Long-tailed Blue at Portland Bill, Dorset

[Jack Harrison]

....Woodbridge. He actually found the butterfly in his utility room and wisely took a photo before setting it free....

Ah, undoubtedly accidentally imported as a larva or pupa on vegetables so not a genuine self-propelled immigrant.

Jack

[Michaeljf]

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

I saw some Long-tailed blues in Cyprus earlier this year. Although they were nectaring both times I saw them, they were more difficult to photograph because it was windy at the first location (in the Akamas Peninsula) and then they were constantly on the move, twirling about (like Hairstreaks) when I saw them at the second location (in the Panagia Mountains). Unless they've lost their tails we're unlikely to confuse them with any other blues at Dorset!

I just fancy a good day down at the Portland Site..any sightings or photos of the LTB would be a bonus

Michael

Long-Tailed Blue (Underside) Akamas Peninsula (Cyprus)

Long-tailed Blue (Upperwings) Panagia Mountains (Cyprus)

[Piers]

For anyone venturing to Portland on Sunday; look for Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus) and gravitate towards it. The plant should be easy to spot and still bearing flowers (particularly Lathyrus latifolius).

The LTB oviposit on the calyces, and ova have been found on Lathyrus before in this country following sightings of adults (eg. Ranmore Common, Surrey, a few years ago)

Failing that, Broom (Cytisus) is worth checking out as the butterfly has also been associated with that plant in this country. As mentioned previousely, it's flight is somewhat hairstreak-like in a lot of respects, and should be unlike anything else flying around down on Portland at the moment.

Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens) and Lupin species are also worth checking out if either of these plants have become naturalised or are rogue upon the Wears.

Good luck to all making the pilgrimage...!

Felix.

[Gibster]

I wonder if Gibster had any luck?

Hi Zonda. Unfortunately Gibster DID NOT have any luck

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

Hi Jack. I've always had an issue keeping track of which day of the week it is...or month...just comes naturally to some folk, it seems lol

For anybody planning on visiting Portland in the near future, be warned that Weymouth is a big ugly mess of roadworks complete with diversions, temporary lights and lots of resurfacing work. If it's sunny make sure there's a drink in your car coz you'll be in for a long delay - particularly when trying to leave! Something about the 2012 Games...

I bumped into Martin Cade at Cheyne Weares and between us we scoured pretty much the whole area. Small numbers of Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue, a few Adonis Blue and 2 Holly Blue but the only things with long tails down there are the Wall Lizards! As I was leaving (I gave it 3 half hours) John Lucas took over the baton in a nearby area. No luck though. Martin knows the island extremely well. I asked if there were any BLES Pea stands in the area (I found 2 larva on this foodplant at Ranmore a few years back, both of which successfully pupated). He said not really and that it had gone over anyway. A Hummingbird Hawk was noted but not a sniff of Clouded Yellow. Lulworth Skippers have been at low frequency on Portland this summer and have apparently been generally quite tricky to find.

Still, Pec Sandpiper almost at my feet was definitely worth the tiny detour into Southwell. And I stroked an Adder at High Angle Battery, but I'm a bit mental like that anyway. So, a good day despite the traffic. Sami had to go to work - it's probably as well I didn't see anything different else she'd have thumped me, lol.

Gibster.

[Lee Hurrell]

Good luck to those going over the weekend, looking forward to the trip reports and (hopefully) the photos!

Cheers

Lee

[Michaeljf]

make sure there's a drink in your car coz you'll be in for a long delay - particularly when trying to leave!

Oh dear, sounds a bit like driving out of Gibraltar

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Zonda,
I've got the maps/route sorted and will make a final decision tonight. I'm torn between trying Portland and following a strong urge to search the Ouse Estuary Project at Newhaven, which would be an ideal spot for L-t B to turn up. Perhaps you could PM me with a mobile number (I'm 07778 306816). I'm definitely passing on Tuesday anyway (and will drop in) as I'm heading to Devon for a few days holiday.
Neil

[Padfield]

Encouraged by the UK sightings, I couldn't help setting out on my bike today to see if I could find my first Swiss LTB for 2010. Obviously, it's a much less rare creature here, a few hundred miles and a channel south of you lot, but it's still an irregular and generally scarce migrant. I found some, and thought some of my observations might be worth sharing.

Firstly, I discovered them in precisely the same part of the same field I found them in in 2009 - and only there. A group of 6-10 males had set up residency in a patch of thyme, sainfoin and birds-foot trefoil about 20m square and although I did see a couple of individuals outside that narrowly defined zone they were both zooming around and far from settled. Last year, that was the only place I found LTB. This year it is also the only place I have seen them (so far). Clearly, particular places are strong attractants and so the fact I normally find them in groups doesn't necessarily mean they migrate in groups - they might simply gravitate to these extremely localised hotspots on arrival.

