millerd

[Goldie M]

Lovely Marsh Frit's Millerd, I like the last photo with the Wings spread out very much Goldie

[Willrow]

Some very pleasing Marshy images Dave, I can never get too much of MF

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

[bugboy]

It's a bloody brilliant site, even with not so perfect weather! The weather in your pictures looks brighter than in mine but maybe thats just a difference in cameras and lenses. I didn't try and count how many Marshies I saw but was definately into 3 figures. Just wish it was a little bit closer so I could visit more often.

[David M]

Sounds like you had a great day, Dave, and there have been precious few of those this year thus far!

Well done.

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots Dave, I'm glad "Wurzel's Wiltshire Hill" produced the goods again although I don't think the local bracnh will be too impressed with the renaming of the site

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you everyone - it's gem of a site and impossible to go wrong when you're there. Thanks especially to Wurzel for letting us in on the secret!

It seems like a while since I last looked around locally. In between, there have been at least three miserable days and some hefty winds, so I expected some changes. I had to wait until five today, so that no doubt made a difference, too. Firstly, I came across several Common Blues and Brown Argus doing their best to roost in the breeze - and in two separate locations.

One of the CB females was pretty dark in flight, in contrast to all the blue ones seen before here. And that was pretty well it. There was one dishevelled Green-veined White and one Brimstone looking to bed down in a convoluted mass of ivy. Then I noticed something brighter. A male Orange Tip was flitting excitedly around some bramble flowers. It was looking to nectar, and settled several times on the only two open flowers. However, it was clearly not getting as much as it wanted and kept settling on the unopened buds, frustratedly probing and having to move on. Presumably the smell of nectar can be detected from these buds, and it was causing this butterfly some distress.

It was clearly towards the end of its life - I wonder if I shall see many - or any - more this year?

Dave

[Wurzel]

No worries Dave Despite the wear that is still a very handsome Orange-tip - it's just a shame that they're only around for such a short time...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Not the smallest glimpse of one today, Wurzel. Two months is about all they manage, sadly - my first this year was on 7th April. But onward and upward!

A lucky juxtaposition of a rare extra day off work and a favourable weather forecast meant there had to be an excursion somewhere. Car problems dictated that public transport would be the choice (being stranded with an immobile car in Bentley Wood isn't something I would relish. My phone has no signal there for a start...). So, Travelcard in hand, I set off for Croydon and Hutchinson's Bank. South London suburbia actually looks quite attractive at this time of year in brilliant sunshine, surprisingly enough, and the tram ride down to New Addington was very pleasant.

Another ten minutes walk or so, and I was making my way up Farleigh Dean Crescent, through the trees and into the "cutting". My eye was immediately caught by a flash of orangey-pink - a Glanville as quick as that? But no - it was actually a fresh-looking and rather small Painted Lady.

However, a few yards further on there was indeed a male Glanville, with an audience of several folk keen on capturing his likeness. I joined them. Though cooperative, the butterfly chose to lean on a few blades of grass, spoiling the view of its glorious underside somewhat.

Eventually it moved on, and I set out to see what else was out and about.

Small Blues were to be found almost anywhere, with one or two attracted to muddy puddles down on the lower path.

Whilst following one of these I nearly trod on another Glanville Fritillary. Bearing no grudge, it settled again a bit further along and allowed a few photos before taking off into the trees.

Though my two sightings were some distance apart, I am not convinced I didn't see the same butterfly twice!

Brimstones and Common Blues were the most frequent species here today (as on my visit last year), and I saw Small Heath, both Dingy and Grizzled Skippers and a couple of Peacocks.

Others talked of Green Hairstreaks, but I saw none. However, as seems to have happened a lot this year, I came across a female Holly Blue - a very worn individual though.

Having enjoyed this splendid site, I made my way back to the tramstop through the woodland, where Speckled Woods provided a suitable escort in the cool dappled shade.

A couple of hours later I was home, but decided to have a quick look nearby - no surprises, but Common Blue numbers are very good this year so far. By the look of this one, they are still emerging.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great shots of the Glanvilles and your first Small Blue shot is an absolute cracker Dave

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

You definitely made the right decision there, Dave.

Looks like you had a splendid day.

[bugboy]

Nice Glanvilles, they can be very accomodating once settled can't they . I've become very familiar with that tram ride from East Croydon recently!

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel - I was pleased with that Small Blue. When you get a shot with one posed like that, you forget just how tiny they are.

It was a very good day, David, and a pleasant change to be on a train/tube/tram/bus than stuck in traffic on the M25 again.

I enjoyed the tram in particular, Buggy - a bit of a novelty!

