Goldie M

[David M]

That was a very nice surprise, Goldie!

Only seen three on home soil so far this year, and precious few on the continent as well.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your post Wurzel and David, I'm still in shock for that one

I went to Temple Ewell today and got a big disappoint , I thought with all the flowers there the Butterflies would be numerous, only ones I saw were Gate Keepers, Large Whites, a few Meadow Browns nothing else at all, I was thinking we'd traveled a fair way for nothing, we decided to go onto the White Cliffs to get lunch and afterwards just a quick walk before heading home ,it was on the short walk I saw the Chalkhill Blue the grasses were high but I still managed a few shots, we saw only one so I'm thinking they're just coming out there , talk about lucky another good day after all Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie,
I was at Temp ewell/Lydden on Monday morning.........very poor year for butterflies there this year .Very few Chalkhills ,especially compared to the massed of ranks last season .....few Common Blues,Brown Args ,no Dingys ,a couple of Small Blue and 1 Silver-Spot (At Temple Ewell).
I moved along the downland to the Lydden end........long story short ! found around a dozen to fifteen Silver- Spots there ,but not easy to find !
There is a bit of "hidden" downland between the two sites ,but it would probably be rather difficult for you to Access ......its VERY steep,but being sheltered probably the best spot at present for Silver Spots and Chalkhills .The one bright note .......good numbers of Wall Brown ,they seem to be having a good season .I,ve found them at two new sites locally ,where i,ve not seen them before.
Good Hunting ! Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Allan, you did much better than i did at Temple Ewell, I saw nothing of the Chalkhills there and certainly none of the others , it was a relief to find one on the cliffs at Dover, sadly I'm going to have to say fare well to Temple Ewell and concentrate on Dover, I've to use a walking stick now so limited to where I can go, I found the steps there a bit hard, talk about( the mind is willing but the body weak) I will probably go back to Reculver again for the Wall and nip up to the Woods once more, Thanks for your post, if you find some where with more excess for a wobbly lady let me know Goldie

[Allan.W.]

I,m sorry to hear that Goldie (ie;TE/L).......But all is not lost ! you still have some excellent easily accessible sites within a reasonable drive of your home .The Blean woods (Thornden ,east +West Blean ,Clowes and so on.Don,t forget the cliff top at St .Margarets bay by the monument.To the side of the monument there is an excellent little reserve (Nat trust)called Bockell hill .I,ve seen Small ,Common Blue all the commoner Browns and Whites ,and last season Swallowtail.Q of S frit is reported some years +Chalkhills ,Brown Args ,Dingys and some Adonis towards
Deal.......also a good area for Long-tailed Blue .Theres also the beach section between Walmer and Deal ,Tankerton Slopes ,Samphire Ho ! and the excellent reserve at Monckton.......to name but a few .
Good Hunting ! Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Thanks Allan, I've been to the one at St Margarets ages ago really I must try there again, I seem to have been to Blean Woods loads of times lately and not seen anything ,well ,always Gate Keepers, I get them in my garden so don't need to go looking far for them.

The last couple of days have been very hot and the Butterflies I've seen in my garden have been closed winged , the Holly Blue even hid in the Ivy I couldn't understand finding so few at Temple Ewell yesterday then i remembered maybe it's the lack of rain, this morning when I checked my Bird bath the Fox's had broken the top of the bowl I made ,I also noticed the Holly Blue come down to some water I'd spilt ,so tonight I'm going to put a small plastic dish out with water in , hope fully the non residents will enjoy that Goldie

[Wurzel]

Cracking Chalkhill shots Goldie they really are an attractive butterfly with all of their blended hues It's great to see Allan helping you out with sites - I look forward to your shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice work with the Chalkhill Blue, Goldie.

It's unusual to see just one. Normally there are dozens of them.

[Goldie M]

Thanks Wurzel and David, I'd just about given up when I spotted this single one, I bet there's more now , every thing seems late coming out.

I've had company this week from where I used to live ,it was great seeing them again, today I felt tired and thought I'd catch up in the garden ( under the umbrella) After last nights rain it seemed to bring the Butterflies out, I was surprised to see a Holly Blue on my Butterfly bush, not musch left at present flower wise but they found some Goldie

[Goldie M]

I went to Reculver today and found my first Brown Argus, I was lucky to find it really only when a Gate Keeper, disturbed it, or I wouldn't have found it at all I'd forgotten they were so tiny I also saw lots of Holly Blue ,Whites, far fewer Gate Keepers than before and no Wall butterflies at all, on my way back to the car I saw a Red Admiral and a Comma, it was worth the trip to find the Argus Goldie

[Wurzel]

Great to see you catch up with the 'Bad Attitude' Goldie They're vicious little blighters going after anything, even if it is 8 times the size of it, that's why they wear so quick I reckon, it's all the 'fisti-wings'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I seem to be catching up to things but there always singular, around here the Butterflies have been few and far between, when I look back to when I moved South two years ago I was finding loads every where, last year they started to be few and far between, this year even worse , I'm still on the look out for the Small Tort I'll press on regardless Goldie

[Goldie M]

Forecast was rain for today so I thought I'd do some tiding up in the garden, the Sun was still shining but going in and out of the clouds, I was about to take some dead sprouts off the Boules Mauve when this Holly Blue arrived it looked so cute I just had to take a few shots although I'd taken loads before throughout the year
I moved across then to trim a bit off the Ivy and found two more, the Sun had disappeared behind the clouds again that's why they'd settled , once again I couldn't resist a few shots. Goldie

[David M]

...when this Holly Blue arrived it looked so cute I just had to take a few shots although...

They really do look cute, Goldie.

One of my favourite butterflies (especially the females).

[Allan.W.]

Hi Goldie , Now i know you are now finding Lydden/Temp EW. difficult ,but thought that i,d mention a couple of recent posts on local (Kent)social media . The Gist is that Chalkhills ,Adonis +Silver-Spots are now appearing in some numbers on site .....haven,t been for a couple of weeks myself (but my have a look next week ) so can't confirm this ......So could be worth one more look !.
. I still reckon you could do worse for Blues than visit St, Margarets by the monument you should get Adonis ,Small ,Common ,Chalkhill .
I wouldn,t bother with Samphire Ho ! for butterflies at present .Theres been so much cliff fall there ,theres not much room for the Adonis and Small Blues as most of their habitat has gone. Keep your eyes peeled as one or two Painted Ladies are being reported ,but as yet very,very few Clouded Yellows .
Good hunting ! Allan.W.

[essexbuzzard]

Hi Goldie, Chalkhill Blues have been scarce at all the sites I have visited this year, certainly well below normal numbers. I was at Lydden Temple Ewell last Sunday Chalkhill Blues were present, but far fewer than most years and many were past their best, though there were a few fresh ones. Silver Spotted Skippers were in reasonable numbers though, mostly at the Lydden end, especially near the pine trees. A few fresh Adonis Blues had emerged, too. All these species take a bit more finding than in most years.

So don’t give up! Like Alan said, might be worth trying a few easier sites over the next couple of weeks.