June 2009 Sightings

[wiccaman9]

-Long trek to Catfield fen yesterday from home but worth it, male and female seen, but not stopping to feed.
Better luck had at How Hill, 3 seen on any one occasion, including a pair on the verge, but not quite achieving, mating - the males' persistence will eventually prove successful, but the female was just so intent on nectaring from the knapweeds. No meadow thistles out in flower at How hill yet. Red campion at the house seemed attractive for a while though.

Cheers, Aron

[Rogerdodge]

Another Pass You must be stacking-up those Brownie points somehow, Roger

Nick - you know how it is with Brownie Points - you use 'em as soon as you earn 'em. It is too difficult to store them up as they are toooo easy to lose!!
The forecast shows Saturday to be the best day (but they always seem to get it wrong these days)
Hope to see you there.

Roger

[Jack Harrison]

RogerDodge:

The forecast shows Saturday to be the best day (but they always seem to get it wrong these days)

I would disagree that they always seem to get it wrong..

I have made no fewer than eleven specific butterfly outings this year based on the weather forecast. Retirement flexibility of course gives me a huge bonus and although I didn’t see all the target butterflies on every occasion, not once was the weather forecast inaccurate. However, interpretation of the forecasts is important and merely listing/watching BBC does not always give the complete picture.

Of course, I just happen to have a website with links to weather data (Link to weather is at top right of that home page)

http://www.weatherjack.co.uk

where you can see forecast cloud cover, detailed rain distribution, etc; many of the extras left unsaid by the media.

Jack

[NickB]

Nick - you know how it is with Brownie Points
Roger

What are they exactly
You CAN actually earn them
Me too?

[Rogerdodge]

What are they exactly
You CAN actually earn them
Me too?

Lesson 1.
Repeat after me-

"Yes dear".

Lesson 2 to follow.

[NickB]

...

Lesson 2 to follow.

I think I need the advanced course;
I'm up to Lesson 69 now
N

[Rogerdodge]

I'm up to Lesson 69

That will earn more Brownie points than you can cope with!

[NickB]

...

Lesson 2 to follow.

I think I need the advanced course;
I'm up to Lesson 69 now

..and looking forward to turning the page to read Lesson 70...

[Jack Harrison]

Nick:

I'm up to Lesson 69 now

You know I had never before thought of 69 as a lesson

Jack

[bugmadmark]

2nd June
Strumpshw Fen and Upton Fen Norfolk, one Swallowtail each locality.

09-06-02-030-Swallowtail.jpg

At Upton, two fresh Small Tortoiseshells, four Brown Argus. One late female Orange Tip.

Jack

I so wanted to see one close up when I went to Strumpshaw a couple weekends ago but no luck - I did see one fly over the marsh at the entrance though. Do Swallowtails occur in numbers greater than 1s and 2s? I had the impression that the habitats, as unique as they are, can yield sufficient numbers to allow photographers a chance!? I am thinking of going back to Strumpshaw - if this is the best place to see them but when is the best time?

[Trev Sawyer]

Hi Mark,
I reckon another week or so and you should have a much better chance. I have been known to sacrifice the first day of the fishing season to go to Norfolk looking for Swallowtails on more than one occasion - that's 16th June. A friend of mine did a degree project on predation of their larvae by spiders and ichneumon wasps at Catfield Fen quite a few years ago and he recommended mid-June to me anyway. Last year was very poor because Norfolk seemed to be under a permanent cloud all "summer", but things look much better this term.

PS: I think swallowtails are particularly frustrating to photograph unless you can track them down while it is not too hot (as with many species I suppose)... their wings are almost permanently on the quiver when they settle on a plant Very frustrating! Also, their wingspan is such that keeping everything in focus can be difficult at the best of times. They don't hang around for long, so you need to get the shots while you can, before they disappear off elsewhere.

Trev

[Shirley Roulston]

Also seen to-day a Common Blue, a first this year.

Shirley

[hammer]

I visited the broads last year for swallowtails, i visited Stumpshaw fen, Catfield fen and How hill. I saw swallowtails at all of these locations, and How hill nature reserve was easily the best.They were very approachable at How hill, they seem to like the thistles and they were also on bramble shrubs on the edge of the green, at Strumpshaw i saw a few but at a distance. How hill is also good for Norfolk hawkers.

Colin.

[Eris]

A number of butterflies out today in my garden and in the field opposite the house in West Sussex

Large white, Speckled wood, Painted Lady,

This Meadow Brown I spotted it the other day, but didn't have my camera with me but luckily it was still around today.




Small Heath




And a skipper up by my pond, but not sure what type

[NickB]

And a skipper up by my pond, but not sure what type

Definitely a Large Skipper - emerges before the Small and Essex Skippers emerge

[Eris]

Thanks for that.
I have Essex and Small skippers in the field opposite so that makes three types here.

[wiccaman9]

Great news, I was the first to record Large blue(s) at Collard Hill today, first 2-3 specimens of 2009.

Was given false information that the LB's were well on the wing, numbers increasing. Got there early am, nothing other than common blues, small heaths and occasional brimstones, speckled woods, etc.

Spoke to wardens (3) - they said rumours were just that, but 'good luck', as no LB butterflies been recorded for 2009 yet.

At 10:30am, my luck finally changed saw rogue male, being harrassed by 2 common blue males. Very rarely landing, never w/ wings open either!! Managed 1-2 photos, including feeding on sometging other than thyme (very little of it in flower)

Saw 1-2 more at top of hill, and amazingly a single male Cupido minimus at the base of the hill, feeding on trefoils!

Expect the numbers to increase dramatically over next 2wks!!

Aron

[eccles]

Hi Wiccaman. Nice to meet you today! We saw several little butterflies that were a complete puzzle as they were much smaller than you'd expect for large blue, although larger than usual for common blue. The underside certainly looked the part, but the upper appeared to be devoid of the catspaw markings and the colour was lighter and brighter than you'd expect.

Denise, Jerry and myself did eventually find one unambiguous LB male. I'll up pics later, if Denise or Jerry don't beat me to it.

[Denise]

Sorry, I put one on the Collard Hill thread.
Denise

[Jack Harrison]

Heath Fritillary. Hockley Wood South Essex turned up trumps. Follow the blue trail from the car park at TQ833923 (which is just east of the pub) to approx TQ836916 where the wildlife people have produced a splendid clearing. Weather a bit "iffy" (Note Roger - as expected ) but plenty of Heath Frits about whenever the sun came out - up to five at once.

Thrift Wood a little further north had earlier drawn a blank - probably still too cold (as forecast Roger )

The underside photo shows one resting on its larval foodplant, cow-wheat.

Jack