May 2011

[Gibster]

Spent the day with Sami, starting with a BC Walk to Denbies Hillside. Thanks to cloud cover, a cool wind and even a spot of rain, things weren't ideal. However, during the sunny spells the butterflies played ball. A couple of Large Skippers and a handful of Adonis Blues (including the expected abs) were duly noted, plus some trashed looking 5-spot Burnets. After watching one member roll head-first down the slope ( !) we quit and headed eastwards to East Blean Woods.

We spent quite a while wandering the woods but in the windy and often dull conditions only found Heath Fritillary by the car park entrance. Masses of the food-plant occurs at this spot and a nearby area has been recently coppiced. Habitat trashing could be a serious issue here, we managed eight roosting individuals from the entrance track which allowed an approach to within touching distance. You really DON'T need to walk into the carpets of cow-wheat. Anyway, leave the paths and the ants will get you! (Seriously, there are ants everywhere this year. Billions of 'em! One bit Sam on the neck )

We also bumped into our 2nd UKB Member in two days, this time it was Millerd who, it would seem, is a much more accomplished photographer than we are. Apart from that he's a perfectly decent fella!

So that's two really good days running - tomorrow's the last of our three days off work together. Hmmm....where should we go..?

Gibster.

[Jack Harrison]

Seth and Sami.

I can't guarantee that you will see the elusive Turtle Dove but you are sure to hear one if you come to my neck of the woods and maybe you would be able to track down better than I can and actually see one. Guaranteed Small Heaths. Location is about 15 kms to the south of ~Cambridge just off the M11

e-mail if you want any more details: jack.harrison@gmail.com

Jack

[celery]

I did the full circuit around Salcey Forest, Northants on the Woodpecker Trail (claimed 6 miles/actual 8 miles/9 miles with detours up the odd likely-looking ride) on the afternoon of Saturday 21st May.

Warm but partly overcast conditions. Once you get away from the crowds around the car park/visitors centre and into the more grassy rides and pathways you're sure to bump into some wood whites. 20+ of these were sighted - making it the most common species on the wing at the present time - along with small, large and green-veined whites, brimstone, an orange tip (last of the year?), comma, red admiral, speckled wood and holly and common blues. Lots of other caterpillars, bugs, beetles and moths too - but I'm absolutely hopeless at identifying these.

Tip to self: Next time park at the much more convenient, and less crowded, parking spaces on the road which slices the Salcey 'doughnut' in half. Particularly if you want to see these butterflies when they are less 'hyperactive' than in the heat of the afternoon. The main car park locks it's gates (and your car) in at 7pm... so it's no use for late evening/roosting viewings.

[NickB]

(Having spent all morning on the naughty-step.... )
Went looking for butterflies in a local chalk-pit later...In 2 hours I managed 4 male Common Blue, 2 male OTs, 3 GVW, 5 Small and 1 Large White, Brimstone and elderly Comma.
And I really had to hunt for those few...

Large White

GV White

Male Common Blue

Small White

This drought has really hit numbers; I do worry that our Chalk-hills will all be too dessicated to make it...
N

[Jack Harrison]

Nick tells us that he:

....spent all morning on the naughty-step....

I think I know why Nick but you have to explain. I presume SM, NH, and I were also in trouble although I am far too old for misbehaviour of the type that requires such a punishment I refused to accept the discipline

Jack

[Glostopcat]

Just got back from Prestbury Hill Nature Reserve near Cheltenham, it was very windy up there but the visibility was good and there were frequent spells of sunshine. I saw two tatty duke of burgundys, one large skipper sheltering on a bush at the bottom of the valley, a small skippper, a few dingy skippers, one male brimstone, one green veined white, one speckled wood, numerous common blues, small blues, small heaths and burnet moths, a couple of brown argus and a couple of green hairstreak. The duke of burgundy season seems all but over there now and no orangetips seen either

[selbypaul]

I also visited Salcey Forest yesterday. Counted 8 Wood White in the preferred and quieter southern half of the forest that "Celery" mentions. Having not visited this site before, I also did the treetop walk which was excellant. Made we want to return in July to see if I could spot Purple Hairstreak at a more convenient height! For the birdwatchers amongst us, also heard and saw a Willow Tit. They're so scarce these days, I was really pleased to see it.

On my return home to Sheffield, I was chuffed to find a male Common Blue fluttering around the meadow I had seeded in my garden in May last year. It was right next to the Birds Foot Trefoil, so it must have sniffed it out. I had only ever dreamed of getting Common Blue in the garden. I live in Suburban Sheffield, at least two miles from the edge of the city, and from my distribution maps, around 4 to 5 miles away from the nearest colony. No female seen yet, but really hoping that Mr finds a mate and I've got more than one next year!

[Gruditch]

Not sure what the earliest recording is for a Ringlet, but we got one on transect today.

Regards Gruditch

[Rogerdodge]

Gary

Not sure what the earliest recording is for a Ringlet

7th June in 2007 is the earliest since 2002.
So pretty well done there then!

What a wierd year.

I reckon that Collard Hill will be well worth a look this weekend - the first Large Blue reported last year in early June had already been out a few days.
I usually get my first Marbled White when I go for Large Blue - so who knows....

[neil friswell]

Finally made it to Sand Point today: weather was not as good as forecast with hazy cloud and strengthening wind. Managed to find one slightly worn Glanville Frit. Also few Brown Argus, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood.
Gave in after an hour as the weather wasn't improving and visited Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's lovely reserve at Strawberry Banks (nr Stroud). A bit more sheltered but still slightly hazy sun: at least 30 Marsh Frits in various stages of wear, a couple of Small Blues, few Common Blues and Small Heath.
Finally called in at BC's Prees Heath reserve to check if any early SSBs were out and was shocked to find the best part of the reserve occupied by travellers caravans. I only ventured just through the gate but didn't see any butterflies though it was now 4.00 pm.

