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David Lazarus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2024 6:55 pmA Painted lady at Two Tree Island along the Essex Coast...

Been precious few of those this year, David. I've barely seen any on the continent either.

Coming to something when I've seen almost as many American Painted Ladies this summer as I have cardui.

David M wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 11:31 am

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Wed Aug 28, 2024 6:55 pmA Painted lady at Two Tree Island along the Essex Coast...

Been precious few of those this year, David. I've barely seen any on the continent either.

Coming to something when I've seen almost as many American Painted Ladies this summer as I have cardui.

Getting better all the time, David, 2 more today at Wallasea Island, Essex Coast and what’s more I have just seen my first Small Tortoiseshell for ages.

Happy days

EDIT just seen a post on our branch sightings page that 3 Painted Lady were at Great Holland Pits, Essex Coast yesterday 28.08.

EDIT 2 another entry on the branch sightings page this morning, 4 more Painted Lady seen at Holland Haven along the Essex Coast sea wall yesterday 29.08

Continuing the search for Wall Brown along the Essex Coast I visited RSPB Wallasea Island where I came across a single specimen but I have been told they have had good numbers this year. They are yet to have sighted a single Clouded Yellow. I came across a couple of Painted Lady as mentioned above. By far the best sighting was a Small Tortoiseshell. This is the first one I have seen since July 20th.

It was not the best day for photography, everything was either too far away or under my feet, skittish, and not settling for me. Great numbers of Small Heath [83]
and Small White [42], particularly females once again
Everything was a little weather beaten, not surprising on a windy island, and the blues that I did manage to nail down after they had all given me a merry dance showed the signs of wear and tear. Good numbers of both Common Blue [16] and Brown Argus [16] again, with a couple of Small Copper. The female Common Blue were once again of the brown variety:
Tough life for our winged-friends on a wind-swept island in the River Crouch Estuary along the Essex Coast - and for butterfly enthusiasts monitoring their numbers - a great place to visit if you have the opportunity but not easy to get to as it is out in the middle of nowhere - hence, it is a great place.

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 6:00 pm ...Great numbers of Small Heath...

The species is doing well in its current brood round my way too, David. I counted 23 during an early walk on my local patch today, and didn't cover all the likely areas. The relatively dry weather since the grass cut here in mid-July has kept regrowth modest, and there are plenty of dried-up patches that the species likes to sit on. Having said that, this one flew up into a bush and posed uncharacteristically... Dave

I had relatively good numbers of Small Heath at Greenham Common too - easily the commonest species around, which isn't saying much!

Cheers,

- Pete

millerd wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 8:42 pm

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 6:00 pm ...Great numbers of Small Heath...

The species is doing well in its current brood round my way too, David. I counted 23 during an early walk on my local patch today, and didn't cover all the likely areas. The relatively dry weather since the grass cut here in mid-July has kept regrowth modest, and there are plenty of dried-up patches that the species likes to sit on. Having said that, this one flew up into a bush and posed uncharacteristically...

Easily the most successful butterfly species in 2024 compared to usual numbers around Chelmsford & mid-Essex and it seems the Essex Coast too. This is even more true for the first brood during which flight period I counted 150 plus at Johnson’s Meadow West at One Tree Hill - just one meadow!

I think you’re right, Dave about the weather being conducive to the success of the Small Heath ecology. Both last year and this year has produced ideal conditions. The places with the high numbers share the same conditions - open sward of no higher than knee high grass through or around which there are flattened grass trails and bare soil. The hay cut and dry August has added to the these habitat conditions and success of the second brood.

And maybe surprisingly I too have come across disturbed Small Heath on a path that fly up and perch in a nearby shrub.

Here’s hoping more species have a successful 2025, Pete.

Off to Canvey Wick today for the last leg of my search for Wall along the Essex Coast - and maybe a few more Painted Lady. Oh for a Clouded Yellow

Not a lot on the common this lunchtime but a nicely minted Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell were nice to see. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

Large White (5)
Small White (6)
Green-veined White (2)
Common Blue (6)
Red Admiral (2)
Small Tortoiseshell (1)
Meadow Brown (4)
Small Heath (1)
Jersey Tiger also seen.

Friday 30th, Aberthaw Beach, Glamorgan:

Meadow Brown 30-40
Small White 30-40
Comma 1
Green Veined White 1
Common Blue 1

Friday 30th, Kenfig NNR, Glamorgan:

Common Blue 31
Meadow Brown 18
Small White 8
Speckled Wood 4
Wall Brown 2
Red Admiral 2
Grayling 1
Small Heath 1
Brown Argus 1
Hedge Brown 1

Richmond Park, west London/Surrey yesterday:

c40 Meadow Brown
26 Small Heath
2 Large White (been a very poor year)
4 Green-veined White
2 Small/Green-veined White
2 Red Admiral
8 Small Copper
1 Holly Blue
mating pair Common Blue

Also Jersey Tiger & Blood-vein

The last leg of my tour around the Essex Coast in search for Wall Brown was very disappointing with only 8 species seen in relatively low numbers. Once again the Green-veined White [59] and Small White [26] contributed the most activity along the sea walls as there were many females ovipositing on a wild mustard & brassica respectively. They also continued to cause the most challenge when it came to identification especially as their prolonged emergence meant there were both tatty, worn examples as well as beautiful fresh ones and of various sizes. But delightfully there were some lovely specimens along the sea wall of the Canvey Island Loop from Benfleet to the RSPB Canvey Wick NR, especially of female Green-veined White and super white male Small White:
I learnt a great deal on my trek along sea walls and on man-made islands within the estuaries. I didn't expect Green-veined White to have adapted so well to open, hot, breezy conditions but then I shouldn't have been surprised as their stronghold here in Essex is along the rivers inland as well as wet woodland.

Also, I need to make this tour a week or two earlier as the tatty Wall Brown I was seeing indicated that the second brood flight season was coming to an end this year. Not my favourite habitat but fascinating all the same. A total of around 50 miles [10 miles per day] walked in full sun and a drying breeze meant I needed to be fit - and indeed the exercise was great - tough work though mostly in the middle of nowhere. Full report concerning Wall Brown and habitats in my PD some time off-season.

That's effectively two marathons you've completed, Dave.

Almost 60 Green Veined Whites is a tremendous number for that species. I'd be lucky to see that many in a year round my way!

David M wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2024 9:44 am Almost 60 Green Veined Whites is a tremendous number for that species. I'd be lucky to see that many in a year round my way!

I should be delighted, you’re right - just seemed that the density over about 8 miles was not great in comparison to 81 along a 6 mile stretch earlier in the week. And one species we do have here in Chelmsford and mid-Essex is the Green-veined White along the rivers and rides through wet woodland - I apologise, I have got complacent.

We had a third brood last year and I arrived just as they were emerging - 50+ within a 200 metre stretch of the River Chelmer.

I will celebrate what we have got here while we have them. I fear the invasion of Himalayan Balsam which is shading out Garlic Mustard and other larval food plants could well put an end to these numbers - and no one is doing a damn thing about this invasive exotic garden escapee around here.

I call it now REGRET REGRET REGRET when we had the chance to do something before it was too late.

David Lazarus wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2024 1:45 pm...I fear the invasion of Himalayan Balsam which is shading out Garlic Mustard and other larval food plants could well put an end to these numbers - and no one is doing a damn thing about this invasive exotic garden escapee around here...

That infernal invasive causes the same problems in south Wales, David.

I often rip it out of the ground when I'm strolling around a site. It comes out very easily but it's like putting a sticking plaster on a bomb victim. The darned stuff grows like bamboo.