May 2014

[MrSp0ck]

Only One Glanville at Hutchinson's Bank today, they have been flying for 14 days so far, there may be more to come as they had just started to emerge when the week of rain and dull weather started.

Lots of Small Blues flying including a large male, nearly the size of a Common Blue.

I will post on here if/when more Glanvilles are seen, so to avoid any wasted trips.

In the dull Sunshine this afternoon, No Glanvilles were seen after 1pm.

[kevling]

John,

You have a PM from me regardign Hutchinson's Bank.

Regards
Kev

[JCL]

8-10 PBFs at Abbotts Wood today: all once the sun came out at 9am after none in the previous two hours. Mostly worn males, but one crisp female being courted. Also three Grizzled Skipper.

http://jameslowen.com
52 wildlife weekends: http://tinyurl.com/52wildlifeweekends

[Padfield]

In that last picture, the one in flight looks like a PBF and I don't doubt it is, but it would seem to be aberrant, in that all the pale spots are silvered, as in SPBF. I've never seen one like it.

Guy

[MikeOxon]

In that last picture, the one in flight looks like a PBF and I don't doubt it is, but it would seem to be aberrant, in that all the pale spots are silvered, as in SPBF. I've never seen one like it. Guy

I had the same immediate reaction. It's not just that the 'pearls' have faded, since the outlines look very black, as in SPBF, rather than the brownish red of PBF

Mike

[Susie]

Thats a shame, I was thinking of visiting on Monday. Thanks for the info. You've saved me a journey.

Only One Glanville at Hutchinson's Bank today, they have been flying for 14 days so far, there may be more to come as they had just started to emerge when the week of rain and dull weather started.

Lots of Small Blues flying including a large male, nearly the size of a Common Blue.

I will post on here if/when more Glanvilles are seen, so to avoid any wasted trips.

In the dull Sunshine this afternoon, No Glanvilles were seen after 1pm.

[Mark Tutton]

Did a complete tour of Butser today - Philzoid wasn't up to it last week and counted an incredible 162 Dukes - there were so many Green Hairstreaks in some areas they were impossible to count saw six GH and two Dukes in a scrap
Flossie struggled in the heat and laid down in a small clearing in the scrub on the north side for a rest in a cool rabbit scrape where - unbeknown to her - she was surrounded by nine Dukes. Good numbers of females out now and managed to locate a few eggs.
Lots of common blues and masses of Dingy Skippers and a few Brown Argus about now too.
Mark

[John W]

I visited Hutchinson's Bank today between 1.45 and 3.45 to look for the Glanvilles, but without success, despite being kindly shown round the site by Martin (MrSp0ck). The weather was warm but quite overcast, although the sun came out briefly toward the end of my visit. The star of the show was an unusually co-operative male Orange Tip. Also seen were Peacock, Comma, Brimstone, Green Veined White, Common Blue, Small Blue, Dingy Skipper.
Cheers
John

[David M]

Nice to still be seeing Orange Tips on here...they're becoming exceedingly thin on the ground round my part of the world.

[JCL]

In that last picture, the one in flight looks like a PBF and I don't doubt it is, but it would seem to be aberrant, in that all the pale spots are silvered, as in SPBF. I've never seen one like it. Guy

I had the same immediate reaction. It's not just that the 'pearls' have faded, since the outlines look very black, as in SPBF, rather than the brownish red of PBF

Mike

V interesting and in retrospect entirely feasible (even if it was surely be early for such a worn SPBF). Other images of the upper individual suggest the same pattern on the underwing, suggesting it is not a single-image artefact. The lower individual (which we took to be a female, given the wingshivering apparently enticing the upper individual; it was fresh), from other images, looks fine as PBF. I'm out today but will try to look in detail later.

[Neil Hulme]

As Guy has pointed out, JCL's Abbots Wood PBF is a little 'irregular', but there's absolutely no doubt that it is a PBF (rather than SPBF), based on its markings, both upperside and under. From a historical perspective, SPBF became extinct here in 1983 and in latter years has been restricted to the Vert Wood complex. Sadly, here at Park Corner Heath/Rowland Wood the butterfly teeters on the point of extinction, following near total weather-related wipe-out in 2012. It might be too late to save the species in SE England, although every effort is being made. The next nearest colonies are in Bentley Wood and the New Forest.
BWs, Neil

[Philzoid]

Wrecclesham disappointed last year as the 'local' Glanville Fritillaries were not on the menu. Despite this I thought it might still be worth giving it a check over and afterwards if no good, move on to Botany Bay for Wood Whites.

