June 2012

[Mark Senior]

Southwater Woods today more in hope than expectation of early White Admiral and/or Silver Washed Fritillary . Only managed to see circa 20 Speckled Woods 2 Red Admiral and 2 Meadow Brown . Just as I was walking out of the woods on the way back to Southwater in the far North East area of the woods a butterfly flew over and landed on a tree right above me . The underside only was visible as I looked up but it was a White Admiral , hopefully the first of many .

[adrian riley]

News from NorfolkHi, Gang
June 13. Hickling Broad: 10+ Swallowtail; 1 Wall Brown
June 14. Holkham Meals: 1 Green Hairstreak
June 15. Kelling Heath: 1 Wall Brown. No sign of any Silver-studded Blue yet
June 17. North Norfolk. 2 Marsh Fritillary
For 'News from Norfolk' Odonata records over this period see http://www.ukdragonflies.co.uk
For national Butterfly and Odonata records see http://www.bugalert.net
Happy hunting in these lean times
Adrian

[NickB]

Lean times indeed! One Large Skipper earlier today....

[A_T]

Just too cold for butterflies in my part of the world. Seen nothing for days.

[dilettante]

Very good Heath Fritillary numbers at Starvelarks Wood, Essex today. Details and pics in my diary page.

Also seen: Speckled Wood (3), Holly Blue (1), Meadow Brown (3), Large White (1)

[Jack Harrison]

Adrian Riley:

June 17. North Norfolk. 2 Marsh Fritillary

I presume that refers to site X near the town of Y where Marsh Frits are allegedly routinely released.

I know "nuffin" about X although have a good idea as to the identity of town Y

Jack

[Mark Tutton]

Managed to actually get out in some sun today so checked a couple of local sites. I visited a section of Portsdown hill just below fort widley that has been grazed deliberately for several years to remove scrub helped by the city council - but they still massacre the verges around the city . This is quite an urban environment actually within the city of Portsmouth but it is proper chalk down. The habitat looks good and the grazing has worked well with swathes of short turf and the usual downland flora. I had a pleasing list of butterflies including my first marbled white of the year. The forts along the top of portsdown hill were built at the time of the napoleonic war to defend the town against the threat from france - from inland! The whole city was ringed by these forts designed by Lord Palmerston - and they have become known as Palmerstons Follies as no attack was ever mounted!
There is a deep ditch that runs across the hill at this point which was dug so that soldiers could reach the fort without being seen? This reminded me of the Bockerley Dike at martin down and i thought it would be good small blue territory as there was plenty of kidney vetch and it was quite sheltered. Two or three passes only revealed some common blues, a brimstone and some whites. Then a glint of silver caught my eye - yep a very worn small blue! This is the second colony i have found this year well away from the more well known area in the chalkpit so i am well pleased with myself
I will keeping an eye on it next year - but a bit earlier in the flight season when there may be more about. Good hunting Mark.

[Susie]

A friend on Facebook took a photo of a butterfly today in Rewell Wood which he thought was a pearl bordered fritillary but was a male silver washed fritillary.

Looks like Southwater Woods is the place to be from now on - the silver washed are going to be out very soon!

[Mark Senior]

Hi Susie
Hope you are going to lead another walk round Southwater Woods this year as you did so successfully last year .

[legless2007]

I went to Collard Hill for the weekend, stubbornly, in spite of the weather forecast.

Saturday 16th

It was so windy and very few sunny spells, but as you got down the hill it was much warmer and within an hour I was rewarded with my first 2 Large Blues. Even in such horrid conditions (we could barely stand against the wind at the top of the hill) we saw Speckled Woods, Small Heath and Meadow Brown as well. We abandoned butterflying about lunchtime as it started to rain and had a quick trip to see the Great White Egrets at Shapwick Heath.

Sunday 17th

What a day! It's restored my faith in this hideous June. We got to the top of the slope and I practically tripped over a Large Blue, heading down the slope it was actually hot. Meadow Browns and Small Heaths were everywhere and some Speckled Woods spiralled up close to the bottom of the slope.

Large Blue were pretty frequently seen flying and we happened across a freshly emerged Marbled White, still collecting himself. It was absolutely magical and we spent nearly an hour watching him, so beautiful. Matthew Oates found us and marked the stem so he could try and find the pupal case later and then we went off following a Large Blue male. After a nice photographic interlude the male found a female and after approx 50 seconds of courtship settled in to copulate for 56 minutes (oh the romance). I saw 4 other mating pairs and at least 12 other individuals throughout the site. Too many Small Heath and Meadow Brown to count.

