July 2009 Sightings

[Jack Harrison]

Interesting how we have all stopped worrying about the Tortoiseshell so-called decline. In my experience, numbers have always fluctuated - good years and bad years. It would not surprise me if next year is a poor year; they can’t all be as good as 2009.

Jack

[Dave McCormick]

Well I have been wondering, I have seen very little this year after about april seen about 3 since april and no more yet, does not seem as good here as in previous years.

[Jack Harrison]

Perhaps 2010 will be a good year in Northern Ireland while we in England have a bad year. I wouldn't have thought that the whole of the British Isles are necessarily in synchrony.

But one other thought. In most of England, Small Tortoiseshells are double brooded, this first emergence June/July with another late summer. In Scotland (where I used to live) it was only single brooded early August. So maybe in N.Ireland, it is similarly only single brooded so you can’t expect to get new emergences just yet. Don’t know. Keep us informed.

Jack

[Trev Sawyer]

Fermyn Woods today...
After spending some time photographing Purple Emperors, my wife and I came across a White-Letter Hairstreak searching for somewhere to lay eggs. We watched this particularly fresh-looking butterfly carefully inspecting the Elm buds as it slowly weaved in and out of the leaves. A few minutes after the photo was taken (and unfortunately partly hidden from view), it was seen to lay an egg against a bud.



Trev

[SteveA]

At least 8 Chalkhill Blues out on Box Hill, Surrey this morning along with a sprinkling of fresh Common Blues and many Marbled Whites however only 1-2 Dark-green Fritillaries noted

[SteveA]

A Camberwell Beauty was reported today in Norfolk at Martham Duckpond

[eccles]

I spotted another ringlet aberration in the gardens at Dyrham Park, South Glos. yesterday. Unlike the one recently seen at Bentley Wood, this one had a white right rear wing. No photos unfortunately.

[Piers]

I was lucky enough to spend the entire weekend (4th and 5th) in Alice Holt Forest in the transient company of among others Ashley Whitlock, Colin Baker and Mike Gibbons. And what a weekend: up to twenty different individual Purple Emperors seen in the forest (born out by Ashley's note book which usually contains half a page of notes after a visit to the Straits Inclosure - this time over three pages) with as many as six being seen in the air at the same time, including five males clamouring for the attention of a somewhat coy perched female). Relatively, very little time appeared to be spent taking food from the rides, but aerial activity continued pretty much all day on Saturday and intermittently throughout the day on Sunday.

On Sunday, while in the company of Liz Denton and a chap who's name I unfortunately don't know, we watched at close quarters a male Emperor descend from an oak in the Straits Inclosure. As the insect came lower we all realised simultaneously that something was 'wrong': the butterfly appeared black, no white markings! It was certainly an Emperor and not a small one either: it was iole. Sadly the butterfly circled all too briefly around the lower reaches of the tree and then ascended over the crown not to return, leaving us gasping in astonishment.

Other highlights included a nigrina White Admiral, a reichstettensis Comma, and two oscillata Silver Washed Fritillaries; one particularly extreme - almost nigricans. This does sound like a lot, but it is the result of about 18 hours 'in the field'.

Low lights of the weekend included watching the behaviour of certain individuals attempting to obtain a photograph of the Silver Washed Fritillary Abs. While some people were patient and waited (in Colin Baker's case for several hours) for the butterfly to present itself in a suitable position for a good shot, other not so conscientious people (salivating like mad dogs) plunged into the brambles, trampling the vegetation and sending clouds of butterflies skywards ruining the opportunity for anyone else to get a picture of anything . Suffice to say, by the end of the day on Sunday the area where the aberrations were seen was reminiscent of a crop circle made by a steam roller!

It was a real privilege and a joy to be able to see these butterflies, memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Hopefully my sun burnt nose, forehead and ears will fade much more quickly.

Felix.