Saturday 17th
Despite perfect butterfly weather Wreccleshan held very few butterflies and certainly no Glanvilles. The commonest species were fly-by Orange-tips and Brimstones and on the ground about half a dozen Brown Argus and two Small Coppers. That and two Peacocks was the total. No skippers, Green Hairstreak or Common Blues seen . The lake at the bottom of the sand pit not surprisingly had spread somewhat and as usual the croaking of Marsh frogs could be heard some distance away. However, this disappeared on approach only to be replaced by the raucous honking of Canada Geese .

Small Copper Wrecclesham

Brown Argus Wrecclesham

Disappointed at the meagre showing I drove over to Botany Bay. The contrast was incredible . In the little cleared patch near the entrance I found two perfect Grizzled Skippers in amongst little Pyrausta purpuralis moths.

Pyrausta purpuralis

Grizzlie nr. entrance to Botany Bay

Making my way in along the path I immediately encountered a Wood White which are not usually seen this close to the entrance. Reaching the "zone" just before the triangle there were more Wood Whites on the wing at I would say average numbers for this site (1 or 2 every 20 m2) .

Female ovipositing

In the clearing area (which is now filling up with birch scrub) I'd barely walked a couple of metres when I spotted a Green Hairstreak in the grass. He took off but didn't move far and mostly kept down in the grass like a Small Heath (far more approachable though).

Looks better on a tree leaf

Another ovipositing female: bodes well for second brood

No Small Heaths were seen but I did see Dingies and Brimstones and some dayflying moths including a Broad-bordered Bee hawkmoth.

Grass wave can be tricky to photo

Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth nectaring on bugle. Not the sharpest of photos but the best i could manage on a rapidly moving insect (and the first time I've ever captured one)

The only surprise was the lack of any Speckled Woods

Looking forward to the reports from Hutchinson's bank

Phil

[Butterflysaurus rex]

Fantastic report Phil! I love the Bee Bordered Hawk Moth photo. I hope to see one myself this year. That Grizzlie has a lot more white on it's fore wings than the ones I see down here.

All the best

B'suarus

[P.J.Underwood]

Thank you Phil for the update on Botany Bay.At the moment I am in Denmark, and have been a nomad this last month but move into my new house in Chiddingfold tomorrow.I have only managed the odd brief visit to Botany Bay and found the cool winds have kept the numbers down.About ten days ago on a warm day a friend visited there and found about ten wood whites.
Now shortly back into action!
P.J.U.

[David M]

An hour spent at Welshmoor, near Llanrhiddian on the Gower, near Swansea, saw around two dozen Marsh Fritillaries flying.

Other species seen were Green Hairstreak (15-20), Green Veined White (approx 5) and Large White (1).

[JCL]

As Guy has pointed out, JCL's Abbots Wood PBF is a little 'irregular', but there's absolutely no doubt that it is a PBF (rather than SPBF), based on its markings, both upperside and under. From a historical perspective, SPBF became extinct here in 1983 and in latter years has been restricted to the Vert Wood complex. Sadly, here at Park Corner Heath/Rowland Wood the butterfly teeters on the point of extinction, following near total weather-related wipe-out in 2012. It might be too late to save the species in SE England, although every effort is being made. The next nearest colonies are in Bentley Wood and the New Forest.
BWs, Neil

thanks Neil, much appreciated.
James

http://jameslowen.com

[Lee Hurrell]

Good numbers of Small Blue at Ewell, Surrey yesterday, including a mating pair, followed by a second evening at Denbies.

Today at another site in Ewell, equally good numbers of Small Blue and a mating pair of Brown Argus.

At Sheepleas, a pristine second brood Comma

Then for my third evening in a row at Denbies, very good numbers of Adonis Blue including a mating pair.

Over the three sites today I have seen, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock, Brimstone, Orange Tip, Small White, Green Veined White, Large White, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper. 18 species in all!

Celebratory "99" pictured

Celebratory "99", Denbies, Surrey, 18th May 2014

[David M]

Celebratory "99" pictured

Could well become a UKB 'essential', Lee.

[Lee Hurrell]

Could well become a UKB 'essential', Lee.

I think it should, David.

[millerd]

Definitely. It's very disappointing to be there on a weekday afternoon and the van isn't there...

Dave