www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

The female looks nice and fresh, Essex - or else well preserved! - Janet

I share your pain, Mark! Lovely though those butterflies are, it’s hard to readjust to the UK scene, particularly when the weather reverts back to ‘Atlantic Front Mode’.

Thanks Janet and David. Visiting Europe makes one realise the sobering reality that Britain has a very impoverished butterfly fauna.

OSMINGTON

With the weather back to normal for Britain, and the resulting lack of time, we only got the chance to visit two butterfly sites in Dorset this year. The first was Osmington. In recent years, this has proved one of the most productive sites we have been to, but this year, it was most disappointing. The site was being heavily grazed, which meant there were no flowers for any butterflies to feed on. This is not the farmers fault, as the fields have probably been grazed out during the dry weather earlier in the summer. We did find some Adonis Blues, but very little else, and they had nothing to eat. It should soon recover, but we quickly left, as we couldn’t afford to waste any good weather.

A great Green-veined White shot Essex I know what you mean about how we compare to the continent in terms of butterfly diversity Why are we so impoverished though - can the channel really be that big a barrier, does it or maritime position significantly effect our climate?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Mark,

Interesting comments from your time in Dorset. I am heading down there on Friday for a week and was wondering what to expect given the dry summer. I saw some photos some weeks back showing Bindon Hill and Durlston CP looking very parched.

Cheers,

Neil.

Wurzel, I think it’s a combination of both of those things. I don’t believe it’s climate alone, as much of northern France, and even northwest Spain, have a climate not so very different to southern England, but a much greater butterfly diversity.

Neil, I wish you well in Dorset, I will be most interested to see what you find there.

BALLARD DOWN

After our failure at Osmington, we hot footed it to Ballard Down. Although a bit lacking in diversity, this was much more successful, with reasonable numbers of Adonis Blues present. A few common Blues and Brown Argus were also seen here. This was our most successful Dorset site, though not so good as in the past.

Loved your reports from Spain Mark, jaw-dropping stuff.

Sorry about that Dorset weather, but you still managed some cracking shots.

Some lush Adonis there Essex - the last shot should carry a 'Danger High Voltage' warning as it's so electric blue

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I have just been going through your Spanish holiday experiences. Its just one wonder after another. I can't imagine what it must have been like.

Nice array of Adonis images, Mark. For some reason the colour always appears more vivid when they perch with their heads facing the ground.

Thanks everybody. On the path between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, I found this Grayling resting on the chalk chippings. While this picture shows a slightly different than usual view of Durdle Door.

Great Grayling Essex and an interesting shot of the best place in the world In all the years I've visited the Lulworth area I've never seen a Grayling along this stretch of coast

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Dorset was full of people, the busiest I’ve ever seen it. And they all seemed to be having a good time, despite the weather.

LATE AUGUST IN KENT.

So, to end the month, it was back down to Lydden Temple Ewell. The recent rain had certainly freshened up the local plant life, and there were plenty of flowers for insects to feed on. Here is eyebright. Autumn ladies tresses were now in flower, a sign of the season. Blues were well represented, with still a few Chalkhills. Here is a Common Blue. And this is Adonis. Small Heath are having a bumper year, with hundreds present-easily the most abundant species here. There was a surprise, when I found this Dingy Skipper during a cloudy spell. What I was really hoping for were some Silver Spotted Skippers. Well I’m pleased to say there were, including some fresh ones. This is a highly charismatic butterfly, a great late-season favourite of mine, and anything that can be done to extend their season can only be good.

Great set of pics essexbuzzard, I especially like that first SSSk showing off the underside! I think that Dingy would have completely thrown me - not just the rare second gen, but it also looks like quite a pale individual, and in an unusual posture to boot!

Lovely Silver Spotted Skippers, Mark. Enjoy them (and all the others) whilst they last. In another month's time we'll be left with just a few Whites and the adult overwinterers.

KENT EARLY SEPTEMBER.

Early September, and it was back to Lydden Temple Ewell in east Kent. Signs of autumn were clear to see, with a rich crop of hawthorn berries. I was pleased to see some Small Coppers, as it seems everyone else is seeing them! Adonis Blues were common, many still in fine condition. Here is a female Adonis Blue with a view. More to come...

Looking forward to the 'more to come' Essex That final shot is mighty fine

Have a goodun

Wurzel

As before, Small Heaths were abundant, probably outnumbering all the other species put together. Small Whites have been common everywhere, but here is a Large White, which have been far fewer in number. Here, Silver Spotted Skippers continue into autumn, and I was pleased to find several in good condition. Here is a shot of an underside. I didn’t notice at the time, but danger lurks under this flower head... Meadow Browns were still present, in low numbers. Buzzards bred at Lydden this year, and the noisy juveniles,with their smart new plumage, were much in evidence. Kent was the last county to be recolonised during their recent expansion. Just a month after leaving the nest, they can fly, soar and hover as well as their parents. But, although equipped with a hooked beak and powerful talons, they take much longer to perfect their hunting techniques, and it is likely many exist on worms, insects and chance carrion finds through winter, once the adults stop feeding them at the end of September.

Juvenile kestrels were also on site, hovering and dropping down to catch insects. Kestrels are in decline, so it was good to see them here. Their breeding success seems to be holding up, so the survival rate of these juveniles, and therefore the recruitment into the breeding population, could be the problem.

Thanks Wurzel. Yes, it’s always nice to keep the season going that little bit longer!

I'm drawing this in as best I can, Mark. In a few short weeks it'll all be gone and we'll be looking forward to what 2019 has in store.