September sightings

[Pete Eeles]

We did find a Small Copper with entirely black uppersides to the hindwings ...

That'll be ab. obsoleta - looking forward to the photos

Cheers,

- Pete

[Matsukaze]

Been a lovely day in Abergavenny today. Saw one Red Admiral on some Valerian (why does it always seem to grow on the tops of walls?), several Small Whites fluttering by and a solitary Speckled Wood in the park.

The plant is lime-loving and appears to find cement a suitable growing medium. In the abandoned limestone quarries around here it grows in profusion. Oddly, I've rarely seen butterflies attracted to it in numbers, though Silver Y moths love it.

I have tried seeding some of the walls locally with horseshoe vetch in the hope that it too would like the conditions, but have yet to have any success with this. A shame, as it would open interesting possibilities as regards urban Adonis Blue colonies.

[David M]

Been a lovely day in Abergavenny today. Saw one Red Admiral on some Valerian (why does it always seem to grow on the tops of walls?), several Small Whites fluttering by and a solitary Speckled Wood in the park.

The plant is lime-loving and appears to find cement a suitable growing medium. In the abandoned limestone quarries around here it grows in profusion. Oddly, I've rarely seen butterflies attracted to it in numbers, though Silver Y moths love it.

I have tried seeding some of the walls locally with horseshoe vetch in the hope that it too would like the conditions, but have yet to have any success with this. A shame, as it would open interesting possibilities as regards urban Adonis Blue colonies.

Ah! Well, you learn something new every day. It spooks me because there's absolutely no soil on these walls yet the plant thrives.

As for urban Adonis Blues, surely that's an oxymoron?

[millerd]

Is this Valerian? These little chaps were all over the stuff down near the seafront in Ventnor in June...

Dave

[Michaeljf]

Is this Valerian? These little chaps were all over the stuff down near the seafront in Ventnor in June...Dave

Yes - definitely Red Valerian, even though it looks pink!
Michael

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi,

Is this also Red Valerian?

It normally has Small Torts in residence in my mum's garden in Somerset and I've brought some cuttings home this time!

This ST was last year.

Cheers

Lee

[Jack Harrison]

Watched male Speckled Woods sparring today.

The resident male in his territory as often as not returned to very near the same spot after seeing off his rival but never to the exact spot.


He landed within a few millimetres of his previous perch.

Jack

[Vince Massimo]

This time last year I found between 500-600 Clouded Yellow in the two fields at Shooters Bottom, near Beachy Head. With ideal weather conditions forcast, including a southerly wind, I made the 100 round trip to Birling Gap in search of my two missing migrant species for this year. Arriving at 11.50, I walked both fields and found nothing except a few Small Heath and Meadow Brown. The highlight of the morning was a two-seat Spitfire making two passes at cliff height with a lucky punter in the back.

I then walked over to the east side of Horseshoe Plantation where things were a lot better and I encountered one of my target species, a single Painted Lady. Also in this area were 8 fresh Comma (including one with an aberrant underside mark), 2 Red Admiral, 1 Peacock, 2 Small Whites, 4 Small Copper, 1 female Chalkhill Blue (still looking fresh), 2 Brown Argus (including a fresh 3rd-brood female), 3 Speckled Wood, plus lots of Meadow Brown (including 5 mating pairs) and Small Heath (including a mating pair). On the way back to the car I walked through the western field at Shooters Bottom and at 2.15 saw an unmistakable flash of yellow and black fly past my ear. It did not stop, but it was definately a male Clouded Yellow, making my species total 49 for the year. I left the site at 2.30.

Number 48

Aberrant Underside Mark

Female Chalkhill Blue

Female Brown Argus (Third Brood)

Probably my last trip of the year.

Vince

[Michaeljf]

Hi, Is this also Red Valerian? Cheers Lee

Yep

[Piers]

The highlight of the morning was a two-seat Spitfire making two passes at cliff height with a lucky punter in the back.

That's rarer than your comma ab. d-album Vince, there are only a couple of these Spits in the UK..! One sold recently at auction for a shade under 2 million. Which isn't too bad considering a Merlin 70 engine will sell for £250k in good nick. People like dropping them into vintage Bentleys. Once detuned to about 1,100 bhp you have a nippy little motor on your hands...

