September 2009 Sightings

[Zonda]

Saw 4 Clouded yellow
A handful of Painted ladies
Commas
Small torts
and large whites
in the Abbotsbury area today.
This little devil ran me all around the field, almost had a heart attack. Gosh the Cloudies were flighty.

Clouded yellow 003 (2).jpg (182.82 KiB) Viewed 715 times

[NickB]

..catch them when they are compromised....

...and cut down on the running
N
(Had to go and get a Clouded Yellow fix at Birling Gap/Beachy Head today - a swan-song for this fabulous season - and there were hundreds there as everyone else has commented. Met the couple who live in the house between the two CY fields and they said this was an exceptional year (and they've been there for 42 years!) perhaps with only one year in the 1990's where they have had so many as now. Fantastic - thanks to all on UKB who made the info available)

Oh and a few light-form helice around too...

[geniculata]

nice sets of images guys!

and as you say nick a great end to a fabulous season!

gary.

[Zonda]

Beachy Head is a bit far for me, still i'm happy to get any shot of CYs. Couldn't find any courting couples, so i was forced to chase them. The air was full of expletives at times,,,,you have never heard a butterfly call such things. I'm off to Slimbridge next week, doubt there'll be any there,,,just Bewick swans.

[David M]

Beachy Head is a bit far for me, still i'm happy to get any shot of CYs. Couldn't find any courting couples, so i was forced to chase them. The air was full of expletives at times,,,,you have never heard a butterfly call such things. I'm off to Slimbridge next week, doubt there'll be any there,,,just Bewick swans.

They're a bugger to get close too, although still not quite as frustrating as Dark Green Fritillaries.

Was out in the countryside late morning and saw one small copper and a handful of whites. Not seen a red admiral/tortoiseshell/comma/painted lady for a couple of weeks now.

[Ian Pratt]

Went to Newtown this afternoon. Saw 1 meadow brown, 2 small coppers and 2 very fresh painted ladies. Lovely warm sunshine- just like being abroad!

[NickB]

Beachy Head is a bit far for me...

" A bit far?" Only a 240 mile round trip for me today

PS ..a few fresh Painted Ladies too...

[Vince Massimo]

Visited my local patch at Quarry Hangers Reserve, Chaldon, Surrey late this afternoon. There were 13 Meadow Brown still about, including some fresh-looking individuals and one which was egglaying. Also 2 Small Heath, 1 Large White, 2 Speckled Wood, 3 Red Admiral and a late Holly Blue. On every visit I have been searching the numerous thistles for indications of Painted Lady larvae and finally found a single half-grown caterpillar today. I decided to take it home for its own protection because that part of the reserve is being grazed at the moment. Last week I watched a Small Copper lay a single egg on the underside of one of its usual foodplants. I have marked its location and will be keeping an eye on it to see how it develops.

Another one of my local sites is Kenley Aerodrome which abuts Kenley Common. Some of the land around the edges of the aerodrome is maintained as meadow and supports good numbers of Small Copper at the moment.

Holly Blue

Small Copper egg

Cheers,

Vince

[Zonda]

Nick said

" A bit far?" Only a 240 mile round trip for me today

Jeez,,, 240 miles round trip, if i went that far from home i'd get constipated.

[Dave McCormick]

This little devil ran me all around the field, almost had a heart attack. Gosh the Cloudies were flighty.

I remember back when I first saw them, in 2006. They were very flighty, flying faster than painted ladies that were also common here at the time. I only managed to get close to one when it was feeding on a thistle. I was able to catch one and ID it before I released it again. I remember watching one. Looked at it and saw a yellow streak as it flew over the meadow I was in, could not believe the speed it was flying.

I have not seen any butterflies in a few days, but this morning, I did happen to find this, a Pink Barred Sallow. I have read that the cats feed on willow catkins then herbacious plants, but there is no willow anywhere in the facinity where I found this, so I assume it feeds only on low growing plants?

Pink Barred Sallow

This is another new moth for me, along with this Black Rustic, the blackest moth I have ever seen:

Black Rustic

[NickB]

They're a bugger to get close too, although still not quite as frustrating as Dark Green Fritillaries.

