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That Clouded Yellow is a highly significant record David, if we can find such species in South Wales during mid April...well nigh on anything is possible

Continued good luck for your Easter break and keep em coming mate

Best Wishes,

Bill

Thanks for the comments, folks. Yes, it was certainly a most pleasant surprise, and I shall be on the alert for more spring emergees over the next few weeks down here.

Saturday 19th April - More routine day, but all missions accomplished....

I had originally intended to check out the coastal area today for more Clouded Yellows, but it was fairly cloudy at 11am and there was a fair breeze blowing. With temperatures only around 12c, it was time to head for a sheltered spot, and I know none better than the lower slopes of south facing Kilvey Hill just above Danygraig cemetary.

This micro-climate was just about the only place in April 2013 where Speckled Woods could be guaranteed in numbers, and they didn't disappoint today, with about 50 or so seen. They favour the lower pathway which has all the right ingredients for them: shelter from wind, reflected warmth off the bare earth slopes and an array of grasses and shrubs for them to potter about in. It was lovely to see them merrily cavorting around, without seemingly a care. This individual was particularly nicely marked:
I had three other 'missions', the first of which was to get my first Large White image of the year. This male duly obliged:
The cool conditions meant Whites weren't as active as they are normally, and I also managed a first Small White image of 2014:
Number two was to spot a Small Copper. I managed to find just one, firming up his lek at the end of a pathway - cearuleopunctata to boot!!
My last mission was a date with Holly Blue. Most people will know that going out intentionally to seek this insect can be very frustrating. Well, Danygraig cemetary is huge and full of evergreens, and I ended up seeing SIX!! As ever, they were infuriatingly elusive, spending most of their time flying at the top of the shrubs. I did, however, get a poor image of the only definite female I saw today:
Then, just as I was about to get into my car, I spotted a flash of blue low down near the entrance to the pathway. It was a male Holly Blue who stayed just long enough to end up in this diary:

What a gorgeous SC David .... and blue spots too!!!

Great stuff,David! Sounds you're having a great spring so far. Here in East Anglia,i think we've got a bit of catching up to do! No Speckled Woods or Small Coppers or Holly Blues for me so far! The first Speckled is gorgeous! Enjoy the rest of the Easter weekend.

Thanks for the comments, all.

Monday 21st April - Crymlyn Burrows.....

On my way back from Abergavenny this lunchtime, I couldn't resist an hour's stop at Crymlyn Burrows on the Swansea coast, mainly to see if there were any more Clouded Yellows about.

It was fairly windy again, although temperatures were around 16c this afternoon, so there were a fair few butterflies active, though sadly none of them were Clouded Yellows.

I saw my first Small Blue of the year, but I slipped down the bank as I was getting into position to take an image and the insect was swept away by the breeze and despite hanging around for a further 20 minutes, I couldn't relocate it.

Apart from that, it was mainly Pierids on the wing. Green Veined Whites were commonest, with over two dozen seen, including this mating pair:
Orange Tips were in double figures too, including four females:
Still no Dingy Skippers about, though I expect they'll emerge over the next few days, whilst I reckon a another fortnight will be enough for Common Blue & Brown Argus if the weather stays mild.

Good work with the Small Blue David - sounds like the first one seen this year

I'm sure you saw the first Small Blue last year David, shame you slipped down the bank and missed the photo, I've done that too. You also seem to be blessed with Holly Blues and wing open shots great stuff, I missed a male with wings open really wide recently when it was chased off by another

Congrats on the Small Blue David.

I know exactly how you feel with the slipping down the bank thing, done it myself often enough, most often at Aston Rowant

Cheers,

Neil.

Sunday 27th April 2014 - Well behaved Greenstreaks.....

Very unpredictable weather conditions in Swansea this morning but by early afternoon I thought "what do I have to lose?" The answer to that was not very much, but quite a bit to gain if the rain stays off.

Thankfully, apart from a 3 minute shower, it did, and the generally cloudy conditions allowed me nearer to Green Hairstreaks than I've ever been before.

