www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Great report and photos yet again Wurzel, you do seem to have a knack of finding those well marked Brown Argus

Mike

Great read and photos as usual Wurzel

Glad to see that I am not the only one that calls their kids muppets, and mine are 19,22 and 25 years old

Cheers,

Neil F.

Cheers Nick I'll try but now I'm back at work the number of trips out will decrease
Cheers Mike I just wish I had the same luck with Helice Cloudies
Cheers Neil Muppets is such an apt term for kids of all ages

My Duke site revisited...28-08-2013

This was the first stop off of my last proper day of the school holiday as the next day I had to bite the bullet and venture into work to pick up those results...

I arrived just after 10am and the sun was hidden in the cloud and it was hazy at best. So while there didn’t seem to be much about I had a bit of an explore taking the path up the side of the hill to the top. As I ascended on my left was the wood and on the right large swathes of tall grasses. The path was stony and had been carved through by running water draining down the hill. It was along this path that I got the first of the days shots – a Speckled Wood acting more like a Wall and basking on the middle of the path. As I made my way to the top I encountered a few more Specklies, all on the path rather than on the trees and then I reached the top. It was more wooded here and there were clearings but they were mostly on the other side of barbed wire which had small signs on and as I didn’t know what they warned of I stayed on the right side of them. I had a bit of a wander up here, even venturing down towards the grasses that had been on my right on my ascent. A small patch of grass held three Blues, all males and there were Specklies in good numbers, reaching double figures. However I’m convinced that I’ve discovered a new sub-species/form as not one was in the wood or on a tree. In fact they showed no signs of an arboreal lifestyle and as all were in the middle of the paths I’ll name them Speckled Roadies. As there was not much else about I retraced my steps and went right which took me down towards the back of the Greenstreak site. Here I started stopped to watch a family of Spotted Flycatchers and I started noticing many more butterflies as the sun started to burn through the cloud. Each smaller patch of lower vegetation where there were small flowers would have Common Blues, a Brown Argus or two, Meadow Browns would flap about, the odd white and Brimstone would flutter in and the paths would be lined with Small Heaths. It was cracking to e surrounded by so many butterflies all of a sudden. Within a few steps the vegetation would be a bit longer and then it would open up with this lower turf again and again there would the similar collection of species. I tried counting but it was too confusing as there was so much going on so I just reverted to watching with a satisfied smile. Whilst here I noticed a Small Heath that seemed unusual and it was only as I approached it closer that I realised that it was showing its upper side and also that it wasn’t sitting on a tall grass but was trapped in a web. As I watched legs appeared around it embracing it. It struggled and out up a fight however and then with some violent wing flapping it dropped to the ground. I carefully picked it up and placed it on my knee in order to see if it might have escaped the bite. As I was watching it briefly opened its wings, just long enough for me to take two shots (one of which came out okay) and then closed them again. It seemed to be rallying so I gently moved it to a stone. It tilted onto its side and then after a few leg movements I think the poison had finally taken affect and the insides were liquefying. It had been a valiant fight and for a moment I thought it might have made it but in the end the result was to be expected. I then headed to the more open fields with a Whitearse accompanying me. The area of longer grasses had a slightly different assortment of species with fewer Brown Argus and Common Blues which were replaced by the odd Chalkhill or Adonis Blue. The whites also didn’t drop in here but just kept on steaming along brushing the tips of the grasses on their way. On my way back I stopped at a small patch of flowers and shorter turf which was like a little oasis amongst the beige dry grasses and it was packed with butterflies. Almost back at the car I found another of these little patches and that seems to be the way of this site; it’s a mosaic of microhabitats with large expanses of long grass with pockets of shorter turf and flowering nectar sources. Then there are all the different types of paths interconnecting these pockets of shorter turf. Anyway again I saw all the usual suspects along with a fly-by Clouded Yellow which I eventually tracked down for the very briefest of shots. Once at home reflecting on the day I realised that this year I managed to get better and better shots of Clouded Yellows reaching a zenith at Alners Gorse when I was practically wading amongst them. Since then they’ve got steadily further away and harder and harder to approach! Still, Clouded Yellow frustration aside I drove away exceedingly happy as this is such a brilliant little site. And it’s not just an early one but one that keeps delivering the goods throughout the year. I didn’t see any Brown Hairstreaks here and one or two have been reported but it was still only 12:30 and Shipton Bellinger is just down the road...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Another great report Wurzel

I love the photo of the Small Heath with the spider legs coming around it, interesting a bit creepy at the same time.

