Wurzel

[Nick Broomer]

Beautifully written Wurzel, a really enjoyable read.

All the best, Nick.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil - I was really struggling with how to conjure up my feeble attempts at stalking in other peoples minds Neil - and after many beers and hours that was the best I could come up with - a case of publish and be damned!
That's Meadow Browns pretty much summed up David! You often read about the delightful side of nature but rarely do you read commentary like "they are complete gits to photograph", "they're proper thugs these butterflies" or "they're just flirts and have no intention of letting you get even a half-way decent shot"
Cheers Nick for your very kind comments

Devenish 3

Last weekend I saw the weather forecast and thought “stuff it”. It wouldn’t be good for Large Blues and my planned trip for Heath Frits might need to be put off for another year, but I decided to head out anyway. I was planning to pick my way between the cloud and showers to the patchy sunshine so my main concern was the strong wind with fierce gusts. So I settled on a proper visit to the Devenish. I thought that the Down would be a write-off but the lower field should be protected by the trees on all sides.
K jumped at the chance to accompany me so we drove over there and set off through the wood. We sampled the Down first so K could climb the “cut steps”, look out over the whole valley and be blown along the Down top. Whilst there, we found a fresh female Adonis and a practically deceased Grizzlie.

Once K was all blown out we headed back down the hill to the peace and stillness of the lower field. K settled down with her book and I took to mooching forward and backward along the tracks. It wasn’t looking too good at first with only a few moths but as the sky started to clear a Speckie hove into view closely followed by a Large Skipper.

Back at the other end of the field there were patches of shorter grasses with more flowers intermingled and also more butterflies – with another Large Skipper and a fresher looking Grizzlie. All of a sudden a really dark butterfly appeared and flitted around a bit before settling. A Ringlet, my first of 2013 and possibly the first overall? It was cracking to see, stunningly marked purple velvet on top and chocolate brown on the underside. It didn’t want to go far and sought the shade and shelter of the larger shrubs. Elated I set off to try for a few open wing shots of the Large Skipper.

Elated I set off to try for a few open wing shots of the Large Skipper after I took a quick turn around the bottom of the down where a Speckie deemed to land for me. Back in the field the Grizzlie and some Meadow Browns distracted me from finding my main quarry as did the antics of the Speckled Woods. There were three all flying around a fourth and eventually after plenty of argy bargy these seemed to be whittled down to one but the female still wasn’t interested and promptly flitted off somewhere to wind up some other males presumably. Eventually I managed to locate one of the Large Skippers which was nicely posed on a Dandelion and was so busy nectaring I could approach easily.

It should have ended there but I took another quick look on the Down and found a few more blues and another Brown Argus. This was the freshest looking one yet from this site so I seem to be working in reverse. After this we packed up and checked out the woodland on the top of the down on the other side. K liked this area too as she could climb the trees and there was one which had a large horizontal branch from which she could look out over the valley.

So I managed to have a proper look at the Devenish in the end and I can draw the conclusion that it is a cracking little reserve and definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Brief check in at Woodhenge

After stopping off at Larkhill almost every day on my way to (and much more rarely and only when feeling very brave – from ) work I thought that I should give one of my older stop-offs a quick check. Woodhenge is a favourite when the Marbled Whites are flying and as I’ve seen reports of Marbled Whites coming in from the county as well as seeing my first Ringlet at the weekend I thought now might be the time to see my first. However should that not be the case I could always check it out for Skippers as I’ve seen three of the golden skippers here before.

The brief five minutes I allow myself in the morning gives me just enough time to check out the longer grass by the gate to the National Trust property and also to check the field that runs alongside the road. This is one of the best parts of the site as it is from here that I have encountered most of the species that I’ve seen here. The Marbled Whites in particular love to roost amongst the longer grass stems here, and when cooler in the morning they are much easier to approach. However today this wasn’t the case as I saw only one species – a Large Skipper. What was great was that it was the first female I’ve seen this year and she was in particularly fine fettle. I noticed that the females have white “faces” compared to the more uniform yellow of the males and also this female seemed to be struggling to get her proboscis in order.

