Hoggers

[David M]

Great shot of the GVW, Hoggers. A cool weather image if ever I saw one.

We all hate this kind of weather, but with perseverance you can get far closer to a butterfly than would be possible under normal conditions.

[Hoggers]

That's very kind of you to say David, thank you. It was a pure fluke. I have no luck photographing Whites, the results are almost invariably over-exposed. I didn't do anything different with this one, just pressed the shutter button. Maybe at that moment the sun went behind a cloud, I don't remember. A lovely butterfly nonetheless.

[David M]

I have no luck photographing Whites, the results are almost invariably over-exposed.

Me too, but when the sun is BEHIND clouds then over-exposure is less of an issue.

Much as I love hot, sunny weather, there are times when it simply isn't welcome. For instance, I would never go to the S. Wales High Brown Fritillary site in 25c/full sun. It would be pointless as all the butterflies would be hyperactive and images would be virtually impossible to come by. Better to go on a part cloudy day when the quarry will be forced into occasional torpor.

[Hoggers]

The sun was shining this morning and I thought I'd better make the most of it as the weather forecast for the rest of the week isn't up to much.

Things got off to a good start on the dog walk when I came across two Orange Tips at around 8am

Once home I saw a Speckled Wood and three Holly Blues in the garden, one of which came down for awhile

I then set off to Dungeness. It's the best place I know for Small Coppers and also a butterfly that I haven't managed to see this season, the Grizzled Skipper.

As I walked past the Power Station I soon came upon this little beauty

Then another one

A real gem of a butterfly. I saw only one more but it looks as if their season has finally got off the starting block.

Close by I found a Peacock

And also saw two Large Whites and a Small Tortoiseshell.

I then walked to the Trapping Area where the Observatory Boffins catch birds in mist nets and ring them.

I very quickly found a sunny spot where no less than five Grizzled Skippers were whizzing around after each other

I sat watching them for over an hour as they put on a lively and fascinating display

Great fun.

It has set me up for the coming week.

[Hoggers]

First thing every morning I check the "Blue Tit Cam" just to see how she's getting on. This morning I was delighted to see that some of the eggs have hatched

Apologies for the photograph but hopefully you can see some pinkish squiggly things. Mum slips out now and again but for the most part she is on the nest. The male pops in to feed her.

The sun came out today and I had an early finish so I stopped off at Wye on my way home. I wanted to find Dingy Skippers which are usually out in numbers by now and easy to locate at this site.

But initially I was tripping over Green Hairstreaks

In all I saw no less that 12 during the course of a couple of hours and I enjoyed watching them racing out from their perches to challenge all comers.

After a good search and many false alarms caused by moths in the grass I at last found a Dingy Skipper

Unfortunately,this was the only one that I saw. But a real beauty (despite the name that we've given it).

Only two butterflies seen, Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper, but a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots Hoggers They make me wish I was out there searching for them but this blooming weather needs to settle down a bit to make that possible

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Pauline]

Seems like you're creating a wildlife haven there Hoggers. Splendid stuff. I'm particularly interested in news of your Bluetits. I have over 2 dozen bird boxes around the place and they are generally all used EXCEPT for the only one which has a camera in it ..

[Hoggers]

Hi Wurzel, thanks for your kind comments - I've seen your photographs and think they're stunning, particularly the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries that you posted last week. I hope the sun comes out for you this weekend.

Hi Pauline,I know just how you feel: my camera box has been in the garden for at least five years and it's only this year that anything has shown an interest! But now that we've got a Blue Tit it's absolutely fascinating - we sit and watch it all the time. This morning we've seen that seven chicks have hatched leaving two eggs that are still "cooking".

I just hope that the weather bucks up a bit and that there's plenty of food for them.

Cheers.

[Hoggers]

When the female Blue Tit is sitting on the chicks her partner will arrive outside the box and call to her. He uses the typical Blue Tit call which we are all familiar with but she answers from the nest with a call that I've never heard before, a remarkably grasshopper-like high pitched sound that carries well but if I didn't know exactly where it was coming from I'd have great difficulty in locating.

The chicks may be blind at the moment but they respond to sound: if Mum's outside she'll call to them before entering the box and they instantly raise their open beaks in readiness for her arrival

Here's Mum feeding them

And this is both Mum and Dad in the box with the chicks

Talking of eggs, today has been a Curate's egg of a day : good sunny bits and less appealing gloomy cold bits too. First thing this morning I saw a female Holly Blue and then a Speckled Wood in the garden, then with the sun still shining I set off with Brother Hoggles for a walk around Dungeness.

When we arrived it was generally warm and sunny but with a rather cool on-shore breeze blowing. We were looking for Small Coppers and soon came across one close to the Power Station

But apart from another single Copper that's all we saw of them. However, in the Trapping Area we were joined by a Grizzled Skipper which briefly landed on Brother Hoggles' leg

Unfortunately it quickly flitted away and was lost to view (the Skipper that is, not my brother's leg).

We did see two more Grizzles but they were flighty in the increasingly lively breeze and when they move they're jolly hard to follow.

The clouds were gathering thick and fast by now, so we decided to repair to a near-by hostelry for lunch. The weather was disappointing but at least we'd seen some butterflies (and had a good lunch too.)

[David M]

Great sequence of images, Hoggers. I just hope bloody magpies don't get those chicks when they first venture outside the nest.

I like the Skipper on denim too. Graylings are famously fond of settling on jeans but I'm surprised at seeing a Grizzly do it.

