May 2015

[P.J.Underwood]

My first sighting of a Wood White this year in the Chiddingfold Forest.This follows three weeks of trudging the paths and even meeting up with Pauline at the beginning,on the same task.This one is freshly emerged and I saw two others.~They seem about three weeks later than last year.There have been numerous brimstones,peacocks,small whites,a few green veined whites,the odd speckled wood,holly blues and orange underwing moths.
A warning-the Botany Bay entrance is blocked and with no parking at the moment due to works being carried out by the Forestry Commission.
P .J.U.

[downland boy]

Whilst on my wanderings along the East Sussex clifftops, this early instar Dark Green Fritillary larva was also enjoying the sunshine and basking on a violet leaf.

[John W]

A warning-the Botany Bay entrance is blocked and with no parking at the moment due to works being carried out by the Forestry Commision.
P .J.U.

Hi P.J. - do you have any idea how long the Botany Bay entrance will be blocked for?

Thanks
John W

[P.J.Underwood]

No,but there is serious work going on there at the moment.However one can just as easily park at the Tugley Wood main entrance in Fisher Lane and walk to the triangle. It is about the same distance as from Botany Bay entrance.
P.J.U.

[Ian Pratt]

At Afton Down Freshwater this afternoon. Green hairstreaks 7, brown argus 1, grizzled skipper 1, common blue 1, common lizard 1. Ian

[Willrow]

Kenfig NNR, South Wales. Belated sightings report from Thursday where the following species were seen - Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Small Copper, Small Blue, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Small Heath. Surprisingly only the vanessids were seen in double figures, while only a few Small Blue were evident. Good to see a solitary early Common Blue.

Among the Dragonflies seen enjoying the sunshine after several recent rough weather days were Four-spotted Chaser, Hairy Dragonfly and Broad-bodied Chaser

See my Personal Diary for a more comprehensive report

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Pete Eeles]

Whilst on my wanderings along the East Sussex clifftops, this early instar Dark Green Fritillary larva was also enjoying the sunshine and basking on a violet leaf.

That's a great find - well done!

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

15-20 Green Hairstreaks seen at Welshmoor, on the Gower peninsula, near Swansea this afternoon.

Other species seen were Large White, Green Veined White, Orange Tip & Peacock.

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks to Mike Mullis for leading an excellent walk at Abbot’s Wood (East Sussex) on Saturday (9.5.15). The initially poor weather gave way to warm sunshine by mid afternoon, and the Pearl-bordered Fritillaries came out to play. We saw a conservative minimum of 30 PBF and did particularly well around the original release site area, where two mating pairs were found, one of which included a stunning ab. pittionii female. Other species included Grizzled Skipper (5), Small Copper (2), Green-veined White (1) and Red Admiral (1). For me, the highlight was watching a female PBF egg-laying, and we found one of her eggs attached to a dried grass stem. Plenty of Nightingale song to serenade us, and Mike even laid on ice creams from his van!

Fritillaries for the Future http://butterfly-conservation.org/48-87 ... earls.html

[nomad]

I spent a delightful day yesterday among the Pearl-bordered Frits at Cirencester Park Woods, Glos. Here are two of my images, more to follow on my diary with a woodland Duke.

[jasonbirder]

Just to add to the Pearl-bordered Fritillary bonanza - belated pics of Pearl-bordered Fritillaries at Cwm Soden (Pembrokeshire) from Bank-holiday Monday.
My first real "trip" of 2015's butterfly season...next up...bring on the Dukes!

[Jack Harrison]

I do love Mike Mullis's ice cream van. The intriguing range of work that butterfliers do to pay for their obsession is quite amazing.

Maybe there could be a simple thread listing what we do (or did) for jobs. Anonymity would no doubt be preferred by many but I don't know how to start a thread that hides contributors' names. Mind you, we would easily guess the real identity of the "exo-biologist". However "Massage Parlour Manager" could be rather more tricky

Jack

[lee3764]

Grizzled Skipper aberration 'Taras' photographed by me, Lee Slaughter at Penhale Sands, Perranporth, North Cornwall 10th May, 2015. With Robert Slaughter (my eldest son aged 11) and others on Cornwall Butterfly & Moth Society's 1st ever official fieldtrip. Thanks to Paul Browning and Dave Spencer for leading the walk & locating this particular butterfly. At lewast 21 people attended. Thanks to everyone for taking the trouble to attend.

[EricY]

Small Heath out today @ Holme dunes NWT. I did photograph it but discarded it as blades of grass intruded. Eric

[Essex Bertie]

Saw 4 male Wall Browns today along the sea wall east of Burnham-on-Crouch (Essex) towards Holiwell Point. It's a poorly recorded stretch of coastline all the way up to Bradwell-on-sea, but it's still the highest count here for decades. Encouraging. Also a couple of possible Painted Ladies, but heading east, unexpectedly. Probable migrant Red Admiral just inland.
Yesterday, recorded a Clouded Yellow in Beckton, East London - perhaps flew up the Thames.
Still no Common Blues anywhere.

