Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Pauline for your kind comments – I think you might have inspired me to actually think a bit more about the shots that I’m taking rather than just clicking away.

Cheers CJB - I’m sure you’ll be able to get out soon – I sometimes take 10 minutes out on the way home – don’t tell the wife...

Cheers Neil you Grockle! It’s a great word isn’t it and it’s nice to be part of a culture that can use it. PM us nearer the time and if I’m around I might be able to point you in the direction of some bits and bobs.

Cheers Chris for the info! On Monday I made another visit to Slop Bog. It was warmer and there was less wind than on my previous visit but there will still no butterflies. None, not even a Speckled Wood to greet me when I arrived! I checked and the Silver Studded Blues have just started emerging on Portland (Tout Quarry) and Adrian Riley suggests that the mainland population on the Dorset Heaths emerge a fortnight or so later so I’ll try again in a week. I’ll also try again during the morning in case they are early birds like Greenstreaks seem to be (cheers again for that tip Rosalyn).
So to console myself after striking a blank at Slop Bog I came back and looked through some photos from my visit to Lulworth – bathing in the glory of past victories as it were...
It seemed that in my excitement at finding Lulworth Skippers I’d totally ignored the photos that I’d taken west of the car park. As the path winds up the hill to Stair Hole, Dungy Head and the Durdle Door the white chalk is framed on either side by the long grasses as well as being dotted with wheezing bodies going up and accelerating bodies coming down. I thought that as I had another hour on the car parking it would be a shame to leave early so I’d have a little mooch around on the western side of the cove. Again I decided to steer clear of the grockles and followed a short path that hugged the lower edge of the hill. The grasses here rubbed against your knees as passed by and there was a good mix of wild flowers – and butterflies.

Before getting some photos I crouched down for 10 minutes to enjoy the spectacle. A Common Blue passed by all showy and then slunk away again as Adonis Blues took to the air and put him to shame! A pair of Brown Argus were locked in an amorous embrace and a Small Blue would occasionally put in an appearance looking tired and worn. A Peacock appeared as if by magic and then disappeared never to be seen again. Having taken all this in I then set about trying to capture on “film” what I’d just witnessed.
I couldn’t find the Common Blue again but the Adonis were more than willing to pose (they are the posers of the blue family after all).

The Brown Argus were easy to find as they were still locked together slap bang in the middle of the path and I gingerly encouraged them to move a little to the left.

On my searches I also encountered Skippers -Dingy, more Lulworths and one male golden Skipper that I am unsure of still. It doesn’t have a noticeably kink in the sex brand like a Small Skipper, but also doesn’t appear to have the crescent of a Lulworth. Because of the sex brand I tentatively went with Lulworth...and probably because I was used to seeing them.

Small/Lulworth? Lulworth?

So that was Lulworth and it’s still getting me through the week now ...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Wurzel,

I would say it is a Lulworth Skipper, because the underneath of the antennae is dark rather than white with a orange tip to the antennae, which cancels out Small skipper. Really enjoy reading your posts, keep it up.

All the best, Nick.

[Debbie]

Just having time to catch up with your diary and as always simply lovely pictures.
Debbie

[Wurzel]

Cheers for your kind comments Debbie

Cheers Nick for the ID help - I couldn't find much info about using the antennae for differentiating between Lulworth and Small , but loads about Essex and Small. Could I ask which source you used? Cheers.

A sunny walk with three generations of the family Wurzel was a prime opportunity to check out Garston Wood for White Admirals and Silver Washed Fritillaries. They’re showing elsewhere but as seems to be the way in this area of the country they aren’t about where I go!
Still there were butterflies around in the recently cleared area to the left of the car park. I say recently cleared and really I mean cleared last year, now it’s full of wild flowers, brambles, Hawthorns and large thistles – absolutely brilliant for butterflies with the additional bonus of strategically placed picnic tables. There were one or two Meadow Brown near the start of the walk and then after climbing over a recently fallen tree along the “hedges” more and more butterflies appeared. A Speckled Wood flew up the path towards me, circled my head and then landed by my right hand, could they be any more welcoming!

A few Small Heaths were about and then a white joined the mixture of browns and oranges only it wasn’t a butterfly but a moth, what I believe is a Treble Bar.

