June 2013

[David M]

Spent 2 hours at Crymlyn Burrows between 10.15 and 12.15 today. Remarkable numbers of Small Blues once more, with Small Heaths and Common Blues not a million miles behind!

Numbers seen:

Small Blue 100-150
Small Heath 80-120
Common Blue 60-80
Dingy Skipper 15-20
Green Veined White 8
Large White 6
Orange Tip 6
Small Copper 1
Peacock 1
Brown Argus 1

Doesn't feel right seeing Orange Tips in June. All six were males, and what sad ends of lives they must lead - no chance whatsoever of encountering a virgin female and no cuckoo flower left in bloom for them to visit.

[Charles Nicol]

At Woodwalton saw first Grizzled Skipper of the year:

also a tatty Green Hairstreak and several Small Heaths

[Jack Harrison]

Finally a Chequered Skipper at Ardery Ardnamurchan Peninsular NM746618
Only the one in the car park along the obvious ditch. Wife spotted it, I confirmed the i/d but it was off before any photo

As always in this part of Scotland, numerous GV Whites. My observations seem to show that the main food plant used is Cuckoo Flower as I have not seen them lay on anything else.

Five or Six Speckled Woods. They seemed perfectly typical albeit slightly small. But they were frequenting far more open habitat than is usual in the south.
A few Orange Tips but unlike my earlier posting had suggested, pretty much normal size. (very pale Cuckoo Flower, sometimes even white, is quite common).



Jack

Edit: Forgot the PB Frit. Just one seen, same spot as last week by the road.

[MikeOxon]

Finally a Chequered Skipper

Pleased you found a nice accessible one I see that your picnic table is marked on the OS map

Mike

[A_T]

Saw A Grizzled Skipper at Llynclys Common yesterday evening - they're not that common in this part of the world.

[Wildmoreway]

Hi

ust wondering whether any Small Blues have been sighted this year in the car park location at Bath, if so I would like to know the location of the car park so that I could make a visit either tomorrow or on Wednesday.

Thank you.

Odd Down Park & Ride, ST733615 - this is normally a late site (as it is nearly 600' above sea level) and it had not occurred to me to check whether the butterflies are out there yet. My guess is that they probably are not, but if you happen to be in the area and don't mind checking, then the road leading into the car park turns to the left and the grassy area immediately to the left - both in front of and behind the large metal fence - is where the butterflies are most usually found.

Further afield, the BC reserve at Stoke Camp usually has Small Blues a bit earlier in the year (bear right from the entrance gates and the butterflies usually roost in the dip) and there is a colony of Small Blue (and also Green Hairstreak and possibly Adonis Blue) in the Avon gorge in Bristol - not sure of the exact whereabouts but somewhere off the Portway on the Gloucestershire side.

I pad a visit to Odd Down yesterday but it was overcast and trying to rain and I did not see any butterflies I assume that the areas around that fence are left unmown as there were a lot of cowslips (now going to seed) and other wild flowers. I may give it another try next week.

Paid an early evening visit to Dawlish Warren on Friday, several Small Coppers about and two female Orange Tips and a couple of Speckled Woods also a possible Green Hairstreak.

[Ian Pratt]

Only 2 Glanville fritillaries at Bonchurch this morning plus a few common blues. Ian

[David M]

2 hour visit to Caeau Ffos Fach near Cross Hands in south Wales this morning saw only three species of butterfly, but good numbers of the one for which this reserve is managed, i.e. Marsh Fritillary.

Numbers seen:

Marsh Frit 50-70
Green Veined White 20-30
Dingy Skipper 4

[EricY]

Out yesterday after a few bird rarities, I entered a hide & saw a pair of Brimstones fluttering about in the grass. Fired off a few speculative shots with camera to hand (fz150 + Sony TC) & although out of focus as only set on 1/800 sec it did show me a speculative view of open wings. Still not many butterflies about in Norfolk coastal area, too cold & have been wearing my winter coat & gloves the last 3 days! Eric

speculative Brimstone shot wings part open

[Willrow]

Quote DavidM " hour visit to Caeau Ffos Fach near Cross Hands in south Wales this morning saw only three species of butterfly, but good numbers of the one for which this reserve is managed, i.e. Marsh Fritillary."

