Lee Hurrell

[traplican]

I am interested by the picture of the butterfly taken on Saturday 22nd May 2010 bellow the photos of the Red Kite. The butterfly looks like the Common Blue but the root spot(s) on the forewing are missing.

Chapman's Blue - Agrodiaetus thersites lives in the UK?

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Traplican,

I don't think so....I hadn't noticed anything different about it until you said! Here it is again for ease of conversation:

I had it down as a Brown Argus due to lack of cell spot and flight but now you mention it the cell spots do all seem rather small and it looks more like a Common Blue. Guy/Felix - any thoughts?
I would imagine a slight variation in the underside of a Brown Argus or Common Blue??

Cheers

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Not really! Clouded Yellow was the notable species around in 2009 that I'd not seen there in previous years.

Denbies has a splendidly long season, kicking off in April with Grizzled Skippers, Dingy Skippers and Green Hairstreaks, and winding down in October with the last Common Blues and Small Coppers. The stars are the Adonis Blues, which are generally pretty numerous, and the Silver-spotted Skippers, which aren't. They are easier to find at Box Hill. I have also seen second brood Dingy Skippers at Denbies in both 2008 and 2009, so shall be looking for them again this year.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I will try an go earlier next year to see the spring species. I've yet to see Adonis there but will go for the second brood!
You're right about Silver Spotted Skippers at Box Hill, I saw quite a few there last August.
Maybe see you there later in the year!

Cheers

Lee

[Padfield]

That's a common blue, Lee, even though it is missing the cell spot. There is a named form, icarinus, which lacks the spot and occurs frequently enough to cause some confusion on the continent, where Chapman's blue flies. It shouldn't cause confusion in the UK, where Chapman's has never been recorded, to the best of my knowledge.

Guy

EDIT - but that is definitely a common blue, and could be identified as that from the submarginal spots even if the photo had been taken abroad!

[Lee Hurrell]

Many thanks Guy.

Cheers

Lee

[Piers]

The cell spots are frequently absent in UK Common Blues, to the extent that it is not a reliable means of determining the species.

Felix.

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Felix.

That's the first one I've ever seen with a missing cell spot!

Cheers

Lee

[Susie]

I'm quite surprised you didn't see a great deal at Denbies, Mike, but I suppose this is a bit of a lull. The best species for me is the chalkhill blues and they are usually there in abundance in mid to late July. Looks like you had an amazing day anyway.

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Susie,

Did you mean me or Dave (Millerd)?

Cheers

Lee

[Susie]

Sorry for not being clearer, I meant you.

[millerd]

Yes, I did overlook the Chalkhill Blues - unforgiveable, as there are perhaps more of those than anything else from mid-July to the end of August. They were one of the 31, of course... A recommended time to go is early in the day, when they are all waking up and stretching their wings. Early evening is also good, as all the Blues (including the Brown Argus) roost on every available grass stem, and with luck you could see three different species on the same stalk, all lit by that magical atmospheric low sunlight.
Every chance of seeing me there - I try to visit once a week from about now onwards.

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

Sorry for not being clearer, I meant you.

Don't worry Susie, you were clear but had called me Mike!

Well I was there only for an hour I guess and I was hoping to see a late Adonis, having not seen one this year yet and was too early for the Chalkhills. It does sound magical though in a few week's time and I will be back!

It was an amazing day, another new species, the Silver Studded Blues were great and to be that close to a Dark Green Frit is not something I've done since childhood

Every chance of seeing me there - I try to visit once a week from about now onwards. Dave

I'll let you know as and when I go Dave.

Cheers both,

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Tuesday 29th June 2010 18.15

I walked home through West Middlesex Golf Course on the way home to search for Purple and White Letter Hairstreaks but none were to be found (yet, I hope) where I saw them last year.

I wonder if many golfers see people staring up at trees and think there are some odd people about...I was thinking of this time last year when a golfer came up to a tee only to find me crawling around on my hands and knees looking at both species

Anyway, there does seem to be a big carpet of trefoil on the course where there wasn't last year. Plenty of squirrels and rabbits gamboling about too.

