www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Wonderful

Thanks William. It's certainly my best shot of mating O Tips. I'm equally envious of your 'blind' Emperor Moth. I do my best to avoid getting hooked on moths, but I can't resist the tarty ones!
BWs, Neil

I am envious of both of you such is life lovely photo Neil, I'm not surprised you're chuffed.

B'saurus

Very nice photo, Neil! Good work (as usual).

Best wishes,

Lee

Images like this make me yearn for a day off to go and observe these butterflies myself - sadly, I reckon it will be several days before I can indulge so many thanks for providing the incentive at least!

Thanks Susie, Rex, Lee and David. I just hope they were enjoying themselves as much as I enjoyed watching them.
BWs, Neil

Neil Hulme wrote:I do my best to avoid getting hooked on moths, but I can't resist the tarty ones!
BWs, Neil

Thanks Neil, there is the added bonus with big dozy Emperor Moths that they will sit still for hours

70s Revival

Today (3rd April) I followed up a report from Lindsay Morris to the BC Sussex website, from the area between Steep Down (Sompting) and Lancing Ring. I focused my searches along the paths and tracks around Steep Down (TQ166079) which provide the rather modest strips of habitat sufficient to keep the Small Tortoiseshell happy within this essentially arable landscape. The low banks on one or both sides of these tracks are carpeted in young nettles, many of which are now holding large clusters of lime-green eggs. I only managed to cover about half of the suitable habitat before thickening cloud and plummeting temperatures sent the butterflies scurrying deep within the nettle-beds. However, by this time I had already counted 63 Small Tortoiseshell. It just goes to show that when this species is doing well, it will thrive in the least promising of places. In 2013 and 2014 I’ve seen more Tortoiseshells than I have since the 1970s, and long may this resurgence continue. The Peacock was also here in good numbers, with 17 seen.

Cool shots Neil,I have to agree with this being a Small Tortoiseshell year,I've never seen anything like it.

Its been a spectacle to behold,long may it continue.

Thanks

Bee-flies

My own definition of spring is not fulfilled until I see my first Orange Tip of the year, but usually coinciding with this eagerly anticipated event is the first appearance of Bee-flies. I've always been fascinated by these bee mimics, the larvae of which parasitise the grubs of wasps, bees and beetles. The most common of the spring species, Bombylius major, is very widespread and almost always encountered whenever I'm out looking for the Orange Tip, Holly Blue or Grizzled Skipper.

I've never previously managed to photograph B. major particularly well, either because I'm distracted by other quarry or because they tend to settle on the ground amongst clutter, which makes it hard to do justice to their beautifully patterned wings. I've always found them quite 'skittish' when attempting in-flight shots, as they hover to suck nectar through their long, rigid proboscises. However, today (6th April), when butterfly hunting was postponed due to cool and cloudy conditions, I found a lovely fresh example sitting on an ornamental grass in my back garden. As I would like to think my images show, Bee-flies certainly do not lack character!

More Spring Magic

With the welcome return of sunshine this morning (8th April) I started the day at Mill Hill (Shoreham), in the hope that the Grizzled Skipper emergence is now well underway. It isn't, and I only saw a single male, along with a Green-veined White, a few Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell, and a beautifully marked Adder.

I then moved on to Billingshurst, via a minor road through the small village of Wiston. I noticed a male Orange Tip flying along the road verge, so pulled over next to a pretty water meadow. It was immediately obvious that there had been a good emergence of Orange Tip earlier that morning, with at least 6 very fresh specimens nectaring on the cuckoo flower, including a couple of females. A Speckled Wood and Green-veined White were also seen here.

I then headed to the quiet lanes around Billingshurst, to meet Jack Harrison who is currently visiting the area from Mull. My favourite early season meadows are now awash with spring flowers and the banks are painted in beautiful shades of lilac, blue, yellow and white. I counted 5 Orange Tip, 3 Green-veined White, 3 Comma and a Red Admiral. My brother and his family are visiting from Antwerp, so I know where we'll be heading tomorrow.

Lovely photographs of the Orange Tips and the Bee Fly. It's interesting that you write about an emergence of Orange Tips down in your part of the world. Here in the Cambridgeshire fens I have yet to see one and I notice that there are as yet only 2 or 3 reported on the local BC branch forum; I wonder what the phenological difference is and whether it is consistent from year to year,

Rob

Thanks Rob. There is certainly a broad phenological gradient from south to north, with an additional bias towards the west. Cambridgeshire is certainly colder than Sussex, so I expect you are a week behind us. But they're coming!
BWs, Neil

First Orange Tip and Green-veined Whites today!

Rob

Some lovely images in your last few posts Neil.

I particularly like the side on views of the Bee Fly, I never realised what cute and cuddly looking little critters they look from that perspective

Cheers,

Neil.

Thanks Neil. Yes, they are cute - like a cross between Zorro and a teddy bear.
BWs, Neil

Today (9th April) I spent a few more happy hours amongst the butterflies and wild flowers of the meadows and country lanes around Billingshurst and Five Oaks. Orange Tip, Green-veined White, Small White (my first of the year), Speckled Wood, Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral were all present, with numbers of the first two species now on the increase. There were plenty of butterflies to entertain today's visitors, including my brother's family from Antwerp and Jack Harrison from Mull. UKBer Katrina made the more modest journey from Brighton. During the afternoon, while the butterflies were too active to get anywhere near, I drove slowly around the area surveying the flower-filled roadside ditches, finding an average of 3.5 Orange Tips per mile.

Dingy Out!

This morning (10th April) I started off at Mill Hill, Shoreham. It wasn't long before I met Dave Potter, who told me he had seen a Dingy Skipper earlier. This surprised me, given that Grizzled Skipper has stalled and refuses to appear in numbers greater than one! However, there was no doubting the impressive image on his camera. Dave is a very experienced birder but fairly new to butterflies, so bagging the UK's first Dingy is an impressive start. Dave soon relocated the Dingy and I subsequently found a second male. Just to prove it wasn't a fluke he then found the single Grizzled Skipper of the morning.

They are so beautiful when fresh. Anything but dingy!

Lovely shot, Neil.

Best wishes,

Lee

Wow! I never expected Dingies to be about this early.

I simply must get out over the weekend to see what's about near where I live. There could be a few surprises.