Back to the less exotic today, with just a late afternoon walk around my local patch. The humidity of the morning was being blown away, and the sun shone. It remained quite warm, despite a strong breeze yet again. Common Blues dominated the walk, with at least 20 seen, plus three or four Brown Argus, a few Speckled Woods and a dozen or so Small Heaths.

another blue female

I only saw one white butterfly, which proved to be a male Small White, and just one Peacock - though this was a virtually undamaged one showing its age only in its faded colours and diminished abdomen.

However, I encountered a Large Skipper energetically zipping up and down in the sunlight. In fact I came upon it twice, as I passed through its territory in both directions. (At least I assume it was the same one).

Finally, walking through an open sunny area, I was buzzed by a Red Admiral and then almost immediately by another. The two were constantly scrapping over this bit of ground, soaring and swooping and gyrating together faster than I could track them. When not chasing each other, they showed as much interest in me as I did in them - coming in close then zooming vertically up in front of my face, and then coming in from behind. Their shadows gave them away.

A little later, in a shadier glade by the river, I came across another Red Admiral basking in a sunny spot.

None for a few weeks, then three at once. All were rather worn, so I assume they arrived from points south with today's humid weather.

To finish with, my favourite cute skipper pose:

Dave

[Pauline]

Fantastic shots of the Large Skipper Dave. I saw my first one yesterday but he wasn't hanging around for photos

[trevor]

HI Dave,
Fabulous Glanville images. Several UKB enthusiasts have also posted images of Glanvilles at this
site. For me i think seeing this species near Croydon would mess with my head ! .
A totally different environment to the beautiful Isle of Wight !.
Is the site far from the tram stop at New Addington ?, might pay a visit.

Super images as usual,
TREVOR.

[MrSp0ck]

Is the site far from the tram stop at New Addington ?

The site is only a very short walk from New Addington Tram Stop, if you take the footpath between the wooden Bear and the fence, and walk down the footpath next to the local rubbish transfer site, to Featherbed Lane/ Farleigh Dean Crescent.

[millerd]

Thank you , Pauline - they are a very photogenic butterfly, but my can they move fast! This one luckily kept returning to roughly the same spot, even with me there.

Thank you too, Trevor. You're right, it does feel a bit odd riding a tram from urban Croydon to see something as exotic as a Glanville. A bit continental, even... But the site is a splendid one overall, with much else to see, and hopefully the Glanvilles are here to stay and may yet spread along the Downs. As Mr Sp0ck says, it's only five minutes downhill from the tramstop - worth looking at a map just to check where the footpath starts as though quite close, it's just out of line-of-sight from the tram.

Though mostly sunny, it was very windy today, and my local walk was full of blue butterflies bursting from the grass and diving back down many metres downwind.

There continue to be a few new arrivals in the Common Blue world: this particular female was not quite as blue as some seen here this year, but was the only female to venture above grass level today.

Also see were a handful of increasingly worn Brown Argus, Small Heaths and Speckled Woods.

One Holly Blue put in a brief appearance (I thought they had all disappeared here), and there were two more Red Admirals. One appeared to be a female surveying the nettles with intent to lay - it spent a lot of time inaccessible under the leaves. The other was a relatively fresh-looking individual and definitely not one of the three seen yesterday.

Dave

[Maximus]

Great shots of the Common Blue females,and very nice shots of the Large Skipper too Dave

[millerd]

Thank you, Maximus. The variety of Common Blue females makes a study in itself, and a relatively easily accessible one too.

Sunday 7th June - only a brief local stroll today. Several swallows were to be seen swooping and skimming the vegetation on the nearest bit of meadow two minutes from home (surprisingly still uncut). Could this be why there was not a single Common Blue here today, and just a single Brown Argus? Food for thought (if not for swallows... ) However, all was not lost. A Painted Lady was nectaring on the clover, dancing from bloom to bloom before taking off at speed roughly northward.

A bit later on, I saw another pass straight through in the same direction, and hurtling would have been a suitable word for it. They really can fly. Also bumbling around the grass was a fresh male Meadow Brown - a first sighting for the year for me.

Not easy to photograph down in the grass, it then flew up into some trees (where it disturbed a couple of Holly Blues), and then came down to sit on a bit of foliage. The photo shows that it was sucking up honeydew from the leaf, something I have not seen this species do before - though it is a common practice for some.

Aside from another pair of Holly Blues and a selection of Speckled Woods, that's all the butterfly life I saw on what was a rather truncated walk. I did however come upon a heron sitting on the roadside, ignoring passing traffic a few feet away.

It then moved to take up a strident pose on a rooftop.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Nice Meadow Brown Dave - it won't be long now til the Marbled Whites and Ringlets are out!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

True enough, Wurzel. I'm hoping the one Marbled White I saw on my local patch will become more this year. They aren't far away.

Not today, though. I went out late this afternoon, but it was still windy and cool despite late sunshine. I only managed to see one unidentified White, one Holly Blue, and one Large Skipper which had found a sheltered nook in the sun.

Dave