www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Adonis are out now as well - it's all coming too thick and fast now! Great shots especially the females, often overlooked

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely Adonis, Dave. I have yet to see a female that blue.
You've had a brilliant week !.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

Lovely Adonis , I can't believe so many Butterflies are out down there, I can't even get a decent shot of an Holly Blue up here
Never mind I'll be down there in a few weeks, Great photos, Goldie

What a purple patch you're having right now, Dave. Adonis Blues on top of all the other species you've encountered recently.

Some great shots there.

Thanks, all - the Adonis were brilliant - literally! There is nothing quite like the intensity of a a fresh male Adonis Blue.

Another species today - I took the opportunity when passing not too far from Totternhoe to see if I could find some Small Blues. They were out, albeit in small numbers - I saw perhaps six males and one female, and they were difficult to find and follow in the strongish breeze and intermittent sunshine. However, after a while I got my eye in and tracked a few down to their perching and hiding places. For some reason, the female chose a piece of flying tissue to perch on - I lost it after this so couldn't improve on the background. I didn't go far, restricting myself to the path close to the old quarry, so saw just a few other butterflies: five Small Heaths, three Dingy Skippers and two Common Blues.

Dave

How do you find the time Dave, you're out every day Lovely Small Blues, looks like I'm still playing catch-up!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Oh bloody hell, Adonis, Common, Small Blues and Brown Argus all about, looks like I need another fortnight off

I love your diary, Dave! Great stuff

I've been lucky, Wurzel, plus benefiting from a bit of generosity at work in relation to ad hoc days off... I've still got to get to Croydon, and to your famous hill!

You picked a brilliant fortnight to be off, Buggy - sometimes I think you need to take the whole of May off to do the month justice.

Thanks, Susie - glad you've been enjoying it.

There was a bit of watery sunshine late this afternoon, so I went out locally for the first time since Saturday. I was hoping some Common Blues and Brown Argus might have appeared, but no luck there. It hasn't helped that the nearest area to home where they were both found in 2015 had been mown flat by the council before the wildflowers had even bloomed. The first butterfly I saw was a female Holly Blue (of course) which popped out of some ivy and immediately opened up. It had seen better days, in common with the others (half a dozen or so) I saw later on, including this male. I also saw five or six GVW, a couple of Orange Tips, four Small Heaths, and a Peacock. There were also two Red Admirals, and one of these was one of those I'd seen on Saturday flying in the same place. This added to my belief that it was hatched locally, with no urge to move on as migrating butterflies would no doubt do. The last butterfly was another Holly Blue. Dave

Wurzel wrote:How do you find the time Dave, you're out every day Lovely Small Blues, looks like I'm still playing catch-up!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

What Wurzel said...I still haven't managed to get more than a couple of miles from home yet

Great reports though Dave, I really enjoy reading your diary

Cheers,

Neil.

Long may your luck hold Dave!
Great Red Admiral - they've been a bit thin on the ground this year - or is that just me? Anyway if you can make it to the Wiltshire Hill soon they have started emerging and so you'll get onto one of these bad boys...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

ps I can get rid of the shot if you don't want it cluttering up your PD

Thanks, Neil - I still feel I haven't seen everything on offer yet and get frustrated with the weather (like it is at the moment! ).

And thanks again, Wurzel - I think hardly any Red Admirals survived the winter to produce local offspring and the immigrants have only just started to appear. It was good to see four different ones on the walk recently. I hope I can manage a trip to Wiltshire soon - that shot of yours adds encouragement!

Barely a moment of sunshine today (thought it was bright in the middle of the day with definite heat radiating through the clouds). Always worth a ramble around my local patch, but not much was evident: a couple of Speckled Woods, three or four GVW and a male Orange Tip all made it into the air. I also saw four Holly Blues, all of which were female and one of which was seen flying in the rain that came on gently around three. Two of the others were quick to settle and bask for a while under the bright overcast. One was a bit worn, but the second one looked surprisingly new. They never seem to disappoint.

Dave

Those are beautiful Holly Blue shots, Dave. It's p***ed it down all day here today so any kind of outing was out of the question.

Great Holly Blues Dave Finally got a 'record' shot of one today amongst lots of other goodies

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks David - those Holly Blues keep on coming, rain or shine, at the moment!

Thanks, Wurzel - I saw the good weather this morning and hoped it extended to the south and east of here where I think you were headed. It sounds as if you found what you were seeking!

Having seen Pete's note about using up space, I know I'm guilty as charged for posting multiple similar images. Those three Holly Blue shots above are a case in point. I shall have to be more decisive in future.

Today was blessed with a reasonably sunny morning and early afternoon, but I was restricted to just a local excursion again. I was still hoping for the first appearance of the local Brown Argus and Common Blues, but they are still not out yet. At one point I did think I'd struck lucky, as a blue butterfly was flying way out in the open over the field/meadow area, fluttering between clumps of what I think is lucerne. However, it was not a Common Blue at all, but yet another female Holly Blue - and she seemed to be laying eggs. In the same area, I found growing numbers of Small Heath (at least a dozen), a Peacock and a rather careworn Red Admiral. Elsewhere was the usual mix of GVW, Large White, Orange Tip, Speckled Woods and more Holly Blues. One of the males settled for a change. The Specklies were posing nicely too. Dave

Great shots of the Holly Blue egg-laying Dave (and the open wing images). I bet the eggs are tiny. Last year I looked (unsuccessfully) for their eggs and larva but shall try again this season.

Love the open winged shots of the Holly Blue Dave, I've yet to get a good shot of one yet Goldie

Thanks, Pauline - I regret not looking carefully for the eggs at the time, as I was following the butterfly. In the first of the images above I think you can just make out the egg right at the tip of the abdomen (a distinct white splodge). Holly Blues in the spring seem to lay on almost anything when holly isn't available, and towards the end of the brood (as we nearly are) the females range out all over the place.

Thanks to you to, Goldie - I think patience is what you need with Holly Blues (plus a reliable patch as I have ). You have to stand and wait and watch, and eventually one will land under your nose. Good luck!

Another rather late wander out after work today, with a stiff breeze and not much sun. After quite a way round with nothing at all, I found a female Orange Tip settled down, antennae firmly together. However a burst of sunshine woke her up and she soon fluttered off in characteristic bumbling fashion. The sun brought several whites out from their hiding places as well, a somewhat worn male Orange Tip which was eager to nectar before settling down properly for the evening. Amongst the GVW, there was the first Small White I've definitely identified for a little while. It was really quite windy out over the field/meadow, and I only found a couple of Small Heath today: both of these I disturbed, after which they flew straight up and then right down into the grass and near enough out of sight. No Holly Blues this evening (though I had seen a couple earlier next to my son's school in Staines).

Dave

It certainly did Dave, mind you it may be August before you get to see any shots as I'm a tiny bit behind with my PD I'm doing a recce at the Hill tomorrow and the weather on Sunday looks good so I'll keep you posted. Cracking OTs!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely OT's Millerd, and in particular I love the shot of the Small Heath Goldie