June 2024

[Rosalyn]

Monks Wood, Cambs. 18.06. Large Skipper ab. spotted by Trevor Sawyer.

[Trev Sawyer]

The previous time I went butterflying with only my mobile phone rather than my "proper" camera I saw a Large Tort Rosalyn... So I'm tempted to try for a third time to see what turns up
Good job you got a shot before it flew off

[Bertl]

SPBF and Small Heath on Deeside today.

Bert.

[Charles Nicol]

at Sundon this afternoon. No more fritillaries sighted despite plenty of sunshine.

I found this faded DIngy Skipper enjoying a discarded piece of cardboard

i was wondering what this chalk loving plant might be ?

Charles

[aeshna5]

I wonder if your plant might be Red Bartsia? I've never seen one this colour but the general form looks right.

Managed my first Ringlet yesterday morning while on a flora survey in Richmond Park. Otherwise small numbers of Meadow Browns & Small Heaths plus a female Brimstone in the car park as we finished. It was mainly cloudy though typically when I was back home early afternoon it became gloriously sunny.

[David M]

Monks Wood, Cambs. 18.06. Large Skipper ab. spotted by Trevor Sawyer.

That's a good one, Rosalyn.

[Charles Nicol]

I wonder if your plant might be Red Bartsia? I've never seen one this colour but the general form looks right.

Managed my first Ringlet yesterday morning while on a flora survey in Richmond Park. Otherwise small numbers of Meadow Browns & Small Heaths plus a female Brimstone in the car park as we finished. It was mainly cloudy though typically when I was back home early afternoon it became gloriously sunny.

thanks for helping me out botanically again aeshna5 !

they were quite plentiful on the chalky slopes.

Charles

[Wurzel]

Hi, was it Durlston you were at, and were there plenty of Lulworth's out? I'm planning a trip down to see this butterfly this year. Thanks.
[/quote]

I visited Lulworth itself, parked in the village and walked up Bindon Hill and along and down to the Cove and there were very good numbers of Lulworths. I'm not sure about DurlstonI always have it in my mind that it's a 'late site' but they have been recorded at Ballard Down in good numbers. Check out the Dorset branch site as that has reasonably up to date sightings.
https://www.dorsetbutterflies.com/sight ... htings.php

Possibly the easiest place to find them is Corfe Castle in the National Trust car park on the steep bank up to the railway tracks. One year I went and I'd photographed 3 within 30 seconds of leaving the car

I'm sure you'll find them!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Thursday 20th, Park Wood, Parkmill, Gower:

Meadow Brown 16 (1 female)

Nothing else, not even a Large Skipper.

Utterly depressing.

[millerd]

Denbies Hillside is currently almost without blue butterflies (except for a handful of very tired Adonis) pending the arrival of the Chalkhills. However, Marbled Whites are appearing to fill the gap, alongside Meadow Browns and Small Heaths. The absence of skippers of any type was unusual though. One Marbled White was unable to keep away from a privet bush it had found along the fence at the top of the slope.

Over at Box Hill, it was a similar story, though I did find a couple of skippers, one Large and one Small. No DGF yet, and no Small Blues today - the Marbled Whites had annexed their patch of kidney vetch.

I then looked in at Bookham and drew a blank on Emperor-spotting at the high point, though a couple of puddling White Admirals did bring me up short.

The species put on a good show, especially along one particular "corridor" through the woodland lined with brambles.

Once again, the near absence of more ordinary butterflies was concerning - a few Meadow Browns, a few Large Skippers, a few Speckled Woods, one Ringlet and one male Brimstone left over from spring.

Dave

[aeshna5]

Visited the northern part of Chobham Common yesterday. Sunny when I arrived by late morning but high cloud cover soon after midday (not what was forecast).

I did see 24 fresh male Silver-studded Blues, which when cloudy posed well on young Bell Heather plants. Didn't see any females though other people had according to FB photos of mating pairs.

Otherwise just 10 Meadow browns, Ringlet, 4 Small Heath & a single Large Skipper.

A general lack of most insects which is concerning.

[David Lazarus]

A general lack of most insects which is concerning.

Same here unfortunately - mostly just a few Meadow Brown [rather than the 100s] and Small Heath in the open grassland within the flood plain, waiting for the first Small & Essex Skipper, although finally saw my first Ringlet yesterday. Banded Demoiselle seems to be the only insect doing okay

[millerd]

Out on my local patch near Heathrow this morning in warm sunshine, there were some notable moments. The first butterfly was a brand new Holly Blue (a female, from a blurry snap taken in flight). A late first brood individual or the first of the next round?

