May 2012

[David M]

Another day off to study but I needed a break and went out for a couple of hours around Glais, which is 5 miles or so north of Swansea.

Given that Graylings frequent the hillsides here I wanted to see if there were any inland Wall Browns. Sadly, there weren't. In fact the only butterflies I saw in almost 2 hours on a day with cloudless skies and 20c were:

Green Veined White 7
Small Tortoiseshell 2 (one of which is new brood)
Speckled Wood 2
Small Heath 2
Common Blue 1

There was one other notable species seen in addition to these though:



I suppose it's not such a surprise given that the winds have been coming from a south easterly direction lately. This Painted Lady was a little wing damaged and eager to replenish its fuel tank. It was feeding ravenously from these flowers but every time I approached within 6 feet, it would zoom off only to return nearby. I took a few snaps with the zoom on automatic setting and left it to feed unmolested. Half an hour later though when I returned, it was still on the same patch of flowers.

[dilettante]

In fact the only butterflies I saw in almost 2 hours on a day with cloudless skies and 20c were:

I had a similar experience yesterday (Sunday). I went to Paxton Pits nature reserve (Huntingdonshire) in hot sunshine expecting to find Common Blue, Brown Argus or Small Copper, but saw virtually nothing apart from a few whites and a couple of Holly Blues.

As compensation, there were plenty of nightingales singing, and I saw a cuckoo flying low overhead.

In the water meadow section, I did see one brown butterfly that from a distance looked like a Gatekeeper or Meadow Brown, but I didn't catch up with it for a positive ID. Maybe it was just a Speckled Wood, but it was in a rather open area.

[Hoggers]

I had the pleasure of an hours' walk around the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Park Corner Heath in East Sussex this morning and was lucky enough to see around 8 or so Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries whizzing about. Fortunately for me,this one stopped off just long enough for a photograph

I also saw a Grizzled Skipper,several Brimstones, two Speckled Woods and many Small Heaths.

[ChrisC]

David M, i like the 2nd pic of the painted lady.

has there been much migration this year? the only reason i ask is i've seen 3 red admiral at 3 different sites in as many days or would these be progeny of the overwintering one?

Chris

edit: i've aswered my own question, i saw this on Portland Obs website "A few migrant butterflies as well: Painted Lady at Penn's Weare and a few new Red Admirals at the Obs"

[David M]

I think you can always be uncertain as to whether Red Admirals have been generated as a result of successful overwintering individuals, but Painted Ladies are practically an exclusively migratory species, although any appearing in late summer will probably be 'home produced'.

This one has most likely travelled a long way to get here, and perhaps was attracted to this exposed spot due to the propensity for 'hill topping'. Nice to see it regardless though, and I suspect there'll be quite a few more over the coming weeks as conditions have been favourable for them to cross the Channel lately.

[Wildmoreway]

Cerne Abbas today lots of Marsh Frits, also Adonis Blues, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and some of the tiniest Brown Arguses that I have ever seen, until they settled I thought that I was seeing Small Blues. Also met Jenks.

[Wurzel]

Took a flying visit to Bentley Wood tonight but only saw 6 butterflies

A Speckie, A Grizzlie, a Dingy, a Pearl Bordered Frit, and a Small Pearl Bordered Frit

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

Yesterday (28th), Sand Point was basking in sunshine with some sea breeze to make it very pleasant. It was my first visit there and I can recommend it as a beautiful location, with plenty of interest for both entomologists and botanists.

View West along Sand Point ridge - 28th May 2012

The Southern flower-filled slopes were literally thronged with Glanville Fritillaries. These are, of course, an introduced population but they certainly seem to be thriving at present! They were very active in the warm sunshine, so I was using a telephoto lens for most of my photographs, to avoid disturbance when they made brief pauses.

Sand Point - 28th May 2012
Nikon D300s with 300f4+1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/8 ISO400

There were also good numbers of Common Blues and Brown Argus on the slopes, together with Large and Small Whites and a few Orange Tips. The central ridge is rocky and yielded a few Wall Browns but, if the Glanvilles were difficult to approach, these were doubly so! I made use of the 'quiet mode' facility on my Nikon to avoid them taking flight whenever the shutter fired. I found it best to keep still in one favoured location and wait for the butterfly to land nearby. Again, a telephoto lens was invaluable.

Sand Point - 28th May 2012
Nikon D300s with 70-300VR - 1/750s@f/8 ISO400

After leaving Sand Point, I travelled the 30-odd miles up the M5 to Rodborough Common. It was late-afternoon and quite breezy by the time I arrived but there were several Duke of Burgundy, immediately adjacent to the car-park at SO852040.

