August Sighting 2010

[NickB]

No rings at all. Ian

...more of a Ringless than a Ringlet.....

[Jonathan Evans]

I saw my first Lulworth Skippers yesterday at Durlston Country Park, Dorset . Was surprised at just how teeny-weeny they are . Many thanks to a very helpful ranger, who certainly knew where the main concentration could be found. I saw about 20 during the time I was there- a long journey but well worth it.

Jon

[Zonda]

Nice shots Jonathan,, i was going to go for the Lulworth on Durlston this Thursday, but changed my mind and decided to have a last ditch attempt at the Alners Gorse White-letter HSs that have eluded me thus far, and have peaked. May get to Durlston soon tho, as i've never seen a Lulworth Skipper. And soon i'll have to be off to Fontmell Down to try and capture some shots of Silver-spotted Skippers. There is a BC guided tour this month.

[Jack Harrison]

Absolutely amazing numbers of Common Blue and Brown Argus in Great Chishill meadows, my superb local patch. In one stretch of 100 metres I counted approx 100 Blues and about half that number of Brown Argus enjoying Knapweed and other nectar sources. Total numbers in these meadows is probably measured in thousands. South Cambridgeshire is not alone in the population explosion; I have seen (and heard of) similar numbers elsewhere. Females with extensive blue on the wings were numerous.

Jack

[Jonathan Evans]

May get to Durlston soon tho, as i've never seen a Lulworth Skipper.

Pick a sunny day- it really does help

[Piers]

Very good numbers of second brood Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary are being reported from Cornwall this year.

Felix.

[NickB]

Spotted by my brother and sister yesterday on the Kew Gardens Tree-top Walk ....

N

[Perseus]

Hello,

9 August 2010
Sometimes a cloudy overcast day is good for photographing butterflies as they may remain still for just that fraction longer. On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, 68 male Chalkhill Blues and 53 male Adonis Blues recorded in the 1.2 acre transect in 25 minutes. There were twelve Wall Browns seen on Mill Hill, over 200 Common Blues and frequent Brown Argus. A Hornet Robber Fly landed on Mill Hill.




Twelve butterfly species were seen in the middle of the day and one more later on.

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2010.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2010.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: August 2010
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/August2010.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316

[Jack Harrison]

Nick’s Kew Gardens hairstreak has prompted me to add this.

This is Povey Cross where Neil and I looked - with success - for Brown Hairstreaks a week ago. Notice how amazingly close it is to Gatwick Airport car parks, but it is a really peaceful spot by the River Mole. Aircraft noise in the sheltered valley was hardly noticeable; the most significant sound was made by the shuttle busses and various trucks going about their airport business.

And as someone recently reminded us, there was the WL Hairstreak on TV from the Wimbledon Tennis in 2009. And I seem to recall that one was seen outside the Natural History Museum in Kensington two or three years ago.

I live in the country. I seem to be missing out!

Jack

[NickB]

It just goes to show how under-reported the Hairstreaks as a group may be.....
The National WLH Project may throw some light on this.
N

[Essex Bertie]

I had similar trouble finding Lulworth Skippers on Sunday. I had been told that the small area above Stair Hole was good as the grass was long here. Numbers have plummeted nearby due to a lot more areas being grazed. I didn't find any here, perhaps due to the breeze, neither did I see any at Durdle Door or high up above Lulworth Cove. I finally found a few at the bottom of Bindon Hill at 5.30pm catching the evening rays around some gorse at SY839800 - very lucky. So the recommendation must be Durlston CP.

Earlier at Alners Gorse, it was warm but quickly became overcast. The lower areas seem good when it's sunny, but I was directed back to two Brown Hairstreaks on the tall bramble west at the bottom of the entrance slope - there are two or three scallops in the bramble at ST73691018 where the WL Hairstreaks have been photographed recently, but a couple of Browns seem to have taken over this patch. The gentleman conducting the transect also found a male Wall by the road entrance - a first for the site.

Bertie

[Jack Harrison]

A few years ago, I posted a similar observation on another Lepidoptera interest web group. It resulted in me being banned permanently.

This evening, I was sitting outside on the patio when a Holly Blue flew past. (In the earlier episode it was a Red Admiral, but that is irrelevant). I posted my observation and then told a little story; it was this that got me banned.

Two 13 year old girls were discussing their weekends on the Monday morning.

“Oh your parents had a party on Saturday. How did it go?”

“Well, it must have been a success. I found a used condom on the patio”

“What’s a patio?”

The moderator of the web group objected to my coarseness to which I replied that he was a “stuffy old fart”. It was the insult to the moderator that proved too much and I was banned!

Jack

[NickB]

..disgusting
Pete, Pete.......ban the old fart!

[Jack Harrison]

This fellow was in the shower tray this morning. Goodness knows how he got there.

Jack

[Pete Eeles]

This fellow was in the shower tray this morning. Goodness knows how he got there.

With an ovipositor like that, I believe you're looking at a "she" and not a "he"

Cheers,

- Pete

[Pete Eeles]

..disgusting
Pete, Pete.......ban the old fart!

I think we've seen worse. And some of those aren't even from Jack Who, by the way, hasn't insulted a moderator as far as I know

Cheers,

- Pete

[Piers]

With an ovipositor like that, I believe you're looking at a "she" and not a "he"

Hmmm.
Reminds me of a similarly confusing situation that I encountered on a 'gentleman's excursion' to Thailand...

[Pete Eeles]

With an ovipositor like that, I believe you're looking at a "she" and not a "he"

Hmmm.
Reminds me of a similarly confusing situation that I encountered on a 'gentleman's excursion' to Thailand...

True - I guess Jack was concentrating on the face and thorax

Cheers,

- Pete

[NickB]

..disgusting
Pete, Pete.......ban the old fart!

I think we've seen worse.......
Cheers,
- Pete

I think I'm one of those you refer to Pete

..... insulted a moderator......
Cheers,
- Pete

Now I know you mean me....

EDIT: ....meanwhile back in the world of sightings....
In the Cemetery today.....Several Large and Small Whites, with good numbers of GVW too. The odd Red Admiral, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood...and the first of the second brood Brown Argus in there. Plus....

The Terminator.....

Arnie is back.....and still at it....but at least today I saw a female CB on his patch so he may be happier now

[Jack Harrison]

Guy wrote on 11th August in anotherthread:

...I also saw a clouded yellow in Suffolk today, only my third of the year!!...

Clouded Yellow still eludes me this year. My last real success was in September 2007 also in Suffolk at Landguard Point, Felixstowe. I went to same spot last year in ideal weather but no luck. (But I did see one tatty individual a few days later on the North Norfolk coast).

So as you are much closer than I am (not quite sure where in Suffolk you are at present Guy), you might find Landguard worth a visit. Let us know if you have any luck.

Jack