www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Some more great shots coming in, Denise and xmilehigh...
Speaking of caterpillars - in absense of butterflies (only an odd Speckled Wood and Large White this week) checked out a few places in the Cemetery - found some White's cats (not sure which - edit - Found some larger ones...definitely Large ) and an OT caterpillar as well. So ST, OT and Large Whites so far found...

Any sightings of Black Hairstreak yet? Last year I saw my first on 10th June, the year before earliest report was 1st June. Most species were quite early in 2007, rather similar to this year. So Black Hairstreaks could well emerge on Monday (after Sunday’s rain).

Jack, I went to Whitecross Green wood for the first time late yesterday afternoon and managed to find just one black hairstreak, another first so I was pleased nonetheless, but they are about. It kept to the tops of the blackthorn though and had to id it through bins - no photo opportunities regretfully as I forgot my 400mm lens.

Colin

Report on Cambs&Essex BC from Brampton Wood - Black Hairtsreak flying now!
http://www.cambs-essex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.php
I will be off there tomorrow and possibly Monks Wood too this weekend; a bit bigger than Glapthorn and a bit closer too!
Jack - or anyone else - you up for it?
N
Will take my bins too!

Hi,

At Park Wood today number of Large skippers

Cheers

Sezar

A visit to the clearing at Starvelarks Wood at Little Haven EWT reserve in Essex this evening revealed a glutton of Heath Fritillaries, just to many to count, I did try but gave up at around 200 with several hundred more flying ahead of me. I really would put an estimate at around 400 (or more). This is possibly the best colony in Essex right now with the photographic opportunities superb. The clearing runs East/West which means that the sun, when out, is on it virtually all the time. I visited between 4.30pm and 6.00pm just as it was cooling down and many of the fritillaries were basking nicely, some right next to the main path.

Can't wait to get back there tomorrow.

Hi all,
It's summer! The Meadow Brown 'avalanche' has begun. Yesterday I saw my first one - today there are loads!
Neil

Wiltshire 13th June, in two different localities near Melksham. (on my way home after Large Blue Somerset - observations later about their behaviour)

According to Cockayne, right hand picture might be ab. angustibalteata Raynor, 1909.

No post processing other that rotation of one image to enable comparison and cropping.

Incidentally, Small Torts in numbers from one to three at every suitable location I have visited over past three days. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to get a good showing in the August brood but probably followed by a crash next year (or year after) as the parasite cyclical interaction follows the normal course.

Jack

Plenty of Silver-studded Blues to be seen down the New Forest today, Missed them down the Forest last year, and had to settle for some very worn individuals at Silchester Common, very pleased.

Gruditch

Half a dozen marbled whites on my local gravel pits this morning.
Alex

Loads of Small Tortoiseshells about in the east Mendips today.

Lovely SSB pictures, Gruditch!

A single Black Hairstreak seen at Glapthorn this morning (rather camera shy on blackthorn before flying back into thicker foliage). Certainly not as many there yet as a few miles further East... Brampton Wood and especially Monks Wood seem to be a few days ahead, with decent numbers on the wing (see Cambs and Essex BC site).

Trev

A quick visit to kent and I saw these today

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8209127@N04/3622666228

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8209127@N04/3621848505/

Also my first Meadow Browns today along with speckled wood, small white, brimstone, common blue and small heath.


Mark

Chobham Common.

Jack

Nice HF & SSB shots guys
Trev is right about BLH at Brampton; was there today and saw quite a few individuals in a few places through the wood. There are a few larger areas of Blackthorn in the NE quadrant and the NW and S boundary where they are obviously quite abundant.
Met Roger Orbell again who knows his way around to the best places And spotted a Speckled Wood egg laying...

Went to bentley looking for dragonflies today, but along the way we saw 14 species of Butterfly.

1 Red Admiral
Meadow Browns
Small Heaths
4 Common Blues
Large White
Brimstone
Speckled Woods
Scores of Large Skippers
Small pearl-bordered Fritillaries
1 Green Hairstreak
2 Painted Ladys
4 ringlets
4 Silver-washed Fritillaries
1 White Admiral

As well as the Silver Studded Blues my wife and I saw at Buxton Heath in Norfolk today (see another thread), I'm confident I saw a (single) Grayling... I'm not sure if these are out elsewhere, but it seems quite early. Unfortunately, although I followed it as far as I could, I didn't get a shot of it. It did the usual thing of dropping down onto open ground well ahead of me and turning head on to the sun so as not to cast a shadow. I crept up and carefully scanned the area, but only discovered exactly where it was when I spooked it. D'oh! After that, it detoured across some thick vegetation and I lost it

Trev

At Greenford Park Cemetery Middlesex, there's an area of waste ground which last year was just that, waste ground. This year however it's like a meadow and I was quite suprised to see what seems to be a thriving colony of common blues and small coppers over there. Presuming they have been there for a while, they must have been restricted to the rough grass edges but this year they seem quite abundant. At the cemetery yesterday was a single male Meadow Brown and several Small Skippers.

Today at Runnymede, Surrey:
Meadow Brown x 25+
Common Blue male x 1
Small Skipper x 2

Coopers Hill:
Speckled Wood x 15+
Large Skipper x 3

Today i made my first visit to Monks wood in search of my first black hairstreak. 9.30am - 3.00pm.
In two locations i managed to see around 25, with some landing for photo opportunities.

Colin.

Hi all,
Yesterday (Sunday 14th June) saw my first Silver-washed Fritillary of the year in Southwater Woods
Neil

Yesterday in our part of Suffolk, I saw my first Meadow Browns of the year, 8 days earlier than last year. Unfortunately, none would pose for a photo!
Regards
Deano.