[Pete Eeles]

Finally called in at BC's Prees Heath reserve to check if any early SSBs were out and was shocked to find the best part of the reserve occupied by travellers caravans. I only ventured just through the gate but didn't see any butterflies though it was now 4.00 pm.

This kind of thing really makes my blood boil Was there any noticeable damage to the habitat?

Some info here: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2011 ... z1NGjCCNWD

Cheers,

- Pete

[ChrisC]

hides all tripods from Pete.
I saw this yesterday on yahoo. Very sad.

[Jack Harrison]

It makes my blood boil too, but why can't we have some decent laws instead of all this appeasement of minorities? The politicians must ultimately be held to blame for being so unwilling to upset a handful of people meanwhile ignore the fact that the vast majority are furious by this sort of behaviour. Of course if this majority took matters into its own hands and threw out the travellers, then this majority would be in trouble with the law. Ludicrous

I seem to recall that politicians wouldn't stand up to certain infamous European dictator in the 1930s. And look what that led to?

Jack

[NickB]

Made a dash for Strumpshaw today - as this was a sunny day with light winds, though they did pick-up by the afternoon as predicted - and the weekend forecast is poor...
Headed for the "most photographed garden in East Anglia" as this is the most reliable place to see them, especially in any numbers. I arrived at 9:30am to find another 4 photographers and the owner watching a half-dozen Swallowtails as they frantically took on as much nectar as possible from the garden flowers that were still at their peak only because the owner also waters his flower-beds to keep them producing nectar for the butterflies. Thanks again to his kindness and generosity, many more people are brought into close contact with these magnificent creatures.

Hungry.....

Saw at least 3 Peacocks and a couple of Red Admirals and Small Torts, which I haven't seen around Cambridge, as well as a couple of Large Whites and several GVW with about 2 male and 3 female Brimstone and a Speckled Wood.
I did catch some Swallowtails later elsewhere;

Down on the grass, when the sun went-in, with my wide-angle...

..."there's one..."

they were well-distributed across the site, but looking at the poor plant growth elsewhere, it is no surprise that the SWT's use this garden as their principle fuel-stop....Plenty of milk-parsley around, not yet into flower, so it looks good for the ST's there, though some of the reed-beds around the walkway could do with cutting back to allow some growth of flowering plants, including the milk-parsley, since these have grown-up in the 3 years since I first visited.
And met a few fellow Aurelians - hi to Richard and Roger and those whose names I have forgotten - to chew the fat with...

[millerd]

A quick dash round my local patch after work this afternoon produced very little in the weak sunshine left - a handful of Common Blues and Small Heaths only, though the latter were fresh and bright. I did find several of what I take to be Orange Tip caterpillars.
Dave

[Gibster]

It makes my blood boil too, but why can't we have some decent laws instead of all this appeasement of minorities?

I entirely agree. We do need some decent laws. Then maybe the travellers won't be quite so stigmatised and hated. Ok, ok, so shoot me down - but I have experience of these people.

Why do we think these folk come over here in the first place? Do we really appreciate the appalling conditions they are forced to live in, by their own countrymen? Who here really believes that they come to the UK just to tip asbestos over our prettiest nature reserves? Who here thinks they are here just to thieve from enraged local residents?

Not everybody is capable of holding down a regular 9 to 5 job. Not everyone has been given an opportunity to receive a formal education. Not everyone can read or write. Not all of these people are here to steal the lead from the church windows or maybe even kidnap your children and sell them off to the carnies.

Like it or not, these people are doing exactly what the rest of us are trying to do - which is make enough money to feed the family and carry on living. They are just doing it differently because they have no other way to conduct themselves. They have to create their own niche because our society and their countryman's society won't allow them one.

End of rant. Personally I hope Prees Heath survives intact. I've only been there once and it really is a lovely spot. Sorry to spout off, but sometimes the other side of an arguement needs to be heard.

Cheers,

Gibster.

[Gibster]

Sorry - one last little bit...reading through Pete's link, why the heck wasn't the gate repaired in the first place? Honestly...

[NickB]

Well said, Gibster!
No doubt some people would like to shut them up in camps....; oh, hang on, that happened before didn't it?
In the 1930's and 1940's.....

[Susie]

Sorry, but as someone who used to have to read the Travelling Times at work I am still furious that people think they have the right to tresspass and damage other people's property. Just because they feel hard done by does not make them immune from being bound by the laws of this land.

Far too often the police turn a blind eye to their misadventures and social workers throw money in their kids' direction like it's going out of fashion!

[David M]

Meanwhile, back to butterfly sightings.............


Spent an hour and a half on my local patch at Swansea Vale this afternoon.

I got the distinct impression that we are now in a temporary lull, as species diversity was incredibly poor. I saw a mere one Green Veined White, no Orange Tips and no Brimstones, yet the high summer suspects have largely yet to emerge here - Meadow/Hedge Browns, Large Skippers, second generation Vanessids, etc.

The last time I visited this locality was the day of the Royal Wedding (halcyon days when the temperatures were well into the seventies). Common Blues were only just emerging then, but they are now on their way out. I saw about 20 today but most were shabby. Similarly, Dingy Skippers are looking equally decrepit. I saw about 20 of these too, but they are clearly in the last throes of their short lives and will doubtless disappear within the next few days.

Apart from the above, the only two species I saw were a single Peacock (first generation) and a single Small Tortoiseshell (second generation - it was obviously recently emerged as it had that lustre about it).

On the other hand, moths positively abounded. Burnet Companions were everywhere whilst Cinnabars and Mother Shiptons were pretty numerous too.