Welshmoor, on the Gower peninsula, is primarily known for its Marsh Fritillary population, but there are plenty of Greenstreaks to be found if one looks in the right spots. Experience of the site has taught me that the best 'spot' is this 100 metre stretch of field margin:
The first individual seen looked fresh out of the pupa as the wings were still a bit floppy:
As ever, it was interesting to spot the variation in the underside patterns. They ranged from 'blind'...
...to sparse....
...to this beautiful individual with a full array of 'streaks':
At least 8 different individuals seen, along with a couple of Green Veined Whites, a solitary Large White, and two male Orange Tips, one of which proved irresistible on a bluebell:

Hi David,

That first Green Hairstreak has a lovely fresh soft look to it

I don't know if it is maybe a regional thing or something but over the past couple of years I have only taken a couple of photos of GHs with a full set of white marks. All the others have just a couple of spots or none at all and which for me would seem to represent the 'normal' look. It also looks like the ones that I have seen with the full line of spots have been female. It will be interesting to see what I find when they finally get going around here.

Cheers,

Neil

nfreem wrote: It also looks like the ones that I have seen with the full line of spots have been female.

You may be onto something there, Neil.

In all the other UK hairstreaks, the female is more boldly marked on the underside than the male. Oddly enough though, the two that I saw with these markings were seemingly indulging in the kind of territorial behaviour more associated with males.

The only GH I observed out on a limb on its own was a poorly marked individual, so from these statistics alone I can't make a conclusion, though I accept that you may well be right with your instinctive thoughts.

Sunday 4th May 2014 - 14 species.....

It's always a sign that summer's not far off when you can get well into double figure numbers of species. I visited Crymlyn Burrows on the Swansea coast between 10.30am and noon today hoping particularly to see Dingy Skippers and Small Blues. A solitary Small Heath appeared before either of the aforementioned though, and I managed a single record image:
Dingy Skippers WERE present, but thin on the ground with only two seen:
Having seen a Small Blue here a fortnight ago, I expected there to be quite a few knocking about. However, I only found two isolated individuals:
The kidney vetch is starting to flower, so I daresay numbers will multiply over the next couple of weeks.
I'm pleased to say that Orange Tips were the most numerous species, with about 50 seen (5 females positively identified):
Green Veined White numbers weren't far behind those of Orange Tips, but the next commonest species was Small Copper, with 10 seen:
Other species were Brimstone (5 males), 4 Peacocks, 3 Large Whites (including the first female I've seen this year), 3 Small Whites, 1 Speckled Wood and 1 Small Tortoiseshell.

Danygraig Cemetery

On the way back from Crymlyn, I popped into Danygraig Cemetery to see if there were any Holly Blues and/or Wall Browns.

This faded female Holly Blue (one of 4 seen in total), seemed as though she may be looking to lay eggs as she spent a good 15 minutes on this shrub:
Sadly, she was simply basking, and eventually she zoomed off to some place else.

On my way back to the exit, I spotted my first Wall Brown of 2014. He was a real handful to approach and there was no way I was going to walk across graves to get near him. Eventually I settled for a record image taken from a distance:

Thanks for the comments, folks.

Goldie - I'm sure there are a few coastal spots near Workington where you can find Small Blue.

Monday 5th May 2014 - Lots of perseverance.....

Whenever I plan a trip to Ewyas Harold Common, near Hereford, the weather always seems to take a turn for the worse.

The forecast for Bank Holiday Monday had at first been excellent but then turned to cloudy this far west. However, it was hazy sunshine in Abergavenny at 9.30am so I chanced it and when I arrived at 10.15 little had changed.