Cheers,

Neil F.

Nice shots and report Wurzel interesting shot of Small Heath with wings open didn't you recently get a shot of a Brimstone with wings open? How do you train your spiders

Mike

Cheers Neil It was even creepier watching the struggling butterfly and then seeing the legs wrap around
Cheers Mike When I got my open wing Brimstone shot I was set the challenge of an open wing Small Heath..job done, next! I didn't train the spiders, they trained me

Shipton Bellinger

After a great morning mooching at Sidbury I moved onto Shipton with the hope of finding a Brostreak or two... After a short drive I set off up the path hopefully as ever and this time made my way along the left hand side of the hedge for a change. I normally walk on the right hand track where the hedge is taller and faced with trees but apart I’ve not seen a Brostreak here since my first four seasons ago. The left hand track is more open with grass underfoot rather than muddy chalk. On my walk I was accompanied by a couple of Common Blues, a scattering of Meadow Browns and the usual ubiquitous Whites. I quickly reached the top where the two paths converge to one, stopped briefly to get some lunch from my bag and then munching continued up towards the master tree. About 10 metres along the path something peered over at me from about a couple of feet up from the ground – a female Brostreak. I couldn’t believe my luck I’d only been here for about 30minutes and I wasn’t actually expecting so have to start searching until I got to the usual hedge. So I quickly out my lunch down and gently approached her while she had a bit of a wander around the leaves. So having found my target so quickly I could have headed back and seen if my luck held at another site but I decided to press on. Up along the usual hedge it was a lot quieter than my last visit and there were well trod inlets into the Brambles and scrub. It seems that the flowers and rough grass along the foot of the hedge had been mown and so gone were the multitude of blues that were present last time. For a change I carried on right to the end of the hedge and up onto the rough road, turning left and heading towards the main road. Here things were less peaceful but the vegetation was in a much better state and Brown Argus battled with Blues and Whites, Brimstones flitted around and nectared but I ignored all this to focus on the Brostreaks and there right in front of me was a second female. I’d never visited this area before so had a walk around after literally stumbling across this female and I didn’t see any others here but it certainly looked worth a revisit next season should other areas cease to produce. After a bit the noise of the traffic was getting to be a bit much so I made my way back to the hedge. I got to where I’d previously seen the male (on my visit here with Philzoid) and followed the trampled track slightly further in to the brambles and there was number female number three. She flitted about a bit but never strayed too far from where I’d first seen her and this allowed me to see her in a range of different poses. What was interesting was watching the way that she almost disappeared at times, the orange and chocolate fitting in seamlessly with the autumnal colours starting to show through on the trees. After a few shots I backed gently out and carried on to the island of bramble by the small Blackthorns and there was female number 4. I was just strolling along the path and turning my head caught sight of her out of the corner of my eye. She was just sitting on a leaf by the edge of the path at about shoulder height. As I turned to raise my camera she took off and flew into the Bramble island and I managed to follow her and make an approach to get a few shots. I couldn’t believe my luck and so decided that as it was fast approaching their bedtime (3pm) I ought to call it a day and quit while I was ahead. So I bade farewell to female number 4 and set off back through the Blackthorn bushes and down the track. I reached the section where the path split into two and just as I was about to start walking down one of the two paths right on the corner was number 5! She was a bit damaged this one but she demonstrated some interesting behaviour; basking and then roosting with wings closed as well as “tasting” twigs. While she was sitting nicely composed I realized that I hadn’t taken any of the classic style shots so went for a few a s well as a few close ups. I started my walk back stopping every now and again to watch the blues and whites and take the odd shot. I felt stunned and contented at the same time. What a day with a total of 16 species and including 5 different Brostreaks! Happy with that! My peace was shattered by my phone ringing. My sister in-law had gone into labour so I’d have to high tail it back home so I could drop my wife up to their house to look after their 3 year old. They were waiting for me and the contractions were 5 minutes apart! Luckily as I was at Shipton I was only 25 minutes away and so everything was all okay, just...


Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel

Your last Hairstreak shot does it for me I will now be going straight up to Shipton Bellinger once Hairstreak season starts next year

Really great Brostreak shots Wurzel and a great day out. Five different Brostreaks too I'm not surprised you were stunned and contented

Mike

Very entertaining report wurzel and excellent photos.

I hope mum and baby are doing well.

Another great report Wurzel with some added drama at the end

I hope all is well with mum and baby.

Cheers,

Neil.

Love your Hair Streak Wurzal, my turn turn to be jealous Glad all went well with your Sister-in-law and baby.

About that Spider though, I know it's live and let live but I'd have been tempted to bash it Goldie

Cheers Jack Shipton is a cracking little site
Cheers Mike Five wasn't too bad a haul for a few hours wandering
Cheers Susie, Neil and Goldie Mum and baby are doing well and thankfully it hasn't made my wife broody I couldn't have bashed the spider Goldie as it had already lost it's lunch

Back to Larkhill and the not so dirty Dozen!

After a brilliant day at my Duke site and looking successfully for Brown Hairstreaks I had to face the realization that my holiday would soon be over. Plus I still had to bite the bullet and collect those results . I’d been putting it off and finding all manner of other jobs and pieces of work to do for a week so with a heavy heart I finally loaded the girls into the car and headed off to work. As I reached the new Stonehenge roundabout at Airman’s Cross I remembered that through force of habit I’d put my camera in the car so I made a stop off at Larkhill. It allowed me to show off my “kind of local” patch to the girls as well as cheering myself up ready to face the feared conclusion to my trip.

There were a few whites flying about but I found one, then two, then three Common Blues. This quickly became four then five and so on until a dozen was reached, including a few females! I actually spent slightly longer then my usual 5 minutes stop off...but it’s the holidays and I’m out of practice also it’s rare for me to be able to linger at my little haven. The girls soon pulled me back down to earth as they were looking forward to running around at my work. However they must have appreciated the stop off as when we got home they took great delight in pointing out that “Daddy never stops there on the way home” Have a goodun

Wurzel

End of the holidays 30-08-2013

It seemed fitting that my last outing of the holiday should be to the same place as my first and so when my Auntie offered the girls another horse ride they jumped at the chance and I looked forward to the Buddleia in the stable yard. Once there it was lovely and warm but I noticed a change straight away. Gone were the Meadow Browns, the Small Torts were fewer in number and the Large Whites seemed to have been replaced by Small Whites on the Buddleia.
While the girls were getting kitted out I quickly checked out the Buddleia and some of the older stable blocks that are now used for storage. The Buddleia was crawling with whites and then a Small Tort flew by and landed almost in front of me. It posed nicely for a moment or two before flying to the feed. It ignored the huge bush by the gate and instead made a bee line for the smallest bush in the place. It was practically just a stem with one flower head and only 3 leaves. Still it seemed contented to take nectar from this miniscule specimen and so I left it in peace. As I was wandering back across the yard a Comma flew in over the top of the stables and dropped down onto one of the wooden blocks and then crawled onto a Buddleia. It looked like an autumnal Comma, with much darker markings on the upper wings and the under wings were practically slate coloured. Then at the weekend I only got out on the Sunday and that was pretty brief; just a quick walk around the beer garden of a Restaurant. I found a few Common Darters to occupy me, a Comma bombed by and then I was just about to get a shot of a lovely Peacock when my daughter fell off a swing. This meant a trip to AE and a few hours sitting in the waiting room – mind you here was a Small Tort there resting on the roof over the heads of the patients though I couldn’t really get the camera out. In the end everything was fine, no breaks and no fractures and back to work the next day ! Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,

Great report as usual, always a pleasure to read accompanied with lovely photos. I love your Brown Hairstreaks from a couple of posts ago and, your beautiful fresh Comma from your last post, brilliant.