[David M]

Hooray! A Clouded Yellow.

Great spot, Bertie.

[NickC]

I joined an RSPB walk this morning at Fishers Green nature reserve near Waltham Abbey in Essex, primarily to hear Nightingales (we heard about 4). Plenty of butterflies too, I lost count of male orange tips, and managed to photograph a female. Quite a few other whites flying, some probably female orange tips too. We also saw 3 peacocks. Oh, and plenty of banded damoiselles by the river.

[Philzoid]

Saturday 09th
Last year around this time, I met up with Mark Tutton to explore Butser Hill and surrounding environs. Our main aim was to see the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary This year was to be no different except I wouldn't be exploring the gruelling oop hill down dale surrounding environs, and instead just focussing on Butser itself (phew). Due to a good garden moth trapping session the night before I was late in setting off. By the time I arrived at the hill-top car park Mark was already exploring down in the butterfly hotbed that is Rake Bottom.

So I was late but never mind, there hadn't been any suicidal country lane cyclists on the way in this time, and also just as in 2014 the grey clouds started to break up . (is it me or have the BBC weather forecasts been poor lately )
Getting down the hill is a bit of a challenge in itself. At the brow I came across some hawthorn scrub which was housing Green Hairstreak. The bushes were taking a buffeting from the wind so the butterflies ended up in the grass but would take the opportunity to return to the bushes when the wind eased. This was in contrast to the ones I encountered with Wurzel the week before in Wiltshire, which appeared to prefer being low down in the grass .
Half way down the steep hill (150 – 200ft elevation) a male Duke flitted by unexpectedly (as the sun had 'gone behind a cloud'). It landed, made off again, landed etc. each time the wind carrying it further up the hill, but I was able to get close to get some pictures.

After that I left the Duke to work out how he was going to get back down the hill again to be in with the main colony, and made my way along Rake Bottom where I met up with Mark and Flossie his even more well-behaved Springer Spaniel . Mark had already seen plenty of Dukes and also a roosting Orange-tip (but that was some distance away and the returning sun would soon see him off).
It wasn't long before we were encountering Dukes galore amongst the herbaceous vegetation lining the path. In amongst them and to the bushes further in were Green Hairstreak. The number of opportunities to use my Macro were too good to throw in the towel and switch to the Tamron reach lens this early .

One of the plants that grows along the path was forget me not which was like a magnet for Green Hairstreak.

We also saw a Duke nectaring on these plants but unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good picture.

prickles no problem for a Green Hairstreak

Two other species of butterfly were also in good numbers that of Dingy and Grizzled Skipper.

Also seen were some Orange-tips, Small Heath; a tatty Peacock and 3 or 4 Brimstones. What I didn't get unlike 2014 were Brown Argus; Small Copper and Common Blue. Perhaps the temperatures have been colder overall than this time last year

I was also hoping for a Wood Tiger but not this year. However I did get a female Muslin Moth (Diarsia mendica) and this is the first time I've ever seen the female which is largely day flying. The grey brown males are nocturnal and frequently turn up in the garden moth trap.

Mark had brought along his butterfly bins and found them useful for viewing cuckoos which were moving around the trees on the brow of the hill. As there was more than one calling, a melee eventually ensued with two birds which Mark said were both males, putting on an aerial display for us . After the 'battle' one must have got the upper hand as only one bird was seen calling.
As well as the Cuckoos there was a Red Kite and a Buzzard being mobbed by a Carrion Crow.

Eventually it was time to go and face the steep climb back to the car-park. Three base-camps were needed for me at least.

After a late packed lunch (for lost reserves I made my way home calling in at Botany Bay, Chiddingfold (I parked there no restrictions but evidence of former work) for a Wood White recce. Although it was still sunny and felt 'warm enough', by comparison to Butser it was 'sterile'. The time was around 17:30 and that may have had something to do with it .
On my way out I heard the drumming sound of a woodpecker. It was (as per usual) around the other side of the bough that it was hammering against but I persevered and eventually it popped up with what looked like a beakful of moss before making off. Closer inspection of the photo revealed a chick of some description mixed up with I assume is a chunk of nesting material . I'd read that woodpeckers predate other hole nesting bird's chicks and now I've actually witnessed it.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker with chick prey

Another cracking day

Phil

[CJB]

Hi UK B'ers,

At last I have a picture to upload!

Weirdly cold and windy yesterday in Gloucs, but it did enable me to get this male OT:

Male OT

Lovely report from Philzoid and great results; particularly jealous of the cuckoos.

Flutter on!

CJB

[Mark Tutton]

Philzoid does himself no justice - the slope he climbed up & down goes from 270m down to 100m on the valley floor that is about 500ft over a distance of of about 200yds probably one of the steepest climbs in Hampshire - the valley is quite spectacular I would recommend a visit to anyone - you have to crane your neck to see the sky when on the valley floor.
There were four cuckoos present and the Dukes did not let us down although they are still not out yet on other parts of the hill so I would think we are a week or two away from peak numbers.
A thoroughly enjoyable if extremely tiring day.

The orange tip Phil missed