Hoggers

[Hoggers]

My Uncle Roy is visiting from Canada for a couple of weeks. He keeps talking about Monarch butterflies so I said we've got something rather more exciting over here and arranged to meet up with him, Brother Hoggles and Dad at Dungeness this morning.

The sun was out and so were the Coppers

Only a few of the Blackthorns are in flower at the moment but those that were had attracted the butterflies

I do so enjoy seeing them in amongst the flowers

How well they blend in with the surroundings though

We saw 15 Small Coppers in total

Three had just the tiniest touches of blue to the hind wings

I didn't find any today that had clear blue badges

These two chaps were uncomfortable neighbours

They provided us with a great deal of entertainment as they battled against one another

They were having a right barney

We also saw Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, a Small White and a Green-veined White.

It was a great day out with the Small Coppers

Which we rounded off with a visit to The Britannia!

[Goldie M]

Lovely Coppers Hoggers, can't wait to see them Goldie

[Hoggers]

Hi Goldie I hope the Coppers come out for you soon.

I just had time to grab my camera to snap my first Orange Tip of the year as it visited my garden this morning

What a treat to have one in the garden again

I've got a lot of Garlic Mustard just coming in to flower so hopefully the Orange Tips will keep on coming

I also saw my first Speckled Wood of the year, again in the garden but he wouldn't stop for a photo!

[Hoggers]

Today has been dull and drizzly but Spring is very much in the air: I heard my first Cuckoo!

Our Blue Tits have returned and yesterday evening as the female settled down for the night I had a glimpse of what looked like a clutch of 8 eggs.

A Blackbird has built itself a nest in the garden but in a very exposed situation and just a couple of feet above the ground. Yesterday while the female was away I saw that there are 2 eggs.

We'll keep an eye on it.

It was very warm and bright yesterday afternoon and for a time there were no less than 4 Holly Blues in the garden

two Small Whites and a passing Orange Tip.

The sun has showed some very dramatic prominences over the last few days. Here's an image I took on 23rd April

Yesterday I could see that the forest-like proms had changed shape

Here's a view of the full disc showing sun spots, filaments and prominences

And a close up of a spotty region

[Wurzel]

Great couple of reports Hoggers Did Uncle Roy think that Small Coppers rivalled Monarchs?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Lovely Shots of the OT and HB Hoggers Goldie

[Hoggers]

Hi Wurzel, the Small Coppers won him over in no time at all and now they're his Number One butterfly!

(And quite right too)

Hi Goldie thanks for your comments. I hope the weather is better for butterflies where you are than it is down here today!

No chance of seeing any today as it's so cool and dull so I went up to the woods to see the Bluebells before they're over for another year

A treat for the eye and for the nose as well

The air was sweet with their perfume

Blackcaps and Nightingales were singing

Some Speckled Woods would have been nice but all in all we had a good walk

Sadly, the Holiday forecast doesn't look up to much but maybe the sun will get through if even for a little time and get the butterflies out before we all have to go back to work.

[David M]

Lovely images, Hoggers.

One of the finest treats the British countryside can offer.

[Hoggers]

A Small White flew past me as I walked the dogs at 7 this morning.

I thought "That's a good sign!"

By 9 I was down at Dungeness on a Small Copper Hunt: and there were plenty to keep me occupied!

I kept a careful note as I went along, doing my best to avoid double counting

And also tried to record the Blue Badge Holders amongst them

One of which was this lovely chap with a pale forewing ( a variation I come across now and again)

Out in "The Desert" I came across 4 Grizzled Skippers

and also 2 Large Whites and my first Red Admiral of the season.

There were plenty more Coppers too!

Enjoying the sunshine

When I got home I added up my Small Copper Tally for the day : 99 !!

If I'd known when I was there that I needed only one more to reach a hundred I'm sure I could have found it!

8 of these had blue badges (at least to some extent, some having just a tiny amount of blue while others wore full regalia)

A cracking day out!

[Hoggers]

When I set out on my walk this morning it was blowing a gale and looked ready to pour hard so I decided not to take my camera with me. But by the time I'd reached the fields the clouds had broken and it became warm quickly. It was then that I saw a little butterfly battling against the wind before crash landing into the long grass. I couldn't guess what it might be so I went over to have a look and saw to my delight that it was a Green Hairstreak. I had no idea they were present in this area. When it moved to a bush I took a quick snap with my mobile phone

Looking further I saw a GH flitting about but whether it was the same one I'd seen earlier I could not say.

