May 2010 sightings

[cjs]

Hi Chris your second picture is a Brown Argus and a very nice one too.

[walpolec]

Hi Chris your second picture is a Brown Argus and a very nice one too.

Hi cjs - lovely! Thanks for the comment and the correction to the I.D. Of course: the inevitable question - how can you tell??

Cheers

Chris

[walpolec]

Hi Chris your second picture is a Brown Argus and a very nice one too.

Hi cjs - lovely! Thanks for the comment and the correction to the I.D. Of course: the inevitable question - how can you tell??

Cheers

Chris

A little bit of research and I think I may see what you mean. Is it to do with the spots in the circle?:


Cheers

Chris

[ChrissyM]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for posting the above. I was trying to discover where the exact difference in those spots on the outer wings were and it is so much easier now you have pointed out the exact place I was trawling around after taking photo's of one here in Shropshire on Monday.

[walpolec]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for posting the above. I was trying to discover where the exact difference in those spots on the outer wings were and it is so much easier now you have pointed out the exact place I was trawling around after taking photo's of one here in Shropshire on Monday.

Hi Chrissy, You're welcome - except my suggestion is unconfirmed - still waiting for confirmation from the experts!

This is where I got my info: http://www.glaucus.org.uk/BflyBlues03.html and also here: http://issuu.com/steven_c/docs/cb-ba-id ... h-res-flat

Cheers

Chris

[Padfield]

Your id (i.e. brown argus) is correct, and the edited picture shows why quite perfectly. In common blue that pair of spots is more in line with the other spots in the series, rather than standing out like a colon.

The slight chequering of the fringe is another indicator.

Guy

[walpolec]

Your id (i.e. brown argus) is correct, and the edited picture shows why quite perfectly. In common blue that pair of spots is more in line with the other spots in the series, rather than standing out like a colon.

The slight chequering of the fringe is another indicator.

Guy

Thank you Guy

Chris

[Zonda]

Chris said

a mating pair of Dingy Skippers on a nearby plant!

And a stonking shot it is. Well caught.

[cjs]

Sorry Chris just came back on but I see you got your answer.
Happy hunting.

[walpolec]

Chris said

a mating pair of Dingy Skippers on a nearby plant!

And a stonking shot it is. Well caught.

Too kind!!

Chris

[walpolec]

Sorry Chris just came back on but I see you got your answer.

Yes, thanks.

Happy hunting.

And the same to you!

Chris

[Jonathan Evans]

At least 8 Glanville Fritillaries present at Sand Point, Somerset, today; including 1 or 2 newly emerged individuals still drying their wings. Brown Argus were very numerous, with many mating pairs. Good numbers of Common Blue and Small Copper, and 1 very sad and worn Small Tortoishell.

Jonathan

[Ian Pratt]

Has anyone seen marsh fritillaries at Hod Hill Dorset or any where else in Dorset

[dorsetguy]

Has anyone seen marsh fritillaries at Hod Hill Dorset or any where else in Dorset

Hi Ian, according to Butterfly Conservation's first sightings page they were first seen in Dorset on the 7th May. Unfortunately I haven't been able to visit this spring, but I have made a trip to Hod Hill to see the fritillaries in each of the previous 3 years between the 5th and 10th of May. Numbers varied but each time I saw plenty of fritillaries, so although I haven't heard anything I'm fairly sure that by now you'd be able to see good numbers up there
Guy

[Zonda]

Unfortunately the Dorset Butterfly Conservation website seems to be largely dormant, with no news or updates, or on-going interest at all. The 'News' feature on the site has not been up-dated for a month or more, and the sightings feature is somewhat slower than that . Very disappointed.

[Bill S]

Marsh Fritillary sighted in Bentley Wood today, together with Pearl Bordered , Small Heath and a Grizzled Skipper

Bill

[walpolec]

Visited Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire yesterday (Fri) with the hope of seeing Wood White. A 20 min walk to where I first ever saw them last year and I wasn't disappointed. I followed a likely looking small, fairly weakly (but not that weakly) fluttering beast until it settled and hey presto, the unmistakable sight:



I watched it and 2 others for about half an hour. Nice.



I think this one is the sharpest, such a shame about the distracting white blob:



Good hunting everyone this weekend, I heard somewhere the frost is returning next week 1

Chris

[NickB]

Nice ones!
Almost too hot today! Out by 8:00am on the DD today, and only had about 1/2hr where the butterflies were warming up and then it was too late! Ah well, tomorrow at 5:30am eh? Plenty of Dingies, STs, Small Heath, OTs, a few GH's , the odd Holly Blue, Peacock, Small White and Brimstone; a few CB males and lots of Brown Argus, seeing off everything that moved! Also to Burwell - added Small Copper to the list...

[Zonda]

Great couple of hours at Cerne Abbas, on Giant's hill today. Good butterfly count, and my first ever Fritillary (Marsh). There were loads on the lower sheltered slopes. Ain't got a clue what sex these are?

[Ian Pratt]

Had a great day with Helen and Paul Brock visiting a few good sites on the IOW today. Highlights apart from the red squirrels were over 200 Adonis Blues on Bonchurch Down, over 200 Glanville Fritillaries at Wheelers Bay, 8 Pearl Bordered Fritillaries in Parkhurst Forest and a good number of Small Blues at Afton plus stunning weather.