Infuriatingly though, in the 10 minutes it took for me to park and walk to the PBF 'hotspot' the sun had been obscured by thicker cloud which showed little sign of budging:
In a way these cloudy conditions played into my hands though as I 'flushed' a male out in the first 5 minutes. I knew he wouldn't be keen to remain on the wing so I got a fair few upperside shots before he obligingly moved to a roosting spot and clamped his wings shut (which is what we all like when we're hunting this species):
My next hour was spent looking at the sky as much as for further PBFs. There were hints of brightness in the distance, and during that time I saw one more Fritillary take a short flight and land invitingly on a sapling:
Just prior to midday, the sun finally broke through and we received a welcome 20 minute burst of warmth. This brought the Fritillaries to life and I saw at least 20 during this period, doing what they always do - flying low to the ground and seeking out bugle blooms. This was one of two females I photographed:
All the while during my PBF 'patrol' I was keeping an eye out for Grizzled Skippers. I've learnt in my many visits here that there are three optimum spots to find them on this vast site, but each walk by yielded nothing. In the end, with the weather not looking like improving, I did one last circuit in the best area. This proved to be most fortuitous:
Very few other butterfly species seen; 3 Green Veined Whites, 2 Large Whites and 2 Peacocks. Not surprising that given the overcast conditions. One day I'll come back here in perfect weather!

Hi David, Looks like you had similar weather to what I had in the Wyre Forest only for me the cloud thickened up a little later. Makes sense I suppose, the clouds were coming from your direction.

Great PBF photos, I didn't manage to get an underside shot, for me they were either low down with their wings open or going higher up in the trees Oh well, maybe next time.

Cheers,

Neil.

Wurzel wrote:Have they been out long at that site becasue I've noticed that Bentley Wood is often a week or two behind Rewell (which usually seems to be the first) and a week to 5 days behind the South Western colonies?

Wurzel - Bill (Willrow) visited two days prior to me and saw 30-odd so I suspect they've been out since the last days of April.

It's hard to comment on more southerly PBF sites since this one has several warm micro-climates created by south facing slopes with gullies in them that could create conditions for the adults to emerge earlier than on relatively flat woodland sites further south.

Chris - I'm sure there must be a PBF site somewhere in your vicinity. According to my Llafranchis guide to French butterflies, this species is definitely present in your département and all surrounding ones too. Are there any areas of relief nearby with coppiced slopes?

Wednesday 14th May 2014 - Stay out of the wind.....

I bagged a half day at work today in order to go looking for Brown Argus & Common Blue. I reckoned Mumbles Head would be the right spot as I've seen plenty here in the past but although the views were magnificent as ever, it turned out pretty windy and all I saw were 3 Dingy Skippers, 2 Peacocks and a Speckled Wood.
I figured that I'd better visit somewhere better sheltered so I decided to walk back to the car park. I did see a Brown Argus on the pathway on the way down but a cyclist disturbed it and off it went up the hill somewhere.

Kittle Quarry is just about as sheltered as it gets and is barely a mile from my house. Sure enough, I found another Brown Argus here along with 3 male Common Blues:

Thursday 15th May 2014 - Greenstreaks on my doorstep....

Glorious afternoon so I finished at 3pm and was out exploring Fairwood Common by ten to four.

I'd anticipated Green Hairstreaks might be present here as there are good numbers on Welshmoor which is only 3 miles away and is identical terrain.

I saw 20 in total, all of which were located close to the shrubline at the back of the airport perimeter fence:
Other species seen were 4 Small Heaths, a handful of Whites, a Small Tortoiseshell and two Dingy Skippers (there was also the constant accompaniment from a cuckoo which is a sound I haven't heard for a long time).
Given that the presence of Green Hairstreaks replicates that at Welshmoor, I feel confident that by the end of the month I'll find Marsh Fritillaries here too - what a treat to have within walking distance of your front door!

Saturday 17th May 2014 - cloudless skies.....

Given the positive weather forecast, I was up and away from Swansea by 8am heading for Rodborough Common, near Stroud in Gloucestershire to seek out Dukes this morning and I wasn't disappointed.

In total, approximately two dozen were seen, and I had the added bonus of bumping into Bill (Willrow) who had clearly gone to bed the previous evening with the same plan in mind.

