www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks, Chris/Paul/Trevor/Benjamin.

High Brown Fritillary and Large Heath are species that can readily be seen in the southern half of the UK, and both are common in ideal habitat (albeit rather isolated from any other similar habitat).

Give it a go.

A look back at 2020

Summer cont….

Normally, I am out of the country in the last week of June, but thanks to the pandemic, I was forced to stay in the UK and thankfully this period saw some wonderful weather which allowed me to make two distance visits on consecutive days.

First up, on 24th June, I journeyed to Daneway Banks, arriving before 8am on a perfect summer’s day.

This was towards the latter end of the Large Blue’s flight period but there were plenty about – I counted 31 in total, more than I’ve ever seen on a single day anywhere. Many were females, including some ovipositing and also a mating pair:
This was probably my favourite domestic outing of the year. Daneway was practically deserted and I also spent a while chatting to one of the rangers, with Large Blues regularly fluttering by as I did so.

The following day involved an even greater journey, all the way to Fermyn Wood in Northants. I hadn’t seen a Purple Emperor for 5 years and I was determined to take this opportunity as my foreign travels usually see me miss out on this magnificent insect.

Again, I arrived before 8am, but this gave me time to study several fairly torpid White Admirals:
I only saw two Emperors, and one of those was a fly-by, but thankfully the second individual gave a good showing on the main track, something which was a lot less frequent in 2020 than in most other years by all accounts:
Rather than drive all the way back to Swansea, I stayed in Abergavenny which meant that the following day I was able to catch up with the Essex Skipper colonies in the local meadows.
The weather then went downhill to such a point that I booked an Air BnB in the French Alps and was out of the UK between 4th and 11th July.

Super LB's/PE .

Thanks, Trevor. Two very special species for sure!

Dates of first sightings 2021:

1. Comma - 25 February, Swansea Vale
2. Small Tortoiseshell - 25 February, Swansea Vale
3. Brimstone - 27 February, Swansea Vale
4. Peacock - 21 March, Southgate, Gower, Swansea
5. Small White - 24 March, Cwm Ivy, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
6. Speckled Wood - 30 March, Crymlyn Burrows, nr. Swansea
7. Large White - 30 March, Lower Kilvey Hill, Port Tennant, Swansea
8. Holly Blue - 31 March, Cwm Ivy, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
9. Orange Tip - 31 March, Cwm Ivy, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
10. Red Admiral - 31 March, Llanmadoc, Gower
11. Green Veined White - 3 April, Dan-y-Graig Cemetery, Port Tennant, Swansea
12. Small Copper - 3 April, Lower Kilvey Hill, Port Tennant, Swansea
13. Grizzled Skipper - 20 April, Merthyr Mawr, nr. Porthcawl
14. Brown Argus - 25 April, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
15. Dingy Skipper - 25 April, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
16. Green Hairstreak - 29 April, Welshmoor, nr. Llanrhidian, Gower
17. Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 30 April, Ewyas Harold Common, nr. Pontrilas, Herefordshire
18. Small Blue - 7 May, Crymlyn Burrows, nr. Swansea
19. Wall Brown - 12 May, Southgate Cliffs, Gower
20. Common Blue - 14 May, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
21. Small Heath - 14 May, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
22. Marsh Fritillary - 26 May, Fairwood Common, Gower
23. Duke of Burgundy - 29 May, Rodborough Common, nr. Stroud, Glos
24. Painted Lady - 29 May, Rodborough Common, nr. Stroud, Glos
25. Adonis Blue - 29 May, Rodborough Common, nr. Stroud, Glos
26. Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary - 30 May, Fairwood Common, Gower
27. Wood White - 3 June, Forest of Dean, nr. Cinderford, Glos
28. Glanville Fritillary - 4 June, White Sheet Hill, nr. Stourton, Wilts
29. Large Skipper - 8 June, Crymlyn Burrows, nr. Swansea
30. Mountain Ringlet - 12 June, Irton Fell, nr. Santon Bridge, Cumbria
31. Large Heath - 12 June, Meathop Moss, nr. Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria
32. Northern Brown Argus - 13 June, St Abbs Head, Berwickshire
33. Dark Green Fritillary - 14 June, Crymlyn Burrows, nr. Swansea
34. Meadow Brown - 16 June, Green Down, nr. Charlton Mackrell, Somerset
35. Large Blue - 16 June, Green Down, nr. Charlton Mackrell, Somerset
36. Heath Fritillary - 16 June, Haddon Hill, nr. Upton, Somerset
37. High Brown Fritillary - 22 June, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan
38. Ringlet - 23 June, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan
39. Small Skipper - 26 June, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
40. Marbled White - 26 June, Whiteford Burrows, nr. Llanmadoc, Gower
41. Silver Studded Blue - 27 June, St Govan's Head, nr. Bosherston, Pembrokeshire
42. Grayling - 27 June, St Govan's Head, nr. Bosherston, Pembrokeshire
43. White Letter Hairstreak - 30 June, Tongwynlais, nr. Cardiff
44. Silver Washed Fritillary - 1 July, Alun Valley, nr. Ewenny, Glamorgan
45. White Admiral - 2 July, Lower Woods, nr. Wickwar, Glos
46. Purple Hairstreak - 23 July, Savernake Forest, nr. Marlborough, Wilts
47. Hedge Brown - 23 July, Savernake Forest, nr. Marlborough, Wilts
48. Purple Emperor - 23 July, Savernake Forest, nr. Marlborough, Wilts
49. Essex Skipper - 23 July, Aston Rowant, nr. Thame, Oxon
50. Chalkhill Blue - 23 July, Aston Rowant, nr. Thame, Oxon
51. Silver Spotted Skipper - 23 July, Aston Rowant, nr. Thame, Oxon
52. Brown Hairstreak - 22 August, West Williamston, nr. Carew, Pembrokeshire

