millerd

[millerd]

I kept an eye on the weather all morning, and around lunchtime the satellite photos showed clear blue skies hitting the south coast. I made my excuses at work and left. Soon after half past three, I arrived at Rewell Wood. For reasons unfathomable, I always park on the A29 and walk up through the trees along the very steep and currently very slippery footpath to Yewtree Gate - and then straight down the forestry track.

It was gloriously sunny, not too breezy, and there were plenty of what I had come to see - Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. When I arrived, they were very active in the sunshine, stopping only briefly to nectar. However, almost as if someone had rung a bell, they all suddenly began to congregate on the bugle flowers, feeding avidly. At one point I could see at least a dozen within a few feet of where I was standing. I paused to take a photo of one individual and found as I withdrew that three more were within a few inches of the original target. After about an hour, the behaviour changed again, and as the sun dipped, the Fritillaries left the bugle to bask on dead leaves, dry bracken, and logs. Finally, after another 20-30 minutes, they all disappeared into the sweet chestnut plantation. By half past five, I couldn't find a single one.

As well as the Pearls, I saw four or five Grizzled Skippers and a single Small Heath, but nothing else. On the drive back, I pass within five minutes of Botany Bay (Chiddingfold), so decided to drop in briefly to see if I could spot any roosting Wood Whites. I drew a blank there, but did encounter a late-flying Peacock and a Brimstone hiding under a bramble leaf.

Dave

[millerd]

Went to Winchester for the day for my smallest boy's 7th birthday outing, and as the sun miraculously appeared in the afternoon, we decided to incorporate a bit of air and countryside. Taking the scenic route home, we stopped of for a walk on Magdalene Hill Down. It was very windy and quite cool, and all we saw was a male Green-veined White, plus this amorous pair of beetles. They were a beautiful glossy black, with iridescent legs reflecting green, blue and purple - it was notable how much smaller the male was than the female. Can anyone say what they are?

Dave

[Colin Knight]

Are they Bloody-nosed beetles (Timarcha tenebricosa)?

[Mark Colvin]

Hi Dave,

Depending on size, the Bloody-nosed Beetle Timarcha tenebricosa is a likely candidate if the specimens were around 15 mm long (and I appreciate the male is smaller than the female in your picture). If smaller, around 7-8mm long, it could be Timarcha gottingensis. Generally, the elytra in T. tenebricosa appear less rugose (irregular pitting) than the image suggests.

Either could potentially be found at Magdalen Hill Down.

I hope this helps (confuses more)?

Good hunting.

Kind regards. Mark

[millerd]

Thanks Colin and Mark for the beetle info - the female was just over a cm in length and the male rather less. The shell definitely had the orange-peel look to it.

Today, despite a grey unpromising look to the sky at nine o'clock, I set off once again down to the Botany Bay end of Chiddingfold Woods, hoping for Wood Whites. I walked right across to Oaken Wood and back, and had almost given up - but not quite...

Around 1030, the sky lightened, blue bits appeared and it became distinctly warmer. As soon as the sun came out, even briefly, Wood Whites materialised from their hidng places and set about nectaring and (the males at least) investigating anything white. I counted at least six individuals, of both sexes, and watched two come together for the curious ritual that I have yet to see end in mating. On this occasion, the male abandoned the female for no apparent reason. As the sun went in for a while, another male fluttered in from some way off, unerringly homing in on the female and presumably the scent or pheremones released earlier. He settled down close to her, but there was no interaction and he left again a little while later.

While watching these two, I was joined by Colin Knight (pleased to meet you and put another name and face together, Colin! The Holly Blue had gone by the time I reached the dung incidentally...).

I returned home with just enough time to scurry round my local patch, where several Orange Tips were active, along with a couple of GVW and Holly Blues.

Dave

[millerd]

Grey skies, a stiff breeze, drizzle in the air - but at least it was warmer than recently, and around midday, you could feel warmth from the sun through thin bits in the cloud cover. Enough to provoke something into flight?

