May 2012

[NickB]

Some sun so nipped-out to see what was around - 3 Small White, a single Speckled Wood, Peacock and GVW, plus 4 Holly Blue - and a Mother Shipton moth.
Also saw the local resident Green Woodpecker...

[marmari]

On Bonchurch Down ,Isle of Wight today two Brown Argus.

[Neil Freeman]

Lovely Brown Argus photos, one of my favourite butterflies

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Female Orange-tip and Peacock in Pewsey. Male OT Upavon and Durrington, Brimstone at Enford and male OT and Holly Blue in my garden and two other butterflies but moe of that in my personal diary

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Down at Prisk Cove near Falmouth today. Had a female Wall and 2 Common Blues in lovely warm sunshine.

Sami's ankle is getting less swollen, but still no good for the LEJOG. Few more days yet!

Cheers,

Gibster.

[GOLDENORFE]

Yestetday I went to whixall moss looking for Greenhairstreaks.
Had amazing day , numbers recorded
24 greenhairstreaks, 4 peacocks,3 sml tort,15+ orange tips, 2 LG white, 2 gb white, 15 holly blue , 15 + spec wood and countless brimstones!
Over 90 butts 9 species & large red damsels also

Phil

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Phil,

I enjoyed seeing your mounting excitement on twitter as you saw butterfly after butterfly

Cheers,

Neil F.

[GOLDENORFE]

thanks neil, was so exciting after a long wait!!
but my first gh shot of 2012

[Nigel Kiteley]

That's a cracking Green Hairstreak image Phil, sounds like you had quite a day!

Cheers

Nigel.

[Nigel Kiteley]

Went over to Rodborough Common with my mates Pete Withers and Ray Seagrove today in search of the Duke of Burgundy. It was very windy when we arrived around lunchtime and the skies looked quite threatening. We walked to a sheltered spot at the foot of Bear Hill and soon found our target. Luckily there were a few breaks in the cloud and we saw around a dozen DOB's which was great as neither myself or Ray had ever seen one before today.

We also saw six or seven Dingy Skippers too.

All in all it turned out to be a very successful day.

Nigel.

[badgerbob]

A short, but great session this morning around High and Over, Seaford with plenty of Holly Blues flying near the car park along with an Orange-tip, Green Veined White, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood. I then went to look at the Wall pupa (more of this to follow) when I came accross several more Wall flying. In all approx 10 Wall Brown seen with several battles between them. All seen were males. On the scarp 2 Dingy Skippers and a Small Heath seen.

[badgerbob]

A massive change has occurred with the Wall pupa in the last 3 days. I was beginning to worry that it was not going to go the full cycle but with several Wall Brown flying today hopes went up. The following pics show the difference over the 3 weeks since 1st finding it.

[marmari]

A Glanville Fritillary seen at Wheelers Bay,isle of Wight today.

[David M]

A Glanville Fritillary seen at Wheelers Bay,isle of Wight today.

That's a good sign. First of many hopefully.

[marmari]

Let us hope so.
Generally web numbers way down this year and first emergence almost three weeks later than normal.
Pics in my PD.

[Gibster]

Four Holly Blues found mud-puddling in Luxulyan Valley, Cornwall this afternoon. Also another 2 or 3 flying through the wooded glades, plus a male Brimstone and a Small White too. Nesting Dippers and Grey Wagtails on the river, beautiful weather...very nice indeed!

Starting our Epic Butterfly Walk tomorrow (gulp!) just 1200 odd miles wandering up the country towards John O' Groats. Should be a breeze...

Cheers,

Gibster.

[Jack Harrison]

Gibster

Starting our Epic Butterfly Walk tomorrow (gulp!)

I see you posted that 9.27 pm. Surely you should have been asleep long before that if you really are planning to walk 1200 miles starting the next day?

Jack

[marmari]

I have been told by Andy Butler of Whheelers Bay,that he today saw a male Adonis Blue on Bonchurh Down.

[Willrow]

Further to David M's visit and above comments regarding Ewyas Harold Common in Herefordshire, I also popped up on Saturday morning to see what was doing at this premier Pearl-bordered Fritillary site, sadly I left the sun behind me, it was overcast and the car thermometer read 5.5C at 9.15am on arrival, I knew it was going to be a tough task locating any butterflies in such poor weather and to add to my woes large areas of the common were either waterlogged or the paths were a muddy mess that made getting about a little difficult.

I'm amazed you found any at all, Bill, given those temperatures.

Just out of interest, have you ever seen Wood Whites and Green Hairstreaks at this site?

Apologies for the late reply David, I've spent this past week on the Dyfi Estuary 'birding in the rain'. In answer to your question the short answer is no!

Caught up with my emails and a mate reports seeing around 40 Pearl-bordered Fritillary and 7 Grizzled Skipper at Ewyas Harold in the week, so not quite as grim as it appeared this time last week

Best Wishes,
Bill

[David M]

Thanks for the reply, Bill. I've spent many hours on that site without seeing either of those species although they are listed on the information boards as being present.

This morning I visited Old Castle Down (the High Brown site) but saw only 5 butterflies between 11.30 and 1pm - 3 Speckled Woods, 1 Dingy Skipper and a male Wall Brown. No Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries yet, though I suspect they won't be far away - probably next weekend.

I did see hundreds of these moths with vastly elongated antennae though. They were everywhere round the tree line:



I then stopped off at Kenfig Dunes again, where I hoped to see some more Wall Browns and maybe a few Small Blues.

Again, butterfly numbers were disappointing:

Orange Tip 4
Small Heath 3
Small Blue 2
Brimstone 1 (female)
Small Copper 1
Dingy Skipper 1
Common Blue 1

You sure know it's been raining when parts of a dune system are waterlogged! Still, the plant life hasn't suffered - these orchids were thriving:



I'd almost given up on finding Small Blues until I saw two tiny insects jousting near the top of one of the dunes. Each went his own way and one settled briefly for a photograph:



On the way back home I saw a handful of Whites fluttering along the roadside, so I stopped at Cwm Clydach for 20 minutes and was reassured to see two Small Whites along with a Peacock. Still no Large or Green Veined Whites though, although I notice that other people are reporting them on here.