Long tailed Blues in Kent

[lee3764]

Thanks for the good wishes massages folks! Wouldn't have seen this species if this was not on this forum originally! It is very trying up there when it is windy as they don't like the wind & remain grounded. I'm sure there will be more seen if the weather allows! Best of luck to anyone visiting there.
Cheers folks,
Lee Slaughter (and family).

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Fantastic news your effort was rewarded after traveling all that way and at the eleventh hour too . Like all the best adventures you'll never forget it.

[David M]

My God, Lee, I am so pleased you saw your quarry after the tribulations involved in getting there.

To be honest, such have been the travails recently that I don't think I'll make the trip myself. There are too many uncertainties and I don't really wish to lose my job and get a criminal record for assaulting a LTB collector.

[Pete Eeles]

Thank goodness for that! Congrats Lee!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Lee,

Fantastic news. I'm delighted for you and your family. I was pretty confident you had succeeded when I heard from a friend that "a man from Cornwall" had seen a male LTB.

From the various reports I've heard regarding the weather, Saturday was probably unsuitable and Sunday only marginally suitable for seeing this species, so it looks like you squeezed the best possible result from the situation. A great reward for your efforts! I hope a few more people get lucky as there is still time to visit when the weather improves, and I suspect the emergence will continue well into October.

BWs, Neil

[Paul Wetton]

Guess I'll just have to make the trip again. It's gotta be worth £65 if I get to see them.

[woodnymph]

Made the journey down from Cheshire yesterday and made it to Kingsdown this morning and wasn't disappointed Luckily someone had located a pristine male in perfect condition that was amazingly photogenic, so success all round. Unfortunately some guy was strimming the entire length of the verge where it was and where the majority of peas were. To make matters worse a guy from the national trust then arrived and was indicating that they were going to remove the entirety of peas on the site. Quite frankly both their attitudes to the butterflies being there was appalling. Very sad.

[lee3764]

Dear Woodnymph.........I am delighted for you after your long journey. Yes...very sad at the attack from all directions on the butterfly! This will probably mean that I won't ever have a reason to visit the site again. Why on earth do the National Trust pick now to want to get rid of the Everlasting Pea plants? Any L.T.Blues migrating in at a future date will just fly over the site and have no reason to stop there and no chance of breeding there either!!
Still on a high over yesterday's luck and sitting at my desk at work today....Knackered!!!
Cheers again for the many good wishes & comments from many UK Butterflies members.
All the best,
Lee Slaughter (and Robert, Michael & wife Lisa).
PS: Robert's still buzzing today about seeing one of the very rare migrants in Britain!

[dave brown]

Sorry to the visitors at the weekend who missed out. This is not going to go down well but today in East Kent the weather has been pretty good. Clear skies, sunny and about 17-18 degrees. This is slightly at odds with the forecast that predicated a more cloudy morning, but clearing in the afternoon. I did not do Kingsdown myself today but was at nearby St Margarets, where the wind was less than predicated giving much better conditions for butterflies. I met a returning gentleman from Kingsdown who had see one male Long Tailed Blue, which apparently was in fresh condition. There was also a hint of caution, in that the area in front of Ship House between the fence and the house, which apparently is part of the house, was being strimmed. This has proved to be one of the most reliable spots for the LTB but hopefully the will remain loyal to the area.


Edit. Sorry Woodnymph I have just read your entry which says much the same thing. I am very pleased that you managed to connect today after such a long journey (and Lee & family yesterday). The conditions looked more benign than yesterday. With Neils greater knowledge it should be that more will emerge over the next week or so, once we get another warm spell.

[mud-puddling]

Hi all, just returned from a sunny Kingsdown Leas - and pleased to say I final managed to see a Long-tailed Blue! I arrived onsite just after 10:30 after getting slightly lost around Dover due to the closure of the A2 (anyone travelling from the west should take the A2 south rather than the M20 as the A2 from Dover north is closed).

I soon met up with Gary (Faulkner) who had come down earlier to try and see the Jack Snipe at Sandwich. Amazingly it didn't take us long to find a Long-tailed Blue - I say amazingly as both Gary and I have probably clocked up a good 25-30 hours between us looking for one in the last few weeks! This one, a seemingly freshly emerged male by its condition, was on the grass verge in front of the (massive) new house being built, it was nectaring on the Pea but spent most of the time amongst the long grass and bramble, affording incredible views for almost an hour. Only moving a few metres when disturbed. Unfortunately the one time we all briefly took our eyes of it, it flew and couldn't be re-located.

To add to the previous posts, unfortunately a workman was strimming the entire verge and when I mentioned about the butterflies he was rather non-plussed and continued with his work, getting closer and closer to the resting Long-tailed Blue . When we left half the verge had been flattened and I suspect by tomorrow the rest (and the remaining Pea there) will go the same way. A real shame, esp. as this seems a nice sheltered spot for them.

Alas we only saw the one, but the wind had definitely picked up by the time we left. We did, however, have an added bonus of a Crimson Speckled Moth and a large unidentified cricket/grasshopper on the way back to the car.

