www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Fantastic Specklies Neil and that Mint Moth is brill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I do like the 'Mint Moth' …..

Thanks for the comments guys

Sunday 8th June

A couple of hours spent wandering around Castle Hills at Solihull on Sunday afternoon in some nice warm sun, apart from one short spell of 10 minutes or so when a big black cloud came over and I ran for shelter under the trees as it briefly hammered down with rain .

Most of the butterflies today were shades of orange or brown including my first local Large Skippers of the year, of which I saw a dozen or more, all males, zipping about various parts of the site,
A bit slower and a bit less orange were about the same number of Small Heaths, also the first of these that I have seen around here this year,
A couple of faded Small Coppers were also darting about in their usual corner of one meadow,
A good number of Burnet Companion Moths added to the orangy brown theme and made it a bit of a challenge to correctly identify what was seeing unless I could watch the individual settle .

A couple each of Large Whites and Common Blues were also seen to go against the colour theme of the day,
This was also the day that I knew that summer had definitely arrived as I got clegged a couple of times

Bye for now,

Neil.

Some excellent images of Small Heath there, Neil, which is a butterfly I always find exceedingly difficult to photograph.

Yes SH can be tricky,as they are difficult to get near,even in cool weather. I'm a little surprised Large Skippers are out up there,Neil,as i only saw my first last week.

Enjoying the pictures,btw...

Brill stuff Neil - as others have said great Small Heaths and the Large Skippers are pretty great too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hiya Neil,

Local sites can often give huge satisfaction...and save you a fortune in travelling expenses

Absolutely lovely images!!!

Bill

"When in doubt...venture out"

Thanks for all the comments David, essexbuzzard, Wurzel and Bill

I was quite chuffed with the Small Heath shots I actually think that this is one butterfly that looks better with a bit of vegetation in the shot (not too much though), which more accurately conveys the character of the species.

Hi Essex, it seems that Large Skippers are out all over the place over the last few days, I have read some sightings from Yorkshire and Cumbria as well.

Cheers, Bill, I totally agree about local sites, especially when some species suffered badly in 2012 and you see them come back with decent numbers like the Small Coppers and Common Blues around here

Cheers,

Neil.

Some super pictures &c. I'm new to this game and have developed a fondness for Burnet Companion Moths; you mention them above. I think they are very handsome arrangements.

Thanks for your comment Mike

After a few days stopping up at Arnside and enjoying a number of great sites around the area I have some catching up to do...

Wednesday 11th June.

Earlier this year, whilst doing some thinking about where to go on a couple of short breaks with Jane, I started reading up on flight times of some of the species that I had never seen. The first result of this was our break on the IOW during which I saw my first Glanville Fritillaries as described in this diary a couple of weeks back.

A couple of other species that I had never seen before were Northern Brown Argus and Mountain Ringlet and with some further research a bit of a cunning plan had started to form in my mind. I realised that with a bit (...or maybe a lot) of luck I could perhaps see the salmacis race of NBA at the beginning of their flight season around the Arnside area and also drive up to possibly see Mountain Ringlets at Irton Fell at around the same time.

Having to book time off work in advance meant that I had to take a bit of a gamble with flight times and the weather and so, a few weeks back, I had booked us into the lovely Bed and Breakfast in Arnside at the foot of Knott Lane, that we have been to for the past couple of years when going up there, usually to see Scotch Argus later in the year.

I then nervously watched the weather and sightings pages on the run up to our break.

So it was, that last Wednesday morning we set off up the M6 with a promising weather forecast for the following few days and with me having seen the first sighting reports of both NBA and Mountain Ringlets. The weather for the day was looking good, with a cloudy but dry start which was forecast to turn to sunny spells further north by the afternoon, so I figured on making the most of it and do a stop off for an hour or so at Warton Crag before arriving at Arnside. I had read that Northern Brown Argus could be found here as well as Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries which I had not yet seen this year.

We arrived at Warton just after mid-day with it still fairly overcast but feeling warm and with some brighter sky heading our way. There were quite a few cars in the car park with a number of bird watchers who were there to see a pair of Peregrines that were nesting on the wall of the Crag, too far away unfortunately for my lumix and close focus binoculars. After polishing off our sandwiches I took a walk up the path which loops around and up the Crag to see what I could find.

