dilettante

[dilettante]

Wednesday 20th July, 2011

Having been frustrated by the weather at the weekend and unable to go butterflying, I decided to take Wednesday afternoon off work when I saw the forecast was for dry, if not exactly warm or sunny, weather. I still wanted to visit Bedford Purlieus in search of White-letter Hairstreaks, which I'd only seen at a distance and not photographed. It's rather late in the season, but this was probably my last chance.

The skies were pretty heavy when I got there, but I started on the southern ride where there were plenty of valerian and marjoram flowers. I soon saw a few Meadow Browns and Ringlets, and a couple of rather elderly Silver-washed Fritillaries.

#1 Silver-washed Fritillary


#2 Ringlet


I walked up and down the ride, looking closely for WLH, but to no avail. So I decided to try to photograph the SWFs. I saw one land, lined up my camera, and then spotted a dark triangle hanging beneath a thistle head between my camera and the SWF. Yes, it was a WLH. An old and very tatty one, but I managed a couple of shots before losing it.

As the afternoon progressed, the weather brightened a little, and I soon found two more tatty WLH next to each other on some marjoram, and shortly after that a much fresher-looking one which made for much better photos.

#3 Reasonably fresh White-letter Hairstreak


Brown Argus were also quite plentiful, and good posers:

#4 Brown Argus underside...


#5 ... and upperside


I didn't realise they grew on trees though. Who knew?

#6 The Brown Argus Tree


#7 Large White


#8 Holly blue


After several hours on this one patch of ride, and with the sun getting lower, I decided to try the main Bedford Purlieus ride in search of Purple Hairstreaks. I saw a few, but only at the top of the sunlit oaks, with none venturing within range of my camera.

As I went to head home, a rather lovely Red Admiral was waiting on the gatepost next to my car:

#9 Red Admiral


A good afternoon with 15 species in all:

Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Gatekeeper
Small White
Large White
Green-veined White
Large Skipper
Silver-washed Fritillary
Red Admiral
White Admiral
Comma
White-letter Hairstreak
Purple Hairstreak
Brown Argus
Holly Blue

[ChrisC]

brown argus tree..... I want one. one of my favourite butterflies. thanks for that. made me smile that did.

Chris

[millerd]

And me! I want one too...

Brilliant.

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

Likewise Lovely image.

Cheers

Lee

[dilettante]

Saturday 23rd July 2011

Searching the Sites pages here suggested I might find Walls at Over Cutting, so I decided to combine a trip there with some exercise for the family. I loaded four bikes onto the car, and we drove to Oakington, from where we would cycle the newly paved cycle track alongside the Cambridge Guided Bus route.

As I was unloading the bikes, an orange blur caught my eye. At first I thought it was a Large Skipper, but it settled nearby - a lovely Small Copper, only my second of the year.

We started cycling up the prisitine and very smooth track, only hampered by a stiff and decidedly chilly headwind. A brief stop at a patch of flowering teasels brought us a couple of Red Admirals, a Peacock and Meadow Brown. Over Cutting, however, proved disappointing, with no sign of anything apart from Whites and Gatekeepers. So we cycled on to St Ives for tea and cake, before cycling the 8 miles back again in half the time with the wind behind us.

So not great on the butterfly front, but a fun day, and I did hear a Grasshopper Warbler and ate my first blackberries of the year (admittedly rather sour, but it is only July!)

[dilettante]

Sunday 30th July, 2011

I arrived with my family at our holiday location yesterday, and was pleased to be able to see Arnside Knott from my bedroom window! So that's where we've been today.

I didn't see any Northern Brown Argus, and the three fritillaries I saw didn't settle at all for confirmation of High Brownness.  But Scotch Argus were plentiful, a new species for me. Also plenty of Grayling, my first for a few years. And the first Painted Lady I've seen since Spring, looking in pretty good nick.

Photos will have to wait until I get home. The SAs were very frustrating to capture. I think they have very good eyesight or 'hearing', as they seemed to fly off at the slightest rustle of grass as I approached. And if they did sit still they were either behind a blade of grass, or facing away from me. Still I managed a few shots that look serviceable.

