May 2009 Sightings

[Kingsdowner]

Ten Small Blues seen today at Kingsdown, Kent. Probably more now that the day has warmed up.
Also a ragged Painted Lady.

[Ian Pratt]

Two different Glanville fritillaries seen today at Ventnor IOW. Any comments?
By the way both were taken on a Canon EOS10D handheld on a monopod with a Sigma 150mm F2.8 lens, aperture priority no flash 1/200 F16 for the darker one and 1/200 F11 for the other. (Brownie points please, Peter.)

[Ian Pratt]

My first adonis blue of the season today at Ventnor.

[Ian Pratt]

Finally, I thought folks might like to see three mating shots which I was fortuante enought to be around for at the "decisive moment." Hope you enjoy them.

[Jack Harrison]

Where was everybody today? Went to Denbies Hillside above Dorking with Mike Rubin. Amazingly, we saw no other butterflyers.

Species list compiled by Mike:

30+x Adonis Blue (Only 3 or 4 females seen though.) (My firsts of the year)
30+x Common Blue (Including a mating pair) (My firsts of the year)
20+ Dingy Skipper
10+ Brown Argus (Including a mating pair) (My firsts of the year)
8x Small Heath (My firsts of the year)
4x Grizzled Skipper
2x White (Plus 3 or 4 more on the other side of the road from the car park.)
1x Small Copper
30+x 5 Spot Burnet Moth (My firsts of the year)
1x Mother Shipton Moth
1x Burnet Companion Moth

And this is me, Jack, in action. Now don’t I look slim?

Jack

[Shirley Roulston]

Nice photo Jack, during this week on the Lleyn its been windy, I mean gales every day and extremly cold. To-day the grand count of butterfly 1 green-veined white and that is it. Unless the weather really warms up the population of 2009 butterflies will be extremly low.
Shirley

[Jack Harrison]

And they were so tame at Denbies. Male Adonis. (not Mike, the butterfly!)

Jack

[Trev Sawyer]

Enjoyable trip to Marston Vale Milennium Park near Bedford this afternoon with my wife and daughter...
The wind was a bit annoying, but photographed Dingy Skippers, Grizzled Skippers, Common Blues, Green Hairstreaks, a Small Copper, and a Small Heath. Never been there before, but I will definitely return.









Trev

[Susie]

I hope to be at Denbies next week, Jack, if the weather is kindly. Glad to see that you are getting out and about again. I take it that your leg has mended properly?

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
A couple of shots from today. A Duke from a site on private land, and a pristine Adonis from Mill Hill at Shoreham.
Neil

[Padfield]

Two different Glanville fritillaries seen today at Ventnor IOW. Any comments?

That first one is quite a striking variation, Ian! I've never seen anything like it (in that species). Is that a form you have seen before?

Guy

[xmilehigh]

Hi all,

An outing yesterday to West Yatton Down with eccle's & then on to Hazelbury common, for the recently emerged Marsh Fritillary's after 1 was sighted there on the previous Thursday. We also met up with Rogerdodge who stopped by especially for the Marsh Fritillary's, was good to see you again. Luckily there were at least 4 possibly 5 seen. Dingy Skippers were also out in force there as well, none previously sighted this year.

Marsh Fritillary


Marsh Fritillary


Dingy Skipper


Brown Argus @ West Yatton Down


P.S Excellent photo's every one

[Ian Pratt]

Two different Glanville fritillaries seen today at Ventnor IOW. Any comments?

That first one is quite a striking variation, Ian! I've never seen anything like it (in that species). Is that a form you have seen before?

Guy

I have never seen this variation at all. Ian

[Ian Pratt]

Any other marsh fritillary sightings in Dorset or Hampshire yet?

[Jack Harrison]

On Saturday 9th May, after Denbies, we tried Banstead Downs in hope of Small Blue but no luck. Two or three Grizzleds. However, scores of Brimstones, both male and female. Numerous small (ideal size) Buckthorn bushes with eggs easy to find.

It is hard to believe that this female could possibly be ten months old.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

I visited Hartslock this morning (near Pangbourne) for just over an hour, and saw 12 Small Heath, 19 Dingy Skipper (including a newly-emerged female that was drying her wings and being accosted by an amorous male!), 15 Common Blue (14 male, 1 female), 8 Grizzled Skipper (all looking worn), 9 Green Hairstreak, 2 Green-veined White, 5 Orange-tip (all male) and 1 Brown Argus (male). Photos attached.

Cheers,

- Pete

[geniculata]

visited hod hill in dorset on saturday, many marsh frits freshly hatching, good numbers abound also some dingy, common blue and small heath, orange tip, large and green veined white and a couple of green hairstreak.


gary.

[Dave McCormick]

Saw a few things today:

a few large whites
10+ Green Veined whites over a large area
10+ Small Whites over a large area
31 or more Orange-Tip eggs on cuckoo flower (Yes I looked at every cuckooflower on a long bank beside a road)
a few orange-tips (mostly males)

[Jack Harrison]

Gary:

...hurst spit Keyhaven...

I saw Glanvilles last year near Hurst Castle. So are they all along the spit? Sounds as if the colony is really getting established well.

Jack

[geniculata]

hi jack,

no sadley the old colony at hordle cliff looks to be no more, and this fresh colony is restricted to the meadow directly on the landward side of the castle.
on a day like today with a stiff off shore breeze i found then in a small moat area right by the castle, out of the wind on a bank of kidney vetch, but on a normal on shore breezy day they would be more widely found across the meadow mainly on thrift.

gary.