I’ll have to pop in here again next week and the week after that when the Marbs have emerged but there aren’t many more weeks left until the summer when my visits will have to stop.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

July 2013

Let's hope for a calm, warm month

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

July 2013

Let's hope for a calm, warm month

According to the BBC monthly outlook, we might be in for even better than that!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2635167#outlook

[Wurzel]

Fingers crossed David

Old Sarum

Having stopped off on the way to work and enjoyed glorious sunshine I then took an evening stroll to make the most of it. I was trying to work out where I should try – Middle Street or Five Rivers but then I thought of Old Sarum where I saw my first Marbled White last year and also my second Painted Lady and what with all the immigrants flooding in it seemed like the best bet.
Once I arrived I set off round the rings clockwise but I didn’t see a butterfly until half way round. The first half though did allow me to look down into the rings while Scarlet Tigers flitted up and down like Yo-Yos in reverse. Half way round the ring sloped down more gently and there are areas of cleared scrub. Once there a few Whites flitted around and a closer examination (whilst being bombarded by Scarlet Tigers) showed that at least one of them was a Small White

There were Scarlet Tigers around everywhere and they were fast becoming as annoying as Meadow Browns as they spooked a Large Skipper, another White and a Small Tortoiseshell. I gave up checking the scrub and instead started my way back round the rings when I found a pristine Small Tortoiseshell that just dropped down in front of me on the path. I reeled off a few shots marvelling at the brightness of the colours.

I had to leave it too soon though as there were walkers and joggers all approaching and the path here is only really wide enough for to people. After that it seemed to quiet down slightly. There was another Small Tort which could have been the same one, another Large Skipper and of course the ubiquitous Scarlet Tigers. It wasn’t until I got almost all of the way round that I saw something different a Common Blue roosting in the longer grasses on the side of the path nicely set against the evening sun.

No joy with the Painted Ladies or Marbled Whites but hopefully it’ll just be a matter of time for the former and the Small Tortoiseshell provided the joy.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Larkhill Stop Off

I called in a few times at Larkhill last week but I didn’t add to the species count for the year – just revelled in what was there. I did see my first Larkhill female Blue and she looked a bit worse for wear with rips in the wings but she was still holding her own. A pair of Brimstones occasionally dropped in but it didn’t stop long enough for a photo and over the week I noticed a change in the butterfly populations – the Small Heath seemed dwindling as Large Skippers began their ascendency. There was one shot that I think is almost my favourite of the year. One of the remaining Small Heath did the usual explosion form the grass and then ironically perched on a sign and began taking minerals from the rust. I say “ironically perched” because the sign warns visitors not to cross for fear of unexploded shells!

The Large Skippers seemed to be having a good week with 5 or 6 individuals present by my last visit. Some seemed very fresh and had that lovely yellowy colour which glistened in the sun. One rather tatty male had taken a territorial perch on a Hawthorn branch which possibly accounted for the tears in his wings.

I have a confession to make. What I really enjoyed last week were the Burnets. It’s not usual for Moths to take precedence in my photography as normally they are compensation for missing or not finding a butterfly. However this week they were emerging in large numbers looking like Aliens as they ruptured from their cocoons and they stole the limelight from their cousins. I found mating pairs, managed to get standard shots, close ups of their faces and also sots of the scarlet under wings.

So I’m looking forward to the end of the week with warmer, sunnier mornings meaning that I can make some more stop-offs and who knows perhaps I can add Marbled White or Smessex Skippers to my Larkhill tally?

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Debbie]

As always I think all your photos are great - but what stunning Burnet photos.

Debbie

[Nick Broomer]

Lovely photos as usual Wurzel, you must of captured every possible angle on those Burnets, brilliant. The Large Skipper nectaring on the pink flower has to be my favourite photo, and also getting a record shot of the Small Heath taking minerals from rust on that old sign is excellent, well done.

All the best, Nick.

[Neil Freeman]

Great photos Wurzel, especially the Burnets

Cheers,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Debbie, Nick and Neil for your kind comments

Woodhenge

This is totally out of sync as I’ve still got a report from Slop Bog on Saturday and Five Rivers twice on Monday to write but a brief stop at Woodhenge on the way to work paid off today. I saw my first Marbled Whites on Monday at Five Rivers but I was checking out this site last week for them thinking that they should be turning up any time soon. However the stop off this morning was more out of force of habit than with any expectation. It was cooler and fresher then of late, there was a fine drizzle in the air and the grasses were soaking. I checked out the small field near the car park and there was a male hunkering down in the grass and in such a position as to be able to approach from the side. What an ace way to start the day!

Coming up to my time limit I found another male this time roosting with its wings open. It couldn’t get comfy it seemed so it would climb up the stem, leg over leg as if on a rope, twirling round and round as it went. From the top it would lean out so the grass bent and came into contact with another stem or it would make a weak flutter to another blade and then repeat the process. Why it didn’t close its wings I don’t know? Could it be using its outstretched wings to balance it like a tightrope walker uses a pole? Anyway whatever the reason it allowed me to get a couple of “centrefold/double page spread” shots . An even better start to the day – slightly spoilt unfortunately by the realization that I had to go to work .

Now I know they’re there and with better weather on the horizon a few more stop-offs are one the cards, still need to find some Smessex

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

This is a butterfly that looks particularly beautiful when freshly emerged, and you've captured one right there, Wurzel.