On a calmer day I will go back and make a good search (and I'll take my camera!)

The Small Copper I found at Dungeness yesterday

reminded me of another I found there last September

(And about a week afterwards I found this one but I'm not sure whether it was the same butterfly that had sustained some injury in the meantime, or a different individual

)

It's a small sample size but I wonder if the fact that all have pale right forewings indicates a genetic cause rather than accident or pathology?

I will be keeping my eyes open for Small Coppers showing this kind of variation and if anyone out there is lucky enough to find one I'd be delighted to hear from them.

[kevling]

Hoggers,

Liked the photos of the Small Coppers (saw my first of the year at the weekend). Great photos too of the bluebells.

Regards Kev

[Hoggers]

Hi Kev, I wish I could add "Scratch and Sniff" photos of the bluebells, the scent was gorgeous!

I was very happy to find a female Orange Tip in my garden this afternoon

It was hanging on for dear life in the gale to the Garlic Mustard that I've planted especially for it

And a Green-veined White was sheltering near-by

I also saw a Peacock, a Large White and a Holly Blue in the garden.

[Goldie M]

Fantastic photos Hoggers , all of them, I love the Small Coppers I've not seen them here yet, pity I can't get down to Kent now for the Grizzled Skippers, not got them yetGoldie

[Neil Freeman]

Fantastic Small Coppers Hoggers, they are not out yet around my patch so until they are I will just have to feast my eyes on yours

Good find with the Green Hairstreak, an often overlooked and under recorded species.

Cheers,

Neil

[David M]

I wish I could add "Scratch and Sniff" photos of the bluebells, the scent was gorgeous!

This, believe it or not, was on Radio 2's Simon Mayo show this afternoon....how intoxicating the scent of a bluebell wood can be.

They broke it down into various components. Those I can remember were Lemon Grass, Mango, Ginger and Lychee.

[Allan.W.]

Hi ,Hoggers,
Great Small Copper shots as usual, you may want to take a look at the incredible shot taken in the Dungeness bird obs garden ,on the recent sitings page.(Dunge bird obs website)
Regards Allan.W.

[Hoggers]

Hello, thank you for all your comments (and yes, Allan I had seen the marvellous photo of the flowers smothered in Dungeness Small Coppers! Wonderful!)

I spent a couple of hours there this afternoon. It was warm and sunny but blowing a gale. So windy that the Coppers were mostly keeping their heads down so I had to work harder to find them

I counted 34 today

Including a couple of fully qualified Blue Badge Holders

Some already quite bashed about

Had it not been so blowy I've no doubt I would have seen many more, but that just gives me a reason to go back

Not that I need a reason!

[Hoggers]

A few days ago I came across Green Hairstreaks on a patch of land where I've walked for years. I'd no idea they were there. That day was very windy and I decided to go back when it was a bit calmer in the hope of establishing how many butterflies are living there.

This is how the area looks

The kind of terrain that Shakespeare described as "Bosky".

When I got closer to the bushes I immediately found a Green Hairstreak

Over the next hour I counted 9 individuals

Some were leaning against the sun

Others were chasing each other in furious little dog-fights or just watching the world go by

This one imitated a Praying Mantis

It's very satisfying to have found a healthy colony of this delightful little butterfly right on my doorstep but a bit embarrassing to admit that I've probably been walking right past them for years!

Is it my imagination or is he smiling at me?

[Goldie M]

What a lucky find for you Hoggers, I've been to the same place for Hair Streaks now for three years so from now on you should be seeing them every year, lovely photos as well Goldie

[Hoggers]

I will certainly be keeping an eye on the Green Hairstreaks, Goldie. What a stroke of luck having them so close to home!

I went to Dungeness this morning. Rather cloudy at first but the sun came out and so did the Small Coppers

I had three new species for me this year too: Small Heath

Brown Argus

And Common Blue

There were several Grizzled Skippers in the trapping area and one in the moat

I saw 77 Small Coppers on my walk

Looking lovely in amongst the flowers

Or perched on a pebble