But among the sunny breaks the real stars were the Meadow Browns. They were their usual flighty selves but were a joy to watch as the sun would catch their bodies and change their hue. I managed to get a range of underside shots showing part of the range in the spotting on the hind wings. I found 1 spot, 2 spots (which actually had orange centres so were almost eyes) and three spots – next I need a 4 or 5 spotter for the complete collection. I was also happy to get an underside view of my “stained glass” style. Bu the real gem was a classic open wing which clearly shows the sex brand but also the range of hues present on the wings when the light catches them right – greens and purples, almost an oil sheen and this from the “ordinary brown”.

Once through the gate into the more wooded area butterflies became harder to see. My hotspot from last year wasn’t even tepid, but hopefully in a weak or two it will be back up to temperature! Whilst there weren’t many butterflies here there were these large flies around which gave a nasty bite – some species from the genus Tabanus, possibly bovinus.

Once the girls had found fairy doors and my younger daughter had “put on a show” while we sat on one of the benches and listened to her story and songs, we found ourselves back at the car park, where a Speckled Wood was there to send us on the way.

And so ended a day when the ordinary became just as splendid as any great rarity and outshone the spectacular species.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

I love your Pic's Worzal, no sign of Meadow Browns here yet, the weather has been awful. I'm off to Kent next so hope fot better weather. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

A nice report and photos well up to your usual standard

Meadow Browns only just getting started round my neck of the woods along with Ringlets and Large skippers.

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Gothic_dreams]

Some more lovely photos Wurzel, love the colouring in the Meadow Brown

Chris

[Wurzel]

Cheers for your kind comment Goldie - good luck in Kent
Cheers Neil and Chris for your kind comments too - things are quite slow in this neck of the woods as well, we seem to be about 2 weeks behind the rest of the south so Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites etc are only just emerging...

My usual Wednesday night butterfly foray had a change of venue. Normally I drop Kitty off at Rainbows and head over to Five Rives for 52 minutes before heading back to pick her up. This week however the Rainbows were at Old Sarum so having dropped Kitty off tonight I stayed and set off round the rings.
They reminded me of the rings at Hod Hill only much steeper and one advantage of this was that the wind in the bottom of the rings was non-existent. The downside was that the butterflies seemed to delight in perching half way up so you took your life into your hands every time you tried to get a shot and more than once I’d lean slightly too far and end up running/stumbling/falling back down the side of the hill. There were one or two of Meadow Browns and Large Skippers around but they didn’t pose for long at the bottom.

A Yellow Shell followed me around for a bit and then lots of large reddy things kept erupting form the undergrowth as I passed. The first one I saw reminded me of a Red Admiral due to it’s strong, circuitous flight but I soon found some perched individuals so I was able to identify them as Scarlet Tigers and there were loads of them.

A little further round the sun came out and so I climbed out of the ditch and investigated the sunnier outer ring slopes. It proved to be a good call as there waiting for me were 5 Ringlets, flitting around and resting for just a fraction too short! In the end I sat down and watched as one would settle, ten another and so on. Then a Large Skipper would bomb in form who knows where and all 5 Ringlets would lift off as one.

I am aware that Ringlets show some variation in size of spots but I haven’t seen that much difference before. However I found an individual with only the one spot on each fore-wing and two on the hind wing, none of which were “eyed”. So from now on I’ll keep more of an “eye” out for variation in this species.

As the evening sun beat down I retreated from the Ringlets and continued around the ring back to pick my little girl up. I was almost back when a black and white blur passed along side almost surfing over the long grass. Eventually it landed but quite low down so getting a decent shot was tricky. I couldn’t approach it side on because I didn’t want to trample the vegetation around it, when the head was in focus the wings were green and fuzzy because of the grasses so in the end I settled for a record shot and close-up of the head.

Once back it seemed that I needn’t have rushed as the Rainbows were still busy running around and playing so I wandered the edge of the battlements where I could see them coming but also find some butterflies including the darkest Meadow Brown I think I’ve ever seen...

Another great little site that will be worth another visit...if we get some decent weather soon.
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

You're doing something different Wurzel cos you're photos are improving in leaps and bounds - both focus and composition. I love the way you captured that oily sheen on those Meadow Browns as that is quite difficult to do. Your close up of the Marbled White is also well executed.