[Wurzel]

Cheers David I got some in cop on Monday and today they were all dew soaked. I love this time of year because even when you can't get out to see the "specialties" you can always rely on the Marbled Whites to brighten your day - as they're a bit special

Slop Bog

I said to myself last year that I needed to find another area for Silver Studs so in 2013 and so I intended to find one. But then this year I thought why? I know they’re at Slop bog so why not go where I know? Having had this discussion with myself last Saturday I loaded both the girls, snacks, books and assorted colouring pencils and paper into the car and we all set off. They have been out for a couple of weeks at other sites now and the first Silver Studs have been reported on the Dorset Branch website so as this is a late site, in a late year I was hoping that they’d started emerging.

I’ve found that with some species I make a trip to see them, see them and then that is it until the following year (hopefully) – and Silver Studs seem to fall into this group. I’d love to go back time and again to some places but in way a single visit is more beneficial – less trampling, less petrol burnt and less intrusion I suppose so if I think that a site is a “one visit job” I try and make the most of it. This means that I’m much more focused on trying to get my photographs so I often catch something I’ve not seen before or of interest to me. But it also means lot and lots of images to sort through...hence the lateness of this posting!

Once there we walked over the board walk which both girls loved especially when we stopped to look over the bog with damsel and dragonflies a plenty. Very shortly we made our first stop, in the shade of a pine tree just along the path and almost as soon as we stepped onto the heath. While the girls settled down to some serious playing I mooched forward and back long the path and within just under a minute I’d found 2 males. It was quite warm so they were pretty active and difficult to approach but I had a go anyway.

As I was watching the Silver Studs something shot by me that was very yellow in colour. It couldn’t be could it? No it wasn’t a Clouded Yellow but a Clouded Buff, not the yellow I was hoping for but still a first for me . Later a bright Orange something fluttered by which I believe was a female.

Heading back to the girls we did a quick Tick check as I had 15 or more crawling over my trousers but luckily not one had found its way up our trousers and just as I was putting on the last boot having tucked trousers in socks an errant dog came a harassing . My girls don’t mind dogs on leads but are very nervous of those off leads and as this was a Springer Spaniel, all malicious, noisy bouncing my little L was pretty upset . I get a bit fed up with the same old “don’t worry he/she never bites” line that is uttered every time . More to the point this is a nature reserve and an SSSI with ground nesting birds so dogs should be on leads. Still we took this interruption as an opportunity to pack up and check out more of the Silver Studded Heath.

But the girls were more fascinated by the Sundew. And I think I had to explain how they fed on insects in quite gory detail at least three times before they were fully sated (the girls that is) I could see things whirring round in little L's brain but thought it better not to ask !

After a stroll round and a quick chat and comparison of notes with the local transect taker we settled back down at the side of the path. After another quick Tick check – only 9 on my trouser legs, the girls started pointing out Silver Studs so I could find them easier. One of the things that I hadn’t really noticed before and I was loving today was the way the colour of the margins changed according to the angle the wing was held at...

Orange and green sheen...

Electric blue...

Some red on the hind wing...

I then tried counting but they had an annoying habit of just appearing from nowhere and you couldn’t tell if you’d counted it yet or not. In the end I just enjoyed watching their antics and all the hurly burly. Over the next half an hour we probably saw 9 males, including one with a deformed fore-wing and I came close to the classic open wing shot and consoled myself with a Padfield . However we didn’t see a single female despite all the tumultuous spiralling fights of the males which must have been more for territory than for the right to mate. I took this as a sign that they are only just emerging here so a visit next weekend might mean finding a few of the oily-sheened brown females.

Deformed wing

A "Padfield"

We then had to make our way back home stopping once more on the Boardwalk to watch the blue and Small Red Damselflies and as we were doing the final Tick check before getting in the car I realised that I had seen only one species of butterfly all afternoon! Slop Bog – what a cracking place.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Lovely butterflies, Wurzel - a favourite of mine as you might have noticed. And the sundews are terrific. Elliot would spend hours feeding them if we had some in the garden...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I think Silver Studs are one of my faves too (though I have a feeling that I say that about all of them ). It sounds like Elliot and my younger daughter would hit if off - and then look out world While my older daughter was listening rapt to the idea that a plant moves and eats insects my younger one was looking for ants to feed to it Iguess she was doing her bit for the environment

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I know what you mean about taking certain sites/butterflies for granted, Wurzel.

It may seem crazy, but this Sunday I'll spend 4 hours+ at Alun Valley in Glamorgan and I may not even reach for my camera to take images of High Browns, as I suspect they'll be around in silly numbers. Instead, I'll try to keep some sort of count going whilst simultaneously looking for White Letter Hairstreaks.

