millerd

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel - there are more HB about every day, but none has been so obliging as that first one!

Thanks, Goldie. The Red Admirals here are almost certainly a few that have made it through the winter - and I'm sure you'll have Whites and Orange Tips galore before too long.

A very late and brief outing today after work - still very warm and sunny after five, but all I saw were a couple of Peacocks, a Speckled Wood, a single battered Red Admiral performing splendid aerobatics above the path, and two more Holly Blues not too far from home. I managed to get close to the Red Admiral down on the path, with the sun now quite low.

Me and my shadow

Dave

[Wurzel]

Nice composition and matching comment Dave

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel. Red Admirals are a favourite - plenty of character.

The forecast glorious hot sunshine came to pass, and I had the day off. However, all three sites I visited away from home today were distinctly unproductive.

Denbies
No Green Hairstreaks, no Grizzled Skippers. In fact, aside from Peacocks and Brimstones, all I saw was a single Red Admiral, and several teasing pyralid moths.

female Brimstone

pyralid moth

Noar Hill
The reports of Dukes being out there yesterday was a particular enticement, but between 1130 and 1400 today, not one was seen. There were three or folk also looking, but none of us was lucky. Again, there wasn't actually much of anything at all, just Peacocks, Brimstones and one each of Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. It was very warm, virtually no wind at all, and the sheltered pits were like ovens. It could well have been too hot for butterflies more acquainted with typical spring weather.

Botany Bay
After the earlier disappointments, I didn't expect to see any early Wood Whites and made a correct guess. Once again, Peacocks and Brimstones were all there were, though the former were numerous along the path with little dark "shark fins" every 20 metres or so.

Home Again
So it was back to base, and a walk around locally. It was around five o'clock and around the 25 degree mark still. Within five minutes, I had seen two Specked Woods, two Orange Tips, a Green-veined White and no less than seven Holly Blues.

high up and over-exposed

I should have stayed home all day! The rest of the walk was equally interesting, with Peacocks, Commas, two more Orange Tips, three more Holly Blues and a variety of White butterflies.

typical Comma pose

GVW

I watched one of the white butterfies suddenly descend from the tree tops and start to nectar avidly on low-growing flowers, moving from bloom to bloom in quick succession. Briefly still enough for me to look more closely, it turned out to be a male Large White, the first of the year for me.

Large White tucking in

Lastly on the walk, I approached the bridge regularly patrolled by a Red Admiral. He was there, but today he had his work cut out chasing two Speckled Woods that had emerged close to his territory.

He elected in the end to perch in a small tree, and look down upon the lesser mortals basking on the nettles below. And on me too.

this is MY patch, you know...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Sometimes Home is best Dave and definitely in this case . I was thinking along the same lines as you, that perhaps it was too hot for Spring butterflies as today we had a little bit of summer. Hopefully nice weather now won't mean a wash out in mid-season

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel - a bit annoying to see that someone else did see Grizzlies at Denbies yesterday... You can't win 'em all!

After work, I picked my small son up from school. Next to where I parked the car was a castor oil plant with no less than three Holly Blues fluttering round it - a female and two males. However, I had committed the cardinal sin of Not Having The Camera With Me. To be fair, they were a bit active. Very soon afterwards it clouded over and cooled off significantly, but I walked around my local circuit anyway (the exercise is good!). I firstly came across a newly emerged Green-veined White, unfortunately with rather mangled wings. Such a shame.

A little further on, I started looking for roosting Orange Tips. However, their favourite perches (Garlic Mustard) are not yet grown enough, so I had nearly given up when I spotted one down near the ground. Goodness knows what gave it away, as the wonderful underside markings against the background of low growth made for excellent camouflage.

An annual treat, the close-up study of roosting Orange Tips!

Dave

[Goldie M]

Lovely Orange Tips Dave Can't wait to see themGoldie

[Maximus]

Understand your frustration re. the Grizzled Skippers, Dave that's just the way it is Lovely Orange-tip shots from your home patch

Mike

[Wurzel]

Those are the type of OT shots that I'd like to be getting Dave

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

HI Dave,
Sorry to read of your wasted trips to Noar Hill and Botany Bay . Thats the trouble with this time of year ,
most of the Butterflies on the wing can be found anywhere and are plentiful ,but the specialities are
still scarce. Roll on May ,!.

Better luck soon !,
TREVOR.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Dave,

I remember that you were wondering whether the late emergence of Holly Blues around your way last year would have any detrimental effect on this year. Seems like they are still doing ok

Cheers,

Neil

[millerd]

Thank you for your comments on the Orange Tip, Goldie, Maximus and Wurzel - I always like to seek them out in their roosting position. The underside patterning is amazing, and they are very appealing with their soft white furriness - and of course they tend to keep still! Very helpful...

And thanks for the sympathy on the Grizzly front, Maximus and Trevor - it didn't really feel like wasted time, as all the spots I visited looked lovely under sunny skies.

Yes, Neil, no problems with the local Holly Blue population. Just as many as I usually see at this time of year, perhaps slightly up on the average. I'm guessing that the summer (2nd) brood were particularly fecund, and that though some of their offspring appeared in October and November, there were plenty of others to emerge around now. Alternatively, some of the Autumn (3rd) brood actually bred successfully and their offspring are topping up the numbers right now. The weather certainly stayed benign right into the start of December. Who knows?

