April 2009 Lepidoptera Sightings

[Jack Harrison]

Took my OT pupae out of the fridge on 14th and expect emergence around the end of the month.

Just seen my first wild adult today 15th in NW Essex. Quite surprisingly, this is my earliest ever date (but not early by others' standards)

Jack

[Gruditch]

Not that many OT's around here ( West Hampshire ), certainly not seeing more than one at a time anyway. A funny sort of a day, warm, windy, sunny, cloudy, it can't seem to make it's mind up, and most of the butterflies have not bothered to do to much. 1 Peacock, 1 Small White, 1 Brimstone, 1 Orange-tip, and the Green-veined White below.

Gruditch

Canon 50D, Sigma 150mm F/2.8 Macro hand held up a ladder, I kid you not.

gv white 900.jpg (96.54 KiB) Viewed 988 times

[Pete Eeles]

Wow! What a pretty page. Mike's first and Pete's fourth OT are particularly nice - looks like the action is really hotting up now. They'll get to you eventually Shirley! Hope to catch up with you in Arundel at the weekend John - we can plan a Duke and PBF day - both should be good in about 10 days or so.
Neil

I think your first OT pic is quite special, Neil - I don't think I've ever seen the delicate markings on the forewing uppersides so well-emphasized.

Right - that's enough of the compliments. Back to normal from now on

Cheers,

- Pete

[m_galathea]

Had a lovely time walking through Ford and Binsted Wood today in West Sussex, at one point there were five species on one blackthorn bush! (SU992057).

Butterfly total: 7 species: Orange-tip (inc 2 females) (15), Green-veined White (5), Brimstone (all male) (6), Speckled Wood (4), Peacock (15), Red Admiral (2), Comma (1).

Lots of good flowers about too, particularly in Ash Piece, including Moschatel, Golden Saxifrage, Early Purple Orchid, and just above ground at the moment, Common Spotted Orchid and Common Twayblade

Alexander

[Deano]

Hello all
Today I saw my first Large White of the year, my first Speckled Wood of the year and my first Holly Blue of the year, and all three are one week earlier than my first of last year.
Regards
Deano.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
Although the South is, as always, ahead of the rest of the country in terms of emergence dates, it is beginning to look like quite an early season. Green Hairstreaks have already been seen in Hampshire, but yesterday a brief stop at Devils Dyke near Brighton produced my first 2009 sighting within a couple of minutes. Stopping off at Mill Hill en route home was well worthwhile. There are now between twenty and thirty Grizzled Skippers here, and I saw my first Dingy Skippers of the year (about eight).
Neil

[Jack Harrison]

Interesting Green Hairstreak. The individual you and I photographed on Devils Dyke last spring similarly had minimal “hairstreak” lines. I appreciate that the streak is quite a variable feature, but I do have to wonder if there is any evidence that the streaks are very feeble in the Devils Dyke colony.

Jack

[geniculata]

Neil, now i am finaly green as your hairstreak.
stunning image.
haven't seen either an OT or a green hairstreak down here in the forest, although iv'e been to all my usual sites for both.
might make a trip out this weekend to martin down to clinch the deal on hairstreaks plus skippers!
gary.

[IAC]

Hi all,
Amazing photos of GH and Dingy, Sussex Kipper!!!!. I would love to find a GH colony up hear in SE Scotland, they seem to be few and far between. Only Orange Tips today as weather is cool and cloudy ,so scanning the riverside plants I managed 4 males...no females yet...again...weather is supposed to realy hot up as the weekend progresses....so fingers crossed.
Cheers IAC.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Jack,
Same bush! Probably the son of the one we shot last year!
Neil

[eccles]

My local patch at Willsbridge has had OTs since 3rd April and they're well under way now but it wasn't until today that I saw the first speckled wood of the year there. Also seen today, GV white female, peacock, comma, and a small white male that was rather comically chasing a a falling white blossom petal. He circled around it as it fluttered to the ground then wandered back and forth over the landing point trying to find the lost 'female'. Still no sign of holly blue there.
This is the speckled wood, a male.
Snapped with Sony A700 and Sony/Tamron 55-200 zoom.

