dilettante

[dilettante]

7th/8th June 2014

A two hour walk around my village yesterday in the warm weather drew a fairly disappointing haul: a single Small Tortoiseshell, a couple of Speckled Woods, my first Meadow Brown, and a Common Blue. Only the latter hung around long enough to be photographed


Common Blue (m, uns)

A highlight was a Bee Orchid on the road verge. I went back to it today with a tripod to try to get a better picture:


Bee Orchid detail

I also saw my first Large Skipper of the year today, while out cycling, but still the butterfly numbers were low. We're in the traditional Spring-Summer lull I guess.

[Wurzel]

Fantastic shots especially the Gnome Orchid (If I call it that enough times it might lead to a name change ) I don't think the lull will last much longer with Marbled White, Black Hairstreak, Meadow Brown and Clouded Yellows all being seen this weekend.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

Saturday 14th June

Depite grey skies I took myself off to Monk's Wood to try to catch (visually/photographically) the Black Hairstreaks. I saw quite a few over the course of the hour or two I was there, but none came within camera range. Nice to see them through binolculars though, and it was also good to meet Rosalyn and (later) Phil. I also saw my first Ringlet of the season, plus Meadow Brown, Large Skipper and lots of Speckled Woods, and this little fella in a bush. Anyone know what particular rodent this is? It appeared to have a short tail, but that might have been due to injury:


Unknown mouse, Monk's Wood

From there I headed over to Wicken Fen to meet up with my family. There's a new (to me) butterfly trail there which was good to see. Nothing very unusual on offer, except a sign claimed there are Walls there, which was a surprise. Can anyone confirm?

This fresh Ringlet cooperated nicely, unlike most of its brethren which sheltered in the long grass:


Ringlet, Wicken Fen

And a Red Admiral basking on a fence closed its wings at my approach, giving a nice view of its intricate underside:


Red Admiral, Wicken Fen

Later on at the other end of the fen there were lots of Small Tortoiseshells basking on the relatively warmer dry reeds:


Small Tortoiseshell, Wicken Fen

Such a shame the Swallowtail reintroductions haven't succeeded there - they would look right at home, but apparently the fen just isn't large enough to sustain the milk parsley reliably.

[David M]

Dilettante, unless I've become short-sighted overnight that last Small Tortoiseshell image is unusual in that it is almost bereft of blue within the outer wing margins.

[dilettante]

Saturday 21st June 2014

Midsummer's day, and Summer was certainly in full swing. In the warm, still sunshine I visited Gamlingay Woods, South Cambs for Silver-washed Fritillaries, which were not hard to find. As usual they were fairly active patrolling the ride and not stopping for long, so I mostly just decided to enjoy watching. But I did try a few pictures:


Silver-washed Fritillary, Gamlingay Woods, Cambs

There were also Large Skippers zipping about, Speckled Woods spiralling up to the skies, and Meadow Browns and Ringlets bobbing in the grass. This Ringlet was a bit more sedentary:


Ringlet, Gamlingay Woods, Cambs

From there, we ventured to the the adjoining Sugley Wood, currently a meadow but long-term planned to be expansion space for the main wood. This was alive with Summer butterflies, all very active. It was hard to know what to watch with so much activity, so again I mostly just enjoyed the spectacle. Marbled Whites everywhere, plus Large and Small Skippers, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, a few Common Blues, lots of Small Tortoiseshells - just glorious. A fast-flying fritillary passed me, which I think might have been Dark Green, although I did see another Silver-washed nearby later, so maybe it was just one of those.


Marbled White, Sugley Wood, Cambs

There were some impressive orchids (Common Spotted?) too. Mostly they were past their prime, but this cluster was very nice:



Back home, along the track near my house there was an explosion of Small Tortoiseshells. It's great to see them doing so well.


Small Tortoiseshell

I watched this courting couple for a while. There was much wing-shivering and antenna-flicking from the male before they flew off to a nearby nettle patch. Then inevitably another male flew too close and, like a "Are you looking at my girlfriend?" bar brawl, it all got messy as the males flew off in a spiral leaving the good lady on her own.


Small Tortoiseshell courtship

[Willrow]

Superb images to go with your interesting reports Dil very much enjoyed!!!

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

[dilettante]

Sunday 6th July 2014

I had planned to make a trip to Fermyn Woods this morning, but iffy weather and a reluctant son made me reconsider. By the afternoon, the sun was showing itself, so I went instead to Therfield Heath, Herts for the Chalk Hill Blues. There was a stiff breeze which made photography mostly impossible. CHBs were in good-not-great numbers, but mostly swaying on scabious stalks or hunkered down in the grass:


Chalk Hill Blue

When I was here this time last year, I saw a couple of orange streaks as Dark Green Fritillaries zipped past - the first time I'd seen them there. This year there were plenty on show as an unexpected bonus. Again, windy conditions prevented sharp photography, but at least they were settling on the knapweed:


Dark Green Fritillary

Gatekeeper made the third new species of the year for me, plus there were Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Green-veined White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Large White, Brimstone, Large Skipper. Not bad for an hour's visit.

