millerd

[bugboy]

Great stuff there Dave, I've still only managed to sneak some butterflying in whilst at work. It'll be Orange-tip season before I get some sunny days of at this rate!

[Wurzel]

That first Peacock is an absolute corker Dave I love it when they adopt that basking posture brill Pretty good haul from the rest of the outing as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Lovely shots Dave, nothing here at all yet. Goldie

[millerd]

Thank you all once again.

The weekend and all of next week look good, so fingers crossed that your day off on Tuesday works out Buggy!

I like shots like that one too, Wurzel - taken as close as possible to the level of the butterfly. However, once down on the ground these days, I'm there for a while.

I'm sure the weather will be good your way too, Goldie and you'll see lots this weekend.

Friday 24th March. As promised, the sun broke through this afternoon, and there was just enough time after an early finish at work to nip round my local patch. First up was a Small Tortoiseshell, but as last time I disturbed it from its basking place on a logpile and it wouldn't settle again. More amenable were a series of Commas, probably five altogether. There were two at Comma Corner, along with a sunbathing Red Admiral which refused to take any interest in the antics of the Commas at all. It looked in remarkably good nick.

Hopefully tomorrow's promised sunshine will bring a few more.

Dave

[bugboy]

Lovely stuff Dave. Sods law has struck again for me, working this weekend so I will have to make do with a couple of lunchtime jaunts around work! Tuesday does indeed look good though

[trevor]

A good haul there Dave, I think the strength of the sun today just about won over the cold wind.
There were certainly Butterflies to be found in the sheltered spots.

[Wurzel]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow indeed Dave, I'm pinning all my hopes on it I just hope the weathermen get it spot on for once, although even better than forecast would be nice
It seems that your Holly Blue whispering technique also works on Red Admirals - I can never get shots of them at this time of year Plus I too am starting to feel a bit of wear around the knees, I have momentary conversations with myself along the lines of 'if I go for the shot will I be able to get back up?'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks all of you. It's good to be able to go out after work now, and after tonight the clock change will make things better still.

Fingers crossed for Tuesday, Buggy - if it's anything like today you'll have a great day.

You're right, Trevor - they were all in sheltered nooks.

Well, Wurzel, the forecast was pretty well spot on, though the breeze was a bit strong and not particularly warm. And funny that you should mention Holly Blues...

Saturday 25th March. The promised glorious sunshine arrived and I set out round my local patch at around 1030. The wind was really quite strong and took the edge off the heat of the sun, but things looked good. Still within sight of home, the first butterfly appeared, and not any old butterfly at that. A flash of silver and my first Holly Blue of the year wheeled past in the breeze. I didn't think I'd be able to follow it, but it was attracted to a white feather on the ground (they often settle on or near white patches - usually bird droppings). I managed to get close enough for one or two shots, with wings partly open too as it needed to warm up. Then it was up and away down wind and I lost it. This is the earliest I have seen one.

Moving on, Brimstones were the most noticeable, patrolling endlessly along the hedgerows. One stopped for the merest second or two to nectar from a dandelion, but that was all. The dandelions were bursting out all over now, and sure enough, there were Small Tortoiseshells. I saw nine today altogether, more than I saw during the whole summer period last year I think. They must dive straight into hibernation. A selection - from the almost perfect to one that must have hibernated on its last legs but still survived.

There were also a scattering of Peacocks and a few Commas - it seems the latter appear later in the day. Brimstones and Tortoiseshells seem earlier risers.

One Comma was patrolling nettles at low level and stopping briefly every 20 seconds or so. I checked a leaf and as expected there was an egg.

In ninety minutes or so, the total was nine Small Tortoiseshells, seven Brimstones, three Peacocks, three Commas and a Holly Blue. Things are building nicely and I am waiting for a burst of white butterflies soon, hopefully with some splashes of orange!

Dave

[trevor]

I was stuck in London all day yesterday, and with the weather, I wondered how many
mrgreens I would be issuing when I arrived home. Well you get one for a start for that Holly Blue .

Might be a great day, today.

Trevor.

[millerd]

It was another good day today, Trevor. It was if anything slightly warmer, and the wind dropped a bit, especially later on.