Does anyone know if Large Heath are still around? Is it worth me having a look? I don't really want to drag a slightly reluctant family across a bog for no pay-off!

The weather forecast's not looking too good for the week though, unfortunately.

[dilettante]

Wednesday 3rd August, 2011

While the kids were playing in the sand dunes at Haverigg on the Cumbrian coast, I had a wander through the scrubby dunes path along the coast. The sheltered hollows provided little heat traps that seemed ideal for butterflies and flowering plants. 

My first find was a Small Copper, one of many that I saw during the day. Having only seen two singletons so far this year, it was great to find a strong colony of these little charmers. Similarly widespread were Common Blues, mostly males darting about and seeing off rivals.

Gatekeepers were everywhere, and Meadow Browns. Also in the sandier areas there were plenty of Graylings, with their distinctive gliding and flitting flight.

I also saw a handful of Dark Green Fritillaries, mostly old and very tatty, but one or two in better shape.

In the evening, we headed to Whitbarrow NNR, a hilltop area of limestone pavement, and bracken and birch scrub. Saw three Silver-Washed Fritillaries on a bunch of knapweed in the woods on the way up, all in not bad condition. I was hoping for High Brown Fritillaries, but it was 7pm and clouding over by the time we'd got up the steep slope to the top.  There were many Small Heaths and Graylings, and a few Common Blues. I think I saw one Fritillary, but it flew past at speed so no identification was possible.

Thursday 4th August 2011

After a wet morning the sun broke through the clouds so I went back to Arnside Knott to try once more for HBF. Although I saw several fritillaries, the only ones that settled in view (and in front of my camera) were DGF. Oh well, looks like HBF will have to be for another year.

Apart from the DGF, I also saw Scotch Argus (still plentiful, still camera shy), Grayling, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Painted Lady.

[dilettante]

Tuesday 9th August 2011

In surprisingly good weather, sunny but rather windy, we walked along the lovely rocky Berwickshire coast from Coldingham Bay to St Abb's head, where I hoped to find Northern Brown Argus.

Soon after entering the St Abb's nature reserve, I saw my first Wall of the year, one of a small number I'd see during the day. Shortly after that, a lovely fresh Small Copper which I took time to photograph, not realizing this was the first of probably a hundred or more I'd see. They were everywhere!

Unfortunately, I didn't see any NBAs. As we approached the fenced off area protecting the prime NBA slope, I saw something very Argus-like fly past, but that was my only glimpse. Also there were Common Blues nearby, so I have little confidence in calling this a sighting. The weather has now turned horrible for the rest of the week, so I think that was my last chance for this year at least.

Species list for the day:
Wall
Grayling
Meadow Brown
Small Copper
Common Blue
Red Admiral
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock
Painted Lady
Small White

[Gibster]

Hi dilettante,

I've been constantly impressed by your pics in this Diary. Today I noticed that you've got a photo site. Some brilliant images in there, mate. But best of all (I thought) was the series of the female scorpion fly devouring the cranefly. Incredible. Nuff said!

Cheers,

Gibster.

[dilettante]

Thanks Gibster. That scorpion fly sequence is pretty gruesome!

[IAC]

Hi dilettante,
I am sorry to read that you did not find a Northern Brown Argus at St Abbs. I have done a huge amount of recording in Berwickshire over the past few years, and I have to say that I have never really visited St Abbs for Northern Brown Argus...and I think that is down to just how popular the site is with tourists. You have however inspired me to make an effort next year in getting to know the NBA situation at St Abbs Head. Pity about this rotten weather while you have been up here...I cant apologise for that though, as that is just the way it is

By the way, very impressed with your Brown Argus photos...especially the one on the grass head...Very nice...just a wee bit jealous.

Iain.

[dilettante]

Thanks Iain. In the unlikely event of better weather tomorrow, I might visit the Blaikie Heugh site you suggested. The frustrating thing about St Abb's is there's a sign telling you about the NBA, but the area is fenced off so you can't get in to see them. But David Newland's book says they're often seen in the long grass alongside the fence. I looked there, but obviously didn't see anything.

