Part 2
43 Common Blue, 2nd June Cotley Hill
The Common Blues this year started to actually live up to their name. After a few difficult years they seemed to show the start of an upturn in their fortunes. It was a slow start from when they finally emerged a couple of weeks later than 2012 and for a while things weren’t looking good again. Then they caught up and there wasn’t the noticeable drop in numbers that we usually see in June as the first brood overran into the second.
They then became widespread and I saw them at almost every site – with only Bentley Wood (wrong habitat) and Slop Bog (competition with Silver Studs?) the exceptions. On one notable visit to Shipton Bellinger they were doing their best it seemed to try and outnumber the Meadow Browns and at Larkhill they were keeping me busy right up until mid September.
That being said I still don’t think that they had reached their best or the numbers that we saw back in their ‘glory days’.
44 Chalkhill Blue, 24th July The Devenish
With this species it was almost a tale of two sites, though I found a cracking third, as my usual two sites saw very different fortunes. At Martin Down for some reason they seemed down again this year. There still seemed to be plenty about but I don’t recall seeing as many as last year and then I didn’t see as many as in 2011. A worrying trend. Yet at Stockbridge they were probably about the same as last year and were around in very good numbers.
However for me the real success was finding them at The Devenish. Indeed my first of the year was from here, at the same sort of time as last year, after an exasperating journey from work for a quick stop-off. On a later visit in August they were all over the steep hillside almost like low level powder blue clouds though by this time they were past their best. It was brilliant to find them here as it’s only 5 minutes drive from home which means more time on site enjoying them then I’d get at Martin Down or Stockbridge.
45 Adonis Blue, 8th June Martin Down
At Martin Down they like the Chalkhills also saw a decrease in numbers whilst I visited Stockbridge between broods so missed them there entirely. I managed to find both broods at The Devenish though and they seemed to do better during the second brood then the first though this could have been due to catching them at either end of the first brood rather than during their peak.
That’s one of the inaccuracies in some of my judgements – counting them at their peak. If I find them before this I can’t always get back later in the flight to judge them at their peak due to other commitments or because something else has emerged – a drawback of having to work for a living, there’s only so much butterflying you can cram in!
46 Holly Blue, 5th May Warndon Villages Worcester
Last year I was worried by the dearth of Small Coppers but they bounced back this year in a fantastic fashion. So when I started considering the plight of the Holly Blue I’m hoping for a similar turn around in fortunes for them in 2014. 2013 was a pretty dismal year for them. I never see them in large numbers but I see them in lots of places but not this year. In fact I saw them at only 5 sites and I saw only 10 or 11 over the whole season.
Also I saw my first almost 6 weeks later in 2013 than in 2012 and after this very late emergence they never seemed to recover. They were one of a group of early spring species that were really hit hard by the late start to spring. Others managed to catch up in later broods and benefited from the great summer but Holly Blues never seemed to get anywhere so I’m hoping that enough eggs were laid and survived ready for an upturn in 2014.
So ends the Tally of my 2013, it was a funny old year really and went from the ridiculous to the sublime, with the never ending winter eventually becoming a glorious, if short lived summer and so looking back over all here is a round-up of my 2013.
First up the lows...
No Glanvilles despite visits to the Isle of Wight and a main land site as well as crossing fingers, toes and arms for Wrecclesham which never happened,
Missing Wood Whites twice which was really disappointing after the delights of my first Wood Whites in 2012,
Not getting my target species despite research and planning,
Getting moved on by the Police at Larkhill!
LTBs and the less said about them the better as I was one of the few that didn’t get onto them. It seems that the Jungle Drums don’t sound in Wiltshire, out here in the sticks we’re left to our own devices.
Enough maudlin on with the Highs!
Greenstreaks and Dukes a plenty at a cracking new site,
Marsh Fritillaries aplenty at another new site,
Cloudies all over the place – males, females, worn pale ones, egg laying and back lit beauties.
Brimstone basking at Shipton!! Will I ever see that again?
White Letters at Secret Squirrels mating and at lens level.
The best trip of the year for me was difficult to choose and my Duke site came close as did Lulworth during my camping holiday but in the end it had to be the Marshie site as it was as close to perfect as I’ve ever experienced and it also had the highlight of the year - the Battle Royale.
Targets for 2014...
1.) Large Blue
2.) Heath Frit (if I write it down enough it might happen)
3.) More Greenstreaks – I love em now!
4). Start my next sets of books – butterflies in cop
So that was 2013...
Have a goodun (2014 that is!)
Wurzel