We then helped Matthew and the rangers clear the grass from patches of wild thyme, to allow the females better access. We were rewarded with the sight of some eggs.

It was, quite frankly an awesome day.

Jo


170612-04 by legless2007, on Flickr


170612-11 by legless2007, on Flickr


170612-18 by legless2007, on Flickr


170612-14 by legless2007, on Flickr


170612-20 by legless2007, on Flickr

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Jo,

Some Lovely photos there, particularly the Large Blue pair.

cheers,

Neil F.

[Susie]

Sorry, Mark, but I don't have the time this year unfortunately.

Good to hear you saw a white admiral though!

[Wurzel]

Large Skipper, Meadow Brown, Brimstone, Common and Small Blues and Brown Argus at Martin Down.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Typical. Weekend has been atrocious yet Monday & Tuesday are set to be fair before filth returns on Thursday in time for the following weekend.

I can't wait to get out of the country on midsummer's day. I simply can't stand it being 13 degrees any more!

[MikeOxon]

Good numbers of Mountain Ringlet on Irton Fell this afternoon (Sunday). After following the path uphill from the quarry car-park and keeping near the dry-stone wall on the right, the main concentration was on the open fell, where the top of the conifer plantation meets the wall. Here, an outcrop of rocks near the wall, provided some shelter and also a patch of bracken for the butterflies to sunbathe. The location, by my GPS, was N54.405635, W3.341545.

between Irton Pike and Irton Fell - 17th June 2012
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro - 1`/250s@f/8 ISO400

It seems the weather was much better than further South! Although cloudy when we arrived, with only Small Heath flying, the sun soon broke through, at around 3pm, with miraculous effect. Within moments we were sighting several MR within a small area around the rocks - probably about a dozen on the wing.

Excellent views into Wasdale and of the Isle of man, which looked extraordinarily close.

Mike

[Matthebirder]

Black Hairstreaks (2-3) on the wing, Brampton Wood Cambs, Sunday 17th June

[Mildheart]

A shockingly bad day in the Norfolk Broads yesterday. Although the wind had moderated from Saturday, it was still far, far too windy. At Strumpshaw, there was nothing in the doctor's garden all day and just one brief flight view of Swallowtail in the main reserve. The consensus we got from various people is that Swallowtail is having a very poor year, although apparently numbers are a little better at Hickling. Our other main target, Norfolk Hawker, also seems to be having a poor year with only one seen along the ditches of the Meadow trail. Later, at Upton Broad, the wind was lighter but we could still only find one hawker holding territory (which never landed, as is always the way with hawkers).

The butterfly haul was virtually non-existent:

Strumpshaw: 1 Swallowtail, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Brimstone, 1 Small White
Upton Broad : 1 Large White

Dragonfly numbers were a little better, with a couple of Hairy Dragonflies at each site along with the Norfolk Hawkers, plus good numbers of Four-spotted Chasers, a few Large Red and Blue-tailed Damselflies, and a lot of Azure Damselflies. Upton also had Black-tailed Skimmer and Red-eyed Damselfly.

So my advice to Swallowtail watchers is a) don't bother and b) if you do bother, pick as calm and sunny a day as we can get at the moment. No photos to show you, as I didn't take any.

[Jack Harrison]

Mildheart

So my advice to Swallowtail watchers is a) don't bother and b) if you do bother, pick as calm and sunny a day as we can get at the moment.

Useful advice. I was thinking of a 125 miles round trip but might now save the expense. Thanks.

Jack

[edgueinart]

Yesterday at Park Corner Heath!
Went to look for S.P.B.F. and White Admiral but no joy...weather wasn't great,was I looking on the right spot?any tips on where to see them in Park Corner?
Did see some Meadow Brown Males and a Large Skipper.

Meadow Brown ♂ by JPNature, on Flickr


Large Skipper ♂ by JPNature, on Flickr

Today went to Castle Hill near Brighton to see if I could find any Marbled White but the wind was crazy...
I saw 3 small blue,4 Common Blue,3 Small Heath,1 Dingy Skipper,2 Large Skipper,1 Meadow Brown and 1 Adonis Male.


Common Blue ♂ by JPNature, on Flickr

Small Blue ♂ by JPNature, on Flickr

Dingy Skipper ♂ by JPNature, on Flickr

[David M]

This is getting depressing now with all this talk of how badly species are faring; Swallowtail, Duke of Burgundy, Common Blue, etc.

I'm surprised Black Hairstreaks haven't stayed in their pupal cases!

We desperately need a break......and preferably for longer than just a handful of days.