Yes - CYs are constant movement; I arrived reasonably early and caught one or two "cold" so to speak. But it was a trip photographing Frits that convinced me that I needed a longer macro to stand-off and not disturb them. So, that was my justification for a 200mm macro. And, when you can get close, it is possible to completely fill the frame using that lens (but it shows too where your focus is off with a bigger image )
N

[Zonda]

Nice one Vince, i can't wait to see my first Holly B. The Blues in general were avoiding me this season. Only Common B's came near me, they were in the garden. I admire Dave's enthusiasm for moths, but not getting urges in their direction. I just like to sleep at night. The CYs gave me some much needed exercise, if i give up beer i could get really fit or something awful.
Nick, the only thing that is holding me back from buying a longer macro is just that fact you mentioned about having less DOF. Even on my 105mm, i cant work on f5.6 or f8 even, my eyes aren't up to that. F11 is my minimum. The pic of the CY i posted was taken at ISO 250, at f11 in bright sunshine, and was quite a heavy crop. The shutter speed would have been fairly high, to be honest i didn't notice it. Too busy stalking. Actually Nick, i've never seen any Frits. Great mating pair in Species Specific by the way. Nikonians forever!!!

[Matsukaze]

Six species in ornamental gardens in Shepton Mallet on Sunday (Small White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Red Admiral). Only Large White and Red Admiral on my arable margin transect nearby, probably as there was far less nectar to be found there.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

I re-visited Birling Gap, Sussex on Monday 28th to try to get some more photos of Clouded Yellow. Arriving at 11am, I only walked the two fields at Shooters Bottom. The conditons were overcast and a little cool, but despite this I would estimate that ther were over 200 Clouded Yellow on the wing. These were almost entirely males which were constantly patroling, making photography difficult. Hatchings are still taking place, with 4 individuals found in the grass drying their wings. Three were females, including one which was being mated and a beautiful Helice. As happened last week, flying activity started to diminish around 2pm and by the time I left, at 3pm, was very low. I got a couple of upper wing shots but they are not brilliant.

Also seen were 2 Painted Lady, 4 fresh-looking Common Blue males, 1 Meadow Brown and a Large White.

Cheers,

Vince.

[Charles Nicol]

No Clouded Yellows around here

but saw this fine Red Admiral yesterday in Spaldwick Cambs:

Charles

[Zonda]

Nice pic Charles. A good underwing shot of a Red admiral has eluded me this season so far.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

I made one final trip to Birling Gap today before the weather changes. It was quite bright by the time I arrived at 11.15am, but there was a slight northerly breeze. I would estimate that there were at least 300 Clouded Yellow flying in the two fields at Shooters Bottom. There were more females out today compared to Monday and, as the afternoon wore on, some of the males were pausing to feed. So, lots of photo opportunities, but the breeze made it difficult. There were four f.helice seen as well as a couple of newly hatched females and a mating pair. I left the site at 3.20pm.

Also seen were 8 Painted Lady, 4 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortioseshell, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Small Heath, 5 Small Copper, 3 Large White and 2 Small White.

Cheers,

Vince.

Just realised I should have started an October sightings page.

[Zonda]

Jeez,,,this Birling gap seems an extraordinary place to see CYs. Maybe next season i shall make the effort.

[NickB]

Ah Zonda - it may not be like that next year, that's the beauty!
Just a couple of Red Admiral and a Speckled Wood at lunchtime today...
N

[Dave McCormick]

Yes - CYs are constant movement; I arrived reasonably early and caught one or two "cold" so to speak. But it was a trip photographing Frits that convinced me that I needed a longer macro to stand-off and not disturb them. So, that was my justification for a 200mm macro. And, when you can get close, it is possible to completely fill the frame using that lens (but it shows too where your focus is off with a bigger image )
N

I have not had the chance with CYs but with Dark Greens, I noticed the best time to catch them is in morning, before they have warmed up enough to fly off, cause anytime after that, its not easy getting close to them, could be same for clouded yellows