It appears that Marsh Fritillary are having a rather good season, the past ten days or so have been very kind to them...and us

Bill

[Neil Freeman]

A return visit to the Wyre Forest today with my son Chris for him to see Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, of which there were loads, many more than last week when I went.

Also my first Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary of the year and my first Small Coppers this year

At least half a dozen male Brimstones still patrolling about and a couple of male Orange Tips. Also Large, Small and Green-veined Whites and a couple of Speckled Wood. Three of the meadows still had a Peacock holding onto its bit of territory, all looking very tatty now.

Piccies as usual in my diary later when I have gone through them.

Neil F.

[David M]

A return visit to the Wyre Forest today with my son Chris for him to see Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, of which there were loads, many more than last week when I went.

Also my first Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary of the year and my first Small Coppers this year

Do you know, Neil, that's one of the UK butterflying delights I've yet to experience - visiting a site not knowing at first glance whether you're seeing PBF or SPBF.

Maybe one day...

[Matsukaze]

Dingy Skipper at Cook's Fields reserve on the Mendips - strong winds however were restricting the numbers of butterflies on the Mendip scarp today.

There are still Orange-tips on the wing, both male and female. Also plenty of eggs in the hedgerows. What I find interesting about the eggs is that often single garlic mustard plants or small groups will have eggs, but large stands may be devoid of them altogether. I wonder if this distribution is typical and is an anti-parasitism mechanism?

[Rogerdodge]

Visited the delightfully named Volehouse Moor in North West Devon today.
An area of Culm Grassland owned and managed by the Devon Wildlife Trust very much with Marsh Frits in mind.
Today I managed only the southern section (it is divided by the river Torridge) but the MF were out in excellent numbers.
Sadly a very strong breeze made photography almost impossible. However, one individual chose to pitch in a rare sheltered spot, and posed for a moment or two.
Delightful.

[NickB]

Nice one, Roger!

[Wildmoreway]

Playing about with a revived Panasonic FZ38 and snapped this male Common Blue on The Royal Terrace Gardens at Torquay.

[Jack Harrison]

Roger:

Sadly a very strong breeze made photography almost impossible.

It's on windy days that I find minimal fill-in flash freezes the subject but doesn't make the background too dark.

No Greenstreaks or Fritillaries to report from Mull so I can't confirm if the techniques still works in 2013

Jack

[JohnR]

Naturally this section contains "sightings" can we also have one for "non sightings" or is it just here that I am missing species and numbers? The most species in my field and garden has been 3 at any one time and in the patches I record I think I've noted 9 over the year so far. I actually got excited seeing my first small white yesterday and down by the lake I've taken to recording and photographing dragonflies just to have something to watch.

[David M]

Two hour hike up Kilvey Hill between 9.30 and 11.30 this morning produced the following:

Common Blue 30-40 (half of which were on the copious BFT growing in the cemetery at the base of the hill)
Large White 20-30
Small Heath 12-18
Wall Brown 11 (lovely to see decent numbers of these - mainly dogfighting males at the summit but one female seen bimbling amongst the grasses)
Speckled Wood 9 (including 2 that looked fresh as a daisy)
Green Veined White 4
Dingy Skipper 1 (first I've seen on Kilvey Hill)
Small White 1

[MikeOxon]

I've taken to recording and photographing dragonflies just to have something to watch.

I know what you mean, John; It's been a slow start to the season so far.

I went for a walk along the Roman Road on Otmoor, Oxon yesterday and found plenty of Orange Tip males still patrolling along the ride (it is June,isn't it ). This one paused for a rest when the sun went in for a while. Damage to the right-hand wings shows off some of the orange.

Otmoor, Oxon - 8th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/500s@f/6.7 ISO800

When the sun returned,it soon opened its wings and resumed its probably fruitless search for a female.

Otmoor, Oxon - 8th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/3000s@f/5.6 ISO800

The only other butterflies were a few Green-veined Whites but there were literally hordes of Damselflies (Azures, Common Blues, and Blue-tailed) creating a 'blue haze' in the long grasses.

Otmoor, Oxon - 8th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/250s@f/8 ISO800

This was totally the wrong lens for the Damsels pic but it's not easy to change a large lens attached to a monopod on a DSLR in a hurry. Another place where a 'bridge' camera scores!

Mike