May 2015

[MrSp0ck]

A single Painted Lady at Hutchinson's Bank 4.45pm today. So they are now quite a way inland.

[Testudo Man]

Lovely Dukes, Testudo Man, but even more impressive are the images of anania funebris, which is not at all common.

Well done.

Cheers David, yes, i was pleased to sight both the Dukes and those lovely uncommon Moths.

Dropped in on a local Church yard (on the way home from work) on the 13/5/15, to finally capture some close up shots of an Orange-Tip this season! Also on the wing at the church, were- Peacock, Comma, Large White, Holly Blue.

Location - Kent...cheers Paul.

[A_T]

Saw a Red Admiral today locally - also a few Speckled Wood. Whites are thin on the ground as yet although Orange-tips have been around for a while. Actually managed to snap a male today feeding on some Lady's smock.

[Allan.W.]

Had a good couple of hours on the downs near Wye (Kent) today ,and was lucky enough to find 5 Dukes on the wing ,two or three of them seemed very drawn to the Cow Parsley growing there. We also added 3 Green hairstreak,5 Peacock,3Dingy Skips,1 Painted Lady,1 Small Copper ,several Brimstone ,green veins ,a single Holly Blue, I don,t know if Painted Ladies, are being seen in numbers yet ,but I seem to be seeing at least one on most days ,and 6 ,on Walland marsh last weekend. We were also lucky enough to hear a Turtle dove purring ,not as usual here as it once was. Later at the Devils kneading trough ,at Wye we added 4 Wall brown,and a single Large White.

[Jack Harrison]

I have been reading on ukb and in some private correspondence just how well the Dukes have been doing this year.

No doubt habitat management/improvement has been a major reason for the success, but surely there must be some other clues in the weather last summer? Perhaps it was a little wetter than is often the case so the cowslip (and primrose) foodplants of the caterpillars weren't too dessicated. I have a recollection that Neil Hulme touched on the benefits of a more showery summer.

Just some thoughts.

Jack

[Willrow]

Haugh Woods, Herefordshire was my destination today, my target species being Wood White and Pearl-bordered Fritillary - in the case of the former, reasonable numbers were seen on the lower South Trail, but worryingly in the case of the latter only 5 or 6 were seen in their 'hot-spot' for the second year running. I hope to provide lots more detail on my visit to this rather nice traditional woodland in my Personal Diary over the next day or so

Wood White on Bugle

Pearl-bordered Fritillary nectaring on Bugle.

I spent ten minutes or so mid-morning photographing Holly Blue on Bluebells, what a contrast in colours, I was also fortunate to get some open-winged pics, something I have often missed in the past

Female Holly Blue on Bluebells...

Before my visit was over I discovered a Pearl-bordered Fritillary enjoying the warmth of a bare earth banking, it looked rather out of place in this pose and it did not appear to be taking on any minerals either!

P-b Frit on the banking of bare earth.

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[David M]

Nice images, Bill, particularly of the Holly Blue, which I've never seen nectaring on bluebells before.

You're braver than me...I have to say this site is 'out of bounds' for me these days due to the huge numbers of biting flies.

I hope you took your Deet spray?

[David M]

Very poor return locally for the time of year.

Mainly sunny, 12c temperatures and moderate winds saw butterflies dive for cover seemingly.

In 1.5 hours at two sites (the former a sheltered quarry and the latter the prime Marsh Frit site near my home) this is the full list of butterflies seen:

Peacock 2
Brimstone (male) 1
Large White (male) 1
Green Veined White (female) 1
Dingy Skipper 1
Orange Tip (male) 1
Green Hairstreak 1

[Greenie]

A couple of hours wandering around Hutchinson's Bank near Croydon , produced 16 species . Although it must be said , a singleton was

all that was recorded from 9 of them . Brimstone (21) still the most numerous , Dingy Skipper (7) , Small Heath (6) , Com. Blue (5) ,

Lg.White (4) , Orange Tip (3) and Green Hairstreak (2) were those that broke the singleton status . Best of the singletons was my

first Brown Argus of the year , a female Holly Blue and a very fresh Comma . No sign of MrSpOck's Painted Lady .

