August 2012

[Philzoid]

18/08/12 The day of our holiday.

Ordinarily I would be pleased to go on holiday but with good weather on the cards I had mixed feelings knowing I would have little chance of any further Brown Hairstreak sorties to Bookham . On return I'd be back at work and then the following weekend (1st - 2nd of September) woud have me entertaining my parents who are visiting from Sunderland .
Not for the first time our holiday co-incided with the start of the V-Festival, so a 05:00a.m.departure was necessary to avoid getting caught up in an inevitable A12 snarl up nr Chelmsford that occurs on such days . The early start gave us an easy run and we turned up at our destination at 07:30 where a rather surprised tenant answered the door in his dressing gown and slippers . After apologising for the intrusion we left him to pack his bags and headed off to Southwold. Later on we met the landlord and landlady whose house adjoined our cottage and who allowed us to have access to their large garden and importantly for me the buddliea bush which like all other buddlieas was at last attracting the butterflies .... Comma; Peacock Large White and Small Tortoiseshell (no Red Admirals ... but a white flowering buddliea in Southwold was covered in them ).

Plenty of Lage Whites in Suffolk

Hutchinsoni

Small Torts at last

Knowing my daytimeforays would be limited I brought my moth trap light along with net and net cage to keep the evenings interesting. For those interested in moths, new species (i.e those that have not turned up in my garden yet) were Square-spot Rustic; Rosy Rustic; Orange Swift and Dusky Brocade.

21/08/12. A visit to Shawsgate Vineyard Nr. Framlingham gave me further chance for butterfly spotting. As we walked around the vines and took in some of the names (e.g Bacchus; Muller & Reichensteiner) we encountered quite a few Meadow Browns whose flight suggested they'd been sampling some of the vineyard's produce . Later a Green-veined White presented a photo opportunity

GVW with some hind-wing damage (showing blood clot?)

After a visit to Framlingham Castle we drove onto Dunwich Marshes. Last time in Sepetmber 2010 I got to see a single Grayling on the shingle. This time I my hopes were very much more rewarded with Graylings and Common Blue in good numbers and a first-time sighting of a Yellow Belle moth.

Yellow Belle

Nice fresh Common Blue

Courting Grayling (excuse poor quality of pics, butteflies moving about making photography difficult with my close focussing hand held DSLR)

Having whetted my appetite I decided now was my opportunity to go to the Broads to try and get a first ever sighting of a Swallowtail (second brood long shot). As the rest of the family are not amenable to daddy's butterfly trips I decided to ease 'the pain' by putting in a visit first to Potter Heigham nr Hickling broad for an hours motor boat hire and cruise. BTW if anyone is ever planning to go to the broads via Suffolk, avoid heading on the A12 to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. The ring roads don't and the traffic is horrendous . Go to Beccles and follow the country roads through Loddon; Reedham to Acle and take it from there.
After our expensive messing about on the water boat amble it was time to cash in for my part of the bargain. I decided to go onto Strumphaw Fen. However having not done my homework I hadn't realised it was essentially a bird reserve run by the RSPB and more to the point cost money . The girls broke out into a bought of huffing and moaning showing as much enthusiam for a walk around the reedbeds as they would for a 5 mile walk on a rainy day in January, so my chance was scuppered . A visit to the Dr's Garden (outside the reserve) was all I was allowed . No Swallowtails there but I was lucky enough to get to see this one .

Swallowtail

Hanging on a wall; 2nd floor Horsey Mill

So endeth the holiday. One last picture of a butterfly which is rarely seen in Surrey

[Wurzel]

Cracking read Philzoid and cracking shots too- especially the action shot white and the Swallowtail

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Philzoid]

Thanks for your comments Wurzel .

I'd just like to add I'm glad it was me who found and photographed the open-wing Grayling and not my daughters . They would have reminded me of my over the top bribe the other week and I'd have had difficulty ducking out of that one .

[Hoggers]

It was lovely to come home from work this afternoon to a Lady who didn't want me to turn around and go back out immediately to do the shopping:

[Cotswold Cockney]

Male Brimstone visited my back garden this afternoon. Settled briefly on some Petunias ~ my wife planted them and they can be a good attraction for Hummingbird Hawk Moths. None seen this season ~ Hoped the Brimstone would stay but, it was off strongly flying east in the warm sunshine to who knows where. Didn't even allow time for me to get my camera ready.

Rare to see a Brimstone in my garden.

[EricY]

I called in again today at Warham camp on way back from Cley/Salthouse/Kelling, not much at those! Still good numbers of CHB's flying at Warham but most rather tattered, much frantic chasing of tattered females by tattered males but did find this reasonable pair enjoying their nuptials. Also just one pristine Small tort. Lots of autumn gentian now coming into flower. Eric

mating pr CHB Warham camp

small Tort Warham camp

[MikeOxon]

Following a really cold,wet,and gloomy BH Monday here in Oxon, it was great to see the sun again today. I visited Lough Down at Streatley, just over the Berks border, to look for Adonis Blue. They were flying in good numbers on the sun-baked south-facing slopes together with plenty of Meadow browns, a few Common Blues, and an occasional Brimstone.

Unfortunately, while taking photos, I neglected to check the camera settings carefully. I had taken some shots yesterday with the exposure compensation set to +0.7, so most of my photos were over-exposed in the bright sunshine. This is a fatal error, as no amount of work in Photoshop can restore blown out pixels and the other effect was to force me to a wider aperture than intended, so losing depth of field! Of course I should have noticed but, in the excitement of chasing a favourite butterfly on a very hot slope, it is easy to overlook things. I mention it as a general reminder to always check settings at the outset of a photo trip!

