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Great shots of the Lulworths Bugboy Philzoid and I stopped off at Corfe Castle on the way and then found a cracking little place for lunch at Durlston where we were surrounded by Small, Essex and Lulworths. It was a cracking day for us, we didn't get the Grayling or the Cloudy which I was kinda hoping for but we still racked up 22-23 species

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wurzel wrote:Great shots of the Lulworths Bugboy Philzoid and I stopped off at Corfe Castle on the way and then found a cracking little place for lunch at Durlston where we were surrounded by Small, Essex and Lulworths. It was a cracking day for us, we didn't get the Grayling or the Cloudy which I was kinda hoping for but we still racked up 22-23 species

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I was going to stop of a Corfe but ended up spending all my time at Durlston, 22 species is a pretty good day and sounds like I was right about finding a secret Lulworth lair

15th & 16th July, Work

Yes that’s right, work! I have actually been back at work for one whole week now, it’s been a horrific shock to the system, but it was made a little easier by catching up on the transects I do there. Thankfully a colleague whose pretty ofay with butterflies has done a good job at keeping things ticking over these past few weeks so only 2 weeks have been missed.

Looking at the figures so far really shows just how different this year has been from last year’s disastrous season.

One of the most impressive ‘bounce backs’ can be seen with the Gatekeeper. Last year I had an end of year total of just 21 sightings over both transects including casual records.
So far, this year we have had 92 sightings , not including any casual sightings. A few other species added to the yearly list over the weekend were a Painted lady and a Common Blue, a species that occasionally turns up but has yet to colonise properly, and all three Whites were represented. I'm hoping Large Whites will utilise a bed of Nasturtium that I've persuaded the Horticultural dept to plant specifically for them

bugboy wrote:Yes that’s right, work! I have actually been back at work for one whole week now, it’s been a horrific shock to the system...

That ritual must be most unpleasant for you, Bugboy, after your extended period of absence?

I myself will be returning to work tomorrow after a full 3 weeks off and I daresay I will be feeling similarly deflated!

Great photos of the Lulworths from Durlston, Buggy. It's one of my favourite places, and combining a morning on the beach at Studland with an afternoon here is a great way of spending a summer's day. Interesting that you found Small, I found Essex, and Wurzel found both! I've seen all three here before, so it's no surprise really.

That's a lovely orangey-pink Painted Lady too.

Dave

Back at work! Oh dear. But you've certainly made the most of the summer and I have really enjoyed following your mission . Lovely picture of the Painted Lady - I have not seen any up here yet.
Janet

David M wrote:

bugboy wrote:Yes that’s right, work! I have actually been back at work for one whole week now, it’s been a horrific shock to the system...

That ritual must be most unpleasant for you, Bugboy, after your extended period of absence?

I myself will be returning to work tomorrow after a full 3 weeks off and I daresay I will be feeling similarly deflated!

I hope you're able to ease yourself back in David, I have another week booked off next week . Booked months ago but my work colleagues might start asking questions as to my commitment soon...

millerd wrote:Great photos of the Lulworths from Durlston, Buggy. It's one of my favourite places, and combining a morning on the beach at Studland with an afternoon here is a great way of spending a summer's day. Interesting that you found Small, I found Essex, and Wurzel found both! I've seen all three here before, so it's no surprise really.

That's a lovely orangey-pink Painted Lady too.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'm sure like me, you weren't paying too much attention to the SmEssex with all the Lulworths flying around.

Janet Turnbull wrote:Back at work! Oh dear. But you've certainly made the most of the summer and I have really enjoyed following your mission . Lovely picture of the Painted Lady - I have not seen any up here yet.
Janet

Thanks Janet . I've only seen five or six Painted Ladys all year, they've certainly been thin on the ground this year.

17th July, Tottenham Marshes

I’ve not visited Tottenham Marshes since the spring so I squeezed in an hour after work. As you would expect everything was winding down for the night, catching the dying rays of the evening sun as it disappeared behind a bank milky high cloud.

The evening had a distinctly autumnal feel about it, particularly the Comma’s basking on dying Hazel leaves. I’ve never seen Brown Argus here before so I made an effort to catch up with flighty little chap. Gatekeepers were numerous as expected and I came across a few Common Blues, two boys and a lady In amongst all this a Blue-tailed Damselfly stopped off the have an evening snack of a flying ant Finally I had to wait a good five minutes for this moth to land. I didn't have to move anywhere, he just flew in circles around me, I must smell like a female or something! I think he's a rather worn Gypsy Moth

bugboy wrote:17th July, Tottenham Marshes
As you would expect everything was winding down for the night, catching the dying rays of the evening sun as it disappeared behind a bank milky high cloud.
The evening had a distinctly autumnal feel about it, particularly the Comma’s basking on dying Hazel leaves.