[Rosalyn]

I agree Pauline, some very nice pictures Wurzel.
Phil and I looked for Silver-studded Blue yesterday. We spotted our first about 11 O'clock so still time for a lie in. You do need sun though. Yesterday was perfect sun and cloud (if a little breezy) too sunny and they don't stop - too cloudy and they disappear into the grass. Good luck

[Wurzel]

Cheers Pauline for your kind comments. I haven't done anything different really, just thought a bit more about where I'm positioning myself. I guess a lot of it comes down to the butterflies themselves being in the right place at the right time.

Cheers Rosalyn for your kind comment. I'm holding off on hte Silver Studs as the first was seen at Slop Bog last Wednesday and Chris C saw one on Saturday so I recokon a week or more and they'll be in larger numbers - that is if the weather plays ball

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[MikeOxon]

photos are improving in leaps and bounds - both focus and composition.

High praise indeed. I think Pauline is raising the bar for all of us! I need to think about getting better glasses, as her criteria for focus seem sharper than my eyes can manage!

You comments on Ringlets are interesting as I've never looked at the uppersides much - just regarding them as 'dull'.

Mike

[ChrisC]

approx 50 males seen on slop bog on sunday Wurzel.

Chris

[Wurzel]

Aaahhhhhhhhhh! I was planning to go there on Sunday but went to Bentley Wood instead because the weather apps all had showers, gusty winds and temps at "feels like 12"...only hope now is that they're still early in their tenure as males come out a week before females so there still might be one or two if we get a break in the weather. That is a huge "if" though Just like the Greenstreaks...here I go again.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Mike - I guess that I'm getting attuned to looking for different numbers of spots after my Hedge Brown obsession last year ...

On Saturday afternoon I’d had enough of the weather ruling my life so I packed the girls into the car and headed over to Bentley Wood without even looking at a forecast. This also had the advantage of earning me Brownie points to save up for a fair weather day as my wife could have a nice quiet and relaxing afternoon.
My older daughter was slightly disappointed that we weren’t doing a meet up with Philzoid and my younger daughter hasn’t been out butterflying for an age. So to cheer them up and encourage them I drew up a tick list of some of the species we would hopefully see. Please excuse the Marbled White as I was a bit rushed by time I got to the final species.

As we pulled up into the car park there to greet us right at the back door was a Silver Washed Fritillary. As I got my youngest out it stayed there nectaring along with a male Large Skipper and she took greet delight in ticking off two of the species from her list.

We then headed down the main track (the switchback?) scanning the bushes for ginger or black and white butterflies. There were Large Skippers at every turn as well as good numbers of Ringlets and also little Crickets too sitting on the Bracken in threes and fours. The occasional Silver Washed was also joined by a large dragonfly – I really need to get a book for these but I guess that’s it’s a Common Darter.

Dark Bush Cricket

About half way along the path there was a field of bracken and just up from this a large Oak tree overhung the path. This little area here proved to be most productive with an old and faded Comma on one side of the Oak; 2 Speckled Wood and a couple of smaller, greyer butterflies which I took to be Purple Hairstreak jostling high up and upsetting each other off leaf after leaf and 4 or 5 Silver Washed Frits all gliding around and then suddenly landing for a quick bask on the bracken.

We eventually reached the cross roads and had a quick mooch around before turning back as the bribe sweets were getting low and the girls hadn’t ticked off any of the other species since the Hairstreaks. Once back at the car park we had a quick look in the Eastern Clearing and there were a couple of faded and well worn Small Pearls around as well as another Comma.

As we walked into the car park we meet Bill S who was just heading off into the woods and he pointed out another Hairstreak to finish up on.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

