August 2024

[Neil Hulme]

Congratulations, David. I suspect that more will arrive in future years - a source to the south seems most plausible. Sadly, just too distant to lure me over. Feel suitably chuffed!
BWs, Neil

[Allan.W.]

Wow ! Great find David ............i,m sure your well pleased.Nothing so stunning for me (migrant-wise)but seeing the odd one or two Painted Ladies now........but still only 4 Small Torts !.................American Painted Lady.........Nice One !!
Allan.W.

[David M]

Thanks, Neil/Allan.

Was a special one for sure.

[bugboy]

The Chobham Graylings still have plenty of life in them, lots of egg laying going on but enough males for a bit of flirting to found too.

It's been many a year since I've seen a fully grown Emperor Moth larvae and good to find a male Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly too.

[David Lazarus]

American Painted Lady ... many thanks to Paul (Bugboy) for being the first to flag this up yesterday, after which I got the GPS co-ordinates and took a punt.

Wow....congratulations David, what a stunning butterfly

I cannot compete but I am overjoyed to see and photograph my first confirmed female Purple Hairstreak with upperwings

Purple Hairstreak female
Danbury Common 19/08/2024

okay - not fresh but considering it is late season, even a late flight period, she is not bad and I am happy with her as she walked around the blackberry fruit entertaining me for 15 minutes of pure joy this afternoon.

Having said that, I wish the Brown Hairstreak I saw in Claybury Park yesterday had been as obliging. Alas! I shall have to be patient and persevere a little more to find a photographic opportunity of the very elusive Essex Brown Hairstreak.

[David M]

...okay - not fresh but considering it is late season, even a late flight period, she is not bad and I am happy with her as she walked around the blackberry fruit entertaining me for 15 minutes of pure joy this afternoon...

David, that's some precious find at this stage of the year.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Sometimes I regret not taking up a kind offer of a lift back from archaeology, but other times I'm very glad I walked.

I'm hoping this slightly worse for wear gorganus individual is a migrant and not yet another escapee from the nearby Middleton Common Farm butterfly house !

Great find Zigzag Congratulations!

Thanks Katrina, it definitely found me rather than the other way around !

It was around 5:40pm, so I guess it might have been looking to roost amongst the knapweed. Funnily enough I'd read reports a few days earlier of a couple of sightings in the Brighton area, so it was one of those very rare "wouldn't it be great if...." thoughts that actually turned into reality.

If I hadn't stopped earlier to snap the red kite I'd probably have missed it. But on the flipside, there's probably been a few times where stopping to take a photo has seen me miss a rarity, but I doubt I've ever just missed a lovely American Painted Lady like David's !

[David Lazarus]

I came across the tiniest of tiny Small Heath that you may wish to find, smaller than a Brown Argus that I was looking for, about the size of my little finger nail - not that you know how big that is. Around 10mm

Small Heath
Baddow Meads 20/08/2024

Indeed, I tried to place my little finger next to him/her for scale but alas - it was a Small Heath

[Bertl]

Sunny but windy in my Aberdeen garden today. A dozen of each peacock and red admiral on the wing. Also half a dozen tortoiseshell in amongst them.

[Testudo Man]

Last Sunday i sighted 2nd brood Adonis on the wing, maybe 4 females, an 10 males. Also counted 4 mating pairs of 2nd brood Common Blues, so even though the numbers are down this season, its nice to actually find mating pairs! Silver Spotted Skippers still active, but not the numbers seen the previous week, a female was seen egg laying. A few female Chalk hill seen, one showing a good amount of blue on her hind wings! Kent location, 6+ hours out in the field.
At home, back garden, sighted a worn Painted Lady, 2 Red Admiral (1 very fresh) a Comma, an a Holly Blue.

Some highlight photos, no images are cropped. Cheers Paul.

That female Chalk hill Blue, showing a good amount of blue on her hind wings.

Male Adonis (2nd brood).

One of the female Adonis (2nd brood).