The view looking westward was, as ever, magnificent:
Unlike last year, no Dukes at all were seen at the base of the 'crater'; instead, at least a dozen were spotted close to the shrubline just to the north of this spot. Puzzling, but nonetheless gratifying because the terrain is significantly easier on the feet.
No Adonis Blues at Rodborough so I decamped to Swells Hill Bank but despite a patient wait near the bottom of the hill there were none whatsoever. In spite of that, the species range and numbers were good:

Dingy Skipper 100+
Duke of Burgundy 20-25
Green Hairstreak 15-25
Brown Argus 10-15
Small Blue 10-15
Green Veined White 5-10
Small Heath 7
Peacock 4
Common Blue 2
Large White 1
Small White 1
Brimstone 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1

Alun Valley, Glamorgan

On my way back to Swansea, I decided to check into the Welsh High Brown site for an hour or two to see if there were any Small Pearl Bordered Frits knocking about....there were plenty.......
Peacocks were still around in surprising numbers.....what's more, male Common Blues seemed to have commandeered the Fritillary 'meadow', which right now is full of Bluebells and Campion. That said, I saw 5 Small Pearl Bordered Frits here, and when I made my way onto the south bank I saw 17 more, with a further 14 spotted on the upper west slopes. This augurs well for a strong showing of this species at this site over the next few weeks. I daresay any visitor between 24 May and 7 June could well rack up a three figure total:
With the spring flora still holding sway, there were decent numbers of Brimstones, Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, Green Veined Whites, Dingy Skippers, Common Blues and Brown Argus present (including this female):
The 'ride' from the upper west slope to the 'meadow' has now been completed, and I promised earlier in the year that I'd provide a photograph looking towards this 'cut'. Here it is:
Even at this time of year, species range and numbers are impressive:

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 30-40
Peacock 15-20
Green Veined White 10-15
Common Blue 10-15
Brimstone 11
Brown Argus 8
Dingy Skipper 6
Small Tortoiseshell 4
Speckled Wood 4
Wall Brown 2
Orange Tip 2
Small White 1
Large White 1
Holly Blue 1

Hey David. That is a very impressive count for SPBF. Are they often that numerous at that site or does it look like being a better year than normal for them? Over here the only site is down to single figure counts (if we are lucky) and they generally emerge a week or so later than the West, but you never know, it could bode well for us over here!!

badgerbob wrote:Hey David. That is a very impressive count for SPBF. Are they often that numerous at that site or does it look like being a better year than normal for them? Over here the only site is down to single figure counts (if we are lucky) and they generally emerge a week or so later than the West, but you never know, it could bode well for us over here!!

Bob, this site is vast though much of it is private so most people won't get the chance to do it justice. That said, I believe that in about 10 days time anyone spending a couple of hours on Old Castle Down (the public area) will rack up 40+ SPBFs easily. If every inch of the site were visited, then I'd expect at least 100 and possibly as many as 200. This species really is abundant here.

Sunday 18th May 2014 - Marsh Frits emerge.....

Talking to Bill (Willrow) at Rodborough Common yesterday gave me the impetus I needed to check out Welshmoor for Marsh Fritillaries this morning, since he had told me that this species was now out at Aberbargoed Grasslands.

True enough, there were a fair few around (about two dozen in total):
There weren't too many other species about, a handful of Green Veined Whites and a solitary male Large White.....however, Green Hairstreaks (which seem to be having a good year) were commonplace, with at least 20 seen.

Their behaviour has changed since the end of April. Whereas back then they were mainly found perching on shrubs in the field margins, today they were almost exclusively found low to the ground, often nectaring on either bluebell or tormentil. Here's a shot of one 'upside-down' showing the brown markings on the upperside of the tail:
This individual gave me a 5 minute audience after I 'shaded' it on a bluebell. It's definitely probing for nectar but its general behaviour was unusual; it was regularly lowering its antennae and seemed unusually docile: