Zonda

[Piers]

That's interesting Zonda,

I have always found my best concentrations of ova just down the track from the road, before you enter the reserve proper. Is that where you saw the beast?

Felix.

[Zonda]

Yes Felix, as you go down the lane, on the left, about 30yds from the lane end. Met an elderly couple later tho, and they told me that the main BH concentration was over on the left hand side and through a gate into a lane. I think i know the lane they meant.

[thommo]

Alners Gorse through the main gate ,go down the track, at the bottom of the hill just past where you saw the brown hairstreak turn left and along that hedge there are bramlbe bushes that is where you will find white letter and purple hair streaks .

[Zonda]

That is the hedge i searched, and saw lots of PHs. I'm pretty sure that on the day i was there the WLHs were all keeping high. Thanks for the info Thommo.

[Zonda]

Flopped the flabby old body out to Alners Gorse again this morning. Still didn't see a WLH, but PHs are still showing nicely, and the BH sightings are building up daily.

[Zonda]

Today i had a little wander around DWT Higher Hyde Heath in Dorset. I noted these species:
Wall
Grayling
Brown Argus
Peacock
Red Admiral
Gatekeeper
Brimstone
Large and GV whites

[Zonda]

Today was another first sighting for me. Thrilled to bits to be given a guided tour on Portland, and saw my first ever Chalkhill Blues. Not just several,,,,,, hundreds.

[Zonda]

Had a couple of hours at Durlston yesterday. Largely clouded over, but a few periods of sunshine, when everything came to life. All the usual suspects present, with lots of fresh Adonis Blues, and some Lulworth Skippers. Didn't see a Graying, and just the one Wall Brown.It clouded over at 12.30pm and it was all downhill from then on.

[Zonda]

Good day for me today,,, got my plaque from DWT.



and a male Wall in the wild bit.

[Zonda]

Saw my first Silver-spotted Skippers today on Fontmell Down, Dorset. Managed to get a male and a female. Many thanks to Paul Butter of the Dorset Branch BC, who was our guide.

[Zonda]

Back to Alners Gorse today. Lots of butterflies in evidence except the Brown Hairstreaks. Collared my first half decent shot of a Holly Blue,,,,, only one British blue to go.

[Jack Harrison]

I make the same mistake time and time again and visit localities TOO EARLY. I missed Glanville Fritillary on the mainland this year for exactly that reason. Your observations show that Wall Browns, Lulworth Skippers, and so on, are still around long after I would have expected them to be over.

Memo to self: Take note.

By the way, they are good piccies (But we tend to take that for granted nowadays. It’s not the GOOD ones that stand out – it’s the bad ones that stand out for the wrong reasons)

Jack

[Lee Hurrell]

What's the blue you have left to see Zonda?

[Zonda]

Hya Jack.
I was thinking that maybe the BHs were all done and dusted, but perhaps not, and i just caught them hiding. Its puzzling, because conditions were pretty good, and most butterfly species were abundant and visible, but all i saw was 'flighty maybes'. Also, i arrived at 11.30 am, which is within the 11am to 3pm window that's recommended. After a while i was glad that i'd grabbed several good shots of them on the 27th and 28th of July.

PS, Been an admirer of your photographic efforts since i arrived on this site.

Lee,,,, I haven't seen a Silver-studded yet. I just missed them this season, so they'll have to wait until next year. Not done too bad tho', because last season i only had Common Blues in my album. My target list for 'lifers' is still quite long, with my biggest disappointment this year being the Green Hairstreak, which i put hours into. Gotta have something to do next year.

[Zonda]

My Garden Gates.

Not seen any abbs. among my wild garden Gatekeepers this season. Last years must have been a 'fly in'. I have enjoyed the company of 6-8 regulars.

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Zonda,

I know you don't like travelling out of Dorset but I can recommend sites for both Green Hairstreak and Silver Studded Blue on the Chilterns and Surrey heaths respectively. I'd be happy to accompany you next season if you venture northwards!

Cheers

Lee

[Zonda]

Thanks for that useful info Wurzel, i shall certainly check that sight for Green Hairstreaks next season. There are several sites near me in South Dorset where Silver-studded Blues and Green Hairstreaks occur, but this year i missed them largely because my priorities were focussed on other species. Your pics of GHs look great.

[Zonda]

Lee,,, thanks for that offer, i may take you up on it. I was only joking about getting constipated when i leave Dorset, but i may get the urge to go out of county for GHs. As far as i can gather from the Dorset BC sightings they usually occur as singles here. Whereas i was under the impression that they occurred as small colonies, or in groups of up to a dozen. I am but an amateur as regards butterflies.

[Zonda]

We seem to be in some sort of a 'quiet time' here in South Dorset. Recent visits to Alners Gorse, and Kingcombe Meadows have been ,,,, not total washouts,, but void of excitement. I noticed a lot of second brood Speckled Woods, and some Meadow browns, some tatty Small coppers, a few S Heaths, some really tatty SWFs, and not much else. I'm waiting for some Clouded Yellow sightings to manifest, and i'd quite like to see a nice pristine Comma.

[Lee Hurrell]

Cracking Speckled Wood

The Green Hairstreak site I was at in May had at least 10, probably more. They were dancing around my feet at one point!

Cheers

Lee