the Marsh Frits. It suggested they begin in the last week of May. It is June 2nd today so I tried my luck at Strawberry Bank. In all honesty, with the rather dull weather we have had here for most of last week I wasn't expecting much, if anything.

Nothing could be further from the truth. They were in full swing. Last year I counted 18 at peak on one day and this was then my record for year, day and location. Today I crushed that, counting 36 in total, effectively doubling my record. At one point I was surrounded by eight all in the same patch and four flew up in front of me all at once. I sense that there may still be more to emerge in the coming days.

Also S Heath, S Blue, Common Blue, Dingy Skip, L White, L Skip, Speckled Wood and Mother Shipton.
Plus Common Orchid, Bee Orchid, Lesser Butterfly Orchid and even a lingering Early Purple Orchid.

Not a bad haul for two hours of effort.

[Wurzel]

That sounds like a cracking haul Ernie and with a Marshie on an Orchid to boot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I checked one of my butterfly books for the flight period of the Marsh Frits. It suggested they begin in the last week of May. It is June 2nd today so I tried my luck at Strawberry Bank. In all honesty, with the rather dull weather we have had here for most of last week I wasn't expecting much, if anything...

Nailed on site for them, ernie.

You sure live in an enviable spot for uncommon butterflies.

[ernie f]

Yes, Wurzel. As you can imagine when I nabbed that Marshie on a Common Spotted Orchid I was well pleased with my luck.

You are right, David, I am very happy with this location. I may have lost my favourite butterfly in my move here - the silver-spotted skipper, but I gained guaranteed locations for Pearls, Marshies and Large Blues - all within a five mile radius of my house. I can't complain.

[ernie f]

Selsley Common for an hour today between 9 AM and 10 AM. After that it got overcast so I went home, but not before I found Common Blue, Small Blue, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Dingy Skip.

The summer orchids are really coming alive now. Common Spot, Fragrant and Pyramidal abound but I also counted four Bee orchids.

Now, for all you moth experts out there, I have a bit of a poser for you.

This is a Five-spot Burnet (I think). If so, why are the spots yellow rather than red. Is it an ab, or is this a representative of the rare f lutescens?

[Wurzel]

I think it's a 5 spot, at least I count 5 spots and the paler colour could be because Its a little old and worn - they go a bit 'greasy' like Marshies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Thanks Wurzel
I hadn't considered that as a possibility.

[ernie f]

Selsley Common again today.

Searched for and found Adonis Blue, three of them counted. Pics below all of the same individual however.

There came a moment when a Small Blue, a Common Blue and an Adonis Blue were all in a swirling airborne battle with each other. They even dislodged from their respective perches a Meadow Brown and a Dingy Skipper, all in the air at the same time right in front of me. Fantastic. All while the Small Heaths looked on from the sidelines.

Also saw my first Marbled White of the year, a few Large Skips and another Mother Shipton.

[Katrina]

What a sight that must have been with 3 species of blues in a battle. Good capture of the mother shipton - they often don’t sit still for the photo.

[Wurzel]

No greasy ones there Ernie I bet that Small Heath watching form the sidelines was the one that started it - they're terrible for that

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Katrina
Yes, three blue species all circling around at the same time was a great moment.

[ernie f]

Maybe I'm getting a bit paranoid in my old age but I do wonder sometimes. A little while back I saw a lot of Marshies at one location, then when I went back a couple of days later there were only a few left. Sure it was cooler and cloudier so many were probably roosting but I started to get a little worried that my posts were being read by 'the wrong sort'. You know the ones with nets!

Today I went back to a place where recently I had seen Adonis Blues and saw none this time. It was warm and sunny so the weather could not be the excuse this time. I spent a long while searching for them too, not just a walk by.

From now on, just to be on the safe side, my future posts will not include location information. If anyone wants to know a location please send me a personal message and if you post regularly on this website I will answer.

Today I did see Marbled White, Large Skip, Dingy Skip, S Heath, S Blue, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Silver Y and Cinnabar.

I managed to get a butterfly/orchid combo shot. This is a Large Skipper on a Fragrant Orchid.

I am beginning to develop a new theory about butterflies and moths. Today was not the first time it happened to me but let me tell you this example. I was watching a Cinnabar Moth in flight zig-zagging about. It was very difficult to keep track of and it didn't stop. It ducked behind a small bush momentarily and my eyes blinked for a second. The next thing was it had miraculously transformed itself into a Meadow Brown - it was on the same flight path and the same height above ground, but now on the other side of the bush. No Cinnabar to be seen. As I say, this is not the first time I have witnessed such an event and will probably not be my last. Has anyone else seen this strange phenomenon?

It kind of explains why there are so many Meadow Browns!

[Maximus]

I don't necessarily think that you are paranoid, ernie. A week ago we were chatting to a guy at a Wiltshire site who told us this story. He had found a couple of Marsh Fritillary abs on another well known Wiltshire site. Hoping to show his friend they returned a few days later. While searching for the abs, they bumped into a bloke wearing a safari suit and hat. He asked them if they were looking for anything in particular, when they told him they were looking for a couple of MF abs he blatantly said that they wouldn't see them again as they were now in his collection! The chap we spoke to reported this, I believe he said to Wiltshire Butterfly Conservation. A few people on this site delay posting their reports for varying reasons, working, family, lack of spare time etc. Perhaps this delay helps to protect abs or rare species from collectors who are clearly still operating in the UK in 2024.

[bugboy]

Whilst it's not the primary reason my reports are quite a few weeks behind, the reasons Maximus already lists are, this is an added bonus I've often considered, especially when I do come across an unusual ab.