Secondly, their behaviour was very interesting. I stayed there for about an hour and a half and the routine was invariant. A male would suddenly materialise out of nowhere, darting and twisting at high speed close to the ground. He would settle, and then, typically within 10 seconds, another male would similarly appear out of nowhere and dive-bomb the first. The pair of them would rise together into the sky, spiralling and sparring in a rapid vertical motion until they were both out of sight in the blue. Sometimes the same pair (presumably) would reappear at ground level and then when they got near the favoured spots would zoom up again. I saw this dozens of times. Whenever one LTB caught sight of another he would zoom at him and the pair of them would cruise up into the heights. Every pair I followed continued vertically until I could see them no more. If an LTB was disturbed by another species (Adonis, mazarine, common, short-tailed and Provençal short-tailed were all flying in the same field) they would rise 2-3m and then descend again to continue as before. It was only the combination of two LTBs that launched them into the heavens. On two occasions three LTBs set off skywards and on both occasions one of them detached from the other two and came back to the thyme. On both occasions he immediately found another LTB to harass and the new pair rocketed up. This went on constantly for the full hour and a half. In the end I sat on a rock some distance from the patch and drank a beer while watching pairs of males launch up out of the vegetation into the blue.

Needless to say, photography was almost impossible. 20 seconds was a working maximum for the length of time an individual might settle before being dive-bombed. But one did keep returning to the same sainfoin flower head every ten minutes or so, so I sat by it and got a few pictures:





Guy

[Zonda]

Useful advice for tomorrow Guy,, thanks. I can't see it happening, but i do need a pic. (nobody believes you without a pic) This behaviour is not unlike some dragonflies, where staking out a perch can be productive. Oh! By the way i met a friend of yours and a fellow Nikonian down at Swanage this weekend. Nick B (very nice man).



Sorry Nick,,, luv ya really.

[Padfield]

Guy

[Lee Hurrell]

In the end I sat on a rock some distance from the patch and drank a beer while watching pairs of males launch up out of the vegetation into the blue.

Guy,

Do you take beers into the field in your kit bag!? Lovely scenic photos as usual

If I wasn't off to Spain in a couple of weeks, where I'm likely to see LTB (I did last year), I may have been tempted on a trip south tomorrow myself!

Cheers

Lee

[Padfield]

Guy,

Do you take beers into the field in your kit bag!?

I always pack beers in my kit bag, as those who've visited me will testify! I gain immeasurable pleasure from sitting in a beautiful place, taking time over a beer and just watching whatever creatures choose to show themselves to me. Normally it's bog-standard fizzy lager from the local supermarket, but when Matt visits he often brings Old Speckled Hen or Marston's Pedigree, which can be bought in Vevey. Tomorrow I'm going on a long, high hike with a lady-friend, so after enjoying the LTBs I pedalled over to Monthey to pick up some Bombadier in the supermarket there. I wouldn't consider going up a mountain without fermented barley and hops.

It's tough being an ex-pat.

Good luck in Spain, Lee.

Guy

[NickB]

... Oh! By the way i met a friend of yours and a fellow Nikonian down at Swanage this weekend. Nick B (very nice man) Sorry Nick,,, luv ya really.

...no, must be my twin, Zonda...

[Lee Hurrell]

I always pack beers in my kit bag

Good for you Guy. Understandable too, especially as you normally cycle to sites. I have to drive so can't afford that luxury. I do normally have beers at home at the weekend though for when I am staying local.

I agree with the pleasure taken from sitting somewhere nice, taking it all in, especially when you're surrounded by butterflies!

Have a good hike tomorrow.

Lee

[Zonda]

No luck at Cheyne Weares today in gorgeous sunshine. Searched some of the more likely spots, but only spotted a few quite worn Chalkhill blues, a few Whites, and a few Common blues. Not too many butterfly folks on site this morning, mostly dog walkers and birders. Michaeljf, and his better half turned up just after me, and we walked some of the north side. Difficult and quite dangerous terrain. In the afternoon i trickled out to Higher Hyde Heath with the intention of cheering myself up a bit, and caught a Comma sucking on a blackberry, but even he didn't cooperate fully, and wouldn't show me his orange bits.

[Michaeljf]

Hi Zonda,
great pic of yours as always - great meeting you as well this morning! We've just got back to Wales - we visited Ballard Down (nr Swanage) after leaving Portland Bill, though the traffic was a bit icky, both around Weymouth and Corfe Castle. Ballard Down was still great for Adonis Blues, despite the marjoram flowers being nearer the end of it's flowering period. I'll put a few pictures - when done - on the sightings page. Got to catch some dinner now!
Michael

p.s. Still no sign of Clouded Yellows at Ballard Down either, though the weather did cloud over a bit mid-afternoon...

[Padfield]

I'm sorry you missed it/them, but as you were aware it was a very long shot.

A bit off topic, but I had to share this, especially as we were talking about your LTB mission while we sat at the top of the mountain. This is Bombadier premium bitter at 3000m (2969m to be precise):



In the end, we just shared a single bottle, because the terrain was too dangerous to risk getting even a little tipsy and we had climbed up from 1500m. You don't want to lose your footing on a shale traverse like this:



Not that it bothered the ibex:



OK, back to long-tailed blues.

Guy

[millerd]

I just had to lie down with vertigo from just looking at those pictures...
(and a bottle of London Pride to soothe the nerves)

Dave

[Michaeljf]

Now if you'd pulled out a nice flask of hot Tea after that long trek I'd really be impressed!

[Lee Hurrell]

Guy, wow! I bet the view was fantastic apart from the clouds...

Any leps up that high, or is it too late now?

I'm off for a stiff drink

Lee