www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Finally something to report.

My butterfly season kicked off for me a short while ago with a small tortoiseshell flying in sunshine down Cranleigh High Street in Surrey.

The frogs started spawning in my pond at home on Tuesday so spring is in the air

A small tort flew round my garden this morning and at lunchtime I saw a brimstone in Petworth.

A walk led by Neil Hulme is virtually guaranteed to be splendid and this morning's walk at Rewell Wood was no exception. Over the course of the morning he magicked a selection of pearl bordered fritillaries out of the chestnut coppices and the grand finale was a brace of plump females posing prettily enabling everyone who wanted to to take photos.

The surprise of the morning was a tiny roe deer kid.

Susie wrote: The surprise of the morning was a tiny roe deer kid.

Hi Susie, I sent Neil a picture of the baby deer and he said it was a Fallow deer.

Here's a picture of you and some of the other people at Rewell this morning...
Best wishes
John

Lovely shot of the fawn Susie

Thanks John and Pauline.

Great to see you back in action and great shot of the Pearl

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, I've only managed to get out butterflying four times so far this year, including my fruitless trip to Pulborough for the elusive scarce (so scarce as to be not there) yellow legged tortoiseshell.

Note to self: must try harder!

A lovely long weekend in Dorset enabled me to go to Lulworth Cove on Saturday. Unfortunately Lulworth Skippers still elude me but I hope to get them later in the year.
Yesterday afternoon I made a visit to Denbies. I'm so fond of that place and it's the first time I've been back this year so it felt great to see the butterflies flying over the long grass. There didn't seem to be big numbers of anything but I did see some common and Adonis blues, brown argus, grizzled skippers, small heaths, and brimstones.

The butterfly hound hasn't quite got his paw in butterflying this year and tried either to sit on my lap or stick his nose in the lense when ever I tried to take a photo hence no pictures. Good job I'm a patient person!

The butterfly hound will learn (and help!) with time Susie, hope you get lots more time out now and preferably with lots of sunshine to enjoy too

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

My butterfly failure year continues

Today I went to Hutchinson Bank, Croydon, looking for Glanville Fritillary but although they had been seen earlier in the day the cloud meant there wasn't much flying while I was there.

I did see some small blue, common blue, dingy skipper, speckled wood and brimstone though.

Wonder what I can miss out on next?!

Chin up Sooz

I must admit, I was thinking of you when I (finally) managed to find Lulworth Skipper at Corfe Castle and felt somewhat guilty that I'd found them! But you do epitomise those who "go out and try whatever", rather than those who don't. So don't give up - your just rewards are just around the corner

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Susie

Sorry you missed out on the Glanvilles, but they are reported from Wrecclesham again on the Surrey BC website, with pictures, so if you can get into the site you may see them there.

I think you had a Swallowtail last year over your garden, so you may have used up most of your Brownie points with that

Pete Eeles wrote:Chin up Sooz

I must admit, I was thinking of you when I (finally) managed to find Lulworth Skipper at Corfe Castle and felt somewhat guilty that I'd found them! But you do epitomise those who "go out and try whatever", rather than those who don't. So don't give up - your just rewards are just around the corner

Cheers,

- Pete

Schadenfreude is a wonderful thing I don't begrudge you your butterflies,Pete, you put a damn sight more effort in than I do!

MrSp0ck wrote:Hi Susie

Sorry you missed out on the Glanvilles, but they are reported from Wrecclesham again on the Surrey BC website, with pictures, so if you can get into the site you may see them there.

I think you had a Swallowtail last year over your garden, so you may have used up most of your Brownie points with that

I may as well give up now as I think I had a lifetime's luck with that swallowtail

Susie wrote:
I may as well give up now as I think I had a lifetime's luck with that swallowtail

You never know what lucky discovery is next, I had that "Swallowtail" moment last year, when i had a Surrey Chalk Grayling on White Downs, the first since 1962. It was on a BC walk, Gomshall to Dorking, the Great Railway Journey West, a very good walk that can have 30 Species.

I think Clouded Yellows will be around in good numbers this summer.
Surrey Chalk Grayling White Downs 9 Aug 2014

White Down is just up from Denbies I think? Now a grayling there is something I'd love to see

I'm still hoping for a great painted lady year and I'd like this to be the year I see large blue for the first time but who knows ...

I went to Kithurst Hill this afternoon and apparently there was a meadow brown there earlier; I didn't see it.

Susie wrote:I went to Kithurst Hill this afternoon and apparently there was a meadow brown there earlier; I didn't see it.

Saw a male Meadow Brown at Denbies today . Couldn't get a pic, he was getting blown all over the place poor bugger!