On Sunday I had a tricky choice to make – return to Bentley Wood to try and find the White Admirals which had eluded me the day before or head to Slop Bog again for Silver Studded Blue.I knew that the Silver Studs were out as Chris C had seen one the day before but when I checked the weather Apps on the phone they showed; cloudy - okay, good light and less flighty targets, 16 feeling like 12 at around 4pm - not brill but could be worse and they might be torpid but I’d need to be back home by then, showers - getting worse and strong gusty winds – not good for Silver Studs. So I decided to try my luck at Bentley Wood. I won’t say that I made the wrong choice but 50 male Silver Studs were seen at Slop Bog on Sunday and with the weather deteriorating over the last week I might of missed my chance for this species. I learnt a valuable lesson from this and that is sometimes it’s better to just go somewhere and hope than try and use any form of knowledge to make a plan!
I arrived at Bentley just as the sun started to make more frequent appearances from behind the cloud. Unlike yesterday there were only a few Large Skippers to greet me in the car park and not the hoped for White Admiral, which meant that I could have taken my shots and then headed to Slop Bog...Still I set off down the main track retracing my steps from yesterday and covering the ground a lot quicker. Up to the crossroads there was much the same fare as yesterday but with the faded and worn Comma upgraded to a fresh Hutchinson’s Comma. There were also one or two Red Admirals about and the first “field of Bracken had 4 males trying to bask in one view.

The large Oak that yesterday had Purple Hairstreak today had a pair of Speckled Wood and another Red Admiral. I soon approached the second Bracken field where immediately I saw another SWF. This one was demonstrating an unusual behaviour and I think it was deluding itself that it was a Common Blue. It was perched on a grass stem wings open wide, head down just like I’ve seen with various species of Blue. When the wind picked up rather than flying elsewhere it started walking down the stem again just like Blues do. Whatever the reason for this behaviour it allowed me to get an interesting shot using diagonals.

As I headed left at the crossroads the sun disappeared and there was a fine mist of drizzle following me along the path. I kept going though and ended up at an area called Donkey Copse which looked promising as there were large Bramble bushes and Honeysuckle in the same vicinity. Unfortunately there was no sun and is was surprisingly cool here so I followed the path on round to the right and ended up in an area of fields at Berryfields Copse (?). Back peddling slightly I took notice of the vegetation on either side of the track – a mixture of Bramble, longer grasses, the occasional Honeysuckle as well as Bracken. In short a microcosm of the habitats I’d walked through to get there. As the sun came out so did the butterflies. Large Skippers took up residence on the Bracken and Bramble leaves, Ringlets and Meadow brown were in the grasses, a pair of Speckled Wood sparred/courted from one side of the path to the other and a Silver Washed basked briefly on Bracken. There were also Red Admirals and over the half an hour I spent in this tiny part of the wood I saw at least 4 different individuals. A couple seemed to prefer Bramble leaves, one liked the footpath and the other was very restless, constantly flying along the bushes and bothering the others.

As the sun would go in the butterflies would disappear and then when it came out again they would reappear just as quickly. I’d plonk myself in front of a Bramble bush and wait for the sun to peek out. Once it went in again I’d move back up the track, find another bush and plonk myself there. This tactic certainly paid off on a day with intermittent sun as eventually an Admiral appeared that lacked the red...Odd as it may sound this black and white butterfly almost shone in the sun, with the white contrasting and shining out form the overall black background of the butterfly. I watched it for a good while until something else spooked it and it headed off only to reappear a few minutes later on the other side of the path nectaring low down. Stunning and certainly worth missing Silver Studs for and my only complaints were that I couldn’t get the classic closed wing shot that I’m longing for and my time with it was too brief.

The breaks between the clouds were becoming less frequent and eventually the drizzle started up again so I wove my way back to the Switchback noting only a couple of Meadow Brown on the way. Once back at the larger Bracken field I spent another good half an hour in the company of more Silver Washed before finally checking out the Eastern Clearing.

This held a few worn Small Pearls but this section of the wood seems to have played its’ part now until next year almost. Also I was still slightly mesmerised by the White Admiral and when I shut my eyes now I can still see the white wing tips glinting like jewels in the sun.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Nice White Admirals and SWF, Wurzel! I need to seek them both out over the next few days - between the promised heavy showers...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave - bit late in replying so you've found your own now

On Wednesday I’d had enough of feeling trapped at work and so on the way home I decided to risk the wrath of my wife and call in somewhere. I pulled up in the Woodhenge car park and starting my stopwatch I headed towards the small area of uncut grass directly in front of the car park. Almost as soon as I reached it a Marbled White shot out and headed off towards the Henge site. Someone else had already been here before me and an entrance to the long grass had been trampled down and then into a set of concentric circles (was they out practicing here last night?) so I followed in their footsteps. As the air became misty and then turned to drizzle and due to the height of the grass, it felt like I was wading waist deep. A few Ringlet and Meadow Brown were about but the main reason I’d stopped was for Marbled Whites, and they were everywhere. I’d spy one within range of shot, edge towards it and two others would erupt in front of me. The wind didn’t help either but after I felt I’d got a few shots I spent the remaining few minutes revelling in the sheer numbers around me and is it just me or do they seem darker this year?