As I walked up the sky brightened and the sun started to poke through and I began to see butterflies, a few Common Blues, Large Skippers and Dingy Skippers to start with along with numerous Small Heaths.
About half way up I came to an area with lots of Rock Rose and there flitting about was my first target, a Northern Brown Argus . I took some photos and watched him for a while as he moved from plant to plant, basking and nectaring, until a second one came along and they both disappeared down the slope.
I then continued on up and in series of clearings between the trees and scrub found some Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, probably about half a dozen or so…
…before heading back down and continuing on our way to Arnside.

To be continued…

Neil

I am eventually catching up on some diaries Neil and I, too, think that is a great shot of the Mint moth. I don't think I have ever knowingly seen one but I assume it is quite small. Congrats on finding NBA and that's a great shot of the environment. I even like your shots of Small Heath - a butterfly that for some reason fails to excite me - but you have shown it in a very good light. It is driving me mad Neil that I can't remember what that butterfly was with the dead grass providing such a good background. I have trawled back thru your diary trying to find it - I'd forgotten how good all your shots are - but I have failed. Can you remember? SSB? Small Copper? What time of year would there be dried grass? SSS?

Wednesday 11th June….continued

After arriving in Arnside and settling in to our B&B, it had turned into a nice warm sunny late afternoon so I decided to go for a walk up the Knott. Circling around through the lower woods and clearings where, a bit later in the year, Dark Green and High Brown Fritillaries are usually found, I soon started to see Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries along with a few Common Blues, Large Skippers and Speckled Woods.
I then wandered down the path towards Heathwaite to look for Northern Brown Argus in the lower meadows on that side of the Knott and found 3, maybe 4, nectaring and basking in the late afternoon sun. As with the ones that I had seen at Warton Crag, these were all males and were either fairly fresh or looked like they had been out for a few days.
After watching these for a while and taking some photos I then wandered back, stopping a few times to watch the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries again and taking a few more photos.
I was already well pleased with having seen the NBAs at Warton Crag and now here at Arnside and with the weather forecast for the next day being for another cloudy morning turning into a sunny afternoon it was looking promising for a drive up to Irton Fell.

Bye for now,

Neil.

Hi Pauline, nearly missed your post whilst writing that last update Thanks for your comments on my photos

I have a feeling that the one with the dried grass providing the background was a Small Copper underside shot from last year, probably second brood so some time in July/August. You have got me wondering now so I will have a look

Edit; have a look on page 30 of this diary, there are a couple of shots against a blurry dried grass background including the Small Copper underside.

Cheers,

Neil.

Ah, yes, gorgeous - that's it Neil. Mind you, that Gatekeeper isn't bad either ... or the Large Whites. Seriously, I would have loved to have taken that shot. I think the best images are those that make you feel something, imagine that you are there, remember them, even when there are loads of other great (studio? ) shots .... can I have that framed please? I won't forget it a second time!

Fantastic report and shots Neil Interesting to see how little orange the NBAs have on their wings - is that a diagnostic tool?
Looking forward to the next installment - will the Mountie be ticked I'm hoping it's in the bag...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I thought that was the one Pauline, glad I have put your mind at rest

Cheers Wurzel, I noticed the lack of orange on a number of the NBA that I saw, certainly a lot less on some examples than I am used to with the 'normal' Brown Argus, although having said that they were quite variable with some that would have been impossible to tell apart if they were seen together.

Yep, the Mountain Ringlets will be in the next instalment, my cunning little plan paid off still got the photos of those to sort through so maybe tomorrow.

Cheers,

Neil

Lovely photos of the NBA, Neil, one I have yet to see (I always visit Arnside too late for them!). I can't wait to see the Mountain Ringlets...

Dave

Nice images, Neil. Northern Brown Argus in England is a very interesting critter, isn't it?

millerd wrote:Lovely photos of the NBA, Neil, one I have yet to see (I always visit Arnside too late for them!)....

Dave

Hi Dave, I have been going to Arnside for the past couple of years to see Scotch Argus in late July/early August, like when we met there last year I have seen reports of NBA at around that time in previous years but having seen some of the very small and brown female Common Blues there last year, well, I'm not so sure. The local view is that they are usually over by then.

If you ever do go there earlier in the year, the place to look is in the meadows down the path to Heathwaite, by where I saw the Clouded Yellow.

Cheers,

Neil.

David M wrote:Nice images, Neil. Northern Brown Argus in England is a very interesting critter, isn't it?

Thanks David, it certainly is.

I found it fascinating the way that some individuals look identical to out 'normal' Brown Argus and yet others had a different 'look' to them. Not as obvious as the Scottish race with its white spots on the forewings but a difference nevertheless which doesn't really come across in photos.

Cheers,

Neil.