[NickMorgan]

Lovely butterflies Wurzel. It sounds like you had a great day.

[Wurzel]

It must be hard for you David - how do you cope with all those pesky High Brown Frits around, they must be a right nuisance
Cheer Nick - it was a cracking day indeed

Having added Small Skipper to my yearly tally on Friday as well as spending the day with Philzoid and White-Letters today it seems a bit odd to be posting about Five River from last Monday. But I’m getting seriously behind with my PD so I need to catch up. In fact what I really need is a few extra hours in the day so that I can get my work done, photos sorted, posts written and still be able to sleep!

Five Rivers – the morning.

Last Monday was a TD at work, but unlike the pupils I still had to work. Luckily I’d arranged to visit a local school so I was able to walk to work, and even better, have an hour at Five Rivers before I was expected .

I set out across the field heading to the banks thinking to myself that it was about time for some Marbled Whites and low and behold as I reached the banks one flitted into view, my first Marbled White of the year and it was a cracker, really dark.

It was quickly joined by another more grey and white individual. Once I’d got a few photos of it I thought I better set off on my way when I spied a pair in cop. As I took shots the female started climbing up the grass stem while still locked with her partner. Near the top of the stem it stopped and the male was just hanging there, suspended in mid air, still locked on by its genitals.

Leaving eh amorous pair to continue I made my way along the path at the top of the bank. A few Meadow Browns flew by joined occasionally by a Ringlet or two and even fewer Large Skipper. Down the other side of the banks to the main field I unwittingly disturbed a Small Tortoiseshell, which quickly spooked a second. Both were really fresh and settled again quickly allowing me to get some shots. The second one seemed really dark to those I’ve previously photographed this year.

Time was ticking away and I need to allow some time to pick all the seed heads out of my socks and trousers so I started back across the field towards the entrance to the reserve. On the way I saw another 3 Small Torts, a few more Meadow Browns and Ringlets and Large Skippers. The final butterfly was a male Common Blue, looking tired and worn but still hanging on in there.

This was a fantastic start to the day, even better than usual. I mean 5 minutes at Woodhenge is great but a whole 45 minutes? Bliss.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Nice report(s) and photos Wurzel, I like the SSB's and Large Skippers in particular. You always seem able to post a good variety of species in your diary.

Regards,

Mike

[Wurzel]

Cheers Mike I just point and shoot at everything!

Five Rivers – The Afternoon

So having made my observations, had my meetings and left very impressed with the school I had visited I found that I had an hour to kill before my normal knocking off time. So I headed off homewards which happened t take me back through Five Rivers.
I was surprised in the change in the range of the species that I was able to photograph. Whereas in the cooler morning Marbled Whites were the order of the day now Small Tortoiseshells had come to the fore. However on working my way to the banks I saw plenty of Ringlets and Meadow Browns which were supplemented with Large Skippers. I also came across a battered Small Tortoiseshell I nick-named Stumpy. I couldn’t work out whether Stumpy was a geriatric or a world weary traveller but what was puzzling me more was how Stumpy was able to still take to the wing given that he was a bit short changed in that department? Actually this little area of footpath just at the base of the banks proved to be quite rich in butterflies with all bar two of the days species encountered here.

Stumpy

Once up on the banks I checked the right hand side, that away from the river and facing the fields as here the grasses were shorter and so more wild flowers had managed to get a root hold. Again all the usual suspects were present but what I was most pleased with was a nicely blue female Common Blue. She seemed more than happy to pose and in the end I left her still there and went off to find something else to photograph – I don’t think she was amused! There were also Ringlets here that were willing to sit still for a minute and to finish off the banks a Marbled White.

So all pretty much as before really but I thought that just before I left the site t continue the journey home I should check out the compost heap. During the spring a small area of the wood land had been used as a large compost heap containing all the cuttings produced from maintaining the paths I presume. However now Thistles and Brambles have overtaken the area and I thought it might hold one or two Small Torts. As it turned out this was a bit of an underestimate! As I approached I saw 5 Small Torts all in one view and after a brief scan I counted 11 on the thistles alone. By the time I’d checked the Brambles the total had reached 17. I’m pretty sure that there were more as they would fly in and others would fly off but the most I saw here at any one time was 17. Here was me thinking that 4 or 5 would make a good day. Whether these were freshly hatched or not I couldn’t say; though personally I’d like to think that they were home grown 5 Rivers stock. I noticed again that one seemed really dark compared to the others but it wouldn’t come down the bank and insisted on satying partly hidden behind a Bramble bud!

Darker?

So what I day – it could only have been better if I’d visited a school near Bernwood or Wheelers Bay!

Have a goodun

Wurzel