Rodborough Common - 28th May 2012
Nikon D300s with 90mm Tamron macro - 1/125s@f/11 ISO400

Mike

[Mark Tutton]

I also took advantage of the warm conditions this evening and took a trip to Rake Bottom at Butser hill. The weather was very thundery but quite still. I wasn't disappointed recording a good number of species including large numbers of common blues and a couple of Dukes. Also tracked down a few Duke eggs following the advice of Jeremy Thomas - it worked! Just a beautiful evening made all the more memorable by a couple of inquisitive fox cubs who were intrigued by my presence .... One roost of common blues numbered at least 25+ on a small patch of forget me not also found a Wood Tiger - Mark

[RobS]

Took a flying visit to Bentley Wood tonight but only saw 6 butterflies

A Speckie, A Grizzlie, a Dingy, a Pearl Bordered Frit, a Small Pearl Bordered Frit and a Marsh Fritillary!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I was at Bentley woods all day today,mainly looking for marsh frits.,without success...you jammy so and so Wurzel.I left at about 1830 so i must have just missed you.However i did manage to see lots and lots of PBF(mainly faded ones)and SPBF(mainly newbies) during the day plus 3 Duke of Burgundy and a couple of Grizzled too.
I wasnt too disappointed about the Marsh frits though as i was at Hod Hill yesterday and they were everywhere ,along with grizzled and dingy skippers,adonis blue ,common blue,brown argus,small copper and small blue too.
a great couple of days..and 3 new butterflies for me.

all the best
rob

[Trev Sawyer]

After three trips across to Essex in search of my dream butterfly over the past couple of weeks, I finally found one!

Yeayyy!

Trev

[Reverdin]

[Willrow]

It's been a busy few days, a Marsh Fritillary count at Aberbargoed Grasslands NNR, Monmouthshire on Sunday produced around 120. Onto Rodborough Common yesterday, Duke of Burgundy around 25 seen, Adonis Blue numbers 50+, Green Hairstreak 7, Dingy Skipper 50+, Small Blue 20+, Common Blue 30+, delighted to also see my first Painted Lady of the year, the recent warm weather and helpful winds could have started a mini migration, at least lets hope!

Today a visit to Haugh Woods, Herefordshire, where I believe the Wood White probably outnumbered the Pearl-bordered Fritillary they were very busy in the warm rides and trackways of this lovely woods, I can never remember seeing more here.

Hope to do a better report on my recent excursions when I get time, perhaps it's time I did a personal diary there are never enough hours in a day when the summer sun is shining

Bill

[RobS]

Nice picture Trev...well worth the effort id say.

[AndyR]

Had a quick look at Branscombe yesterday focusing on the Wood White. A glorious day. As always happens just when I was going to give up (car parking running out) I spotted 2 males spiralling around each other and followed them along the path (definitely wood whites as I could keep up with a gentle walking pace) over the edge of the path onto the beach, where I found 4 or 5 others! I was expecting them to be in then under cliff area not directly on the beach (or within a metre of it). Also saw a Bee Hawkmoth probably a Broad-bordered judging by the light patches at its rear end. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos. 8 other common species of butterfly spotted.

[FISHiEE]

Also saw a Bee Hawkmoth probably a Broad-bordered judging by the light patches at its rear end. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos. 8 other common species of butterfly spotted.

Alas it's a Bee Fly not a Bee Hawkmoth. I'd love to see the latter in the UK.. no joy as yet though.

[selbypaul]

Made the trip to Totternhoe Knolls near Dunstable yesterday. This was the 3rd time I've visited in the past 4 years, but it was by far my most productive.

The main aim was to see both Duke of Burgundy and Small Blue. In previous visits, I'd only seen the odd very tattered Duke, but this year I must have seen circa 10 relatively fresh Dukes in only one small area (near the burnt out motorcycle). It appears they are doing pretty well (at least this year).

Small Blue were in smaller numbers. I only saw three, all very fresh looking, so I suspect they'll be building in numbers over the next few days.

There were also lots of Dingy Skippers. However, the biggest surprise to me was the profusion of Green Hairstreak. There appeared to one every five metres along nearly every hedgerow. I stopped counting at 20. Never seen so many!

[Gibster]

Yesterday (29th) we saw a Painted Lady nectaring on Red Valerian in Dunster town centre, quite severely damaged and looking rather odd with just two and a half wings remaining! Between Dunster and Watchet we counted over 30 Walls, 10 Holly Blues, 2 fresh looking Red Admirals, a few Peacocks, lots of Green-veined and Small Whites, numerous Orange-tips, a couple of Large Whites, lots of Speckled Woods and then, up on top of the Quantock Hills we saw at least 6 Small Heaths in the heathery areas and another Painted Lady nectaring on daisies.

Sami found a Purple Hairstreak larva wandering across the tarmac beneathy a large oak tree just outside Landkey a few days earlier, off to pupate no doubt.

Cheers,

Gibster.

[NickB]

After three trips across to Essex in search of my dream butterfly over the past couple of weeks, I finally found one!
Yeayyy!
Trev

[ChrisC]

After three trips across to Essex in search of my dream butterfly over the past couple of weeks, I finally found one!

GrizTarasuk.jpg

Yeayyy!

Trev

and a stunner.

Chris