April 2012

[John W]

Visited the famous lanes near Five Oaks on Friday and saw lots of Orange Tips, all male though. Also one Small White, a male Brimstone and a Holly Blue. It's funny, I don't know of any particular spots to find Holly Blues, they always just pop up at random.

[badgerbob]

A short visit to High and Over yesterday morning before work produced 3 grizzled Skippers, an early record for this site as the North wind generally blows here!! Other than that 3 Speckled Wood showing. 2 were newly emerged and only flying weakly, 1 allowing a couple of shots. Other species seen were single Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Peacock.

[Mark Tutton]

Just had a look at the photos posted on hants bc of the large tortoiseshell seen at Walters copse by Sue Davies on 2 April and it seems that it is a different one from Paul's. Took advantage of the sun yesterday and went to buster hill. Half a dozen Grizzled Skippers, Orange Tips and a welcome Small Tortoiseshell. No Dingy or Green hairstreak but good views of Ring Ouzel, Red Kite and Hobby. Looks like that's it for the sun over Easter Mark T

[Gibster]

Apologies All that this sighting pertains to a moff, but....

a single Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata in my hallway last night. The flight phenology tables indicate that June/July are the usual months for the adult stage of this species. So, either a freak (possibly indoors bred) occurence, or this season really has gone utterly barmy. Any April White Admirals out there..?

Gibster.

[Matsukaze]

Hi Gibster,

Found the larva of the Drinker moth on Friday, the earliest I have seen it - and at 1300 ft to boot.

[Dave McCormick]

So far seen lots of cuckoo flowers about, but no orange-tips. Wanted to look for green hairstreaks but the weather hasn't been great. Was sunny yesterday morning for around 2 hours then it tried to rain. I wouldn't mind if it actually rained heavy as its been so dry the past few weeks with only the odd drizzle. Humidity has been real low too. Have a free day on tuesday, hoping the weather is at least sunny then so I can find a butterfly somewhere.

[adrian riley]

News from Norfolk

There is no news from Norfolk. Spring appears to have been cancelled!

Adrian Riley http://www.bugalert.net

[David M]

At least it's the same everywhere, Adrian. The worst thing is when your part of the country is soaking wet (usually us here in Wales) at the same time as others are enjoying dry, sunny and warm weather.

[Hugh Middleton]

Saw my first Orange Tip of the year yesterday at Skylarks reserve at Holme Pierrenport, Nottingham.
Was unexpected as the weather was poor and I'd only gone out for an hour after a family lunch. It was the only butterfly seen but lots of Chiffchaffs.

Hugh

[Rebecca]

Wet and windy here like most of the country today. No butterflying but good for plant life. Now up to 9 butterfly types seen after seeing my first GVW of the year last week.
Finally got pictures of a male orange tip. I got my camera in May last year and so missed out on Male orange tip pics. This year I either haven't had my camera on me or the little blighters wouldn't stay still and i could be seen chasing after them like a complete madwoman. But on Friday one lovely chap was very obliging and stayed still and posed for me.




Starting to plan trips out to see butterflys that I haven't seen before. Can anyone recommend a good place for Green hairstreaks in Somerset? Maybe Dorset or Wiltshire? Thanks.

[David M]

I got my camera in May last year and so missed out on Male orange tip pics.

Initially, I thought that statement couldn't be right....then I remembered - last year, Orange Tips were totally spent by late April due to the heatwave. Looks like they'll hang on a while longer this time round!

[NickB]

Wet and windy here like most of the country today. No butterflying but good for plant life. Now up to 9 butterfly types seen after seeing my first GVW of the year last week.
Finally got pictures of a male orange tip. I got my camera in May last year and so missed out on Male orange tip pics. This year I either haven't had my camera on me or the little blighters wouldn't stay still and i could be seen chasing after them like a complete madwoman. But on Friday one lovely chap was very obliging and stayed still and posed for me.



Starting to plan trips out to see butterflys that I haven't seen before. Can anyone recommend a good place for Green hairstreaks in Somerset? Maybe Dorset or Wiltshire? Thanks.

Hi
Try Butterfly Conservation Somerset and Bristol site:
http://www.somerset-butterflies.org.uk/Haddon_Moor.htm
N

[Matsukaze]

Hi Rebecca,

For Green Hairstreaks in Somerset, I would try the Blackdowns - Buckland Wood or Thurlbear Quarrylands (if there is still public access at the latter site). They seem to be widely distributed on Exmoor as well, though I don't know of any specific sites (and they surely will not have emerged there yet in any case). They ought to fly on the chalk in Wiltshire and Dorset, and possibly in the Blackmore Vale at places like Alner's Gorse - can anyone confirm this?

Edit - just checked the Somerset transect returns for 2011 - I would try one of the following, depending on where in the county you are - Hatch Hill in the Poldens, Bossington on the coast near Minehead, or Walton Common between Bristol and Clevedon.

[Rebecca]

Thank you for your replies, very helpful. I've been checking my 50 Butterfly walks in Somerset & Bristol book and there are a few sites in there but I always like a recommendation from anyone who knows the sites.

Got a few days out planned, just got to wait for the weather to sort itself out!

[Rebecca]

Hi Rebecca,

For Green Hairstreaks in Somerset, I would try the Blackdowns - Buckland Wood or Thurlbear Quarrylands (if there is still public access at the latter site). They seem to be widely distributed on Exmoor as well, though I don't know of any specific sites (and they surely will not have emerged there yet in any case). They ought to fly on the chalk in Wiltshire and Dorset, and possibly in the Blackmore Vale at places like Alner's Gorse - can anyone confirm this?

Edit - just checked the Somerset transect returns for 2011 - I would try one of the following, depending on where in the county you are - Hatch Hill in the Poldens, Bossington on the coast near Minehead, or Walton Common between Bristol and Clevedon.

Hello Matsukaze. I'm in the East of the county. It does look as if the green hairstreaks are all over to the western side. Thank you for your help.

[David M]

I would try one of the following, depending on where in the county you are - Hatch Hill in the Poldens, Bossington on the coast near Minehead, or Walton Common between Bristol and Clevedon.

I saw a handful at Bin Combe last May when checking out the Heath Fritillary colonies. If you want to kill two birds with one stone then this may be worth considering. Failing that, a trip into Gloucestershire to the DOB site at Cleeve Common would guarantee you a sighting or ten.

[millerd]

I saw my first ever Green Hairstreaks near Crowcombe Park Gate on the Quantocks - but that was 40 years ago, and things may have changed a bit. It used to be gloriously wild up there.

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

A 4 day weekend. Not a sniff of a butterfly. At all.
Enough cold and drizzle to ruin the whole weekend. Not enough rain here in East Anglia to do any good.

[David M]

A 4 day weekend. Not a sniff of a butterfly. At all.
Enough cold and drizzle to ruin the whole weekend. Not enough rain here in East Anglia to do any good.

You've got to be joking?

There's been enough rain in S. Wales today to replenish every reservoir in the bloody south east!!

The local golf course was waterlogged by early afternoon today!

[essexbuzzard]

I know,and i'm sorry for you folks in the west,who must be quite fed-up with all this talk of a supposed shortage!!
It seems to be only a very small area in the east that need a soaking. Spitting all day sunday and today. Scarcely enough to wet the ground.