[Testudo Man]

I just had to return to Denge Wood/Bonsai Bank in Kent, for my 2nd session with the "Duke" on Saturday 16/5/15.
With more time on my hand, and another camera, I had a really great day. Highlights were obviously finding a mating pair of the Duke and his Duchess too

Other species on the wing were - Orange-tip, Painted Lady, Large White, Peacock, Small Heath, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak...But the day belonged to The Duke and Duchess of Burgandy.

A small selection of photos, cheers Paul.

None of these photos are cropped at all, cameras used were Nikon D7100 and Panasonic FZ150, with the Raynox 150 also used.

[Ian Pratt]

First two Glanville fritillaries seen at Bonchurch this afternoon with a small copper and a common blue.
Also, an unnamed caterpillar was seen. Any ideas what it is?

[Pete Eeles]

Excellent news, Ian! I think the larva might be an early-instar Oak Eggar.

Cheers,

- Pete

[MrSp0ck]

The Glanvilles are also flying at Hutchinson's Bank, the numbers are still increasing as they have been hatching this weekend.

[Willrow]

Aberbargoed Grasslands NNR, Gwent, South Wales. Three Marsh Fritillary seen this morning during a quick 'look-see' at my local patch, blustery north wind kept things emphatically quiet, only a couple of Dingy Skipper and singles of Peacock and Small Heath seen

Aberbargoed Grasslands info board

First Marshy of the season!!!

Staying down out of the wind...

Oh! for a few days of real warm weather to get things moving here in South Wales ...I bet David M (in Swansea) is pulling his hair out in frustration...

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[Hugh Middleton]

Marsh Fritillaries and Dingy Skippers out at Chambers Farm Wood today

Hugh

[David M]

I bet David M (in Swansea) is pulling his hair out in frustration.

To be honest, Bill, I've had a gut's full of this weather over the past couple of weeks. I'm also surprised you found Marsh Frits this morning, since conditions were very unseasonal in Swansea today and the sun probably only shone for half an hour all day.

I'm still turning on the bloody heater in my car on a daily basis!

If I wanted to live in such a climate I'd have relocated to either northern Scotland or Iceland by now.

It's surely not too much to ask for the occasional day to see temperatures into the 60s?

Things HAVE to get better soon, surely?

[Ian Pratt]

I bet David M (in Swansea) is pulling his hair out in frustration.

To be honest, Bill, I've had a gut's full of this weather over the past couple of weeks. I'm also surprised you found Marsh Frits this morning, since conditions were very unseasonal in Swansea today and the sun probably only shone for half an hour all day.

I'm still turning on the bloody heater in my car on a daily basis!

If I wanted to live in such a climate I'd have relocated to either northern Scotland or Iceland by now.

It's surely not too much to ask for the occasional day to see temperatures into the 60s?

Things HAVE to get better soon, surely?

I share your frustration.
Only 14 degrees here in the sunny south!
Ian

[Jack Harrison]

David M

I'm still turning on the bloody heater in my car on a daily basis!

When I was young only posh cars had heaters. I didn't own a posh car (but it did have a windscreen wiper!)

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

On the larger, earlier sites the Pearl-bordered Fritillary is now in the later stages of its flight season and a thorough search of Rewell Wood produced 25 individuals spread over a wide area, with females now out-numbering males. I also saw several Grizzled Skipper, 5 Small Copper, a mating pair of Speckled Yellow moths and a Drab Looper.

I then moved on to perform a detailed survey of Heyshott Escarpment, which took a total of 3.5 hours to cover. My tally of 86 Duke of Burgundy is a little lower than 2011 and 2014 daily maxima, but they might not be at peak yet and some are certainly still emerging here. I was also pleased to find 5 Pearl-bordered Fritillary, including 2 females. We need some decent weather within the next 7-10 days, so that these rarer spring species can really make hay.

Speckled Yellow pair

Drab Looper

PBF female at Heyshott Escarpment

[Tony Moore]

When I was young only posh cars had heaters. I didn't own a posh car (but it did have a windscreen wiper!)

You're taking me back, Jack . My first car was an MG TC (Pneumonia Chariot). By great good fortune, the previous owner had fitted a heater!! As I remember, it worked fine as long as the car wasn't moving...
Lot's of butterflies then - including a Chalkhill Blue caught at Shirley, near Birmingham! Even the members of the Birmingham Natural History and Philosophical Society were amazed at that one! Happy days .

Tony M.