June 2013

[Jack Harrison]

I didn't actually find the Small White Orchid myself but finder didn't have a suitable camera so I did the honours.

Jack

[sahikmet]

Mill Hill yesterday 17th June. Lots of common blues. Sezar

[Debbie]

Small Heath at Prees Heath

[NickB]

Spent the afternoon surrounded by icarus Good to see so many in one place.
Over 30 in the field I was in, with fresh and old specimens - and I only covered about 1/3rd the area.
Lots of blue females too...

[Jack Harrison]

Debbie

Small Heath at Prees Heath

There's a place called Small Heath near Birmingham. So the obvious challenge: "Small Heath at Small Heath".

Jack

[Lawts]

Mountain Ringlet, a first for me at Irton Fell last Sunday. Nectering on Tormentil. Small Heath about as well.

[ChrisC]

yesterday when i got in from work, to greet me in the front garden nectaring on pyracantha was a fresh small tortoiseshell and also for at least 2 hours a painted lady.

[dilettante]

Small Heath at Prees Heath

That's a great photo, particularly the first one (albeit of a rather dull species )

[Debbie]

Small Heath at Prees Heath

That's a great photo, particularly the first one (albeit of a rather dull species )

Many thanks for the kind comment dilettante , with all the superb pictures on this site, it is nice to take a reasonable one.

I drove 45 minutes to this site after work, feeling very frazzled and I only saw 2 small heath butterflies, but hopefully the SSB will be along soon. It is about time I ticked a new species off of my list....


Debbie

[Wildmoreway]

Spent an hour on Giant's Hill at Cerne Abbas yesterday afternoon, it was overcast but brightish. There were plenty of Small Heaths and two rather worn Marsh Fritillaries.

[Jack Harrison]

Debbie (quoting me)

find a Small Heath at Small Heath

What an opportunity to misuse apostrophes (apostrophe's)

Small Heath’s Small Heath - OK
But Small Heath’s at Small Heath - wrong

Jack (what a pedant!)

[Pete Eeles]

Jack (what a pedant!)

Nothing wrong with wanting to read good English, Jack. This doesn't make you a pedant! My big bugbear is "its" written as "it's" when it doesn't mean "it is" I've read entire books and perused entire websites where this error is prolific!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Neil Hulme]

I'm hearing early rumblings of a Clouded Yellow influx in Sussex
Neil

[adrian riley]

I'm hearing early rumblings of a Clouded Yellow influx in Sussex
Neil

Hi, Neil
Several Painted Lady seen in that neck of the woods, too.
Adrian Riley www.bugalert.net

[adrian riley]

Well timed news Adrian, I'm hoping to get down there on Wednesday, just hope the weather is kind, incidentally its Sand Point rather than Start Point thanks for the tip-off.

Spent a few hours at Kenfig NNR, South Wales today, the morning was showery and the wind was a real frustration, little about, but I saw my first Meadow Brown of the year. The afternoon was much brighter with long sunny spells, the only problem was the wind got even stronger making photographs very difficult. The following species were seen:-

Dingy Skipper 2no
Large White 4no
Green-veined White 6no
Small Blue 50+
Common Blue c15
Speckled Wood
Wall 3no
Meadow Brown
Small Heath c20



Anyone have any sighting news about Heath Fritillary on Exmoor yet?

Bill

Cheers, Bill
I take your 'Point'
Adrian Riley http://www.bugalert.net

[Jack Harrison]

Kipper:

I'm hearing early rumblings of a Clouded Yellow influx in Sussex

Mull is of course awash with visiting wildlife enthusiasts at the moment. I have mentioned to many my suspected sighting of yellow form of GV White and they have all suggested Clouded Yellow. I doubt it was a Clouded Yellow as they can look slightly buffish in flight. My elusive butterfly on Ulva last week was lemon yellow in colour and it simply didn’t look like a Clouded Yellow (Nick B – keep out of this. He will know what I’m getting at).

Back to the telly now. England look like winning a cricket match.

Jack

[badgerbob]

Following on from Neil's comment about Clouded Yellows. My son had one fly past him today whilst he was fishing at Danehill. Meanwhile I had my first Meadow Brown of the year at Arlington Reservoir, nice but not a yellow!!

[MikeOxon]

A walk on the Downs, North of Lambourn, failed to produce any Marsh Fritillaries at what used to be a good location. On the other hand, Small Blues seemed unusually abundant and spread over a considerable area rather than a few small 'hotspots'.

Lambourn Downs - 19th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/500s@f/8 ISO800

This one seems to have a mite or other small parasite on the forewing:

Lambourn Downs - 19th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/750s@f/9.5 ISO800

While the following unusual shot is the result of bright sun illuminating the fine hairs to give a 'golden glow':

Lambourn Downs - 19th June 2013
Nikon D300s with 300/4 + 1.4X TC - 1/500s@f/11 ISO800

Apart from the Small Blues and Small Heaths, butterflies were rather conspicuous by their absence, despite warm bright sunshine, though I did see a couple of very bright Large Skippers.

Mike

[David M]

No Clouded Yellows at Crymlyn Burrows in Swansea this afternoon, but a three hour visit did throw up 16 other species:

Small Blue 100-150 (having a stupendous year, seemingly)
Small Heath 80-100 (most are starting to fade in colour now)
Common Blue 60-80
Green Veined White 15-20
Large Skipper 8
Dark Green Fritillary 4 (nice to see this species here)
Large White 4
Brown Argus 4
Small Copper 2
Speckled Wood 2
Dingy Skipper 2
Orange Tip 2 (latest I've ever seen this species)
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Small White 1
Meadow Brown 1 (my first in 2013)
Brimstone 1 (last butterfly I saw - a ragged looking male)

The Meadow Brown was obviously fresh but also very lucky to be alive. Something (possibly a lizard) had a real chomp at him:



The DGF, in contrast, was 'mint':

[Buchan Boy]

Not too many around yet,so heres one.

Large Skipper

Overstrand Cliffs,Norfolk.