I walked around my local patch and found that a couple of Small Whites had been tempted out along with a Peacock making a brave attempt to bask (I nearly trod on it, so unexpected was its appearance). And once again, fast becoming the abiding memory of this soggy spring, the inevitable roosting Orange Tip. It's raining again as I write this, but the forecast is for three better days. I certainly hope so.

An interesting sign has appeared along my usual route. The area to the North East of J14 of the M25, between the motorway and the River Colne, has always been the richest area on my patch for butterflies in terms of variety. Over the last four years, I have seen 23 species here (and a 24th within 100 metres, as the Purple Hairstreaks live in oak trees just away from this area). There has been in past years a particularly strong Small Heath colony. I knew it was owned by BAA and is basically landscaped from spoil that came from the building of Terminal Five - I think it was one of the conditions of that construction. However, it has now acquired a name: the Heathrow Conservation Site Colne Valley. Quite what this means in reality remains to be seen, but at least BAA seem committed to maintaining it as is. I feel encouraged!

Dave

[NickMorgan]

Wow, that's a brutal looking horse stile!

[Susie]

That'll keep the wheelchair users out

[Neil Hulme]

That's right Susie, I can't see many making it over Becher's Brook. I won't be taking my mother there!
Neil

[Susie]

Nor anyone with a push chair or limited mobility. I can understand why it's necessary but it's such a shame that a few people (on scramble or quad bikes, etc, ) spoil it for many.

Apologise Millerd for hikacking your diary. Please feel free to delete my comments.

[Jack Harrison]

Superbly sharp photos Dave. What camera?

Jack

[millerd]

Yes, Susie, the obstruction is to deter bikes, but to be honest, I've never seen one. The bigger problem is local worthies with air rifles snaffling the rabbit population for the pot!

The camera, Jack, is my trusty Sony DSC-H20. Almost permanently set on "Program-Auto" with the macro on and occasional use of the 10x zoom. Anything more in the way of controls would confuse me!

(A few days behind at the moment - internet problems from a dodgy phone line...)

May 11th
It was mostly cloudy, windy and chilly when I arrived at the Dunstable Downs visitor centre. Setting off down the slope and bearing left, I headed for the sheltered gullies and watched for breaks in the cloud. Patience paid dividends - two Duke of Burgundy appeared like magic with the sun. One was new, but the other rather worn. No other butterflies braved the wind.

Later the same day...
Only five minutes later in fact, as Totternhoe Quarry is only three miles from the visitor centre. The sun was working harder now as I walked around the path to the left and across to the old chalk pits. I found both a Green Hairstreak and a Dingy Skipper sheltering in the lee of a copse, and then in one of the smaller pits (very sheltered and warm in the sun) I encountered five Dukes. They were very active, and I witnessed an amazing tussle between two that took them spiralling way up into the sky only to plummet back down just as quickly and pulling out of the dive at the last possible minute. Increasing sunshine also brought out Orange Tips of both sexes, a couple of Small Whites, a Speckled Wood and a Peacock.

May 12th
Back home, and other commitments meant just a quick walk locally, but the sunshine had brought out at least five Holly Blues, including a female frantically searching a Holly tree for flower buds. She was successful in the end.

May 13th
Still at home, and a longer walk. Even more Holly Blues were out - I counted 10 before becoming unsure whether duplication was setting in. There were numerous Orange Tips and Whites both Small and Green-veined. I also encountered my first Large White of the season. Peacocks were back out in force (I saw six), showing how they seem to be able to endure repeated bouts of inactivity in poor weather between short bursts of warmth. A check of the Small Heath colony revealed the first of the year, but just the one. I spotted only one Speckled Wood, too.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking photos Dave I really like the one of the Duke on the Primrose as it serves to remind me how small they are!

