September 2009 Sightings

[Dave McCormick]

Thought I would get the ball rolling with this month. First sunny day I have seen in a few weeks, mostly wet and dreary and have not seen much or ben out to see anything. Its still wet here, but the sun is warm and drying that up and as it did, the last few very sweetly smelling buddliea flowers in my garden, graced me with a female small white and a red admiral. Here is the Red Admiral:

[Pete Eeles]

Just took a look on the ivy outside my study window, and managed to find 5 Holly Blue larvae

Pretty good going since I only saw a single (female) 2nd brood Holly Blue this year in the garden.

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

In spite of the inclement weather here, we still had one hardy Large White fluttering around the leaves of our large tree early this evening.

[Dave McCormick]

Quick look in my garden 5 minutes ago gave me 5 red admiral and 1 Small Tortoiseshell. Getting fueled up for hibernation probably. Bit high up to get a decent photo though, might try again soon if weather stays ok and they are still around.

Small Tortoiseshell on Buddliea - Canon 500D, Sigma 105mm, f/16, 1/200sec, Metering: Pattern, ISO-400, -2 Step, Flash on:


Red Admiral on Buddliea - Canon 500D, Sigma 105mm, f/10, 1/60sec, Metering: Pattern, ISO-400, -2 Step, Flash on:

[Perseus]

Hello,

I think this butterfly is the obvious*, but I am not sure because its behaviour was unusual. First impressions please?

Blurry pic:






* The brown markings (which appears as a broad stripe) seems indicative of a Meadow Brown. I think it must have been the heavy breeze causing the butterfly to behave peculiarly.

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

[Dave McCormick]

Hi Andy,

Meadow Brown? What was it doing to make its behaviour unusual?

[Perseus]

Hello,

2 September 2009
Butterflies
After the deluge and on a cool cloudy breezy day, I visited Mill Hill to check out whether any Gatekeepers were still around. I must have looked at over fifty Meadow Browns but even the brown and orange butterflies in the hedgerows were Meadow Browns. They were divided about equally between male and females. On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, there were at least 21 Adonis Blues (16 males and five females), a slightly greater number of Common Blues of both genders, 40+ Meadow Browns, one Speckled Wood and three Small Heath Butterflies. It is was very difficult to put the brown females to species and there may have been up to a dozen Adonis Blue females and some of these could even have been Chalkhill Blues. I returned by the ridge route and another 20+ Meadow Browns and three more Small Heath Butterflies were spotted.

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

[Perseus]

Hi Andy,

Meadow Brown? What was it doing to make its behaviour unusual?

It just did not look right. It was aligning itself at an angle in a peculiar way. I think it must have been the breeze at Force Three. It was also very quick, but then it may have been wind blown. Meadow Browns do not usually fold up their wings so tightly, but then I do not usually go on the downs when it is that windy. I expect they do often enough, say one in a hundred though. I have seen the same thing before (on the ground or low vegetation) and had my same doubts.



Its length was about two inches = 50 mm. I have not checked the lengths but I suspect this was at the larger end of the Meadow Browns size. Lots of very large females at this time of the year. I think it was a Meadow Brown. It was just that I had second thoughts. I had seen about a hundred Meadow Browns and absolutely no Gatekeepers.

[Jack Harrison]

Quite a bit of activity in my South Cambs garden today but photography virtually impossible due to the wind. However this (newly emerged) fellow rested on the wall for a while but even so was being continually blown and only briefly was it able to keep its wings open for more than a second or two.

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
One of my favourite autumn haunts is Cissbury Ring, which usually provides a spectacular 'grand finale' of Small Coppers, along with some interesting migratory birds. My visit this morning did not disappoint, with a thorough search of the earthworks and flanks producing at least 50 feisty coppers. At one point there was a 'string' of 6 males chasing an unreceptive female. They were attacking anything, including some battered old Painted Ladies. There should be plenty more emerging later in the month.
Neil

[Pete Eeles]

Looks like you have an aberration there, Neil. (the spots at the top of the forewings are starting to form "teardrops").

Cheers,

- Pete

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Pete,
I'm claiming a double aberration - L. phlaeas ab. caeruleopunctata ab. extensa
Neil

[Pete Eeles]

You're getting greedy - they're the most pathetic blue spots I've ever seen

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

ab harrisonii

harrisonii.jpg (19.16 KiB) Viewed 7601 times

Jack

[Zonda]

Had a walk around Kingcombe Meadows nature reserve in Dorset this morning, and got my first decent Red Admiral shots of this season. Saw one Small copper, and loads of Speckled woods, along with a large Hornet.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

I had a couple of hours at Quarry Hangers Nature Reserve on the North Downs near Chaldon, Surrey. Lots of Meadow Brown about, some looking quite fresh. Also witnessed mating and egglaying still taking place.

Other species seen were: 2 Speckled Wood, 8 Small Heath, 12 Common Blue (including 2 females), 1 Holly Blue, 1 Comma (tatty), 1 Red Admiral (fresh), 2 Painted Lady (worn), 1 Large White and 1 Small White. On the way out nearly stepped on a Lesser Stag Beetle (see beetle forum for photo).

Cheers,

Vince

[thepostieles]

do meadow browns have two broods?

[NickB]

In the Cemetery today - a couple of Red Admiral and Painted Ladies the odd Speckled Wood and Large & Small White....Do Meadow Brown have 2 broods...? Everyone seems to say "No" but there are reports from all over of very fresh MBs.....so maybe "Yes..." this year???
N

[Jack Harrison]

Wandered round the fields to the pleasant accompaniment of Live Traditional Jazz at a local party. As I was taking this picture, they were playing "Magnolia's Wedding Day". I will never again be able to see a Speckled Wood without thinking of Magnolia (whoever she was!)

Plenty of "Magnolias", a couple of fresh autumn brood Commas, numerous whites and a geriatric Brown Argus.

Jack

[NickB]

A few RAs and PLs plus assorted Whites and a few nice Commas in the Cemetery; and a few Small Heath with a few Common Blue hanging on at D'Engaynes Fen (it was windy!)...

N