Interestingly, my late foray today under watery sunshine and much lower temperatures discovered a number of roosting Holly Blues just a couple of minutes from home. Most were perched on ivy, but one was high on a holly bush. I assume the males hang around the ivy, waiting for females to emerge from their pupae deep in the foliage. The females then move off to holly and other potential food-plants. I watched one individual for a while as the sun tried to burn through the wispy clouds. as the sunlight strengthened, the butterfly shuffled around to angle itself just right. Finally, one brief burst was just enough to cause the wings to open - before the butterfly took to the air and ended up on a much higher perch.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 18th April Part One:

At work this morning, but finished by two. I stopped off five minutes down the road at the southern part of Bedfont Lakes Country Park. This lies on the other side of the railway to the main Park, and is not physically connected to it. The entrance is not signed, and is adjacent to an ugly industrial estate which bounds the Park on two sides (with Feltham Young Offenders Institution beyond to the east). However, this section is far less manicured than the main part to the north of the railway. This was my first visit: I was aware that Green Hairstreaks had been seen here in past years, so it was worth looking on a brilliantly sunny, though breezy, spring day.

Once inside the gate, several Holly Blues made an immediate appearance, patrolling stands of bramble on the sheltered and sunny side, and regularly settling, wings shut tight.

Keeping to the left side of a thicket, off the main path, I passed several gorse bushes and then noticed a yellow broom up ahead, along with some small apple trees. I was buzzed by a Peacock, and then another Holly Blue flew across the top of the broom. A small dark shape darted out after the Blue, and then returned to perch on the apple tree. A Green Hairstreak! A rare sighting for Middlesex, and one I was very pleased to see.

Continuing along the path right up to the side of the railway, I encountered good numbers of Speckled Woods where shrubs and trees provided good shelter, plus the ubiquitous Peacocks and Commas, and various white butterflies too - but no Orange Tips.

On the way back, not particularly close to the first one, I caught a glimpse of one more Hairstreak, but no more than that. Another ten minutes drive, and I was home. A Green Hairstreak almost on the doorstep - what more could you ask?

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 18th April Part Two:

Back home after the Hairstreak excitement, another tour of the local environs seemed in order. Once again, it was the Holly Blues that dominated. In a sheltered spot, holly and ivy grow close together, and male Blues were patrolling the latter, with occasional pauses there or on the brambles. However, there was also activity on the holly. I watched a Holly Blue flutter in and out of the spiny leaves and dense branches, stopping frequently on the stems at all angles - underneath, in sun, in shade - but concentrating on the tiny flower buds. This was a female, almost certainly laying.

A couple of males took a brief interest, but she put them off with rapid wing fluttering and a hoisted abdomen - but she took no notice of me less than a foot away. Presumably I didn't identify as a predator, or she was too engrossed in her egg-laying activity. She paused from time to time to rest, which involved some opening of the wings.

I saw good numbers of Holly Blues again over the whole of the walk, but it was noticeable that the males are starting to look a little worn now and decidedly grey in some cases.

What else? Well, it was very breezy, so most activity was confined to sheltered parts. Peacocks and Commas continued to contest the paths and perching places on the brambles, and there were also three Small Tortoiseshells joining them today.

Naturally enough, there was a Red Admiral, but not in the usual spot - a new arrival?

There were a few Speckled Woods and Whites, but only a couple of Orange Tips. There really aren't many about so far.

Dave

[Wurzel]

You're taunting me with your Greeenstreks and Holly Blues now Dave

I used to think that the only way I'd find Greenstreaks was to have them in the back garden

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Wow! Open wing spring Holly Blue female is right up there, Dave, on the list of satisfying events at this time of year.

Well done.

[bugboy]

Just catching up with a few diarys and wow, you're certainly having a lot of luck with Hollys at the moment, and Green Hairsteaks!

Btw your little moth from a few days back is Pyrausta nigrata I think.

[Goldie M]

Your photos are some thing special Millerd, Love the Green Hair Streak and the Holly Blue Goldie

[kevling]

Dave,

Love the photos of the Holly Blue
I had a similar experience this weekend too, observing a female ovipositing. Only the second time I've witness a butterfly egg laying.
What a great start to 2015 for us both.

Regards Kev

[millerd]

Thank you all for the very kind comments - I'm glad you liked all the Holly Blues. What a splendid butterfly it is, and well worth all the time spent watching and coming across specific behaviour such as the egg-laying. You're right, Kev - very good so far! I was particularly pleased with the Hairstreak as well - very much a local rarity.

20th April : Walking along a standard urban street (very close to the Thames) in Staines today, between the town centre and my son's school, I saw well over a dozen Holly Blues. Even the children making their way home were noticing them, not just because Elliot was pointing them out, either. Back home a bit later, there were more of them, unsurprisingly. There were more Whites about late this afternoon - all three species - plus the usual Orange Tips, Peacocks, Commas and Speckled Woods.

As we reached home, there was the phenomenon of an unusually bright "sundog" or "false sun" to the right of the real one. I thought they were supposed to presage rain, but there's little chance of that for a few days.

21st April: I was able to dash down to Denbies after work today, arriving around four o'clock. I concentrated on the hedgeline at the bottom of the slope which was relatively sheltered from the breeze, and was rewarded with the sight of a pair of Dingy Skippers engaged in a close tussle, eventually seeing them drift over the fence at the bottom and onto the footpath. I saw perhaps another three or four, but was unable to get close (hence poor photos - the camera's autofocus copes badly with small butterflies against a uniform close background, choosing to focus behind the insect. That's my excuse ).

Carrying on across the hillside and back again, there were several Peacocks basking on the rabbit scrapes, a few Brimstones (quite late in the day for them) and an Orange Tip. Finally, as the sun got lower, I came across a Grizzled Skipper, and then another. The second one had just perched himself beautifully on an old flower stem when a large bee pretty well knocked him flying. Goodness knows where he went after that!

So - two more species on another lovely sunny day on the almost deserted slopes of Denbies.

Dave

[Wurzel]

You're raking them in now Dave I've only just seen my first Specklie and as the weather is set to turn I might have to wait another week for my first Grizzlie...
Have a goodun

Wurzel