millerd

[millerd]

6th July

The window of opportunity stayed obstinately shut for most of the day. A very brief and squelchy walk close to home when the sun finally made an appearance around four provided glimpses of the following:
Common Blue (2)
Meadow Brown (5)
Large Skipper (2)
Small Heath (10)
Large White (1)
Small White (2)
Green-veined White (1)
Red Admiral (2)
A female Small White was busily laying on various wild crucifers, but paused for a photo. The Small Heath depicted below was to my mind unusually hairy - a survival trait for a poor summer?

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Dave

The Small Heath depicted below was to my mind unusually hairy - a survival trait for a poor summer?

Fascinating thought: it almost has some characteristics of Large Heath, a species that presumably evolved to live in wetter climates. Maybe your Small Heath shows some insights into evolution.

Jack

[millerd]

7th July

Up on one of my regular daytrips to Warwickshire today. I took the boys to Ryton again: the weather was quite friendly, in that the sun did shine and the showers were few and brief. However, ground conditions in the woods and around the meadow varied from very muddy to under water. We saw an abundance of Ringlets, numerous Meadow Browns, Large and Small Skippers, a Comma and several Red Admirals, a scattering of Marbled Whites in the meadow and two White Admirals in the woodland flying vigorously with no sign of a stop. We met a chap whose task for the day was "weeding" the meadow of thistles: he said that SWF were out (but we didn't see one) and pointed us at the correct area for WLH (we didn't see these either!).

Better than it could have been!

Dave

[millerd]

One of many enjoying the damp conditions at Ryton today...

Dave

[millerd]

8th July

Went down with my smallest son to the Alice Holt Country Park in the middle part of the day. I was allowed to spend a small while down one of the rides, and we saw reasonable numbers of Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Large Skippers, plus two Red Admirals, a lone Silver-washed Fritillary and at least four White Admirals. Two had yet to suffer bramble damage, but one of these two had clearly been rained on. We watched them glide elegantly around for a while - something I could personally do for ages - but in the end the playground beckoned!

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots again Dave! Everytime I tell my daughter that we're going to meet up with Philzoid the second question she always asks me is "are we going to Wrecclesham?" I thought it was because of the butterflies bug I've since found out that it's because of the park!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks again, Wurzel.

Yes, that does sound familiar - a certain amount of bargaining goes on...

Elliot tells me he had a lovely day, so we must have got the balance right...

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Wurzel about his daughter:

...the second question she always asks me is "are we going to Wrecclesham?

There was a lovely story that went something like this.

Dad persuaded his youngster that butterflies were interesting, including looking at “pretty pictures” in a book. Dad later took child to see REAL Meadow Browns, Ringlets and Skippers.

Child, somewhat underwhelmed: “Now can we see Camberwell Beauties Dad.”

Jack

[millerd]

12th July

For various reasons, I walked to Terminal Five and caught a bus to work this morning. One of these reasons was to investigate en route a patch of hedgerow elm trees that might harbour WLH. I saw none; however I was distracted a bit by discovering a thriving little colony of Essex Skippers. These were on the roadside verge on the southeast corner of the roundabout between the A 3113 and the A 3044, close to the airport perimeter. In no more than 20-30 square metres I counted over a dozen.

Another case of looking for one thing and finding another - and an example of butterflies hiding under our noses in everyday places. A good thing this verge doesn't seem to get cut, either. The centre of the roundabout itself is also a riot of colour and long grass.

Dave

[Gothic_dreams]

Nice find with the Essex Skipper colony, its amazing what can be found in our busy cities when we take the time to look

Chris

[Wurzel]

I was thinking only yesterday that I need to get out and start looking for Essex Skippers - and then you find some which reassured that they're indeed about I like the "coy" shot as to confirm the id of female Smessex you have to get that unusal view!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

14th July

A trip to Kew Gardens this afternoon in very unpromising weather at the behest of one small boy who loves it there. It was good to see that there are good uncut "wild" areas as well as acres of manicured lawn, so I was hopeful we might see something. We went up onto the treetop walk, and I was pleased to see that this takes you past the tops of a number of mature oaks. Lo and behold, I spotted a Purple Hairstreak darting around up there under the overcast skies. Back on terra firma, we walked around to Queen Charlotte's Cottage, where there are particularly good unkempt areas of grass and bramble. The sun came out, and we quickly spotted Meadow Browns, Small Skippers, a Comma, a Red Admiral and a couple of Green-veined Whites. Up in the oaks, more Purple Hairstreaks were playing. I would say that given the number and variety of oaks at Kew, there must be a healthy population of this species here. I will have to go back on the treetop walk on a sunny evening, should we get one.

Dave

[Nick Broomer]

Some lovely photos Dave,keep them coming.

All the best, Nick.

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Dave that Comma is brill - I want a shot like that it's such an interesting pose

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks for the comments, chaps - glad you like the pictures.

The Comma had obviously been sitting there awhile in the rain and was oblivious - dare I say Comma-tose - to me. I was trying to remember how different the markings of a hibernating Comma are: so much darker with quite distinct green elements. Consequently, I studied this one for several minutes. I didn't get to see the upperside at all.

Dave

PS Sincere apologies for that awful pun...

[Neil Freeman]

Don't apologise for it Dave, it may be bad but it is good...if you know what I mean

Stand by it and be proud

Neil F.

[millerd]

15th July

I had an hour to look around locally this morning and made for the nearer end of the Heathrow Conservation site near J14 of the M25. If you like brown and orange butterflies, you would have had a treat: there were Meadow Browns and Small Heaths in abundance, several Skippers darting amongst them (of which all scrutinised turned out to be of the Essex persuasion) and the first of the season's Gatekeepers. The latter were beautifully deep and rich in colour, making the Meadow Browns and Small Heaths look rather dull in contrast. I also saw three Red Admirals, a Speckled Wood, a Comma and a number of whites - of all three common types.

Dave

[millerd]

15th July (continued)

A walk along the Thames at Runnymede this afternoon - more of the same to be seen, really! Ringlets, Meadow Browns, several new Gatekeepers (male and female), both Small and Essex Skippers, a few Small and GV Whites... and a Comma. The female Gatekeeper depicted was a large as a small Meadow Brown, and considerably larger than the males seen today.

Dave

[Gothic_dreams]

Some more lovely photos Dave, i love the gatekeeper underside shot

Chris

[millerd]

Thanks, Chris. She chose to sit in a very symmetrical setting on that thistle.

17th July

My only opportunity today was after seven this evening. It was warm and there was a bit of late sunshine, and I made for the usual area near J14. Up on the small oak trees next to the A3113, I spotted half a dozen Purple Hairstreaks dancing around. I then watched another make its way unhurriedly across a 50 metre gap from another oak, apparently unaware of pursuit by a hefty dragonfly. However, the somewhat erratic meanderings of the butterfly defeated the straight-line zooming of the other insect and it made it across unscathed. The grassy areas threw up dozens of Meadow Browns - the population here has exploded from a mere handful in 2011 - a few Small Heaths and a single Essex Skipper. On the way home along the wooded bank of the River Colne, I encountered six or more Red Admirals in various spots. These were flying in the gloom under the trees and several landed on me after some quite belligerent swooping and circling. One perched on a hawthorn branch for a while, so I experimented with the flash to see what I could capture. It never occured to me that red-eye reduction might be appropriate for butterfly photography, but in some shots the eyes glowed bright red. Anyway, here are a couple of shots, one with flash, and the other au naturel.

Dave