July 2024

[Jack Harrison]

I traditionally visit the Grantown site on a son's birthday, 9th July, and usually find NBA in good condition.

This year, I couldn't visit until the afternoon of 9th.

After today's (10th) rain, that is probably 'it' for 2024. It was DREICH in capitals.

Jack

[Ian Pratt]

At last some butterflies to enjoy locally on the Isle of Wight. My local woodland was full of butterflies plus golden-ringed and emperor dragonflies, common darter and common blue damselfly. The butterflies were large white, silver-washed fritillary, red and white admirals, gatekeeper, marbled white, small skipper, ringlet, meadow brown, peacock and comma. Good numbers of meadow browns, and gatekeepers, and some great condition silver-washed fritillaries.
Also, a very fresh wall brown in my garden in the morning.

[millerd]

I was up at Aston Rowant this morning: The most numerous butterfly by far was the Marbled White, followed by Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Dark Green Fritillary and Ringlet. No other species were seen at all, and I was surprised how few Meadow Browns there were compared to my local patch where every step through the grass disturbs a butterfly or two. To be fair, it was bright rather than sunny, and there were a couple of showers.

By contrast, on my local patch this afternoon in warmer and somewhat sunnier conditions I found 16 species, the highlight of which was the first of the second brood Holly Blues.

Full narratives will appear in my PD in due course...

Dave

[David Lazarus]

11/07/2024 Site visit - Friday Wood, Cherry Tree Lane

My first outing to Friday Wood & Cherry Tree Lane delivered despite the predominantly overcast conditions. During one of the brief sunny intervals all three of the premium woodlanders appeared and provided a show before disappearing, and there were White-letter Hairstreak on the elms along Cherry Tree Lane & Purple Hairstreak up in the oak canopies.

But it was the grassland species that took my attention, particularly the skippers which I will discuss in my PD.

The star of the show though was this little beauty:

Small Copper female
Friday Wood 11/07/2024

She was flitting around in the grass undergrowth, which could only mean one thing, so I followed her:

Small Copper female
Friday Wood 11/07/2024

And I watched her lay an egg and caught it on my iPhone:

Small Copper female
Friday Wood 11/07/2024

And here is the egg she laid on a bramble stem creeping along the ground in the grass undergrowth:

Small Copper ovum
Friday Wood 11/07/2024

Once again, extremely fortuitous - a wonderful moment to share with a butterfly [although I am not sure she was impressed with the iPhone stuck in her face]

I will certainly be returning on a hot sunny day as this surely must be one of the best butterfly sites in Essex with a terrific range of habitats including mixed deciduous woodland with rides and glades, open grassland and heathland, & wetland/riverine.

[Devon Dave]

At last a fine summers day down in Devon, warm and just a light breeze, and so went in search of Hairstreaks and Clouded Yellows but would welcome anything on the wing after the dismal start to July. I was rewarded with a lovely Purple Hairstreak and a couple of White Letter Hairstreaks,plus a very fresh Holly Blue hidding in some ivy. All enjoying a pleasant Devon day, but no Clouded Yellows found yet.I also heard an unconfirmed rumour that a Long Tailed Blue was seen recently near Exeter to wet one's appetite.

[David M]

...I was rewarded with a lovely Purple Hairstreak...

Absolutely beautiful specimen, Dave. Thanks for sharing.

[Devon Dave]

Thanks David, I agree , one of the most stunning Purple Hairstreaks I have ever seen myself in 15 years of photographing them, I was quite in awe of its beauty and thought it should be posted here for others like yourself to admire.

[millerd]

I recorded the highest count of butterflies on my local patch so far this year today, with over 400 individuals of 16 species seen. Highlights included 14 Commas...

...17 brand new Peacocks...

...and this immaculate Holly Blue.

Looking back, mid-July is always the peak for numbers here, but a quick glance shows that July 2023 was noticeably different to the current year.

More details of the day - and of this comparison - in my PD before all that long I hope...

Dave

[David Lazarus]

Yesterday, 13/07/2024 I was pleased to actually get some butterfly activity in the garden. At last the Gatekeeper are starting to emerge with the second male in successive days appearing, along with a fresh female Meadow Brown. I was amazed to find she had the same or similar markings that I found in Friday Wood the day before - see PD regarding lighter Meadow Brown markings.

Meadow Brown female
Garden Meadgate 13/07/2024

I took a walk down to the local meadow at Meadgate Fields Open Space to find a couple of Gatekeeper with unusual markings too. Both had anal spots which is not very common here in Chelmsford. Unfortunately I will have to hunt for them again to take some decent photographs:

Gatekeeper male x 2
Meadgate Fields Open space 13/07/2024

They were 2 of 18 without having a confirmed sighting of a female yet:

Gatekeeper male
Meadgate Fields Open Space 13/07/2024

I was also looking out for Small Skipper in a meadow dominated by Essex and came across 3 which was a rare occurrence - normally only seeing 1 in 30 - all with orange antennael tips - two of them below:

Small Skipper male x 2
Meadgate Fields Open Space 13/07/2024

But the highlight of the short visit was coming across a female Meadow Brown ovipositing at the base of a Creeping Red Fescue Festuca rubra on the stalk just under a node:

Meadow Brown female
Meadgate Fields Open Space 13/07/2024

Sorry, it is not a very clear shot but it is possible just to make out 4 ova with a possible 5th to the right which she has dropped rather than placed:

Meadow Brown ova on Creeping Red Fescue
Meadgate Fields Open Space 13/07/2024

I am coming across lots of ovipositing females this year

[Butterfly_Julian]

Making the most of some sun, we made the hour and a half trip to Devil's Dyke Cambridgeshire this morning.