Last UK butterfly sighting: Comma - 25 November, Worcester Woods Country Park

UK butterflies seen on the continent in 2021 but NOT seen in the UK:

53. Lulworth Skipper
54. Clouded Yellow
55. Swallowtail

UK species not seen: Cryptic Wood White, Black Hairstreak, Scotch Argus & Chequered Skipper

NON UK species seen in 2021:

Picos de Europa, NW Spain:

56. Apollo
57. Bath White
58. Berger's Clouded Yellow
59. Cleopatra
60. Black Veined White
61. Purple Edged Copper
62. Purple Shot Copper
63. Sooty Copper
64. False Ilex Hairstreak
65. Ilex Hairstreak
66. Sloe Hairstreak
67. Blue Spot Hairstreak
68. Dusky Large Blue
69. Mazarine Blue
70. Turquoise Blue
71. Long Tailed Blue
72. Green Underside Blue
73. Short Tailed Blue
74. Lang's Short Tailed Blue
75. Osiris Blue
76. Escher's Blue
77. Gavarnie Blue
78. Spotted Fritillary
79. Lesser Marbled Fritillary
80. Knapweed Fritillary
81. Queen of Spain Fritillary
82. Cardinal
83. Provençal Fritillary
84. Marbled Fritillary
85. Chapman's Ringlet
86. Piedmont Ringlet
87. Western Brassy Ringlet
88. Lefebvre's Ringlet
89. Esper's Marbled White
90. Iberian Marbled White
91. Rock Grayling
92. Pearly Heath
93. Chestnut Heath
94. Large Wall Brown
95. Spanish Gatekeeper
96. Marbled Skipper
97. Red Underwing Skipper
98. Mallow Skipper
99. Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper
100. Large Grizzled Skipper
101. Safflower Skipper


Montes Universales, Central Spain:

102. Iberian Scarce Swallowtail
103. Plain Tiger
104. Two Tailed Pasha
105. Southern White Admiral
106. Twin Spot Fritillary
107. Dusky Heath
108. Southern Gatekeeper
109. Dusky Meadow Brown
110. Oriental Meadow Brown
111. Black Satyr
112. Great Banded Grayling
113. Tree Grayling
114. Striped Grayling
115. False Grayling
116. Hermit
117. Southern Hermit
118. Zapater's Ringlet
119. Southern Marbled Skipper
120. Mediterranean Skipper
121. Sage Skipper
122. Cinquefoil Skipper
123. Southern Small White
124. Iberian Sooty Copper
125. Spanish Purple Hairstreak
126. Southern Brown Argus
127. Spanish Argus
128. Mother-of-Pearl Blue
129. Chapman's Blue
130. Azure Chalkhill Blue
131. Spanish Chalkhill Blue
132. Oberthur's Anomalous Blue
133. Ripart's Anomalous Blue
134. Damon Blue
135. African Grass Blue


Andalusia, Southern Spain:

136. Monarch
137. Southern Blue
138. Zeller's Skipper
139. False Mallow Skipper
140. Desert Orange Tip


Total species seen in 2021 - 140

Well done with your sightings of Comma and Small Tort, David, that's the way to get 'off the mark'

Looks like you made the most of being stuck in the UK David .

It was a good call to visit Daneway later in June. I hear that it got a bit busy on some days earlier in the month, so much so that it put me off going last year.

And well done with your sightings today. I was fortunate to get off the mark too which is unusual for around here, only the 2nd time I have seen a February butterfly around here.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks, Mike. Yes, I fancied Brimstone would be my first sighting of 2021 but Comma & Small Tortoiseshell will do nicely.

Good to see you're off the mark too, Neil.

Thursday 25th February 2021 - Groundhog Day....

This year's first sightings followed the exact same pattern as those in 2020 - a Comma first up by my workplace followed by Small Tortoiseshell a mile or so further down the river.

Every spring, Commas can be reliably found in this sheltered section of streamside woodland, and sure enough, at 11.30am, one popped up just as I walked onto the grassy section in this image:
I hung around and watched it for about 15 minutes and it never went further than 20 yards:
I then visited a section of the same stream about a mile further south. I wasn't able to find any butterflies in the usual area where I see them at this time of year because the authorities have recently cut the vegetation and there are far fewer celandines than normal.

However, I crossed over the bridge and inspected an area I hadn't ever bothered with before:
This area had plenty of celandines near the bank as the cutter can clearly not get down there, and it wasn't long before I disturbed a Small Tortoiseshell:
As ever is the case, this butterfly would fly between flowers taking nectar at regular intervals. I was intrigued by a bit of fluff that was attached to its body, which kept blowing in the breeze when it was settled. I daresay it hibernated adjacent to some fabric:
Temperatures were around 10/11c and there was a moderate breeze blowing, so I consider myself quite fortunate to have stumbled upon these little treasures.

Everybody's seeing the Butterflies now which is great news, it feels like this is the beginning of getting some normality back, I'm still looking!!Goldie

Thanks, Goldie. I'm sure your first butterfly isn't too far away. These last few days have been ideal for them and the next few continue to look benign.

Saturday 27th/Sunday 28th February 2021 – More action....

Saturday saw me back near my workplace in Swansea Vale looking for my first Brimstone of the year. I managed to see one, but it was flying crazily amongst the trees so I wasn’t able to get an image.

The only other butterfly seen was a Small Tortoiseshell, so I decided to move on to Dan-y-Graig cemetery near the Swansea coast. Here, there was another testosterone-fuelled Brimstone and a Small Tortoiseshell basking on a gravestone:
On Sunday, I returned to Dan-y-Graig cemetery, and this time saw three Brimstones, though none settled for even a moment. A Comma and a Small Tortoiseshell were also sighted.