[Wurzel]

Great report Hoggers and a Small Copper too There was a bit if sun this afternoon, for once when the weather app was wrong it actually meant good weather

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

We have more than our fair share of Magpies,David: if any of the Blue Tit chicks manage to leave the nest their problems will just be beginning. Fingers crossed for them. By the way, I was impressed with your Small Blue photographs and I hope I can manage to find some this season too.

I love Small Coppers Wurzel. I remember the photograph you posted last August of two Small Coppers side by side on a leaf- marvellous. They are so full of cheekiness I smile every time I think of them.Dungeness is a good site but I haven't seen many so far this year.

Today I visited Lydden Nature Reserve at Temple Ewell, near Dover. There are times during the Summer when it can seem like Butterfly Heaven with hundreds of them amongst the most beautiful wild flowers. I guess with this late running season I shouldn't be too surprised that today it was very quiet there indeed despite the sunny weather. But I did manage to see four Holly Blues

A single Dingy Skipper

And a Green Hairstreak

[millerd]

Hi Hoggers - I was just down the road in River today but my hosts preferred a walk up the Prince of Wales Pier to a wander over the hillside at Lydden. I also saw Holly Blues in the River area, and a couple of Orange Tips. The sun was a bit unexpected to be honest.

Dave

[Hoggers]

Hi Dave, it's a lovely area and just marvellous for butterflies. I'll be going back there later this season if the weather ever improves so I'll keep an eye open for you.
Cheers

[Pauline]

I'm fascinated by your Blue Tit pics Hoggers. A couple of years ago I had a camera in one of my parrot nest boxes and it was addictive. The cock bird fed the chicks from day one contrary to info from books and although he seemed rough with them - picking them up by the neck and swinging them round, much to my dismay - he never did them any harm. Please keep us updated.

[Hoggers]

Hi Pauline, nothing going on here quite so dramatic as with your parrots I'm relieved to say! The male brings in food but rarely feeds the chicks, he always seems to give what he's found to the female first and she passes it on. The chicks are growing rapidly. It's marvellous watching them sticking their heads up and opening their beaks wide, trying to attract Mum's attention. I'll try to get some photos so you can see how they're coming along.

[Hoggers]

Only a four days ago we had five Blue Tit chicks in the box (with one unhatched egg). They all looked healthy enough. We enjoyed watching them at feeding times and despite the rather cool conditions they seemed to be doing well

But the weather down here in Kent reached a low point on thursday and friday. If, like me ,you read Dave Brown's diary you'll remember him noting that on thursday the temperature got down to 5 C and on friday (yesterday) it did not stop raining.

When I switched on the tit box camera this morning I was shocked to see that only two chicks were left in the nest

Clearly three had died since tuesday and been removed from the box by the parents. That was bad enough, but watching the remaining two I noticed that although one of them looked strong and active,its sibling gave immediate cause for concern. It was almost immobile and when the parents arrived with food it would raise its head but not open its beak. I saw Mum attempting to feed it but the poor thing seemed too far gone to know what was happening and would not ,or could not,open its beak. About two hours later it had died and I watched the female remove it from the box.

The whole thing is very distressing. Watching Nature can be hard on the emotions. The thought that this marvellously clever Camera Box might show things that we as a family would prefer not to see crossed my mind when the Blue Tits first arrived. Still, there are important things to learn from "lifting the lid" on Nature's secrets,particularly for children (although in their case there has to be moderation and balance.)

At least one chick left and he'll be getting all the attention now. I do hope however, that what has happened to our Blue Tits isn't representative.

To cheer myself up I thought I'd take a photograph of the garden today and compare it with one I took before I started gardening for butterflies: Here it is before I took up my trowel in anger

And this is after

I think it's a huge improvement. If I, totally clueless about all things Horticultural, can do this I hope it gives confidence to anyone-else toying with the idea of planting a butterfly garden.

I didn't see many butterflies today but did come across a Green-veined White and a Holly Blue when I took the dogs out this morning

[Pauline]

I'm so sorry to hear about your Blue Tits Hoggers and I too hope it is not representative . I see from your photos that you have a bird table so you obviously feed the birds. There is a food on the market that the birds round here go wild for - it is called suet logs and needs the feeder to put them in. 'My' birds will not touch fat balls but they love these and seem to attract so many species. Your garden is looking lovely by the way - the difference in such a short time is amazing. Great job!

[David M]

Really sad news, but as you say this is nature at work and there's precious little you can do about it.

With any luck, the remaining chick will be better equipped to survive as a result of the demise of his/her siblings.

[Hoggers]

I finally managed to get out today after three days' illness which, apart from a short walk with the dogs, kept me more or less in bed throughout the lovely warm sunshine.

I must say that reading UKBer's diaries and the Sightings page not only acts as consolation for the unwell but also gives a positive spur to recover as quickly as possible!

I wasn't up to driving so my Dad came to the rescue and together with my brother we went down to Folkestone Warren where I'd set my heart on finding Wall and Small Blues.

Well,we had no problem finding Walls because without trying we saw eleven. They were highly active and not coming anywhere near enough for me to get close up but I did manage to take a couple of snaps

Another first for me today was this Common Blue

We saw three in all.

At my favourite spot for Small Blues we saw Green Hairstreaks

Dingy Skippers

Six Small Heaths (another first for me)

And two Small Coppers

But no Little Cupids, so we went back to the car and drove to Kingsdown where there's a fantastic site for them on a bit of shingle waste ground by the Kingsdown to Walmer road.

Just one step in and we were spotting these delightful butterflies literally everywhere. We were surrounded by them

Marvellous!