Felix.

[Jack Harrison]

Felix said:

Vince Massimo wrote:The highlight of the morning was a two-seat Spitfire making two passes at cliff height with a lucky punter in the back.

That's rarer than your comma ab. d-album Vince

Spitfires, including the two-seat version, are not rare here. We see them all the time operating from Duxford a mere 6 miles away.

And he wasn’t a lucky b-gger in the back seat. He was a very wealthy b-gger! I believe a flight in the Carolyn Grace’s two-seat Spitfire costs something in the order of £600 for 20 minutes.

There is a chap in this village who is part owner of a single-seat Spitfire. Not infrequently he gives us an impromptu display at altitudes various. Although as a retired professional I really should know the rules about minimum heights, etc, my memory is conveniently hazy

Jack

[Vince Massimo]

Felix,

I think it was Carolyn Grace out of Goodwood.

(Edit: Fast-fingers Jack beat me to it.)

[David M]

Although as a retired professional I really should know the rules about minimum heights, etc, my memory is conveniently hazy Jack

I daresay Spitfire pilots would generally be allowed to bend these rules with relative impunity. I mean, imagine the backlash if the Daily Mail headline read "WWII fighter plane pilot fined and banned from the air for dropping 60 feet too low" (particularly if the sub headline was about benefit scroungers with 11 kids earning £100k off the taxpayer)

[millerd]

A day out of summer, so I went to Denbies for probably the last time this season. After a disappointing start with only Meadow Browns and a variety of aged female blues, things perked up. Something dark blue flashed past, looking for all the world like a Large Blue. When tracked to ground, it turned out to be a beautiful new female Adonis Blue, with far more blue than any other I have seen on this site. Soon after, I spotted the standard model, also a fresh specimen, and another, egg-laying. Next in sight was a male Chalkhill Blue, astonishingly fresh for late September, and nearby a group of half a dozen Small Coppers, also very fresh. Add to that numerous Small Heaths (more of those than anything in fact) and Brimstones of both sexes, it was a very colourful day.

[JohnR]

In the sunshine today I counted 6 Red Admirals attracted to the Michaelmas Daisies, that's the most that I have seen at one time. This one took some time out to sunbathe.

Red Admiral.jpg (39.7 KiB) Viewed 511 times

[Susie]

Although as a retired professional I really should know the rules about minimum heights, etc, my memory is conveniently hazy Jack

I daresay Spitfire pilots would generally be allowed to bend these rules with relative impunity. I mean, imagine the backlash if the Daily Mail headline read "WWII fighter plane pilot fined and banned from the air for dropping 60 feet too low" (particularly if the sub headline was about benefit scroungers with 11 kids earning £100k off the taxpayer)

I live very close by a small airfield (and it literally is little more than a field) and we have all manner of weird and wonderful craft flying over. I not sure of their originality but first world war bi-planes are not uncommon and can on occasion little more than skim the roof tops. It's always an experience as their spluttering engines go over and you wonder if they will make it this time!

[Neil Freeman]

Pushing his luck. But can butteflies see spiders' webs?

Jack

Another one pushing her luck. I was a bit worried that she may take off into the web above her but I am happy to say tha a few seconds after the photo was taken she flitted off safely.

[millerd]

Out hunting steam trains on the Mid-Hants Railway today with my kids. A sunny bank by the up platform at Ropley station hosted a Small Tortoiseshell, a Small Copper, a Red Admiral and a nice new Brown Argus. A couple of Brimstones were spotted from the train too.

Dave

[Susie]

hummingbird hawk moth, comma and small white still hanging around in the back garden today.

[David M]

Spent 2 hours in a wooded and sheltered valley near my home this afternoon. Saw 15x Speckled Wood; 9x Small Copper; 6x Small Tortoiseshell and 1x Peacock.

Do 3rd brood Small Coppers have smaller forewing spots?

Still entertaining us with their antics

Zonda's got me photographing mushrooms now! ID please?