And I did see a nice fresh Comma on the way out, which as I stopped to look and then moved, came to check me out and went back its perch.

[Susie]

Sorry, Lee! Don't know where I got "Mike" from, I didn't even realise I had put it, I worry about me sometimes!

I try to go to Denbies once a week or thereabouts between April and August too but have skipped a week this week as I'm concentrating on Southwater. I'll let you know when I see Chalkhills at Denbies.

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Susie, I could come down and meet you one week.

Cheers

Lee

[Lee Hurrell]

Friday 2nd July 2010

I took today off specifically to seek an audience with His Majesty. I opted for Southwater Woods, West Sussex (TQ141255) after reports from Susie, Neil and others and was not disappointed. What a lovely place

Friday morning rush hour traffic on the M25 was not kind to me and I arrived later than planned at about 10.00.

I wandered for a while and bumped into UKB member Mark Senior, with whom I spent the very enjoyable rest of the morning, sharing stories as we walked.

There were silly numbers of White Admiral and Silver Washed Fritillary - they were everywhere. We even saw a f. valesina female!

Mark and I saw a fleeting glimpse of purple and He was there. One of us said 'I wonder if Neil is here today' and lo and behold, round the next corner there he was...typically with another Purple Emperor at his feet! It was great to meet Mark today and to bump into Neil.

There was a strange and pungent smell in the air which turned out to be Neil's bait - some kind of shrimp paste. Truly awful but it worked. Here's Neil in what we all must look like in early July:

Sightings for Southwater:
2 Purple Emperor
75+ Silver Washed Fritillary, including 1 female f. valesina and another that looked intermediate
50+ White Admiral
1 Dark Green Fritillary
4 Comma
2 Small Tortoiseshell (including Vince's ab. nigrita)
1 Marbled White
100+ Meadow Brown (including a dwarf male)
50+ Ringlet
25+ Speckled Wood
1 Large White
15+ Large Skipper
5 Small Skipper

I have come to the conclusion that White Admirals are the hardest butterfly I have come across to photograph...

I dropped Mark off in Southwater where we had a swift half and he told me an interesting story about a Mazarine Blue...

I then headed to Botany Bay, Oaken Wood in Surrey (SU995338) for the afternoon where I saw:
2 Purple Emporer (one on the ground on horse dung at 16.25 - I disturbed him and he flew up to the trees )
30+ Silver Washed Fritillary
30+ White Admiral
2 Wood White
1 Comma
10+ Large Skipper
5 Small Skipper
50+ Ringlet
30+ Meadow Brown
25+ Speckled Wood

Once again the M25 was evil on my return home but I had had a fantastic day nontheless

[Pete Eeles]

I took today off specifically to seek an audience with His Majesty.

Good move - that'll be Neil then

This guy is a magnet for iris and aberrations

Cheers,

- Pete

[Lee Hurrell]

He certainly is!

[Lee Hurrell]

Saturday 3rd July 2010

We were off to Enfield overnight. Just before we left I saw a Comma, a Large White and a female Small White in the garden laying a couple of eggs on one of our lettuce plants that looked a bit like rocket that had gone to seed

[Lee Hurrell]

Sunday 4th July 2010

On return from Enfield another Large White was in the garden and another/the same (?) female Small White laying more eggs! The plants now held quite a few eggs and I will endeavour to breed them through. Does anyone know if the cats will accept other cabbage family plants after starting on one type?

I decided on the the spur of the moment to shoot up the M40 to Bernwood, still after my iris photo for this year. It was sunny in London but not so in North Bucks.

Under cloud cover and quite breezy, no Emperors were seen but I still notched up:

30+ White Admiral, including a couple courting
4 Silver Washed Fritillary
8 Comma
200+ Ringlet
15+ Meadow Brown
25+ Marbled White
25+ Speckled Wood
40+ Large Skipper
15+ Small Skipper
at least 2 Essex Skipper
1 female Common Blue

And with much patience and neck straining (they have an uncanny ability to just disappear don't they...) I got closer to the shot I was after and that I didn't manage at Southwater on Friday: