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Willrow wrote:
I must now decide whether to venture forth tomorrow, Silver-spotted Skipper and Brown Hairstreak beckon, strangely no one seems to have mentioned Brown Hairstreak at Alners Gorse on the sightings pages yet (unless I've missed something?) I'd also like to get some better quality photographs of Silver-spotted Skipper, the ones I've taken up to now leave quite a bit to be desired

Best Wishes,
Bill

Both species are out at their Dorset sites Bill, but the impression I'm getting is that numbers aren't particularly good! Brown Hairstreaks in particular seem to have been quite elusive, although some better weather may well bring a few more out. One SS Skipper was seen at Fontmell on the 12th of August, and I expect that numbers should have built up a bit by now. As you say the weather does look good for tomorrow though, so I think you'd have a good chance of finding your two targets

A Holly Blue visited my garden at about 7am today: And before I left home at 8.30 I'd also had three Peacocks drop in too.

I decided to go to near-by Wye Nature Reserve before it got too hot for Hoggers, in search of Wall. I walked along to the Crown and found three: ( and later four more by the Kneading Trough ).

The Reserve Managers have left a field aside for thistles to flower and there ( sorry Pauline! ) five Small Tortoiseshells were bust feeding: By about 11am it was boiling so I headed back home for a cool drink, but not before I'd also seen Common blues ( 1 female ),Marbled White, Small Heath, Chalkhill Blues, Brown Argus, Red Admiral, a Small Skipper, Large White and many Meadow Browns.

Seeing a small tortoiseshell this season has been quite rare so it was a great delight to see three prisitine ones today less than 50 yards/metres from my house together with an immaculate red admiral.
Earlier, I had been to Bonchurch Down where there were good numbers of all four blues I was expecting to see: Adonis, common, chalkhill and brown argus, plus singletons of small copper, large white, red admiral, speckled wood, marbled white and comma/wall brown(flying fast over the Down), plus several small heaths, and lots of gatekeepers and meadow browns.Not a bad day in this unusual season of 2012.

dorsetguy wrote:Both species are out at their Dorset sites Bill, but the impression I'm getting is that numbers aren't particularly good! Brown Hairstreaks in particular seem to have been quite elusive, although some better weather may well bring a few more out. One SS Skipper was seen at Fontmell on the 12th of August, and I expect that numbers should have built up a bit by now. As you say the weather does look good for tomorrow though, so I think you'd have a good chance of finding your two targets

Many thanks, it's always a bonus to get 'local knowledge' before going butterflying, thank you for taking the time to provide the information.

Best Wishes,
Bill

I spent a few hours at Oxenbourne Down today, the first time I have been, in search of Silver Spotted Skipper. I was not disappointed Species seen:
Meadow Brown (ranging from tatty to fresh) very numerous
Chalkhill Blue (ranging from tatty to fresh) very numerous courting, mating and egg laying
Gatekeeper lots
Silver Spotted Skipper 20+
Common Blue 20+
Small Skipper (all very tatty) lots
Small Copper 15-20
Essex Skipper 1 confirmed
Green Veined White 2
Small Heath 20+
Brimstone 10+
Peacock 20+
Red Admiral 5

I've done well for butterflies in my garden today seeing 4 Peacocks, 2 Red Admirals 2 Small Tortoiseshells A Speckled Wood And then I saw this female Holly blue being closely observed by this chap He made his advances but she sent him away with a flea in his ear

Holly Blues

He made his advances but she sent him away with a flea in his ear

Sadly, old men don't usually succeed with young girls.

Jack

at last! Today on my buddlea 6 red admirals and 2 large whites there is also a ringlet and meadow brown in my garden then down the road another 4 red admirals a ringlet and 2 small whites on some bindweed

I spent a couple of hours at Gilkicker Fort in Gosport this morning, hoping to see Wall Brown. A good selection of species seen but not in huge numbers. Unsurprisingly I did not see any Wall, but was pleased to see one Small Tortoiseshell These seem to be a bit of a rarity in this area these days, I have not seen one for several years (hence the photo). I also found a very blue female Common Blue

Species seen:
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Small Skipper
Speckled Wood ( 2 only )
Small White
Large White
Small Copper ( 1 only )
Small Heath (1 only )
Small Tortoiseshell ( 1 only )
Common Blue
Red Admiral ( 1 only )

