July 2012

[Debbie]

After having 3 weeks where I was not able to get out butterflying I finally had 3 hours on Sunday at the Wyre forrest. I saw lots of butterflies:

Ringlets ( slightly tatty)
Meadow Brown (very faded)
Hedgebrown / Gatekeeper (why are these very small this year compared to last ?)
Large Whites
and what I think is a Silverwashed Fritillary (photo attached - another first)

I am very keen to get a good photo of a female common blue this year? Is this still possible ???

Debbie

[MikeOxon]

what I think is a Silverwashed Fritillary

Yes, a splendid male, well endowed with sex-brands on the wings!

Second-brood Common Blues are just getting going in the South. I was several on the wing at Aston Upthorpe yesterday, amongst the Chalkhill Blues.

Mike

[Debbie]

Thank you Mike

[A_T]

Hedgebrown / Gatekeeper (why are these very small this year compared to last ?)

Could it be you're only seeing males? I'm seeing nearly all males at the moment - and they are a little smaller then the females. Generally they are all the size I would expect.


Adrian

[Debbie]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for that - I will look up how I can tell the difference between the boys and the girls hedgebrowns.

Debbie

[David M]

I will look up how I can tell the difference between the boys and the girls hedgebrowns.

Unbroken orange on the upperwing if it's a female. The males have a heavy brown androconial stripe bisecting the orange patch.

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for that - I will look up how I can tell the difference between the boys and the girls hedgebrowns.

Debbie

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... s=tithonus

Cheers,

- Pete

[Debbie]

Thank you David and Pete.
Debbie

[Debbie]

my hedgebrown (boy) from this year, not a good photo but he was not willing to come very close or stay still - how beautiful these hedgebrowns are

Debbie

[Neil Freeman]

I have just had a couple of wonderful days at Arnside Knott.
Large numbers of Scotch Argus on the grassy slopes plus Dark Green Fritillaries still about. Most of the DGF males looking a bit tatty now but some of the females still look nice.
About half a dozen definite High Browns mostly looking in better condition than the DGFs.
Also Grayling, Meadow Brown, Gatekeepers, Small Heath, Specked Wood, Large and Small Skippers, Large Small and Green-veined Whites and a single very faded female Common Blue.

Scotch Argus - Arnside Knott 30.07.2012

More photos will be on my diary later when I have sorted through them all.

Neil F.

[David M]

I have just had a couple of wonderful days at Arnside Knott.

Good stuff, Neil. I must try to get up there myself sometime.

[Debbie]

A couple of weeks my little great neice adopted a adorable caterpillar and yesterday this beautiful butterfly was hatched and a quick picture was taken prior to releasing.

Debbie

[Jack Harrison]

In my NW Norfolk garden this afternoon:
Large White 2
Small White 1
GV White 5+
Comma 5+ (some seemed NOT to be the pale summer form hutchinsonii but couldn't get a good underside view)
Hedge Brown 1
Meadow Brown 1
Holly Blue 1
Large Skipper 10+

Still amazingly,no Purple Hairsteaks on the oaks.

White Admirals seem to be over now; none seen for nearly a week.

Jack

[NickB]

In my NW Norfolk garden this afternoon:
Large White 2
Small White 1
GV White 5+
Comma 5+ (some seemed NOT to be the pale summer form hutchinsonii but couldn't get a good underside view)
Hedge Brown 1
Meadow Brown 1
Holly Blue 1
Large Skipper 10+

Still amazingly,no Purple Hairsteaks on the oaks.

White Admirals seem to be over now; none seen for nearly a week.

Jack

It is August, Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Well, I posted under a new thread that I started called August 2012. Mind you, I am not being all that successful at anything today. I am being "required" to visit an equestrian even on Sunday Well it's a bit mean to say "required" - I enjoyed it last time. Anyway, do you think I could book tickets on line? By comparison, a certain Irish Airline's on line booking is a piece of cake (but you try to opt out of travel insurance! That's as much as your headline ticket cost).

I managed to get my horsey tickets eventually. The events programme includes "duck herding"

Jack