www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Odd that - I saw several Clouded Yellow in Haut-Var in May, rather more than in the same time-frame in 2009; also a few in the extreme south of Spain in February (not that the offspring of the latter would have made their way north to Switzerland of course).

Cloudy on the IOW today but when the sun shone intermittetly I saw small white, small copper, meadow brown, small tortoiseshell and a lovely wall brown. Photos attached.

Can anybody tell me how Lulworth Skippers are doing this year? Going back a few pages it seems most folk looking are having difficulties finding anything other than small numbers - if any! Shouldn't they be well on the wing by now? Is it a case of being baked alive as a pupa and then drowned as the adult or is a mass emergence imminent?

Cheers,

Gibster (currently Lulworth Skipperless!)

Saw several at Durlston Country park yesterday. Not that many, but conditions not fair. Go on a sunny day.

Not so rainy Suffolk today. I went for a swim on the shingle coast and clocked up 13 species of butterfly at the same time, including numerous walls. I'd rather got the impression that this species had become scarcer since I lived in England but it was out in good numbers today, nectaring on ragwort and thistles inside the sea wall. I'd stupidly left my camera batteries in the charger, so took these with my Mum's camera:





In the light of recent posts about brown argus discoidal spots, I was interested to note some white around the dark spot on this individual:



Common blues were out in force too, the blue females looking exactly the same as the females I remember from my childhood - classic East coast colouration:



The other really notable thing this August is the amazing number of holly blues. As we left home for the coast I noticed a female laying copiously on our ivy so I hope for some photos of eggs tomorrow.

Guy

Zonda wrote:Saw several at Durlston Country park yesterday. Not that many, but conditions not fair. Go on a sunny day.

Good advice...now, where did I put all that sunny weather....

I'm working through until next Thursday, hopefully the current rainy deluge will have passed by then. Hopefully. From the car park at Durlston, do I pass the ranger's building and cut diagonally across the large open area towards the base of the seacliff? The skippers are alongside the path before I reach the cliffs? Or are they in Wick Fields? Or neither??? Any sightings from Portland yet? My friend had ONE by the Bird Obs at The Bill a couple of weeks ago, just wondered if they'd emerged there yet (or anywhere else, other than Durlston!)

Many thanks

Gibster.

I saw the Lulworths on the higher south facing, and sheltered nooks and crannies, before you get to the famous gulley. The Adonis Blues were there in good numbers too. Good luck.

Have a peep at the Dorset BC sightings page:
http://www.dorsetbutterflies.com/restofyear.html
If you scroll down (a long way!) you will see that the majority of sightings were reported in June - 30 were seen way back on 2nd June at Lulworth Cove itself.
On this basis, it is possible that emergence was early and may now be pretty well over?

Dave

On this basis, it is possible that emergence was early and may now be pretty well over?

Don't agree,,,, think they are peaking now, and will be over in the next couple of weeks.

From what I've heard, the emergence is quite protracted now, with the first individuals being seen at the end of May, and the last in early September.

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks, Pete - well worth knowing.

Dave

End of May sightings of Lulworth Skippers have to be carefully considered, and may be valid, but in Dorset the peak is generally in August.

Lots of Holly Blue around in the Cemetery here Guy - been a good second brood; females stoking up and easy to approach - and the odd RA, along with the usual Large and Small Whites.

Well - picked 4lbs + of blackberries in the Cemetery this morning. Apparently, they are Himalayan cultivars - and ripen earlier and are bigger than our native species; have already juiced them - bramble jelly this afternoon A few Large and Small White. Also spotted a male CB when the sun shone weakly ... Edit: The knick in the forewing makes me suspect...Arnie's back again!
Also saw a rather beat-up Hutchinsoni Coma later..

Gibster wrote:

Zonda wrote:Saw several at Durlston Country park yesterday. Not that many, but conditions not fair. Go on a sunny day.

Good advice...now, where did I put all that sunny weather....

I'm working through until next Thursday, hopefully the current rainy deluge will have passed by then. Hopefully. From the car park at Durlston, do I pass the ranger's building and cut diagonally across the large open area towards the base of the seacliff? The skippers are alongside the path before I reach the cliffs? Or are they in Wick Fields? Or neither??? Any sightings from Portland yet? My friend had ONE by the Bird Obs at The Bill a couple of weeks ago, just wondered if they'd emerged there yet (or anywhere else, other than Durlston!)

Many thanks

Gibster.

Look on the grassy slopes of Corfe Castle itself or drive to Lulworth Cove & walk up the steep & grassy slope/path just on the back of the cove. They are always about in August (especially the females) & do seem to hatch over a protracted period between June & late August! You cannot fail at Lulworth Cove itself (grassy & steep path with wide grassy & flowery area at back of cove that goes up 100' or so; they like the longer grass! It was great in the 1990's every year! Good luck my friend in your quest.
Cheers,
Lee (Cornwall).

A good day in the garden: BH, Common and Holly Blues, Large and Small Whites, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma and Silver Washed Fritillary.

We will be in Dorset in late September - far too late for the Lulworth skipper I would imagine, but will any other of the area's specialities be on the wing still then?

Thinking of south coast butterflies, have many (any?) Large Tortoiseshells been reported this summer?

Hi Susie,

Love the Brown Hairstreak pic - is hemp-agrimony a favourite with them? There is plenty of the plant on the Levels and I must keep an eye open for them in the next few weeks.

Hiya,

In my garden they love the hemp agrimony. In the wild I have only ever seen them on bramble and white clover, but the grass has been cut recently and the bramble flowers are all but over by the master tree so I hope more will come my way and feed on the hemp agrimony here.

Good luck

A good day in the garden: BH, Common and Holly Blues, Large and Small Whites, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Comma and Silver Washed Fritillary.

You aint half lucky having Brown HSs in your garden. How big is the colony?