Sunday 26th March. With other things to do this afternoon, I set off around my local patch again, albeit slightly later, even taking account of the change to BST. The pattern of sightings was subtly different, with Commas and Peacocks seen first, before any Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells.

Today also included three Red Admirals, including a very new-looking individual that perched briefly on my leg before disappearing into the distance. Another one was lurking with a Comma and a Small Tortoiseshell around the woodpile I've mentioned before. It is a sheltered spot, with a dense growth of young nettles around it.

Following yesterday's sighting, I found two more Holly Blues. One kept its distance, but opened slightly.

However, the second one settled at a convenient height, but the strength of the sun kept it firmly closed up. It appeared slightly unusual, with the forewing dots of black elongated a bit into lines.

A six-species day, but still no white butterflies of any sort yet.

A walk down at Runnymede this afternoon was less productive. A couple of Small Tortoiseshells only.

Dave

[Wurzel]

The third Holly Blue is certainly interesting looking Dave, a very nice variation It did turn out nice for once and your Holly Blues are great as ever - do you think you'd have the same luck if I mentioned Long-tailed Blues

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see Holly Blues emerging, Dave. You certainly got far closer to yours than I did mine.

[millerd]

LTB Wurzel? Hmm. Give it a shot in August and we'll see what happens! Another cracker of a Holly Blue coming up though...

Yes, David, quite approachable and today's was even better.

Monday 27th March. I don't think I've ever been out looking for butterflies on four consecutive March days - certainly not with quite so much success. The opportunity today was late afternoon after work and though still warm, the sun was on its way down. However, I quickly saw my first Small Whites, all disturbed from roosting, and only one of which succumbed to a record photo.

The next success was a brand new Speckled Wood, again my first of the year. It was still quite sluggish, and posed rather well for shots from a number of angles.

Disturbing Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Commas and Red Admirals periodically all along the path, I came to a stretch where the recent sun had not quite dried out the mud. Here I found a Holly Blue circling the muddy patch. Experience has told me that Holly Blues will spend hours around patches like this, and will periodically land and imbibe minerals. Better still, if it isn't too warm, they will break off and bask nearby to warm up. So - patience is the key. Sure enough, this individual followed the pattern, settled for a rest on some foliage and opened up for a few seconds.

Wonderful. It soon went back to slurping up the goodies, and posed very nicely on a mini mud mountain.

After that, the denizens of Comma Corner seemed a bit of an anticlimax, though one did land on my leg, and another presented its underside - there hasn't been much of that on these very sunny days recently.

Dave

[David M]

Now I'm truly envious, Dave.

How is it that your Holly Blues are so much better behaved than mine!!

[trevor]

New species seem to be appearing daily at the moment. What a Spring so far !.
Great Holly Blues, and Speckled Wood. Saw both today.

Keep up the good work,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Holly Blues as usual Dave but those Specklie underside shots will take some beating, gorgeous

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Fantastic Holly Blues Dave, also taken in what you've said about them liking the mud and taking minerals from it, I'll watch out for that at HLB, loads of mud puddles there at present. I've not seen any Species yet may be next week, yours look great. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Aah! nice fresh Specklie...time to start looking out in my garden

Lovely open wing Holly blue as well

Cheers,

Neil

[millerd]

Many thanks to all of you - it's been a cracking few days with something new or interesting appearing on every one of them The Holly Blues are so reliable round here I miss them when they don't appear. You get to know their little habits too.

Tuesday 28th March. More sunshine, but by the time I could get out for a walk, only the last 20 minutes of it was left. A different Small Tortoiseshell was in the woodpile area today before the sun went in, and nearby a Brimstone actually stopped to refuel on a dandelion.

As on previous days, there were Commas, Peacocks and Red Admirals in various spots, and once again a Speckled Wood appeared, but along a different stretch of path. Another underside Comma view today, much more colourful than yesterday's.

However, today's newcomer, and my ninth species of the year, was an Orange Tip bumbling along towards me. Unfortunately, the Law of Sod came into force, the butterfly failed to stop, and the sun went in just as it escaped out of sight. No doubt it had gone to ground, but could I locate it... All I have is an orange splodge captured as it went past.

Dave

[David M]

Undeniably an Orange Tip, Dave, so we'll count it!

If the weather behaves, I might try for a first ever March OT myself later this week. The cuckoo flower has been out for a few days now.