I found five Marbled Whites, the highest one day total I've recorded here - but they were most reluctant to settle.

The first Small Skippers of the year appeared...

...and along my circular (and somewhat circuitous) walk, I managed to count 229 Meadow Browns (a respectable total, but this time last year I was losing track beyond the 250 mark) and 21 Small Heaths (the highest one day total since June 2022).

Dave

[Mark Tutton]

As is my want at this time at this time of the year I have been wandering the local woods looking for Purple Emperor pupa with a UV torch.
Unfortunately to take advantage of this trait you have to be in virtually total darkness, which at this time of the year means being in the woods after 10.30pm. This has is challenges, not the least barking Muntjac deer which can make you jump out of your skin.
Lots of other Lepidoptera also glow under UV including Hawkmoth caterpillars.
Brimstone moths glow brightly, are attracted to UV and have a habit of fluttering around your face in a most disconcerting fashion.
A couple of sorties this week revealed a few likely suspects and on returning in daylight I have indeed managed to relocate two pupae, quite a challenge when they are 4m up, only 18mm long, and a perfect mimic of a Sallow leaf!
Now to see if they survive to adulthood, none of the others I have found have made it, probably bird or small mammal victims.
Not for everyone but a challenge I like to take on every year.
Kind Regards
Mark

[David Lazarus]

... waiting for the first Small & Essex Skipper

Spoke too soon ... a few hours later an Essex Skipper made himself known and allowed me to take some decent photographs for the first sighting of the year. Once again Essex reliably emerged prior to the Small Skipper - well it is Essex.

Essex Skipper male
Meadgate Fields Open Space 21/06/2024

And the first recorded sighting for 2024 on the local branch website [not that I am competitive ]

Two seen at Meadgate Fields Open Space and a couple more at a site in Baddow Meads.

[Bertl]

First meadow browns and ringlets today at my local patch in Aberdeen. Seen in equal numbers....around 20 of each. Grass at the local meadow really overgrown.....flowers struggling to keep up. Windy conditions meant photos were difficult. Might go back mañana as low wind speed forecast.

Best photos attached.

Bert.

[Charles Nicol]

I went back to the Chilterns today. I spent 3 hours around Sharpenhoe then moved on to Sundon. No sign of any Fritillaries. I bumped into another enthusiast who had not seen any this year.

the highlight of the walk was finding ripe wild cherries... a perfect Midsummer Snack

[aeshna5]

A general lack of most insects which is concerning.

Same here unfortunately - mostly just a few Meadow Brown [rather than the 100s] and Small Heath in the open grassland within the flood plain, waiting for the first Small & Essex Skipper, although finally saw my first Ringlet yesterday. Banded Demoiselle seems to be the only insect doing okay

Think many observers are also saying this David. Hopefully we'll see an upturn in some species soon.

[aeshna5]

Yesterday morning was warm & sunny until lots of cloud moved in around noon. I walked to Horsenden Hill near home in west London to look for White-letter Hairstreak as one had been filmed here on bramble flowers a couple of days back. No joy. One of the best areas most of the elms were dead but I looked at other elms but no sign-hopefully still beginning to emerge.

Only 2 species in any numbers, though well below normal maxima, with just under 50 Meadow Browns & over 30 Marbled Whites, my first of the latter for the year.

Otherwise just 2 Holly Blues a Ringlet, a Comma & a few 6-spot Burnet Moths.

Repeating my experience of recent days very few obvious insects. Plenty of Honey Bees on brambles but very few bumblebees or any solitary species, few hoverflies (noted Volucella pellucens & Chrysotoxum bicinctum). A few Emperor dragonflies hunting over the meadows, otherwise best was the longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata & the spreading beefly, Villa cingulata.

[millerd]

A bit of sun early on today (22nd), but brightish cloudiness for most of the morning didn't curb butterfly activity on my local patch that much.

It appears that Marbled Whites have now properly colonised part of the grassland, as instead of the odd wanderer (as seen in earlier years) I found newly emerged individuals today and nine overall (another new high).

Two were females.

The summer brood of Small Heaths looks to be a good one (they've been a bit iffy in recent years), and this new one stood out from the crowd.

There was also another first for the year today - an Essex Skipper.

It was flying some distance from the Small Skippers, which were already into double figures.

It's good to be able to relate some encouraging news - let's hope the trend continues.

Full reportage in my PD in a week or two.

Dave