[Wurzel]

Brill Chalkhill shot, loving it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[dilettante]

Monday 7th July 2014

I had the day off work to watch the Tour de France stage from Cambridge, but the good weather persuaded me to head to Fermyn Woods instead. I think I made the right choice. Purple Emperors were quite numerous, but I only saw a couple of groundings, in Lady Wood, and even those not for very long. So although I enjoyed the spectacle of seeing them, photographs were few. That full-purple shot will have to wait for another year!


Purple Emperor, Lady Wood, Northants


Purple Emperor, Lady Wood, Northants


Purple Emperor, Lady Wood, Northants

There were quite a few Silver-washed Fritillaries around, including a mating pair, and a few White Admirals:


White Admiral, Lady Wood, Northants

Lots of fresh Commas and Tortoiseshells, and a couple of Red Admirals:


Comma, Lady Wood, Northants


Small Tortoiseshell, Lady Wood, Northants

A brief glimpse of a Purple Hairstreak at the end of my visit, and a pair of White-letters at the start, neither coming down from their respective trees.
Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, Large White, Small White complete the list for the day, I think.

By about 1pm the grey clouds filled in, the PEs had retired to the treetops and the rain started, so I headed home. On the way home I stopped at Fen Drayton nature reserve - the sun now shining and the temperature in the mid-twenties - and added fresh Peacocks and a Small Heath to the daily total.

[Paul Wetton]

Great shots.
Your small furry creature could be a Field Vole as it has small eyes and smallish rounded ears indicating it to be a vole. Mice have much bigger bulging eyes. The ears are not really hairy which indicates Field Vole.

[Pauline]

Yes, I too would have gone for Field Vole having had a family of them breeding in a 'wild' part of my garden for a period of time:

Hope you don't mind the photos Dilettante. I love your Chalkhill shot by the way - there is something very appealing about it and also a little comical, the way he is peering through the vegetation. Great shot

[dilettante]

Thanks for the comments, and for the vole ID. Cute critters!

[dilettante]

Saturday 12th July 2014

We took a walk in the hot humid afternoon around the villages of East Hatley and Hatley St George, South Cambridgeshire arable farmland with good field margins and some large hay / flower meadows. Butterflies were abundant, which is always a delight to see. Nothing particularly unexpected in terms of species, but the numbers were encouraging. On our 3 miles or so route, we saw loads of Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshells, Large White, Small White and Small Skippers (the latter drinking round the edges of puddles on the farm track). Also in lower numbers: Small Heath, Gatekeeper, fresh Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma. A brief foray into Hayley Wood en route added Silver-washed Fritillary (several, all rather tatty) and Speckled Wood. Then on the return journey a single Painted Lady, past its prime but my first of the year I think.

A good total all in all, especially since none of it was in formally protected nature reserves except for the woodland part. The Tortoiseshell numbers continue to be very good in particular. No Common Blues or Brown Arguses though, despite the conditions seeming ideal for them, which seems to be the trend for this year for me.


Painted Lady, Hatley St George, Cambs

[dilettante]

Peacock explosion in my South Cambs garden this morning. About 15 on my buddleia, plus a few Small Tortoiseshells in various states and a couple of pristine Red Admirals. Beautiful!

[Hoggers]

Same down here in Kent, Dilettante: just counted 12 Peacocks in my garden, a Comma, two Red Admirals and a Meadow Brown (no Small Tortoiseshells for me ..yet!)

Best Wishes,

Hoggers.

[dilettante]

Saturday 19th July 2014
I was at Latitude festival near Southwold, just down the road from Minsmere, so keeping an eye out for Scarce Tortoiseshell No such luck of course, but I did see my first Small Copper of the year braving one of the campsites.

[dilettante]

Saturday 12th July 2014

No Common Blues or Brown Arguses though, despite the conditions seeming ideal for them, which seems to be the trend for this year for me.

Today at my local nature reserve there were plenty (>15) of Common Blues, which is a nice turnaround. All male, plus one probable Brown Argus but maybe a female CB.

[dilettante]

Sunday 27th July 2014
I took a late afternoon trip back to Therfield Heath, Herts. The Dark Green Fritillaries were all gone, and the grass around the car park was disappointingly devoid of butterflies apart from the odd Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown. This time last year, the place was alive with Chalk Hill Blues. Eventually though I found a hot spot where I suddenly 'got the Blues': Chalk Hill, Common and Brown Argus. The CHBs were roughly in equal numbers of male and female, and since it was getting late, were quite happy to pose in the early evening sunshine.


Chalk Hill Blue m uns, Therfield Heath, Herts


Chalk Hill Blue m ups, Therfield Heath, Herts


Common Blue m uns, Therfield Heath, Herts


Brown Argus m uns, Therfield Heath, Herts


Chalk Hill Blue f uns, Therfield Heath, Herts

[dilettante]

This poor chap was on my buddleia at the weekend - unfortunately high up so I couldn't get a steady shot of it. Amazing that it could still fly!

[David M]

Jeez, that Tortie has had one hard life!!