[dilettante]

With the recent bad weather, we had almost decieded to curtail outrholiday and head home today, but the forecast for today improved and there was some blue sky this morning, so I decided to have one last try for NBA at the Blaikie Heugh site that Iain pointed me at. He had said that unless there's an easterly I should see them, so guess which way the strong wind was blowing today? Needless to say, i didn't see any NBAs, but if I was one I wouldn't have shown myself in that weather either. I did poke around a bit in the grass and under leaves, but that only showed up one Small White and a Grayling. On the walk to and from the site, we also saw a Small Tortoiseshell, a Wall, a couple of Graylings and Meadow Browns, and a Small Copper. Not a great haul, but a pleasant walk. And we enjoyed watching the seals in Eyemouth harbour.

[Paul Wetton]

Hi

Just had a look at your photo gallery. Very impressed.

Did you write the script yourself or is it available on the web.

[dilettante]

Thanks, Paul. I didn't do any scripting or web design. I just used the gallery-based system provided by the image hosting site pbase.com.

[Paul Wetton]

OK thanks for the info

[dilettante]

Some pictures from my holiday. See earlier entries in this diary for the words to go with them!

#1 Scotch Argus at Arnside Knott. A UK first for me.


#2 Grayling at Arnside Knott


#3 High Brown Fritillary at Arnside Knott (I reported at the time it was Dark Green but was delighted to have it confirmed as High Brown by Guy and DavidM yesterday! Another first for me.)


#4 Silver-washed Fritillary near Whitbarrow NNR, Cumbria


#5 Small Tortoiseshell at St. Abb's Head, Berwickshire


#6 Small Copper at St. Abb's Head, Berwickshire

[dilettante]

Saturday 27th August 2011
En route to a weekend with my parents in Hampshire, my family and I met up with them at Denbies Hillside. Target species: Adonis Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper. The weather had been very wet all week, and now there were heavy grey clouds but also sunny spells, and rather breezy. Meadow Browns were the first to greet us, and Small Heaths and Gatekeepers. It wasn't long before we spotted our first blues, although I wasn't entirely sure whether they were Adonis or Common, not having seen Adonis before. These included this mating pair, whose identification I'm still not sure of:

#1 Common or Adonis?


There were also Brown Argus in this area. We then moved along the hillside, and soon saw the first of many Chalkhill Blues, then some indisputable Adonis males. When they catch the light, their stunning irridiscence is indeed unmistakeable:

#2 Adonis Blue male showing the irridescence


#3 Adonis Blue male


After that we went down the slope and through a gate into an area of shorter grass, where forum member celery had directed me to look for Sliver-spotted Skippers. It was quite cloudy when we arrived and not much was flying, but while sitting down with a picnic lunch, the sun returned, and I soon saw my first skipper. They're hard to follow with the eye, especially in the strong wind, and when they did land, they were usually obscured by grass. This was the best photo I managed:

#4 Silver-spotted Skipper


And I watched this one apparently laying (you can just about see the curved abdomen)

#5 Silver-spotted Skipper laying


A successful day in all, especially as I was not confident of seeing anything after the weather of the previous week. I think that's probably the last two species I'll add to my list for this year, bringing my total to a respectable 47.

[dilettante]

Saturday 1st October 2011

In the ridiculously hot October weather, I went to Hatfield Forest, Essex (near Stansted Airport). Of course butterflies were thin on the ground, but I did see a few Red Admirals, two or three Speckled Woods and a distant probable Small Tortoiseshell. Also a pair of Commas enjoying some refreshing blackberry juice:


Comma. Sony A700, Sony 100/2.8 macro, f/4, 1/160s, iso200

A surprise bonus was this Small Copper, looking in good condition - a third brooder perhaps?


Small Copper. Sony A700, Sony 100/2.8 macro, f/8, 1/200s, iso200


Small Copper. Sony A700, Sony 100/2.8 macro, f/8, 1/200s, iso200

[dilettante]

Monday 19th March 2012

At last, my first butterflies of the year, seemingly after everyone else. Three, possibly four, Commas sunning, squabbling and spiralling at Cherry Hinton nature reserve, Cambridge