Not Autumn already!! Well why not? Everything else has been early this summer. We'll be celebrating Christmas in November this year!

James

Well all the butterflies that emerge have been recorded so an early Autumn it seems like, it feels like the season only just really begun It might mean some second and third broods to look forward to, although whether that is a good idea for the butterflies I don't know
Have a goodun

Wurzel

And Easter in December, who'd have thought butterflies would be re-writing Christianity!

I'll definitely be on the look out for second gen White Admirals this year Wurzel, and I suspect we'll be seeing second gen Peacock and Swallowtails this year too. I wonder how many broods Millerds Holly Blues will fit in...? What about third gen Wood Whites?

18th July Silver-spots and Chalkhills part 1

Several days ago I caught a report on one of the butterfly facebook groups of a Silver-spotted Skipper photographed at Box Hill, the final Skipper in my mini mission to see them all in one season, nice and early as has become traditional this year, so I had a visit pencilled in myself.

The day was predicted to be a little on the warm side so I wanted to get an early start but even at 9.30 it looked like everything had already been up for a few hours. I had a few Fritillaries zoom past and the hundreds of Gatekeepers were busy breakfasting on the Marjoram. Several Common Blues were also active. Wandering over towards Zigzag road I found a Silver-spotted Skipper almost immediately and I hadn’t even got close to the bank they usually hang out on. He was predictably a little bit zippy but I managed to pin him down long enough for a few shots. A little further down a couple of second brood Small Blues were flitting in the usual spot, living up to their name and being very small indeed. There was also a Small Copper busy stuffing his face with Marjoram nectar. It had started to get a bit cloudy and I didn’t find any more Skippers but the odd Chalkhill fluttered here and there, searching for females, species number 53 for the season…

None of these males settled long enough for a picture so this year’s Chalkhill debut goes to a more well behaved female. Crossing over the top zag of the Zigzag I was welcomed by several more male Chalkhill’s, a few of whom were better behaved. I spent a while here and after around 20 minutes the cloud cleared rather suddenly sending the temperature rocketing within seconds and the bank was suddenly alive with butterflies, Common Blues and Brown Argus joining the 30+ Chalkhills now quartering the slope. Normally when an errant insect leaps into the view finder just as I'm lining up my 'perfect shot', it gets short thrift and a few choice words but every now and again it draws my attention. In this case a rather pretty little moth Oncocera semirubella. Being somewhat more active and less willing to pose now, I moved on from the Chalkhills back down to see if the sun had woken up any more Skippers, it had, only a few and they too were now super charged but settled often and long enough to grab a few more images. On the return I stopped off again at the Small Blues and Copper who was now picking fights with a Common blue in between feeding. Heading up to the top of Box Hill I stopped off to try for some shots of a female Dark Green Fritillary, I have yet to get anything more than a record shot of a female so this is one of my best ever pictures of one. Definitely need to make a concerted effort to get one next year before leaving for my next port of call a particularly well behaved female Banded Demoiselle perched by the side of the path, just begging for me to take her picture, well if you insist next off to Denbies

I note your comments regarding the 'autumnal feel' to proceedings, Bugboy. I daresay this is the inevitable downside to an 'early' year? That said, you're still seeing an excellent range of species and who knows, there might well be pleasant surprises in store round your way once autumn genuinely comes knocking at your door.

David M wrote:I note your comments regarding the 'autumnal feel' to proceedings, Bugboy. I daresay this is the inevitable downside to an 'early' year? That said, you're still seeing an excellent range of species and who knows, there might well be pleasant surprises in store round your way once autumn genuinely comes knocking at your door.

Definitely still life in the season yet, I wonder what's waiting to come and visit from just over the Channel

18th July Silver spots and Chalkhills part 2

The wander over to Denbies was rather slow today, hot and muggy weather doesn’t mix well with an uphill hike, I was just thankful that there’s a fair bit of shade along the way.
Upon reaching Denbies the first thing I saw was a tatty Painted Lady followed by several male Chalkhills, none of whom were interested in sitting still.

Moving down to the Hillside proper a couple of Small Coppers were battling over a patch of path whilst more Chalkhill males searched for females. Predictably there was a brisk wind whistling along the site which, combined with the high temperatures made for somewhat challenging photography and open wing shots were at a premium. Occasionally a female would appear but invariably she would be bundled into the grass by a group of eager males, it’s no wonder they keep themselves to themselves! There weren’t exactly clouds of Blues but most of what I saw were freshly emerged so I would guess numbers are a week or two from peaking. Mixing in with the Chalkhills were decent numbers of Common Blues, some Brown Argus and the second flush of Meadow Browns seems to be just about to kick off. A few Gatekeeper’s and the odd Small Heath completed the butterfly fauna for the afternoon.