I see that you too have joined the Green Hairstreak list...less said about that the better

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Saturday May 19th
With the prospect of reasonable weather, I decided to spend the afternoon at Denbies Hillside. The first hour or so was bright rather than sunny, but quite warm and there were a few butterflies to be seen across the slopes. A few Dingy Skippers flew around somewhat lethargically, as did one or two Small Heaths and a solitary female Brimstone.

At the far (western) end of the hillside, I was following a Dingy in flight but was distracted by something smaller – a newly emerged Grizzled Skipper. Walking eastwards again, there was a flash of colour, and a male Adonis Blue crossed the path. Also new, it seemed to have slightly bent a wing on emergence. Whilst admiring this individual and taking the odd photo, I looked up to see the hitherto deserted hill now swarming with people. This turned out to be a BC outing, and from chatting to them it appeared that one or two other Adonis were out, and there were also Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak to be found.

I joined a little knot of folk enjoying one of the latter species – I’m pleased to see that the herbicide treatment of the scrub at Denbies last year has not eliminated this delightful butterfly as I had feared it might. After a pleasant conversation with a lady from Epsom whose name I didn’t catch, the BC group disappeared from the hill as quickly as they had appeared.

I stayed a while longer – well worth it as I encountered a fresh male Common Blue thinking about roosting, but still opening his wings to bask every time the sun peeped through. I hoped to find a Brown Argus doing the same, but failed, though as compensation I was unexpectedly rewarded with a selection of basking Grizzled Skippers, including two sharing a twig.

A successful afternoon: the lack of full-on bright sunshine meant the butterflies weren’t darting madly about - so photos were that much easier to come by. Overall, the Dingy Skippers were the most numerous of the species seen, with dozens out across the hillside. Small Heaths were also frequent, and it was pleasing to have counted six Grizzled Skippers.

Now, some photos. Apologies for the attempts at artistic ones with views behind the insects – I’m not sure whether these work or not.

Dave

[millerd]

20th May - cloudy and cool all day around here.

21st May
A brief foray into the local environs late this afternoon after work turned up several Orange Tips, all three of the common Whites, both male and female Brimstones, a Holly Blue and a Peacock. It was warm, and everything had suddenly speeded up. I think I've become used to lethargic butterflies!

Dave

[millerd]

22nd May

Mid-afternoon I went and had a first look at Harmondsworth Moor for 2012. There was not a great deal to see, despite very warm sunshine: two Small Heaths, a selection of whites, two or three Brimstones and Orange Tips. However, as I was on the point of leaving, I came across a Brown Argus - and then two more. However, no Common Blues were around yet.

I moved back a mile or two down the road to my home patch. This proved more fruitful, with four Small Heaths (one with an extra spot), a dozen or more male Orange Tips and several females, male and female Brimstones and all three Whites in reasonable numbers. A three-way tussle of whites resolved itself into a female Large White and males of the other two species. With respectable numbers of female Orange Tips around too, it really does become hard to distinguish them all without close scrutiny. One Speckled Wood was active in the woodland, along with numerous Holly Blues and half a dozen Peacocks carving the area up into distinct territories. Ten months old and still game for anything. Finally, I spotted a silvery shape darting amongst the wildflowers on a bit of disturbed ground that last year had been a major gas main excavation: a male Brown Argus.

I also saw this impressive dragonfly.

Dave

[Padfield]

Hi Dave,

The dragonfly is a female broad-bodied chaser, Libellula depressa. They are very impressive - like huge hornets!

Guy

[millerd]

Thanks Guy - I did indeed think it was a hornet when it first whizzed by!

Dave

[Wurzel]

I'llswap you my Common Blue for a Brown Argus-Ilove those butterflies and can't wait to see them this year.Is it just me or does the underside look very grey/silver? It's surprising how much you can forget in a couple of months!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Lovely, aren't they? They do look especially silver in flight, considering how chocolatey-brown the upperside is. This one was quite new and very silver-grey underneath.

Dave