April 2011

[IAC]

Hi all,
So far in sunny South East Scotland the season seems to be way ahead of itself. Today 1 Wall Brown male and 3 Small Copper. Speckled Wood seem to be up to speed and at peek. Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock have had a spring of springs with many females utilsing the nettle beds. Comma and Orange Tip have been uninterrupted by rain and have also had a famous few months. Red Admiral have arrived in significant numbers. Green Veined White are numerous..Large White not so. Small White have been hard to find over the past few weeks...everything running about 1 to 2 weeks ahead at the moment.

Iain.

[romansnumber7]

Hi,

my first Common Blues of the season, couple of weeks earlier than last year. (Merthyr valley)

Paul

[Bill S]

Visited a very local privately owned site this afternoon, an impressive list of species, most abundant first

Dingy Skipper (between 50 and 100)
Grizzled Skipper
Green Hairstreak
Duke of Burgundy
Holly Blue
Brimstone
Common Blue
Brown Argus
Small Heath
Small Copper
Orange Tip
Red Admiral
Pearl Bordered Fritillary

A very enjoyable afternoon, but a bit windy for good pics.

Cheers

Bill

[Zonda]

Supposedly extinct in Dorset, but five PBFs at Powerstock Common today. The theory is, they have been released.

This morning two of us Dorset lads visited Buckland Wood in Somerset. The thinking was that Dukes are appearing all over the place. Turned up zilch, but this was the consolation prize.

[David M]

Visited a very local privately owned site this afternoon, an impressive list of species, most abundant first

Dingy Skipper (between 50 and 100)
Grizzled Skipper
Green Hairstreak
Duke of Burgundy
Holly Blue
Brimstone
Common Blue
Brown Argus
Small Heath
Small Copper
Orange Tip
Red Admiral
Pearl Bordered Fritillary

A very enjoyable afternoon, but a bit windy for good pics.

Cheers

Bill

Whoever owns that land is a very lucky girl/boy.

[Bill S]

Whoever owns that land is a very lucky girl/boy.

Yes, to be honest I think the PBF was a stray from nearby Bentley Wood, although I've yet to check with the site's butterfly historian to see if there is a history of it there.

Cheers

Bill

[Gruditch]

They are resident Bill.

Regards Gruditch

[Zonda]

Hundreds of Marsh Frits reported on lower slopes of Giant's Hill Cerne Abbas yesterday. Up until now this site has been heaving with butterflies, but i don't know how the weather change today will affect the numbers.

[Neil Hulme]

More Marsh Fritillary news at viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4065&start=380
Neil

[Ian Pratt]

Seen this morning at Bonchurch Down IOW:
Orange tip 1
Dingy skipper 1
Small copper 3
Adonis blue 3
Common blue 8
Brown argus 20

[David M]

Patrolled my local patch at Swansea Vale between 1130 and 2pm today and was delighted to find several strong colonies of Dingy Skipper in the grassland near the railway line.

As I'd expected, Common Blues were on the wing (I even saw a female) and the other species seen were the usual spring suspects.

Numbers were:

1. Dingy Skipper 40-50
2. Green Veined White 30-40
3. Speckled Wood 25-35
4. Orange Tip 20-30
5. Common Blue 6
6. Peacock 5
7. Large White 2
8. Comma 1
9. Holly Blue 1
10. Small Tortoiseshell 1



Lots of Dingy Skippers today - never seen so many



Got a peek at the underside too!



First Common Blues I've seen in 2011



Speckled Woods out in force

[millerd]

A visit to Totternhoe this afternoon with children in tow, just as the sun struggled through. We saw plenty of Green Hairstreaks, sparring in and around the hawthorn scrub, and several Dingy Skippers in the more sheltered spots. On our way back I found one freshly minted Small Blue - half the size of a Green Hairstreak. I always forget just how tiny they are. There were also orange Tips, Brimstones, Green-veined Whites and Speckled Woods, but no Dukes that I could find. Suddenly, thunder echoed around the great bowl of the old chalk workings, the sky darkened, and we made it back to the car two seconds before the heavens opened. Back home at Heathrow, it was sunny, dry and very warm again.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

As the weather here in the midlands yesterday was still nice and sunny, I decided to have a drive out. I first went back over to Ryton Meadows where I visited the other day to see if there were any more Dingy Skippers out. Sure enough I soon saw about half a dozen plus a couple of Grizzled Skippers. This was followed up with half a dozen or so Green Hairstreaks buzzing about above a patch of brambles and adjacent hedgerow.

I also spotted a couple of Brown Argus, the first for me this year.