Had it not been so warm I would have stayed longer to catch them as they began to roost and searched for some abs, but I was wilting in heat so I set off early. Still plenty of time to play with Chalkhills and I have another week off from Saturday (I know, but I really do have a full time job, honest!)

Your employer must be very generous in allowing you to take quite a few days off, Paul . No doubt we'll hear of Brown Hairstreak records from you next week which I am looking forward to reading about. No pressure, mind .

ATB

Peter

Hi! Bugboy, lovely photos you've got in your post, I've been looking for the SS Skipper here in Kent but no show yet Goldie

peterc wrote:Your employer must be very generous in allowing you to take quite a few days off, Paul . No doubt we'll hear of Brown Hairstreak records from you next week which I am looking forward to reading about. No pressure, mind .

ATB

Peter

Hi Peter, well I have worked here for over 20 years so they do owe me something! Yes I suspect I shall be spending a good proportion of next week camped out at Bookham looking for those Hairstreaks...

Goldie M wrote:Hi! Bugboy, lovely photos you've got in your post, I've been looking for the SS Skipper here in Kent but no show yet Goldie

Thanks Goldie, it's still very early for the SSS, as long as the weather holds you might get them next week if you're still around

bugboy wrote:

David M wrote:I note your comments regarding the 'autumnal feel' to proceedings, Bugboy. I daresay this is the inevitable downside to an 'early' year? That said, you're still seeing an excellent range of species and who knows, there might well be pleasant surprises in store round your way once autumn genuinely comes knocking at your door.

Definitely still life in the season yet, I wonder what's waiting to come and visit from just over the Channel

And if you want to extend the season a bit, head further north, although still an early season it is not so advanced around my patch as it is further south and from what I have seen from reports the northwest is not far ahead of where it usually is.
There has definitely been a south east/northwest split in the weather a lot of the time this year and here in the midlands we seem to have been one side or the other at different times.

Cheers,

Neil.

Good stuff from Box Hill, Buggy. Which bit of the area were you looking at? There are several areas to explore and most have a few SSS, but I wonder if I've missed a bit as I've never seen more than one Small Blue before. I've also never managed to bump into you there!

Dave

millerd wrote:Good stuff from Box Hill, Buggy. Which bit of the area were you looking at? There are several areas to explore and most have a few SSS, but I wonder if I've missed a bit as I've never seen more than one Small Blue before. I've also never managed to bump into you there!

Dave

Sent you a PM but yes, I have no idea how we nearly always miss each other at all these Surrey sites we both visit!

Neil Freeman wrote:

bugboy wrote:

David M wrote:I note your comments regarding the 'autumnal feel' to proceedings, Bugboy. I daresay this is the inevitable downside to an 'early' year? That said, you're still seeing an excellent range of species and who knows, there might well be pleasant surprises in store round your way once autumn genuinely comes knocking at your door.

Definitely still life in the season yet, I wonder what's waiting to come and visit from just over the Channel

And if you want to extend the season a bit, head further north, although still an early season it is not so advanced around my patch as it is further south and from what I have seen from reports the northwest is not far ahead of where it usually is.
There has definitely been a south east/northwest split in the weather a lot of the time this year and here in the midlands we seem to have been one side or the other at different times.

Cheers,

Neil.

Not sure my bank account could cope with another northern trip this year, especially now its' peak holiday season!

21st July, Work

A very exciting find on one of my transects yesterday, two very fresh male Common Blues. I'm hoping the this is a sign they are about to, or have colonised here. There's no Birds-foot Trefoil close by so I'm presuming any breeding going on will be on the White Clover here. Whatever's going on it looks promising, that's three individuals seen this year now 22nd July

I'd originally planned to go Hairstreak hunting at Bookham today but the forecast seemed to get progressively worse whilst Sundays improved so I treated myself to a lay in, did a bit of shopping and popped out for an hour on my patch. The biggest surprise was a single Brown Argus. I've only seen them here before once a few years ago and it seemed at the time a bit odd, several appearing out of the blue in a corner of a meadow with no sign of any foodplant and I suspected an ill thought out release, especially since I haven't seen them since. This one was in another meadow and there is a bit of Dove's-foot Cranesbill growing so just maybe there is a tiny population lurking here. There were also a few Common Blues here, but apart from a couple of Whites it was Mainly Browns today. I left when the sunny spells were mostly replaced by rain clouds, I'm glad I took notice of the forecast!

That's good news if there are new colonies of CBs and BAs!
Janet

Great set of reports recently Bugboy Now that I've finished work for a bit I can finally start catching up I too noted the autumnal feel the other day - but mainly in the nature of the weather - it was wet, windy and cold Hopefully this will slow things down and so there will still be some butterflies around through August

Have a goodun

Wurzel