[Susie]

Despite the forecast of poor weather the sun shone at Southwater Woods this morning. There was plenty flying: purple emperor, purple hairstreak, white admiral, red admiral, painted lady, comma, large white, small white, marbled white, large skipper, meadow brown, my first gatekeepers of the year and loads of silver washed fritillaries including this intrepid pair which thought I was very tasty (I wouldn't mind, but these trousers were clean on today!).

[Ian Pratt]

Whilst on the way to Sheffield from Isle of Wight (en route to Scotland) on Friday 3 July my wife and I stopped at two sites recommended on this website- Whitecross Green Wood in Oxfordshire and Finemere Wood in Bucks. The first site was impossible to gain access to but there were hundreds of ringlets on bramble by the roadside. At Finemere Wood it was amazing with 15 different species including purple hairstreak and purple emperor photographed plus swf, large white, gv white, red and white admiral, comma, ringlet, large and small skipper,marbled white, speckled wood, small tortoiseshell, and meadow brown. Thanks to the guys from Milton Keynes who showed us where to look. No black hairstreaks though and now we are in the Cairngorms with heavy rain.

[Jack Harrison]

Ian wrote:

Whitecross Green Wood in Oxfordshire ....impossible to gain access

It IS tricky to find the access point as it's not signed (why not?) Access via a track that would appear to be private but isn’t. Enter (via gates) a track opposite cottage and find car park at SP599149.

Memo to "whoever". Don’t keep it so secret. You are doing nobody any favours.

Jack

[Gruditch]

I drove by that same gate several times, eventually I had to phone Rogerdodge, to ask where the hell the reserve was.

Some sort of sign would be nice, I mean, how the hell do you expect the fly tippers, and car park thief's to know where to go. Plus, if you put a nice big sign up, the reserve would get a lot more use, perhaps as a nice place for dog walkers and the alike.


Gruditch

[Piers]

I drove by that same gate several times, eventually I had to phone Rogerdodge, to ask where the hell the reserve was.

Some sort of sign would be nice, I mean, how the hell do you expect the fly tippers, and car park thief's to know where to go. Plus, if you put a nice big sign up, the reserve would get a lot more use, perhaps as a nice place for dog walkers and the alike.


Gruditch

But that would ruin it for 'dogging'

Felix.

[Jack Harrison]

Very distant scene Bookham Common, Surrey, 6th July.

Jack

[Shirley Roulston]

Nice photo that Jack, I haven't seen any Comma's yet, the cutting of the Golden Glow buddlia is nearly flowering but the purple one is in full bloom and the Red Admiral are coming to it.
Regards Shirley

[Dave McCormick]

Nice today, only saw near my house:

20+ ringlets
2 Painted ladies courting
3 meadow browns (1 male and 2 female)
1 Mother of Pearl moth

Here is one ringlet:


and here is area I was in:

Meadow near my house

[Shirley Roulston]

Dave, that photo of the Ringlet ticks every box, perfect in every way, stunning. Well done to you.
Regards Shirley

[Dave McCormick]

Back in the same area as yesterday, found quite a few Painted Lady caterpillars on thistles and a very good condition small tortoiseshell, 20+ ringlets and several meadow browns.

Small Tortoiseshell:


Meadow Brown (I tried and all I could get was it sitting sideways while feeding):


Painted Lady Caterpillars:


Older Caterpillar:

[eccles]

Bet you can't wait for those little beauties to hatch, Dave!
This valesina SWF was spotted this morning at Inwood near Bath (thanks to SimonC for directions!). It looks a little paler than usual for this variant although I don't know if it could be designated an aberration.
Mike.

[Dave McCormick]

Bet you can't wait for those little beauties to hatch, Dave!

Yeah, I keep watching them occationally to see how they are doing. Should be good to start seeing Painted ladies again. I was told I found the first Painted lady caterpillars in Northern Ireland a while ago. Found 2 adults yesterday, but they were courting and looked worn.

Like the SWF, never seen that species myself yet, always wanted too, maybe its just a bit worn, why it looks a little paler? If things go well, going to look for Dark Green fritillaries this weekend among other things.