Well worth it again to see 60 plus Chalk Hill Blue, good numbers of Marbled White and a couple Dark Green Fritillary. Also seen Small and Essex Skippers, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Small and Large White and a few day flying moths.

[bugboy]

Saw on Facebook earlier some Brown Hairstreak reported from Essex, Rainham Marshes or there abouts I think.

[Butterfly_Julian]

Yes, very early i believe

[David Lazarus]

I will be going this week. We are delighted in Essex that they are reestablishing both at Rainham and at Claybury Park. I’ve been told to look around the blackthorn scrub close to the visitor centre.

[David Lazarus]

15/07/2024 BROWN HAIRSTREAK UPDATE
I am at RSPB Rainham Marshes Visitor Centre where I have been told that the Brown Hairstreak was spotted nearby yesterday.

At 11.00am I did indeed find one but only had a chance to confirm the sighting briefly before it flew off. No joy since with the sky becoming increasingly overcast and rain on the way. That might be it for now.

[millerd]

Under brightish overcast this morning, I was pleased to find a single Small Tortoiseshell among all the commoner butterflies on my local patch. It must have emerged from the nettlebeds alongside all the Peacocks and Red Admirals.

A noteworthy sighting these days.

Dave

[Testudo Man]

Ist Butterfly session in July (for me) yesterday and 1st time out of the house for a week (because of a virus, that knocked me for 6!!)
Visited 2 Kent sites, 15 species seen, but low numbers for most of them...Target species were Chalk Hill Blues, 2 males seen! Comma an Large Whites were most numerous, but they were only 5+ each!!! Did see a great sight of a female Silver Washed Fritillary egg laying, up an down a small tree trunk, which was a 1st for me.
Didnt shoot many photos on the day (less than 300!) which is low for me!! Some highlight pics, only the 1st CHB image is cropped, the other 3 are not cropped.
PS. 1st Comma image might be a hutchinsoni ????...cheers Paul.

CHB (male).

Possible hutchinsoni Comma ??

Another (normal) Comma.

[millerd]

Hi Paul.

I'd have put both of those Commas down as the hutchinsoni variation. In the "normal" version (which hibernates) the pale hindwing markings are distinct yellow spots, rather than more of a band which is pretty well the same as the ground colour of the hindwings. Here is one from September last year...

...and another from April this year...

...which I hope show what I mean.

As always, I'm open to other views on this, and may have persistently been getting things wrong!

Cheers,

Dave

[Testudo Man]

Hi Paul.

I'd have put both of those Commas down as the hutchinsoni variation. In the "normal" version (which hibernates) the pale hindwing markings are distinct yellow spots, rather than more of a band which is pretty well the same as the ground colour of the hindwings. Here is one from September last year...Comma3 010923.JPG...and another from April this year...Comma1 070424.JPG...which I hope show what I mean.

As always, I'm open to other views on this, and may have persistently been getting things wrong!

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks very much for that Dave, its always good to have other peoples views on this. I will go take a look at the other Comma images that i shot on the day, to compare them with each other, then i can see just how many Commas were seen/photographed in the last location i visited, as i didnt take any Comma pics in the other location, so these were all on the wing together...............maybe they were all hutchinsoni ??
Cheers Paul.

[Testudo Man]

Hi Paul.

I'd have put both of those Commas down as the hutchinsoni variation. In the "normal" version (which hibernates) the pale hindwing markings are distinct yellow spots, rather than more of a band which is pretty well the same as the ground colour of the hindwings. Here is one from September last year...Comma3 010923.JPG...and another from April this year...Comma1 070424.JPG...which I hope show what I mean.

As always, I'm open to other views on this, and may have persistently been getting things wrong!

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks very much for that Dave, its always good to have other peoples views on this. I will go take a look at the other Comma images that i shot on the day, to compare them with each other, then i can see just how many Commas were seen/photographed in the last location i visited, as i didnt take any Comma pics in the other location, so these were all on the wing together...............maybe they were all hutchinsoni ??
Cheers Paul.

EDIT- Just looked at another 2 Commas that are different to the 1st 2 Comma images i posted up. So this would mean that all four of these were in the same area (possibly more than 4 at the time, but hard to ID/separate them in the field!).

Images of the other 2 Commas then, no cropping. Cheers Paul.

[Padfield]

In my opinion, all of your images show hutchinsoni individuals, Paul, for the reason Dave gives and also by jizz.

I've been trying to persuade people to call the 'normal' variety starski but it hasn't caught on! Hutchinson was the blond one ...

Guy