I then thought I would circle round to Sutton Park to try my luck there.
Saw a few Green Hairstreaks in a shettlered clearing in the woods but elsewhere in the park there was a cool breeze blowing and other than a few Speckled Wood and a single Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock didn't spot much else.

Neil.

[lee3764]

Visited Bunny's Hill near Bodmin in mid-Cornwall today at 3:30pm for 1 hour with my wife Lisa, Robert & Michael Slaughter and amongst mainly cloudy conditions but with hazy sunny spells saw 4 x different Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries. 1 was on the lower slope (fresh male) and 2 more males and a female on the Northern part of Bunny's Hill but to the west of the road. Photographed one but when the sun went in, why do they return up into the trees? Anyone else noticed that? Would have seen more Pearls had the weather been sunnier. Should think there is loads more to emerge when the rains return.
I would like it to be known that as I was the person who discovered that the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary exists at Bunny's Hill first on 14th May, 1998 at 5:10pm, I am very heartened that many people are taking the trouble to do their very best to ensure that this rare & also very beautiful species continues to survive on this fairly isolated piece of rough grassland not far from Bodmin Moor itself. My family could see that quite a bit of work has taken place over the winter to allow violets to grow during the Spring to provide egglaying opportunities for female Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries. Thank you!! I also understand that Gary Pilkington visited the site a couple of weeks or so ago & I am very pleased if some of the practices that he uses at his excellent Marsland Reserve are put into place & implemented at Bunny's Hill. Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries should be emerging during the next fortnight moreso to the east of the road but can still be seen anywhere across the road divided site. Anyone reading this - PLEASE VISIT BUNNY'S HILL AND ENJOY LOOKING AT & RECORDING THIS RARE & LOVELY SPECIES FOR CORNWALL BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION.
Cheers all........Lee, Lisa, Robert & Michael Slaughter (29/4/2011).

[FISHiEE]

Made my annual trip to Hod Hill to see the Marsh Fritillaries today and in the sun they were everywhere. Good mix of males and females. Most pristine, but a few had been out for a couple of days it looked like. As soon as the cloud would come over though they'd vanish and you'd think there were none at all!

Also the place was alive with Grizzled and Dingy Skippers - I don't recall seeing more than the odd one or two there before.

A few freshly emerged Brown Argus, a couple of Common Blues, Small Coppers, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip, Large and Small Whites made op the rest of the count. Didn't see Neil's Bee Hawkmoth alas - still to see one of these in the UK

I also visited Marton Down both before and after my visit to Hod Hill , Hoped to see Small Blue but no joy. Stacks more Dingy and Grizzled Skippers though plus plenty of Small Coppers, a few more Brown Argus and Common Blues too.

[AndyR]

Had a quick lunchtime trip to Buckland Wood today. Happened to met some BC members leaving who pointed me in the right direction to the Dukes, but actually from the description on the other thread would have found them. Saw 4 plus Dukes at any one time at one spot. Also saw Red Admiral, Peacock, lots of common blues, a dingy skipper, one small copper, orange tips, and speckled wood. Also up near the pub I saw lots of longhorn moths.

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[David M]

Paid a quick visit to Aberbargoed (nr. Ebbw Vale) whilst on the way to Abergavenny to see if any Marsh Fritillaries were out.

They weren't, which I guess is unsurprising given the location of this site, but there were numerous Common Blues and Dingy Skippers on the bird's foot trefoil growing on the slurry hill adjacent to the site.

This site was boggy in places when I visited last June, but it has almost completely dried out, which gives me cause for concern for the Frits when they emerge.

[Glostopcat]

I visited Prestbury Hill Nature Reserve again late this afternoon and early evening, there were plenty of Duke of Burgundys about particularly on the cowslips on the grassy slopes, Other species seen today were green hairstreak (on the hawthorn and in the trees which separate the two sites), orangetips, brimstones, common blue (my first sighting of one this year), dingy skipper, small blue, green veined white, small white, speckled wood and red admiral

[millerd]

With the promise of the seaside afterwards, I took my children to Hod Hill today, stopping at Martin Down en route. Though sunny, it was very windy, especially at Martin Down, but we saw Grizzled and Dingy Skippers there, plus Green Hairstreaks and Brimstones in particular. Hod Hill was alive with Marsh Fritillaries, though there were nearly as many Dingy Skippers. Add to that Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreaks, Common Blues, Brown Argus, Speckled Woods, Brimstones and a solitary Red Admiral at the top of the climb from the car park - a splendid selection, which definitely impressed the boys. Oh, and we did get to Studland Bay too!

The highlight was an aberrant Marsh Fritillary - which I will reserve for a separate thread. Other pictures in due course.

Dave

[Ian Pratt]

Seen today at the Photography Day at Magdalen Hill Down.