Neil Hulme

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Wurzel. I can't wait until we get another sunny day - allegedly tomorrow.
Mark - come back for another visit soon. From late next week onwards the forecast looks pretty good. Well worth hunting Brownies for at least another couple of weeks, while fresh females are still appearing.
Neil

[Goldie M]

I'm with envey I've never seen one Hair Streak yet, your Shots are superb. Goldie

[David M]

Well worth hunting Brownies for at least another couple of weeks, while fresh females are still appearing.

Indeed. The females haven't yet laid any eggs at the Pembrokeshire site so the species here may well still be about in early October!

Don't give up!

[Pauline]

Those are really lovely photos Neil. Something to aspire to next year! I had a BH land on my hand too at SB but not with wings open and it didn't stay long enough for Rob to get a pic.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Goldie and Pauline. Goldie - the first one is always the best, so you've got plenty to look forward to.
David - your Brownies must be about ready to lay a few by now, assuming yours are about a week behind ours.
Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Brownies Again

Steyning Rifle Range is still producing the goods and during my visit yesterday (26th August) the Brown Hairstreaks continued to entertain the visitors. One female stayed around for more than two hours, retiring to the trees during spells of dull weather and resting low down between spells of egg laying. It's encouraging to see so many being laid on the carefully managed Prunus in and around the reserve area. By the time I left at 2.45 pm a total of 3 females had been spotted, although I've no doubt others would have been busy elsewhere around the site.

[Neil Freeman]

Nice ones Neil

I tried Grafton Wood in Worcestershire yesterday, just 2 possibles briefly and high up. I am guessing they are only just starting there.

NEil F.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Neil. I reckon yours should be ready to start in earnest about now.
Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Meadow Cream

This afternoon (30th August), while monitoring changes in the habitat at Washington Chalk Pits near Chanctonbury Ring, I spotted this very odd looking Meadow Brown ab. cinerea. Over the years I've seen many 'pathological' specimens where patches of one or more wings appear bleached, but never anything quite so extreme as this ghostly example.

[Pete Eeles]

That's quite a find Neil - I've never seen anything that extreme before. Nice find!

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Looks like it's being viewed through a negative.

[Neil Hulme]

Hairstreaks And Helleborines

Yesterday (31st August) I started off at Steyning Round Hill, seeing 3 female Brown Hairstreaks in and around a chalk pit about 1 Km from the Rifle Range. By the time I reached the Rifle Range hairstreak activity had finished for the day, with 3 more females having been seen earlier by others.

Brian Henham then joined me for a trip to Rewell Wood, where a friend from Arundel found some nice Violet Helleborines last week. The best stems were in perfect condition and attended by numerous pollinating flies. On a buddleia near the entrance to the woods we found 3 mint condition Red Admirals and a Peacock. I'm optimistic that the Red Admiral will appear in good numbers over the next few weeks.

[Pete Eeles]

I'm optimistic that the Red Admiral will appear in good numbers over the next few weeks.

I'm with you there Neil. I'll post in my diary later, but took the dogs for a walk yesterday and found 32 Red Admiral larvae and 5 pupae in the space of 2 hours - never found so many before, ever!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Pete,
It could be the best showing of RA for some years, at least locally/regionally. Throughout the summer I've seen females egg-laying almost everywhere I've been. Fingers crossed.
BWs, Neil

[ChrisC]

i think it has started already, 9 in the garden today.
Chris

[Neil Hulme]

Autumn In Rewell Wood

This morning (3rd September) I returned to Rewell Wood with my father, primarily to revisit the Violet Helleborine as its flower spike reaches peak. When I enlarged my original images it confirmed my suspicion that the numerous tiny flies which had been enticed to the flowers, presumably to provide pollination services, were the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster. I was aware that the Cuckoo Wasp Vespula austriaca is a known pollinator of Violet Helleborine but could not find any reference to an association between Drosophila and British orchids, although it is well documented that male Fruit Flies are attracted to orchids of the genus Bulbophyllum in the Middle and Far East, for the purposes of pollination. A telephone call to UK orchid expert David Lang confirmed that this has not been observed in our native orchids before. Drosophila were again in attendance today.

The buddleia close to the entrance to the wood hosted a nice selection of butterflies, despite the lack of strong sunshine. Red Admiral numbers continue to build and we saw at least 12 fresh specimens. Other butterflies included Speckled Wood (8), Small Tortoiseshell (1), Small White (2), Large White (1) and a late Silver-washed Fritillary.

[Neil Hulme]

Nymphalid Day

This afternoon (4th September) I headed to a different area of Rewell Wood in the hope of finding a bumper crop of Red Admiral. I didn't get far before I found a low buddleia covered in butterflies. It was several hours before I moved on as I was treated to a selection including Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma, all in mint condition. I cannot remember the last time I saw all these species on one bush and I was transported back to my childhood, when this was a more common sight. They were jostling for position with several Brimstone, Small White and a large number of Silver Y moths . Elsewhere in the wood I saw Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Holly Blue.

[millerd]

I remember Septembers like that - Michaelmas Daisies were the flower of choice back in the early Sixties in our garden... Not many Commas, then, though.

Dave

[David M]

I daresay things may improve further as these conditions are set to stay for several days yet.

The rewards will be great for those who have got buddleias that flower past mid september.

[Neil Hulme]

Hairstreaks And Darters

This morning (5th September) I returned to Steyning Rifle Range after a few days break from Brown Hairstreak hunting. The first female appeared at 11.11 am and was followed by a further 6 until things went quiet shortly after 1 pm. I'm pleased to say that visitors from both East Sussex and Kent saw their first Brown Hairstreaks in style, getting excellent images to take home with them. I later had a look around Steyning Round Hill where more fresh Red Admirals were seen, along with good numbers of Common Darter (red males and dusky females).