[JAHanlon]

Another (3rd) APL seen this morning 4-5 miles away at Marloes Mere. Certainly seems to have been a local hatching but perhaps progeny of a genuine vagrant (even ship-assisted perhaps due to the proximity of Nolton Haven that brought in a grackle from Texas last year). Well done David, I may well be trying myself when the wind dies down a bit. Would be my 68th butterfly species in Britain though last few all have some doubts re origin of course!

Keen for further updates if anyone tries for these.

Congratulations, David. I suspect that more will arrive in future years - a source to the south seems most plausible. Sadly, just too distant to lure me over. Feel suitably chuffed!
BWs, Neil

[Pete Eeles]

Do you have a photo, since the first two sets of photos appear to be of the same individual?

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Another (3rd) APL seen this morning 4-5 miles away at Marloes Mere. Certainly seems to have been a local hatching but perhaps progeny of a genuine vagrant (even ship-assisted perhaps due to the proximity of Nolton Haven that brought in a grackle from Texas last year)...

That's interesting, JA, particularly given how poor weather conditions have been in that part of Wales this last couple of days.

I think it's worth a look anywhere in that area over the next week or so if anyone is down there, especially where there are scabious, knapweed and thistles in flower.

[peterc]

Yesterday (21 Aug), a Long-tailed Blue was spotted in Minet Country Park, Hayes:

https://hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/news.php

Peter

[David M]

Yesterday (21 Aug), a Long-tailed Blue was spotted in Minet Country Park, Hayes

Interesting. Next week, we have several days of southerly winds forecast. This could provide just the right impetus.

[millerd]

Up in Yorkshire for a couple of days, and after it brightened following a bit of warm drizzle this morning I dropped into Calley Heath just off the A1079 near Wilberfoss. This sandy site was (like so many) overgrown with grass this year, but I managed to track down a Small Copper (I don't think I've ever failed to find one here). I discovered the first few photos had been invaded by an intruder...

I then spotted a species I had never found here before, and one I didn't realise came so far inland these days - a male Wall.

A pleasant surprise! More in my PD in a bit.

Dave

[David Lazarus]

Happy to come across a male Common Blue, a female Small Copper, a couple of male Brown Argus and another tiny Small Heath on my way to the shops via the field margins next to the Chelmer Road Bridge across Baddow Meads. Not so happy that the Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper have disappeared.

Common Blue male
Baddow Meads 23/08/2024

Small Copper female
Baddow Meads 23/08/2024

Brown Argus male
Baddow Meads 23/08/2024

[aeshna5]

Yesterday started drizzly but cleared through quickly. A fairly sunny day with variable cloud & a stiff breeze.

Decided to give Denbies a try to catch up with some chalk specialists. In all 11 species recorded:

110+ Meadow Brown
4 Speckled Wood
3 Small Heath
2 Small White
2 Brimstone
Red Admiral
2 Silver-spotted Skipper
80+ Chalkhill Blue
10 Adonis Blue
5 Common Blue
4 Brown Argus

A few moths disturbed included Jersey Tiger,3 Lesser/Common Treblebar, Clouded Buff, a couple of faded 6-spot Burnets & the smart micro, Pyrausta nigrata.

[Stevieb]

A good selection yesterday lunchtime with 12 species seen, including some nice fresh blues, despite some rather cool, breezy conditions. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Brimstone (1)
Small White (5)
Brown Argus (4)
Common Blue (11)
Chalkhill Blue (6)
Adonis Blue (9)
Peacock (1)
Speckled Wood (11)
Wall Brown (5)
Gatekeeper (1)
Meadow Brown (40)
Small Heath (12)

Adonis Blue 24th Aug

Chalkhill Blue 24th Aug

Chalkhill Blue 24th Aug

Common Blue 24th Aug

Brown Argus 24th Aug

Brown Argus 24th Aug

Wall 24th Aug

Peacock 24th Aug

Small Heath 24th Aug

Brimstone 24th Aug

[David M]

Nice selection there, Steve. I must get out and find a few Adonis Blues next week (if the weather improves, as is forecast).