I moved on to Crymlyn Burrows where I was immediately met by a male Brimstone. Again, he was flighty and I thought my only chance was with an in-flight shot:
However, shortly afterwards I noticed he had stopped flying, so I quietly walked over to the vegetation and there he was, settled amongst the grasses:
One more Small Tortoiseshell seen but still no Peacocks thus far for me. They seem to be having an extended lie-in in south Wales.

Well done on your sightings there, David. West definitely seems best at the moment.

With the continuing cold weather and the season running late, I think it will be a while before things kick off over this way.

But it will be worth the wait!

Thanks, Trevor/Mark.

We largely escaped most if not all of the cold, wintry stuff this winter, so it wasn't a surprise that a few unseasonably early butterflies were tempted out. Gone cold again now though, so I think it'll be mid March before I see any more.

Yes, well done with those, David - good to find a settled Brimstone when strong sunshine makes them so restless. Plus of course a side portion of Tortoiseshell-envy...

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks, Dave. Yes, a settled Brimstone is a high-premium commodity at this time of year.

A look back at 2020

Summer cont….

Apart from a brief visit to a local park to get my annual long distance White Letter Hairstreak fix, it wasn’t until 19th July that I was able to spend good time at a butterfly site again.

High Brown Fritillaries have a fairly long flight period and there were still plenty of females around at the Alun Valley site near Bridgend:
It was here that I saw my first Hedge Brown of 2020 too:
The following week the weather turned fine again, and having been tipped off by StevieB about the Large Tortoiseshells being seen on Portland Bill, I thought I’d have a look myself.

After an atrocious start when I got held up by a serious motorway accident at 7.20am, my luck turned as I arrived on Portland whereupon I saw two men standing by the roadside looking intently at a buddleia bush. I figured it was a Large Tortoiseshell and was delighted when one of the guys said that it was and then pointed it out to me:
Not since 2014 have I had a ‘UK lifer’ so this was an experience to savour. I watched it for about 15 minutes before it flew off up the hill, and given that was the only individual I saw I began to look upon the motorway hold-up in a different light – I would have arrived way before those guys had my journey been unhindered and could well have seen nothing!

Chalkhill Blues were out in force as one would expect:
And I managed to see a couple of Lulworth Skippers:
On my way back home, I stopped at Alner’s Gorse hoping to see a few Hairstreaks. There were a few White Letter and Purple around in the trees, but the biggest joy was stumbling upon a pristine male Brown Hairstreak on a thistle head right in front of me:
There was then a serendipitous moment – I saw a man a little distance away and I asked him if he’d seen any Brown Hairstreaks. He said no and I told him there was one right beside me. As he got nearer I recognised him; it was the same guy who had pointed out the Large Tortoiseshell to me on Portland a few hours earlier!! A happy coincidence and a favour returned.

I had one last task to fulfil prior to jetting out to Spain at the end of July, and that was to catch up with the Grayling colonies on the Gower coast. I found a handful on 29th at Bracelet Bay:

A look back at 2020

Late summer/early autumn

A period of enforced quarantine awaited me upon my return from Spain on 5th August. However, for once I was glad that the weather was decidedly ordinary meaning that I didn’t miss any optimal days.

When I did get back out, things were fairly routine with just the usual late summer species, although numbers of both Small and Large Whites were encouraging.

On 30th August, I managed to get down to Pembrokeshire to the Brown Hairstreak site. Sadly, this lovely spot on the estuary has been blighted by ash die-back which makes me increasingly worried for the future of the betulae colony here. I saw just three females:
A welcome moment came when, for the first time ever, I saw one actually nectaring. This seems to be commonplace in England but is rarely seen here in Wales:
I also saw two Painted Ladies; a welcome sight, as after 2019’s bonanza they were very scarce in 2020 (I don’t think I got to double figures):
By contrast, Red Admiral numbers started to build nicely – I saw about 20 this day:
September meandered along; I kept looking out for Clouded Yellows but there were none, in spite of them seemingly outnumbering Painted Ladies in southern England this year. Small Whites were extremely common however, on 10th at Port Eynon I saw over 100:
Fresh Speckled Woods and Small Coppers increased in numbers, and I was delighted to find this lovely caeruleopunctata on the coast on 13th:
There was even a September male Brimstone, seen at the Botanic Gardens on 16th:

A look back at 2020

mid autumn onwards

The very end of September brought a pleasant surprise in the shape of a third brood Common Blue, rare in this part of the country. It was seen on 27th at Port Eynon Dunes:
October was memorable for both Large and Small Whites, both of which lasted until the middle of the month.
Speckled Woods hung on till around the same time; my last was seen on 17th:
A few Commas popped up here and there, such as this one in Abergavenny on 22nd:
November was notable for sightings stretched out throughout the month, with Red Admirals seen on 4th, 8th and 25th on the flowering hebe at Limeslade Bay on the Gower coast:
There was also an unseasonably late Small Tortoiseshell in Port Eynon on 26th:
I figured that was it for the year, but I had one last sighting, which came in the shape of a Red Admiral which was flying around my workplace on 11th December.

Sunday 21st March – Slow going….

Although high pressure has been sitting over the UK for several days, the weather forecasters have simply defaulted to predicting that each day will be cloudy. Mostly, they have been right, but occasional breaks have occurred, and at 10.30 this morning there was sufficient blue sky visible for me to risk a trip out.

I didn’t want to go far, so I headed for Southgate, which is 2 miles from my home, and walked down the sheltered valley by Pennard golf course towards Pobbles Beach.
I only saw 2 butterflies in the 45 minutes or so prior to the clouds rolling back in, but both were Peacocks; the only adult hibernator I hadn’t yet encountered this year:
This is the area where the first one turned up:
This species has a propensity for basking on warm sand at this time of year, and that’s exactly what this one was doing when I spotted it:
There were quite a few people by the sea even though temperatures were only around 11c:
Irritatingly, the cloud dissipated completely after 4pm; I wish it would do so between 11am and 1pm instead.

Good to be reminded of your Large Tortoiseshell encounter, David.
And a mrgreen for your High Brown Frit. They were once local to East Sussex,
but are now at least 250 miles away, North or West from here.

Stay safe,
Trevor.

Wednesday 24th March – Back to Cwm Ivy….

Finally, a day with almost clear blue skies throughout! I figured it was worth going to see if the car park at my favourite spring site, Cwm Ivy, had re-opened following the last lockdown, and I was absolutely delighted to find that it had, even though Wales still had a ‘Stay Local’ rule.
It was such a relief, not to mention delight, to get back in the sheltered wooded glade which is such a hotspot for spring species:
Normally, there are Brimstones zooming up and down this ‘superhighway’ almost constantly, but I was disappointed to only see one on this occasion. There was compensation however in the form of seven Commas:
The only other butterfly I saw was when I was about to head back to my car – a surprise male Small White. It was flighty but kept coming back to this sunlit area:
It eventually landed and I managed to get three or four shots before it was on its way again:
This sighting actually beat last year’s first for this species by a single day, even though 2020 was a very early year. At this rate, I expect Orange Tips will be emerging before April begins.

trevor wrote: ↑Fri Mar 26, 2021 4:15 pm Good to be reminded of your Large Tortoiseshell encounter, David.
And a mrgreen for your High Brown Frit. They were once local to East Sussex,
but are now at least 250 miles away, North or West from here.

Thanks, Trevor.

You got your reward (albeitly belated) vis-à-vis the Large Tortoiseshell, and it just proves that many hours in the field will eventually bring you into contact with something unexpected.

I hope you can spend sufficient time to find more LTs, and I wish I were living in a part of the country where such sightings were possible.

This butterfly in undeniably back, but it will take a few more years before this is beyond all reasonable doubt. Good luck in your efforts to continue to pursue it.

Hopefully in a few years this butterfly will be fluttering across the Bristol Channel, just as it does that little bit further south at present.