Lough Down, Streatley - 28 August 2012
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro - 1/90s@f/8 ISO400 (overexposed 0.7 stops)

A gorgeous butterfly even with the fringes washed out.

Mike

[Philzoid]

it is easy to overlook things. I mention it as a general reminder to always check settings at the outset of a photo trip!

Yep, it's so easily done Mike I've mucked up quite a few shots due to forgetting to check the settings, the latest being a whole host of Peacock photos which looked OK on the camera screen but were patently underexposed when viewed on the computer .
Good to see you got Adonis. I haven't seen any second brood yet. Does anyone know if they're out at Denbies?

26/08/12.
Paid a visit to Bookham Commons seeking Brown Hairstreak and met up with fellow UKB member Dave (Millerd) who was doing likewise . Despite good weather butterfly numbers were particularly low, even for Meadow Browns and false Hairstreaks (Gatekeepers). Thankfully, Dave managed to spot a couple of Small Copper I don't know what it is this season but I've been suffering from 'Small Copper blindness' . All the ones I've seen have been pointed out to me (Mildheart at Denbies in April; Susie at Denbies in August and now Millerd at Bookham). Still my touch hadn't completely deserted me when I spotted a female Brostreak and managed to get this record shot before she took off and sailed up, over and away .

Female Brostreak, brief encounter

That was to be our last BH sighting ( wonder if I'll be able to drag my parents down to Bookham this coming weekend hmmm .)

The Small Coppers were a good find but they played games with us for a while by shifting to the wrong side of a barbed wire fence everytime we got near to them . Negotiating BW fences was something I had plenty of practice as a kid but when you're fat and 50+ Still, I wasn't going to let this deter me and persistence eventually paid off (no torn trousers either though not sure how Dave got on)

Other species seen were Red Admiral Silver-washed Fritillary; Speckled Wood; Green-veined and Small White; Brimstone (female), but surprisingly no Brown Argus or Common Blue . See Millerd's Personal Diary for more information and pictures

[Hugh Middleton]

A good morning in the Limewoods today. A lovely Brown Hairstreak egg laying and a couple of Purple Hairstreaks. Also surpisingly late my first Common Blues of the year,

Hugh

[millerd]

... I haven't seen any second brood yet. Does anyone know if they're out at Denbies?...

...but when you're fat and 50+ Still, I wasn't going to let this deter me and persistence eventually paid off (no torn trousers either though not sure how Dave got on)

I only saw the one Adonis at Denbies today, Phil, and it was the same ten days ago.

As a fellow member of the fat and fifty-plus fraternity, I was very glad of your assistance in negotiating that wire. I'd probably still be there now, with the Small Coppers laughing their little white socks off... Anyway, no clothing appears to have been damaged. And I'm pleased to see the Hairstreak photo, too

Dave

[badgerbob]

Very much a case of dodging the heavy showers today. Decided to go to the back of Woodingdean and walk around the Castle Hill reserve. Lots of butterflies, mainly Meadow Brown but also several blues including some fresh Adonis Blues. Was watching a superb female when a male came along and very soon paired up with her. A fabulous Great Green Bush Cricket was also seen and many Autumn Ladies Tresses.

[Philzoid]

Love the picture of the Bush Cricket Bob She sort of looks nervous about jumping off

[NickB]

Went local and saw several CB at one site (plus an RA and a Small Heath) on a bike ride this morning; taking break from listening to the ODI (Go England!)I went to the Cemetery this afternoon.
Several Speckled Wood, 2 Holly Blue, 2 Large White, 3 Small White, an aged Gatekeeper plus at least 10 RA, with 4 ST and a Peacock, all on buddleia....

(with apologies to Rogerdodge)

[Hoggers]

My butterflying August came to a relaxing end with a gentle stroll around Orlestone Forest surrounded by Brimstones

Lots of Red Admirals there too and a couple of Meadow Browns.

The Buddleia in my garden is still busy with Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks ( the Painted Lady stayed for two days and left yesterday.)

[David M]

Male Brimstone flew by in the car park at work this afternoon. It suddenly occurred to me that this was the first summer brood Brimstone I've seen thus far this year.

[Perseus]

‎17 August 2012
On a sunny and very humid day the butterflies were out and about in the early afternoon. They appeared immediately I descended the steps from the southern end to the lower slopes. A Speckled Wood showed simultaneously with about ten butterflies amongst the hedgerow/scrub bordering the path. These weren't Holly Blues, but Common Blues of both genders including small version of the attractive blue and brown females. A Wall Brown landed on one of the bottom steps at the same time as one of these females (thought to be a Brown Argus at the time).

The open lower slopes were alive with hundreds of butterflies, at an average of a butterfly per square metre over the southern part of the lower slopes, usually a less favourable area for numbers on the Shoreham Bank. I spent under ...a quarter of an hour on the hill, but I still managed to see over fifty of each of four species: Meadow Browns, Chalkhill Blues, Adonis Blues and Common Blues. (I estimated their numbers to be over 100 of each in the transect acre.) At least half, possibly more, of the Chalkhill Blues were very tatty. Brimstone Butterfles were amorous with their partners and chased off rival males and a Large White. Small Heath Butterflies chased each other over the sun bathed slopes. I only completed a quarter of the transect because it was so humid that my spectacles misted up. At least one Silver Y Moth landed in some Privet and the small pyralid moths frequently flitting about the undergrowth were Pyrausta despicata with at least one Pyrausta pupuralis. Just when I thought I was going to have to exclude Gatekeepers from my list, a female opened its wings in mint condition.

See more

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2012.html

Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2012.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316