Just before I left I tried out something. I’d found a small stick so I sent it skimming across the tops of the grasses and crouched down quickly so my eyes were level with the tops of the grass. Marbled Whites erupted from the grass in two rows as the stick passed overhead almost like rockets on a timed release or the little plumes of dirt you see when machine gun fire strafes the ground in old war movies.
The drizzle turned to rain and I’d been there a while so I got back in the car and stopped the stopwatch – 11 minutes exactly had passed. In that time my manner had totally changed, no longer was I like a caged beast, stressed and prowling but I was calm, relaxed and feeling mildly euphoric. Such a short time, and such a huge effect to one’s mental well being...
Have a goodun

Wurzel
P.S. The remainder of the journey was very uncomfortable as I was sodden form the knees down and had to get my trousers dry so as not to raise suspicions. This meant cranking the heater to full blast and directing all vents to my knees and below. I think I got away with it although the car still has a slight aroma of singed flesh!

[Wurzel]

Once again the weather seemed to be putting butterfly watching on hold, and once again I ignored reports and just headed out. This time I was taking Kitty and meeting Philzoid and Izzy at Bentley Wood. We arrived much earlier and decided to do a quick recce as I was hoping to get some more shots of White Admiral, the closed under wing in particular. As we walked along the main track it was warm and sunny and Large Skippers and Ringlets were everywhere. We quickly reached the hotspot on the left of the main track with its’ low but wide spreading bramble bush and here were a good collection of species. Kitty got really good at creeping right up close so she could see the proboscis of a Large Skipper or the sex brands on a male Silver Washed Fritillary. Also here was a White Admiral, not the most fresh with a small nick in its’ hind wing but quite content to feed. No matter where I positioned myself or how long I waited it didn’t close its’ wings for longer than a second or two so that classic text book shot still eludes me. But I’m getting closer with one or to blurry shots of fully open wings and some views from underneath.

We headed back to the car so that we could meet Philzoid and Kitty took great delight in writing a message for Izzy in the report book!
Bentley Wood Part 2...
So once back in the car park of Bentley with good friends well met we headed back of down to the same hotspot. The White Admiral was still around but must have warmed slightly as it was now more flighty. There were a couple of SWFs around along with the ubiquitous Large Skipper and Ringlet. I took a back sit to let Philzoid catch up but further on down the path my first female SWF was too much not to miss.

We met a few other butterfliers who were waiting with great patience at a stand of trees for His Nibbs but after the recent wind and rain it didn’t look good so we carried on down towards Donkey Copse and the Drainage field (I think that’s what they’re called?). As we approached the sun went in and apart from a pristine White Admiral waiting for us at the top of the track the butterflies seemed to disappear.
We’d just walked out of the wood and started on our way down the hill when the sun suddenly appeared and with it came the butterflies. The thistles that lined the path had two or three Meadow Browns on all of them. There were Large and Small Skippers amongst the longer grasses and Marbled Whites all over the shop as well as an unidentified moth (some sort of Ermine?); it was a joy to behold. I tended to focus in on the Small Skipper as I haven’t seen that many this year. One had a damaged wing, folded round, which seemed to give it a more swerving flight than normal whereas another couple were really fresh and practically glowed.

The sun then headed in and Philzoid discovered he had some camera difficulties so we headed back into the wood and back to the car park. There were one or two stops on the way. Once when we had to take cover under a tree as a heavy shower hit it lasted for five minutes and then we were back on our way while the rain evaporated and steamed from everything.
While the girls finished their lunch we checked out the car park as a couple of SWF flitted round.

From there we headed onto Martin Down hopefully for Dark Green Fritllary...
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

I didn't realise how well you were doing with your shots there Wurzel. Some of those Silver-washed Fritillaries are Beauts

Looking at the moth I think it might be a Wainscott (noctuid), though not sure which one.

Looking forward to the DGF's

Phil