June 2010 Sightings

[Perseus]

Hello,

18 June 2010
Almost immediately I parked by bicycle on the southern part of Mill Hill, north Shoreham, two Small Heath Butterflies and my first Meadow Brown of the year put in an appearance. At least a dozen worn Common Blues were seen on the lower slopes included two females, plus at least five Small Heaths, three Meadow Browns, frequent brown pyralid moths including Pyrausta despicata, plus a few Pyrausta purpuralis. I returned by the shortest ridge route where a Speckled Wood fluttered in the Hawthorn tunnel.


On the return passage trip, the southern part of Mill Hill produced one male Common Blue, another three Meadow Browns and a surprise* Large Skipper visiting one of the first Greater Knapweed flowers amongst the Cocksfoot very near the road south of the Reservoir. (*A surprise only because it was an area of meadow not productive for butterflies.) Over the residential part of Shoreham, a few Large Whites and Small Whites were seen.

Other reports are on:

Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2010.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2010.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: June 2010
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/June2010.html
Sussex Downs Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111843132181316

[millerd]

I was amazed to see a very elderly Comma on 15th June during one of my rambles close to Junction 14 of the M25. The same walk today (20th) produced the first of the new generation. I wonder if they met?

Dave

[NickB]

Terrible weather for the weekend - didn't warm up or the wind drop until this evening. Managed to catch this CB in the cemetery; he was settled for the night, but I (clumsily) disturbed him and he decided to open his wings and take in the sun when he settled again....

[NickB]

I was amazed to see a very elderly Comma on 15th June during one of my rambles close to Junction 14 of the M25. The same walk today (20th) produced the first of the new generation. I wonder if they met? Dave

Yes - Haven't seen a Comma for a while - nice hutchinsoni
N

[David M]

Visited the Springfield Farm Reserve near Usk again today and, as I'd anticipated when I first went there 2 weeks ago, the site is perfect for Marbled Whites (rare throughout most of Wales). The thistles are still only just emerging though so getting one to settle tried my patience to its limit. Meadow Browns were everywhere, though Large Skippers seem to have all but disappeared.

The site incorporates a range of grazed, ungrazed, dry and marshy habitats, with woodland covering a fair stretch of it.

http://www.gwentwildlife.org/reserves/S ... leFarm.htm

Butterfly numbers were good despite temperatures of only 17 degrees and I saw quite a range:

1. Meadow Brown 100+
2. Common Blue 15-20
3. Marbled White 10
4. Speckled Wood 7
5. Large Skipper 2
6. Small Copper 2
7. Small Tortoiseshell 1
8. Red Admiral 1
9. Green Veined White 1

Silly numbers of these today (mostly males)

Hopefully when the knapweed/thistles are in full bloom MWs will be easier to photograph

[vawn]

Out walking the dog today in the town I live in(St. Ives, west Cornwall) we saw a Speckled Wood and 3 groups of 3 Red Admirals fighting and a Painted Lady

[Ian Pratt]

I would value any thoughts about two dragonflies seen in Norfolk last week. See my posting on Sightings:Not Lepidoptera -Odonata 2010.

[NickB]

Why didn't we have this weather at the weekend?
*#*%# !
Nipped out and found my friendly CB again this morning...

[Gruditch]

About a dozen or so Heath Frits, 15 Small Heath, 1 Green Hairstreak, 1 Painted Lady, and several Speckled Wood seen today. All but the Speckled Wood were at the top of some flipping great hill, somewhere in North Devon, I think it was called Knowle Hill.
Not great pics, the light was terrible, but a nice day out.

Regards Gruditch

[Jack Harrison]

21st June - Large Heaths at Crowle Moors. See my diary:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=4056&p=33537#p33537

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

22nd June. Great Chishill meadows TL427394 South Cambridgeshire.

Scores of fresh Small Heaths on this reliable site. But the flight times/broods confuse me. I first saw Small Heaths this year in mid May. By early June numbers had decreased and most individuals were worn. Now there has been a new mass emergence. Clearly this is too soon for them to be offspring of the May butterflies, so what is going on here?

Jack

[Gruditch]

Some strange stuff going on around here to Jack, virtually no Meadow Browns. I was just thinking they were late, but now the Ringlets are out, and are outnumbering the Meadow Browns already.

BTW, I checked back over the 2009 data for Large, Small, and GV Whites at Danebury. The Large and Small, are both down this year, but not alarmingly so. But the GV is down by around 60%. On the plus side the Common Blue, and Brown Argus were up by 150%, strange year.

Regards Gruditch

[millerd]

On my local patch next to J.14 of the M25, there were Small Heaths out on 20th May, but the numbers yesterday had increased about 10-fold - almost impossible to walk without treading on one. They were still around in fair numbers at the start of October last year, if that had any impact. The separate thread on the periodicity of Small Heath peak years is interesting.

Dave

[Gibster]

Just back from 2 days in Norfolk...Sunday was pretty miserable and grey with a penetrating northerly breeze, hence just two brief sightings of Swallowtail at Hickling Broad - and no pics to speak of. We wild-camped in Wayland Wood that night then a visit to Strumpshaw Fen on Monday where the undoubted highlight was chatting with a certain Mr Riley but, alas, no more Swallowtails. Sped westwards where conditions improved immeasurably and a couple of hours at Brampton Woods resulted in a couple of Ringlets and over a dozen Black Hairstreaks which were mostly a bit worn-looking but one individual was absolutely pristine...a new butterfly for me, my third such this year (and Sam's NINTH!!!!)

We're off to Heddon Valley next week for High Brown Fritillary (advice regards directions/details most gratefully received!!!) Our BIg Year stands at 37 species plus a couple of forms. Things are due to hot up in July...I wonder just how flexible/forgiving my boss will be

[NickB]

Nice one Gibster! Good luck in the hunt - glad you managed BH in Brampton....
Managed to wangle a day off to go to Westleton Common in Suffolk for SSB - an early start, but didn't beat the sun as the mist had already burnt off by the time I arrived. Still a bit hazy to start with; got very hot with harsh-light later.
Found a very fresh female with a fantastic blue sheen.....

and a few nice males....

N

[Jack Harrison]

What an amazing female.

Jack

[NickB]

.....indeed! ..depending on the light it was like this also...

...
N
..underside .....

[Padfield]

I found a female like that at the Martlesham Heath colony when I was a schoolboy (70s-80s). She was not at all typical of the females at the site and also had an aberrant underside (she was small and the spots coalesced, as if there wasn't enough room for them all). But most striking was a kind of blue/turquoise sheen over the upperside, very like yours in that first picture, Nick. I've not seen the same effect since.

Guy

[NickB]

...the only other thing I've seen like that is a greenish/blueish patina on a Meadow Brown...
a more normal female SSB from today...

[Jack Harrison]

greenish/blueish patina on a Meadow Brown...

Like this fellow. Newly emerged (right wing still slightly crumpled) with inner wings showing tinge of purple. This tinge seemingly vanishes after a very short time.

Jack