[Jack Harrison]

Hi Jack,
Same bush! Probably the son of the one we shot last year!
Neil

I plan a visit to your part of the world shortly, but domestics are getting in the way, e.g. I have to stay at home ("baby-sitting" 16 year old daughter – I can happily go out during the day but can’t really leave her overnight) while wife Suzie visits her mother for her 90th birthday. Now mother-in-law does have the odd penny or two stacked away, so you will appreciate that I mustn’t risk upsetting the apple-cart; the visit for her birthday is probably a good long-term investment Plus various other necessities (optician for example). Bad planning I have to admit.

Anyway, I aim to get to Sussex early in May.

Jack

[nick patel]

Today in the garden a Speckled wood, Red admiral, Large white & Holly blue (also Bee fly).

cheers.

[Ian Pratt]

I agree that it appears to be an early season with the earliest sightings for me of green hairstreak and grizzled skipper at Afton Chalkpit on 15 April 2009 and an early small copper at Bonchurch Down on Easter Monday.

[sandraandkevin]

Sandra and I went to Waterford Heath South Pit this afternoon and saw our 1st Grizzled Skippers of the Year, at least 5 individuals and showing really well.

Picture from Sandra attached

Kevin

[Jack Harrison]

There’s something “soulless” about Waterford. Hard to put my finger on it, but I find the place uninspiring.

But...and this is an important but...I love Grizzled Skippers (some 30 – 35 years ago they were easy to find and not confined to so few localities). So I might give Waterford a look on Sunday or Monday. Incidentally, I have in the past found the north pit more productive; indeed, I have never seen a Grizzled Skipper south of the road.

Comma found yet again in my favourite little dip in local meadows; they are always there in the spring. This one looks to have come through the winter in pristine condition.

Jack (South Cambs)

[sandraandkevin]

HI Jack,

Hope you are keeping well.

This year the Grizzled appears to be a week earlier at Waterford.

I am sorry you feel it is 'soulless' but as soon as you see the Grizzled then this will lift your spirits I am sure!!

The main place to find the Grizzleds on the South pit is at the bottom of the hill on the right hand side if you are lookin towards the North Pit, they were on the wild Strawberry and Dandellion.

Didn't try the North Pit due to time contraints but I am sure they are there as well.

Good luck and I am sure we will bump into you soon.

Hope you liked the picture.

Kevin and Sandra.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

Talking of Grizzles, here are a couple of shots taken at a site I discovered last year. It is at Quarry Hangers, which is a Surrey Wildlife Trust site just south of Chaldon on the North Downs. These were taken on Tuesday 14th April 2009 whilst introducing "rezamink" (Damian) to the site. We saw 4 or 5 individuals and I will be going back on Sunday 19th to see if the Dingy Skippers have appeared because they have already been sighted down at Mill Hill, Sussex by Neil Hulme.

Regards to all,

Vince

[m_galathea]

Went up to Arundel to Neil Hulme's excellent exhibition today (if you can, then go tommorow!) followed by a walk around Arundel Park.

Six species spotted including Grizzled Skippers (TQ107081) and a colony which I have not seen records for before (TQ008109). Total: Orange-tip (all male) (5), Brimstone (M) (1), Green-veined White (5), Speckled Wood (2), Peacock (6) and Grizzled Skipper (8) including one egg laying

of course I was really looking at these Primulas ; )

[Oy]

Hi all

I've seen the odd flutterby recently - but today at Pennington Flash, Leigh, Lancs there were loads.

Today I saw 5 different species and managed to photograph three.

Brimstone and (I think) Holly Blue elluded the camera but...

1. Orange tip



2. Peacock



3. Small tortoiseshell