All the best, Nick.

Cheers for your kind comments Nick, greatly appreciated

Stop off 02-09-2013

It didn’t even take me a day to get back into the habit of working...well the habit of stopping off on the way to work that is . At Larkhill I couldn’t find the not so dirty dozen, but further along the path I found five Blues all spaced out in an area of longer grasses. I’d followed the usual method when starting my search, proceeding along the path and scanning attentively as I walked. Then not seeing anything l started to rush back to the car in order to get to work and then I caught one out of the corner of the eye. While watching it another popped into view and then another etc. The thing is they’d probably been there all along and it’s only when you’re watching one and you shift your position that you catch another at the right angle so that it suddenly appears. And so it was that on the dreadful first day back at work I was surprisingly jubilant. Amidst all the “What were your results like?” and “this is a new policy (read - lots more work for you)” I maintained an almost Zen smile. You see I was extremely happy with one of my shots. I know photography is a very subjective craft and what is “good” in one persons opinion might not be the same for someone else but this shot ticked all of my personal boxes – sharpness of focus, colours glowing, freshness of the individual and the added interest of a few dew drops twinkling like bling. It sounds silly now thinking back on it but knowing that the image was there on my memory card and in the bag got me through the entire day. I’d expected to finish late on the first day but as we finished bang on time I reckoned that I had five minutes to stop off on e the way home. Once I pulled up I checked the golden rods – it seems that this is where the females were hanging out with a couple of nice examples. All of them were pretty “blue” including one that much more blue than brown and another with gorgeous sky blue margins. So the first day back went well in terms of butterflies and to be honest I can’t now remember anything else from during the day
Have a goodun

Wurzel

That last female Common Blue is a lovely one - they are up there with much more exotic species when they have that combination of colours.

Dave

So you literally "got the blues" on your first day back at work and that made you feel happy for the rest of the day! It's a funny old world eh wurzel?

Nice shots btw

Great photos Wurzel. And your still finding fresh Common Blues at this time of the year, amazing.

All the best, Nick.

Cheers Dave They're cracking aren't they
Cheers Rex It's getting funnier by the day
Cheers Nick Sorry I should have put a date on my posting, it was from the beginning of September The last fresh one I saw was from about two weeks ago:oops:

Larkhill 04-09-2013

I didn’t get back to Larkhill the next day because of the weather and also because I wanted to get to work early. I almost didn’t bother on the next day either as I drove through the early morning cloud and mist. However I stopped off amongst the dampness and feeling a little mellow I set off up the North bound path hoping that the stop off would prove to be fruitful... As I stepped out of the car and started my stopwatch the mist coated me from head to foot like a walk in shower. I pressed on regardless but up by the usual roosting area there was a dearth of butterflies so I headed back and checked the grasses next to the pull in. Once there a little gray flag caught my eye and as I approached it twinkled at me. I was imagining that I thought but as I focused in I discovered why, it was covered (like me) in dew and as I shifted my position to get the shot various droplets would catch the little light that there was. Happy with the shots I had another look around and spent some time admiring (a minute or so of my five) the various spider webs that were really shown off as the sun started to cut through the mist. It was like someone was turning up the dimmer switch and the background colour was changing from green and greys to orange and beige. My little beauty was still in the same place and I was wondering whether a few more shots might be in order when I noticed another. It looked less worn with the orange lunules still showing and the spots clearly demarcated under a covering of pearls and diamonds. An absolutely gorgeous sight and one that left me feeling blissful while the day washed over me and passed on to tomorrow. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Those are lovely shots, Wurzel. They look as if the slightest disturbance would destroy the equilibrium and they'd drown! I never seen such quantities of dew on a butterfly.

Dave