Nice meeting everyone today and I'm glad Woodnymph got to see them from Cheshire (nice to meet you and hope you got back ok). I also hope the chap from Suffolk (whose name I did not catch sorry) and 'Maximus' managed to find one too.

I think I can say with some confidence it was definately worth all the sleepness nights, the dent to my car door, kneeling in dog pooh (Newhaven), cuts to my arm, and a ruined jumper!

Big thanks to Neil, Mark, Colin, Gary, and everyone else who have offered advice and guidance on seeing these stunning butterflies.

Pic attached; I will hopefully post some shortly.

Cheers,
Leigh

[Susie]

Sounds like you had an epic adventure, Leigh!

I so wish I had chosen to go today instead of Saturday

[David M]

Excellent adventures!

I'm so envious but it's still not enough to drag me to the east Kent coast. I admire all those who have gone out of their way but having missed my flight from Gatwick in July I really only want to be travelling that same route again if I know there's a 90%+ chance of a positive result.

[FISHiEE]

Great to hear of the success stories of the weekend. I didn't make the trip on Sunday as conditions didn't look great. Gutted to be in Kent and working all day in the glorious sun today! Have to go back to Kent Monday for work so may go a day early if conditions look favourable.

Lee3764 - I was speaking to a friend today who had just been speaking with the man from Ashford who put you on to the LTB on Sunday. He was a Kent BC member Alan Cooper.

John

[woodnymph]

Thanks everyone, made it back to Cheshire safely! Was great to meet everyone today, thanks to those two guys who put me on to it in the first place . I'd be interested to know if any LTBs are seen after the "pea strimming incident". I'm just glad I managed to make it down there for this morning, any later and it would have been a wasted journey I think!

Steff

[brian laney]

Thanks for the recent replies. Sadly I have not been able to get to Kent yet to have a look for the Long Tailed Blues. I might join up with fellow naturalist and good friend Dave Shute from Hampshire and might go at the weekend. It is good to see everyones comments and what is being seen. Yes, a bit worried the pea could be under threat from strimming considering the blues are using it as a foodplant. Would be great if the species got through the winter and turned up next year but our climate might be against this. But it will be interesting to see what happens next year just incase.
If I do manage to get down to Kent I will let everyone know the outcome.
In recent years I have got back into seeing our British butterflies and I am amazed how popular butterflies have become. It is always great meeting fellow naturalists.

Brian Laney.

[Paul Wetton]

Have there been any sightings of Long-tailed Blue at Kingsdown Leas this week or at any other sites. I'm sure this information would be helpful for anyone planning to visit this weekend. I hope to make the journey but will be reluctant if there have been no sightings during this last week.
Thanks to anyone who has any information.

[lee3764]

Hi Paul,
From our last weekend visit, all I can say is give it a go. I still reckon they are hatching in ones and twos. Look down in the grass for them!
Great adventure!
Cheers,
Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[Paul Wetton]

Hi lee

Thanks, although this is what I tried last Saturday, just wished I'd stayed overnight and turned up with you on the Sunday.

I'll keep my fingers crossed as the weather looks decent on Saturday and Sunday.

Cheers

[dave brown]

Have there been any sightings of Long-tailed Blue at Kingsdown Leas this week

Apart from Monday morning, when a fresh male was watched for an hour or so, the weather this week in East Kent has not really been that suitable for Butterflies. Its either been cold, very windy, or like today, raining hard. Tomorrow is looking like an improvement, and the weekend is looking much more promising. I think its a case of seeing the forecast tomorrow evening and then making a judgement.
Living within 30 miles of the location I know that its easy for me to make last minute decisions, but I did go for the migrant Monarch at Portland last year. Which is a long way for me. Its a case of weighing up factors such as rarity status (i.e. is it likely to appear again in your lifetime), how easy is it to find if all the factors come together, (Neil found 6-7 on his visit a week or so ago), the weather forecast, personal factors like can you afford the petrol costs and family commitments. Once most of those boxes have a tick against them I thinks its just a case of go and enjoy yourself. I take the view that its better to try for a once in a lifetime opportunity rather than many years of personal regret for missing the chance. The LTB can not survive the British winter so its most unlikely to be present next year unless we have favourable conditions for another influx.
Last weekend Lee took a calculated chance and was successful in the end, when really the weather factor was against him. If the weathermen are right this weekend should also tick that box. Best wishes for those who decide to go, it is a lovely location in the right weather. Keep your eyes peeled for the Great Green Bush Cricket and migrant moths and birds.

[Paul Wetton]

I don't regret visiting the site last weekend as I did get to see my first British Great Green Bush Cricket and an Angle Shades Moth. If I go again this weekend I plan to visit nearby locations and look for Pea plants with fingers crossed if there are no LTBs at Kingsdown.

I agree Dave it is a very pleasant location. Looks like more sun on Sunday than Saturday but things can always change quickly. Any weather advice Jack?