September 2009 Sightings

[Trev Sawyer]

Went to Brampton Wood near Huntingdon (CAMBS) today and saw good numbers of fresh Comma butterflies, some very worn Speckled Woods and one fresh Painted Lady (are we due another flush before they die off for the winter?). The mowing regime along the footpaths in this wood has left some spindly clumps of a tall species of Scabious - ideal for isolating the butterflies from the background in photos.



Trev

[Zonda]

What a great day for butterflies. I decided to do Abbotbury and Langton Herring. I reached Abbotsbury after 2pm, and being too tight to pay the £3 in the beach car park, i decided to park just below the tropical gardens, by a gateway with a stile leading to a lane that looked promising. The lane was only about 200yds long, and was festooned with blackberries. On nearing the end of the lane i was amazed to see 4 or 5 commas on some garden rubbish that someone had dumped. My surprise was soon heightened, because i was about to view another first for me......Two Clouded yellows. One was off like a shot, but its mate hung around for a photo. Sadly, it didn't show the richly coloured upper wings, that i had glimpsed in flight, but hung like a yellow-green leaf, on a nettle. I realise now, that once viewed, you could never mistake these for a Brimstone. How's that for good fortune?

[NickB]

Nice ones Trev and Zonda (still to see a Clouded Yellow this year). Not much flying here - a few Speckled Wood out in the Cemetery at lunch, the oddd Small White and a couple of Painted Lady. This last week has seen several Painted Lady, Comma and RAs and a Small Tort in the Cemetery, plus the usual assortment of Speckled Wood, Small Whites and the odd Large White.
PLs still around here; latest ones were not dark but exhibited the ligher colours which would indicate immigrants...?
No PLs over your way Gruditch? Reverse migration, if it does happen, seems quite complex....
N

[Dave McCormick]

Nice Find Zonda with the Clouded Yellow, only time I ever saw a few of them was before I got my first camera, never got the oppourtunity to see one again yet.

fresh Painted Lady (are we due another flush before they die off for the winter?).

I have not seen any Painted Ladies since the start of September or so, searched all over the place and that was only 1 slight worn adult. But I suppose the south of England being warmer than Northern Ireland, could be different there.

Been trying to rain here, so not much chance to see whats about

[Susie]

Its been a glorious day here, hot and sunny, but all I have seen about are large and small whites.

[Zonda]

It's funny,,,a fortnight ago i was moaning about having seen no Commas. Now,,they are coming out of my ears. Got some good comma pics in the last few days. I went back to the location in Abbotsbury where i spied the Clouded yellows yesterday,,,much the same conditions, but not a sign of them, moved on i suppose. My dream of getting an open upper wing shot has been foiled.

[Jack Harrison]

I went to Holme Dunes (Hunstanton) today, Monday. Unfortunately, it was cloudier than I had hoped (but had in fact been half expecting). The only butterfly was a fresh (presumably 3rd brood) Small Copper. The light was so bad that I had to use ISO 200 and exposure worked out at 1/25 so shake was a problem.

I had a scary incident on the way there. After giving way at a roundabout, I found myself behind a Renault. I was terrified that it might suddenly crash for no apparent reason.

Jack

[Gruditch]

I found myself behind a Renault. I was terrified that it might suddenly crash for no apparent reason.

Gawd, Do they do just do that then



Had Small Tort settling down in my shed today, bless, bet he's gone tomorrow.

Gruditch

[NickB]

.... My dream of getting an open upper wing shot has been foiled.

Dream on!

N

[Ian Pratt]

I have been in the West Midlands and Peak District over the weekend and seen several species in glorious weather: speckled wood, brimstone, red admiral , small tortoiseshell, and large white. Pity the weather wasn't like this earlier in the summer.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi all,
When I looked back through a few shots I've taken in the last week or two, I noticed how the colours of the various butterflies really seem to match the season -a lovely mixture of autumnal browns, reds, oranges and golden yellows. All taken on Cissbury Ring or in Rewell Wood near Arundel.
Neil

[Jack Harrison]

Gawd, Do they do just do that then

Especially if driven by a Brazilian who works for an Italian.

Jack

[Zonda]

Nick wrote,,,,,,

Dream on!

N

Mock ye not Nicholas,,,,,,,take a look in the 'Species Specific' albums, and feast yer eyes on Misha's fantastic shot of two Cloudies not 30 miles from where i took mine. Then tell me it ain't possible.

[NickB]

I stand corrected! Mind you, with the potential for overwintering on the coast undercliff, Dorset is THE place in the UK where you may get those shots. Good luck!

[Lee Hurrell]

I stand corrected! Mind you, with the potential for overwintering on the coast undercliff, Dorset is THE place in the UK where you may get those shots. Good luck!

Hi Nick,
Do Clouded Yellows (potentially) overwinter?
Cheers
Lee

[Dave McCormick]

I stand corrected! Mind you, with the potential for overwintering on the coast undercliff, Dorset is THE place in the UK where you may get those shots. Good luck!

Hi Nick,
Do Clouded Yellows (potentially) overwinter?
Cheers
Lee

I thought the winter was too wet for them to do that sucessfully here?

[millerd]

Is a third brood of Common Blue likely? I have a local patch with a reasonable colony and saw the last worn and tired individuals of the second flush a good two or three weeks ago. Then on Friday 18th, lo and behold there were half a dozen brand new ones flitting happily about. Two of them became very firm friends indeed, and I spotted one egg-laying on Sunday. I also owe a Clouded Yellow sighting (and photo) to the Common Blue that disturbed it...

Having found a large number of second brood Peacock caterpillars during the second half of August, I'm prepared to believe anything.

I have some photos, but I haven't worked out how to slim them down small enough to post (they are 4MB files uncropped...)

Dave (under the Heathrow flight path)

[Mikhail]

Lee, Clouded Yellow larvae have overwintered successfully on the Bournemouth cliffs in most of the last ten years. In the species specific album for the Clouded Yellow you will see my photo of a Clouded Yellow drying its wings on 15 Apr 2007. The empty pupa can be seen in the lower left corner. The attached photo shows another pupa I located on 7 Mar 2008.

Misha

[Zonda]

Hya Misha, great shot. Do you know if any are on the wing at Bmouth, at the moment?

[Mikhail]

Hi Zonda. Yesterday morning in increasingly windy conditions I walked the Boscombe and Southbourne cliffs and saw 10 Clouded Yellows, all patrolling males. At this time of year the same walk can sometimes yield more than a hundred, so it continues to be a below par year. If eggs are laid in mid September the adults may emerge in November, so for overwintering larvae we need eggs to be laid later, say in late October or early November. The Bournemouth cliffs are notable for late sightings of many species. I've seen Small Copper as late as 27th November and Clouded Yellow as late as 19th December. Common Blue and Large and Small White can also be seen in November.

Misha