July 2024

[millerd]

Thanks for that analysis, Paul. Perhaps it's not quite as disastrous as some people think.

Yes, it's good to have some more detail from another location.

I think the various end-of-season write-ups from regular UKB contributors will make interesting reading this year. My advance guess is that the situation (dire or otherwise) will vary markedly between species and between locations in the UK.

29th July - Aston Rowant, and a visit to search out Silver-spotted Skippers. The species had a relatively poor year in 2023, and the site this year, in common with most of southern England and no doubt beyond, has swathes of very long grass. This has all but covered the bare earth rabbit scrapes and sheep paths on which the species likes to bask and on the edges of which the foodplant grows. I wasn't hopeful, but over the course of a couple of hours this morning I counted three - two were afflicted by the "Grasshopper Problem" (they leap energetically ahead of my stealthy approaches and disturb any settled butterfly!), but one settled on a scabious flower to nectar.

Chalkhill Blues were widespread, but nowhere near as numerous as in some years, and in keeping with almost every location I've been to (and many reports from elsewhere) there were no Brown Argus, Common Blue or Small Copper today. Other species that did appear: Marbled White (still in double figures), Meadow Brown (a bit shy of the usual numbers), Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Peacock and a single female DGF.

The Chalkhills continue to emerge, and a couple of other males led me to this example still with floppy wings sitting on the seedpods of its caterpillar foodplant.

Dave

[bugboy]

Thanks for that analysis, Paul. Perhaps it's not quite as disastrous as some people think.

Hopefully this decent little spell of warm weather will help get things moving again.

Interesting to read your comments regarding Large Skippers. They're still hanging on round my way, which is unusual on the cusp of August.

I suspect it is very much species and to a lesser extent regionally specific. If my transect contained thriving populations of Common Blue and Brown Argus it would probably look very different!

[millerd]

And talking of Common Blues...

I suspect these two might regret choosing to honeymoon in a budget Heathrow hotel...

I spotted these two in an area that had escaped the big annual mow that Heathrow delivers to grassland around the airport. I was pleased to find 10 Common Blues altogether here today, plus 6 Brown Argus. Elsewhere, stretches of trefoil in the middle of the tracks and along their edges generated another 8 Common Blues in what amounts to a slender linear colony.

Having only seen one or two this month so far, finding these was encouraging.

Dave

[Testudo Man]

Last Sunday (28th) i visited a local Kent site, spent 4+ hours out in the field, but didnt arrive until 2.30pm.
Brimstone were showing well, so i put some effort into capturing some nice images of those! I would say 8+ males, 5+ females. Finally found 2nd brood Common Blue, an also Brown Argus, but low numbers! 6+ Commons (3 females seen) an just 3 Brown Argus. 8+ Chalk Hill Blue(mostly males) an just the 1 female spotted.
Some highlight pics of the session, cheers Paul. Common Blue image is cropped, but all the other images are not cropped.

Brimstone nectaring(female).

Brimstone nectaring (male).

Chalk Hill Blues, both males.

One of the fresh 2nd brood male Common Blues.

[essexbuzzard]

First Silver Spotted Skippers at Lydden, with 3 seen. Reasonable numbers Common Blues, but fewer Chalkhill Blues than normal, mostly at the Lydden end of this expansive site. More in my PD...eventually!

[Bertl]

[quote=essexbuzzard post_id=186604

Lovely images of Scotch Argus, Berti. Don’t see many of those on the forums...
[/quote]

Thanks Essexbuzzard........the Scottish weather has very much limited my butterfly days out this year, so it was great to see them on the day.

[Bertl]

Visited a favourite Grantown on Spey site today. Overcast but warm. Half a dozen scotch argus on the wing.

Lovely to see, Bertl.

Been a while since I last caught up with this species.

Thanks David.