Long-tailed Blue at Portland Bill, Dorset

[Gibster]

Hi all,

A Long-tailed Blue was seen and photographed at Cheyne Weares on Portland yesterday - 10th September. Difficult to say, the pictures aren't great, but I think it's a male. Check it out at http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm

I'm off for it now, fingers crossed!!!!! Birdwise they've had good numbers of passage migrants including Wrynecks and an Icterine Warbler plus Convolvulus and Silver-striped Hawks so the supporting cast is impressive.

All the best, and good luck if you go!

Gibster.

PS - Glossy Ibis at nearby Lodmoor for all you twitchers! I'd say Rose-coloured Starling is an almost certain in next few days.

[Padfield]

Hi Gibster,

That's a female. It's a great sighting, and your post coincides with my receiving a report (confirmed with a photo) of a long-tailed blue in Suffolk.

In my experience this species migrates en masse, arriving at Swiss sites in dozens rather than singly. Obviously, they will have dispersed more by the time they reach the UK but it's definitely worth checking out stands of sweet peas or (best of all) bladder senna in places they have been reported.

Guy

EDIT: re the sex, females often show quite a lot of blue at the base of the wings, like this one from Switzerland:

[Matsukaze]

Does the Long-tailed Blue take an interest in stands of narrow-leaved everlasting-pea? Might be worth keeping an eye out for it.

[Michaeljf]

I must be missing something - whenever I go to the Portland site, I can't see the photos of the LTBlue. Instead the link takes me to the latest news on the Pectoral Sandpiper. I've even refreshed the page, gone to the home site, visited the Natural History page. Do the rest of you have private access?!
Michael

[Zonda]

Hya Michael, you are on the right page,,,, scroll down and read the writing underneath the pic of the Striped Hawkmoth.

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Folks

Has anyone been to Portland to look for the LTB and if so does anyone have any accurate directions of where to find it, what area is it in. I can't find any good reference to Cheyne Weares on the net. Thanks in advance.

Hi Michael are you planning a trip to Portland this weekend. I may be heading that way on Sunday as the weather is better than Saturday.

Paul

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Michael, Paul, Zonda etc,
I'm hoping for similar info as I might be tempted to invade Dorset. I'd be surprised if there was only one around.
Neil

[Zonda]

I'll volunteer to be the guide, as i know where Cheyne Weares is. If you can all get to Dorchester Tescos car park by 10am Sunday, we can be on the site by 10.30am. I'll wait by the breast screening caravan from 9.45 till 10.00. I'll put up a streetmap page for Dorchester Tescos. Never know,,, may be a few Clouded Yellows about.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=36 ... 89195&lm=0
Right next to the A35

[Michaeljf]

Thanks all for the info...and clicked on the link to the LTB photos
I'm not sure what I'll be doing Sunday yet. We were half-tempted by Swanage - and not sure if the sun was going to get down that end of the country - and also half-tempted at staying in Wales (good God!!) but at 2hrs 39min on the multimap router (OK, only up to the Tescos meeting) Portland Bill may yet tempt me (bound to take a shorter time if we start off before 7am ). Zonda's invite is lovely, but if we're going we will probably try and get to the site earlier than 10:30...as half the day is gone by then!!!
Michael

P.S. the Striped Hawkmoth pic is lovely too...

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Zonda,
Will keep eyes on weather and let you know if I'm coming on Saturday.
Neil

[Zonda]

I can do earlier,,, i was just thinking of the far away folks. I'm open for feedback on this if we can do it better. A good place to meet up would be on the Weymouth to Portland causeway at the RSPB observatory. Hmmm! I wonder if Gibster had any luck?

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Zonda

I'm hoping to get there a bit earlier as I'm hoping to try Mill Hill in Sussex again for Clouded Yellow. I'll need to try both on Sunday due to the weather and being back at work on Monday.
As I'm heading down from Nottingham I may be on Portland by 9 in the morning. If you could give me some directions for Cheyne Weares and where the butterflies are likely to be I would be extremely grateful. We'll probably still be there when you arrive so I'll look out for anyone checking the area out for butterflies. The more observers the better the chances of finding something I guess.

Thanks again

Paul

[Paul Wetton]

Looks like we both posted a message at the same time Zonda.

if you are all meeting up earlier and closer to the spot I'll try and meet with you all. Let me know a definite meet and time and I'll confirm.

Regards

Paul

[Zonda]

This is the car park you need to locate.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=36 ... 70480&lm=0

Just seen local weather forecast, and Sunday is definitely the best day. So we are all on our own then, hope to see some of you there. The Tesco meet is off.

[Michaeljf]

Looks like a 3 hour drive (via multimap) which probably means about 2 and a half hours first thing. Zonda - thanks for the Car Park destination. We shall see

[Zonda]

I hope this is not my Don Quixote weekend, and i'm not tilting at LTB windmills. Good luck all.

[Jack Harrison]

Saturday’s weather is a bit iffy, especially the morning. It should be fine on Sunday.

No one (as far as I can see) has given any follow up on the report from the Suffolk Coast. That would be within sensible distance for me.

By the way, I laughed at the original posting dated 9th September:

... seen and photographed at Cheyne Weares on Portland yesterday - 10th September...

Now that's what I call optimism

Jack

[Vince Massimo]

I have just got back from Dorset not knowing about the Long-tailed Blue, but could not have got down to Portland for it anyway.

Just to let everyone know, I saw no Lulworth Skipper, Painted Lady or Clouded Yellow at either Durlston Country Park or Ballard Down on any of my many visits during the past week. However there were literally hundreds of second-brood Adonis Blue at Ballard Down, mainly concentrated in a small area at SZ023811, directly opposite the entrance path which is accessed from the lay-by. Females greatly outnumber the males and are in better condition, some of them exhibiting interesting colour variations. Photos to be posted during the weekend.

Good luck to everobody who tries for the Long-tailed Blue.

Vince

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Zonda

Thanks for the map showing where the car park is. Any ideas on where would be good to walk from there as I've never visited the area before.

Advice appreciated.

Paul

[Padfield]

No one (as far as I can see) has given any follow up on the report from the Suffolk Coast. That would be within sensible distance for me.

The record was from a friend of mine who lives in Woodbridge. He actually found the butterfly in his utility room and wisely took a photo before setting it free. I told him to submit the record to Suffolk BC and gave him the appropriate e-mail address. I'm afraid I can't really say more, except that it was very definitely a long-tailed blue.

I saw a long-tailed blue near Ufford in 2007 but I didn't submit that record because I only saw it in flight and I knew a flight record wouldn't be accepted (rightly) for such a rare species. HOWEVER, those hoping to see the Portland one or its friends should be aware that this is a very easy flight ID. Looking for a Lycaenid that flies extremely fast in jagged or spiral paths will help them restrict their chasing to likely suspects!

Guy