Saturday was so warm & sunny on Norfolk coast with not much breeze, I set off on the coastal path at 7.30am & dawdled an hour down to the NOA. Found 12 Walls mostly female & some of the MB's & gatekeepers. 8 spec woods in the pines & a few whites & lots Dragonflies. NOA had lots of Peacocks & Red A's sharing the gold buddleia, saw a Brown Argus. Walking back through the NWT reserve I found 4 Comm Blues & lots MB's & Gatekeepers + a few skippers.
Another early start today for Snettisham high tide, there @ 6.45am, only a fair number of birds mostly Oyestercatchers. Coming back fgound another couple of Comm Blue & a faded female Wall. Eric

I must be lucky here on the Isle of Wight with four different small tortoiseshells near my house today on thistles and then several more on ragwort and fleabane near the IOW railway at Smallbrook. Photos attached including a small copper.
Also, adonis and chalkhill blues from yesterday with small heath and mating brown arguses. Also, small moth for ID please?
Ian

I believe the moth is Double-striped Pug.

Best weekend of the year here in Somerset - Peacocks out in good numbers, feeding up on buddleia, plenty of Small Whites about, and a scattering of Brimstones. Small Tortoiseshells are thin on the ground in the Mendips but are commoner on the Levels, which seems to be the pattern in recent years. Still a fair few Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns about. Also good to see a Painted Lady yesterday. There are a lot of Silver Y and other migrant moths about so perhaps more exotic things might make their way over here.

Still very few small butterflies about - Common & Holly Blue, Small Copper, Brown Argus, Small & Essex Skipper, Purple Hairstreak, Small Heath, all extremely scarce this year.

It was very hot this afternoon on the slope at Aston Rowant. Sunshine earlier became increasingly hazy and the humidity was very high. Chalkhill Blues were still on the slope but not in the sort of profusion that others have reported earlier. Meadow Browns were everywhere with a few Small Coppers but the stars on the slope were masses of Silver-spotted Skippers, with 'bundles' of them careering around chasing each other. All the butterflies were very active and I had to use a tele lens to get any shots, as a close approach was impossible.

One individual seemed to have a particularly splendid 'beard', which is a feature I had not noticed before:
At least one posed for long enough for me to line up into a side-on position:
A flash of orange on the slope set my pulse racing as I thought 'clouded yellow' but it was 'only' a large and bright Small Heath which posed on a small white stone:
Apart from the butterflies, it is well worth visiting the slope just to see the profusion of wild flowers. Goodness knows how many species to the square metre occur here!
Mike

"I believe the moth is Double-striped Pug."

Many thanks.
Ian

Thanks for the ID, Pete! Good to know that I have found Essex just outside my back gate here in Northants!

Chris

Pete Eeles wrote:Hi Chris - the only way is Essex on that critter ID

Cheers,

- Pete

I've got quite a bit to add to my diary, but thought I'd share this now - Silver-spotted Skipper are in excellent numbers at Aston Rowant NNR. I visited at around 1730 this evening and the critters are everywhere; never seen so many. Ever! One or more seen every few feet!

EDIT: looks like I'm confirming MikeOxon's report; apols ... in catch up mode!

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote:I've got quite a bit to add to my diary, but thought I'd share this now - Silver-spotted Skipper are in excellent numbers at Aston Rowant NNR. I visited at around 1730 this evening and the critters are everywhere; never seen so many. Ever! One or more seen every few feet!

Strange how some species are having appalling years yet others seem to be doing well.

Surely a brief burst of warm and sunny weather can't make SO much difference?

Anyway, nice to see SSS in such numbers even though Brown Hairstreaks are, up to now, conspicuous only by their scarcity.

David M wrote:Anyway, nice to see SSS in such numbers even though Brown Hairstreaks are, up to now, conspicuous only by their scarcity.

It seems to be site-specific too (as for Purple Emperor). I didn't see many SSS at Stockbridge or Broughton Downs last week.

This year is going to take some explaining!

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote:This year is going to take some explaining!

Indeed!

I'm sure I'm not alone in yearning for nothing more than an 'ordinary' year in 2013?

All these extremes are making my brain spongiform.

Seven fresh tortoiseshells fifty yards/metres from my house on wasteland yesterday evening- magical!
Ian