June 2009 Sightings

[Denise]

Not many butterflies about today, but still a few species in my garden.
1 Comma, 1 Red Admiral, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, a few White's and Speckled Wood and 2 Large Skipper.
This one paused for breath!

I will be off tonight to catch the bus to Heathrow for my weeks holiday in Hungary.
Have a good week all, and I'll see you on the 24th.

Denise

[Jack Harrison]

Hammer:

...made my first visit to Monks wood...

I am considering visiting Monks Wood on Tuesday or Wednesday (Glapthorn on Sunday produced six or seven Black Hairstreaks but no decent photos so I aim for better). That too would be a first visit to Monks Wood for me, so I am totally unfamiliar with the site. Any advice on where to access? (presumably via the old research centre) I guess it will then be an obvious case of following one’s instincts.

Weather should be OK once any morning low cloud has burnt off.

Jack

[Perseus]

Hello,

14 June 2009
Privet was flowering in profusion and intruding on the lower slopes of Mill Hill in a damaging way (damaging to the long term prospects of the butterflies).

Another noteworthy observation was a nest of the Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris, in a small hole and scores of wasps were seen entering and leaving in a few minutes, until I felt it was too dangerous to stay around. I debated about the significance of such a large congregation of predators on the caterpillars of the butterflies?
Ten butterfly species were seen on a sunny day including a Marbled White and Small Tortoiseshell on Mill Hill.

13 June 2009
On a humid warm Saturday, I detoured a route that took me from the Buckingham Cutting along the linear path on the southern side of the Slonk Hill Cutting I spotted my first three Large Skippers of the year, 100+ Small Blue Butterflies, at least two tatty male Common Blues and a few male Meadow Browns. There were nine butterfly species seen.

12 June 2009
On the Coastal Link Cyclepath just south of the Toll Bridge, Old Shoreham, the flying insect fluttering and being blown about in the breeze was not a butterfly but a Beautiful Demoiselle (a damselfly), Calopteryx virgo.

I recorded my first Meadow Brown Butterfly of 2009 over the Coastal Link Cyclepath on a cycle ride to Botolphs. It was a male with its all brown markings. My first of the year Six-spotted Burnet Moth was one of two on Creeping Thistle at the back of Dacre Gardens next to Anchor Bottom, Upper Beeding. Wild Mignonette hosted a dozen Small Blue Butterflies and one male Common Blue in the same area.

Mill Hill Reports 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/MillHill2009.html


First Adur Butterfly Dates 2003 to 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/ButterfliesFFT.htm

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2009.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2009.html
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2008.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: June 2009
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/June2009.html

[Dave McCormick]

Saw 2 speckled wood males fighting as I was driving long the road about a few miles from my house. Saw one fast flying painted lady at the college I go to, it was high flying even though it looked tattered. And a few micro moths there ass well.

[hammer]

Hi Jack
At first i could not find any where to park, i continued past the research centre and turned left at the next turn off, short way down the road on the left there is parking for a few cars, where the bollards are.Follow the footpath through the woods, after a while it bears left and continues straight ahead, carry on, do not turn left or right, past the metal ladder on the left, a short way down look for the bramble scrub on the right side, just stand there and keep your eyes open, they come down and feed and rest in the area.

Good luck Colin.

[wavelea1]

Hi Guys

Back from a sunny but windy Norfolk - cold northerly wind off the sea to boot but Hickling Broad, Horsey and Winterton all lived up to my expectations - just.

We saw just 5 Swallowtails and just the one Dark Green Fritillary - lovely condition though.

The lack of lepidoptra was more than made up for by Marsh harriers, Bitterns, Great White Egret, Hobbies and a the very rare Fen Orchid - which was unbelievable.

Mike

Dark Green Fritillary - Horsey Fen

Swallowtail - Hickling Broad

The Fen Orchid - thanks to Norfolk Wildlife Trust

[Dave McCormick]

Great day today. I went to a meadow not that far from my house that, until last year, I did not know existed. It was full of common blues (I counted more than 10 in a tiny area) and a few ringlets and meadow browns. Someone on here mentioned that it could be only males that rub their back wings together, but I noticed a female common blue doing this as well.

I found these and as soon as I got this shot, 4 other males came along. I was following the female to get a shot, and ended up with this with my monopod:


A male on ribwart Platian:


A Meadow Brown:


Birds foot trefoil everywhere, here is one plant:


Here is a hill which was where most of the common blues are and trefoil. Also full of grasshoppers and hover flies:


One side of meadow area:


Another area of Meadow:

[Shirley Roulston]

Nice photos Dave and what good meadow's to find butterflies, still just a few butterflies around here even though its really quite warm. To-day I saw a few Speckled Wood's, a Small Copper, a Large White and a Large Skipper. Yesterday I saw a female Orange tip, photo a bit poor.

on Sunday a very old Small Tor't.
Shirley

[NickB]

Same here - First MB in my local cemetery on Sunday; today, my first record of a Large Skipper - found a mating pair...
N

[alex mclennan]

Several wood whites seen in Salcey Forest today. As we were photographing two of them, a nightingale was singing at full volume just a few yards away.
Alex

[eccles]

Jerry and I trawled up the M4 from Bristol to Silchester Common for silver studded blue today and we were in luck with good numbers of nice condition butterflies wherever there was heather. When the sun was out, they didn't stop, but the varying cloud was just enough to slow them down to get some good pics. Thanks to Gary for the directions.
The spot where we found the highest numbers of butterflies was at SU620622.

Pics later.
Mike.

[xmilehigh]

Hi,

Silchester Common with Eccle's today. There were good numbers of Silver Studded Blues, many of which were in great condition.

Great shots Dave,Mike (How far do I have to go to travel to see an ST ) & Shirley.

Silver Studded Blue's




Cheers

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks for comments on my photos. Great Skipper shot Denise and love the SSB Jerry, very good Nice shots Mike too, like the fritillary.

[Jack Harrison]

Another day Black Hairstreak hunting, this time in Monk’s Wood, north of Huntingdon. Park at: TL206805

Only small part of wood explored but good along ride at: TL202800.

Total of perhaps 20 seen over three hours but none posed within range of camera.

Jack

[eccles]

Some more SSB from Silchester today.

[Susie]

I went for a walk around Southwater country park again today after yesterday's failed attempt to see small blue there. Having an expert telling you where to look certainly helped me from looking in completely the wrong places this time. lol. However, I managed to not see any. I did manage to spot two small tortoiseshell, one red admiral, three speckled wood, a dozen or so tatty common blue, six painted ladies and a couple of dozen each of large skipper and meadow brown. The orchids, dragonflies and sunshine made it all worth while. I didn't want to see small blue that much anyway.

A bimble about Warnham nature reserve this afternoon in search of silver washed fritillaries was also fruitless but turned up more meadow browns, large skippers, painted ladies and a comma.

[NickB]

....I didn't want to see small blue that much anyway.

Oh dear; one I took earlier, just for you......

and the Large Skippers from today...

[Susie]

Ok, I was lying. That is a cracking picture, Nick!

[NickB]

For a change I was lucky and took some time off work when it wasn't raining!
Totternhoe - only 40+ miles from here - is the nearest colony to Cambridge; worth a visit if you ever get the chance....Small Blue everywhere
N

[Shirley Roulston]

I forgot to mention that a friend of mine in the next village had a butterfly land on her sleeve and she described it as golden yellow and a red spot and to me it sounds like a Clouded Yellow she said she was tickled pink, I was a bit blue having only seen really tatty Painted Ladies that day.
Shirley
Nice photos Eccles and Nick.