Trevor

[trevor]

Hopefully ' garden ' butterfly numbers will improve as we get into August, Ben,
and we see the regular migrants, Painted Ladies, Clouded Yellows etc.
I have concerns for the Small Tortoiseshell, one yesterday, and the first
one I've seen in East Sussex this year. Unfortunately Herstmonceux gardens
are closing at the end of September this year, so I will have to look elsewhere
for my October fix!

Horseshoe Plantation was host to building numbers of Chalkhill Blues this afternoon.
Although very warm ( 27c ) the sun was shining through high cloud so the Chalkhills
were fairly easy to approach. Only one high speed DGF was seen, but there were many
Small Skippers and perhaps fewer Marbled Whites than normal for this site.

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Chalkhills Trevor Just another species I've yet to see this year...the weather and the 'w' that I don't like to mention have played havoc with my butterflying this season Hopefully there will be a flourish at Shipton

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. I am expecting your tip off any day now, two male BH
have been reported in Sussex in the last few days.
You may have seen on facebook that a male PE was seen enjoying
the stonework at Savernake this week, there's still time?.

[Wurzel]

Believe it or not, unlike most of the schools nationally, I'm still at work Trevor or I'd have been over at Savernake like a shot! Still two days to go Hopefully by the end of next week we should be all systems go at Shipton - but I might do a recce on Friday? I'll keep you posted

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Shipton is go...repeat Shipton is go

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. I'm thinking Weds onwards next week, just need decent weather.
Will keep in touch.

I spent part of this morning with the lively Walls at High and Over.
Unusually I left my visit rather late on, and it was warm, so those Wall Browns seen
were supercharged, and most closed up on landing. Only males were found and they
were battling mainly over the steep sided hill by the White Horse. Another area of
activity was the area above the steps, where Gatekeepers kept the Walls busy.
Several lightning fast Red Admirals and a few Speckled Woods completed the morning.

It was a pleasure to bump into Bob Eade in his natural habitat as well!

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Walls again Trevor They were out at Shipton yesterday and I doubled the Brostreak count - by next week we could be tripping over them fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good work with the Wall Browns, Trevor.

Never easy at the best of times.

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. We paid a crafty visit to Shipton B yesterday, hope to go again!
Thanks David. Warmed up Walls and a breeze is not an ideal combination.

Our journey to Shipton B yesterday was the easiest possible, mile after mile with
nothing in front or behind and in perfect early morning sunshine
After a leisurely tour of the site we noticed a building number of fresh Brimstones,
male and female nectaring together without taking the slightest notice of each other.
Of course that will change next spring when the survivors emerge from hibernation.
We were fortunate to meet David Garwood, who after a long chat, kindly beckoned
us over to see a male Brown Hairstreak he had located. Katrina had the second chance
to photograph it, and I went third. At least we had seen what we came for, but as it
turned out this was to be the only sighting of the day.
The other finds of the day speak for themselves so I'll let the shots do the talking.

Many thanks to Katrina for the company and the refreshments on the way home,
after a very enjoyable day. And it was great to meet some other pleasant people as well.

[Katrina]

Your Gatekeeper came out very well

[trevor]

Thanks Katrina. I clicked on that shot after reading your reply and noticed
it has a slight 3D effect, at least it does to me. Pleased you enjoyed the day.

Biscuits almost demolished!

[Wurzel]

Cracking images of a sneaky Brostreak Trevor Was that in the usual spot at the end of the hedge as two of my three this year were there?

Hopefully catch up some time next week?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. Yes our only BH was. found along the hedge. Katrina did it justice!
I immediately noticed the height of the wild parsnip, and others mentioned how tall it was this year,
might need a stepladder. Weather permitting I might try again on Sunday,

[trevor]

I have been laying low due to the heat, not my idea of fun!
So in the cool, or should that be less hot, evening I drove over to Horseshoe Plantation.
When I arrived the butterflies had already started to roost, mainly male Chalkhills.
I was surprised that the only Marbled White found was a fresh one, most were tatty
and fading a couple of weeks ago, this one was obviously late to the party!

[Wurzel]

In this weather early mornings and evenings seem best Trevor Sometimes I worry that my it gets so hot my lens might melt Lovely looking Chalkhills and that Marb is holding up well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Cheers Wurzel. Yesterday we enjoyed just about ideal BH weather ( for a change! )

After my Saturday hobby job at Halnaker, West Sussex, I carried on to my Daughters home
in Wiltshire for an overnight stay, before heading over to Shipton Bellinger on Sunday 4th.
The complete cloud cover which greeted me was slow to clear, but eventually, and slowly
some distant blue sky headed my way, and arrived just in time for Brown Hairstreak start
time. The first find by another visitor, a male, escaped before anyone else had a chance
to get near it, but the next sighting by Mark Woodley, an immaculate, fresh female stayed
in a small area for two hours! She fluttered between wild parsnip flower heads, and foliage
but was always in a good position for photography, she even opened up twice!
I returned to my car mid morning to get my refreshments and found some shade for a break.
This was very near the spot where I found a female BH sharing a flower head with a Brown Argus
last year, and it was here that I found a male BH on the wild parsnip. Unfortunately I was too
far away from the other visitors to share this find. Six shots and it was off! Returning to the
main hedge and the female was still entertaining more visitors until she finally departed, and
so did I at 1.30 after a very full weekend.

[Neil Hulme]

Very nice, Trevor. That third shot of the female wins a gold medal. 10/10, and you know how harsh my scoring is.
BWs, Neil

[trevor]

That's uncanny Neil, I nearly wrote in my text that she would get 10/10
on the Hulme ratings scale! Unbelievably she hung around in the same area for two hours!
Photographers were leaving the site with enough satisfactory shots while she was still posing!

[Wurzel]

Cracking Brostreak shots Trevor I think I saw the same male in the same place on the Thursday before Hopefully get there later this week, Friday is looking good if you're about?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Katrina]

Beautiful photos!