www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

First chalkhill blue for me at Brading Down Isle of Wight this evening and then later across the road from my house at Branstone, several Essex and small skippers roosting.
Essex skipper you are cleared for take-off now!:)

Met PeteE and Matthew Oates at Fermyn today...quite crowded, especially when someone (Dean Eades) takes a log to provide photogenic backgrounds for PEs..
Picture by Erja... A more traditional view... Terrible table manners....

I still can't believe you didn't point out butterflyer, sub species Eeles, for us Nick

Fantastic party! Are you guys all so old?

I don't think anyone has yet picked up the thread I started about PEs and dog mess:

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6983

Jack

Rosalyn wrote:I still can't believe you didn't point out butterflyer, sub species Eeles, for us Nick

He's so smooth in his flight, that once you've seen him, you have the jizz!
Yes - sorry that I didn't formally introduce you two to Pete; I just thought you must know him....everyone knows Pete, surely?

Jack Harrison wrote:I don't think anyone has yet picked up the thread I started about PEs and dog mess:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6983
Jack

Sorry Jack - that PE was on good old fashioned natural bait.....
I do have one on dog mess if you prefer?

Maybe I should get a dog and attract PEs to Mull.

Jack

Phenomenal butterfly numbers at Crymlyn Burrows on the Swansea coast today. Still loads of Dark Green Fritillaries about, though mostly faded now. Meadow Browns being disturbed with practically every step.

Species seen in just less than 2 hours:

Meadow Brown 300+
Dark Green Fritillary 100-150
Small Skipper 60-80
Hedge Brown 40-60
Small Blue 30-50 (second brood now emerging)
Ringlet 20-30
Small White 8
Small Copper 5
Common Blue 2 (tatty first brooders)
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Large Skipper 1 (where have they all gone?)
Green Veined White 1
Small Heath 1

plenty of butterflies around the Bath area the last 2 days, countless numbers of small skippers, plenty of marbled whites and a few white letter hairstreaks. Took a pic of this little chap too (skipper sp.) and got my suspicions that it's an Essex skipper, though never seen one before - can someone please verify for me the likelihood of this.
Cheers, Alex

The last one looks like an Essex to me.

Agreed - the last one is certainly Essex.

Guy

Alexc wrote:got my suspicions that it's an Essex skipper

From the long narrow abdomen, this looks like a male, so if you have any pics that show the upperside, the short straight sex brand would settle it.

I see that while I was writing my post, others have confirmed Essex and it certainly looks good to me. It's always nice to get a 'first'

Mike

Given that they've reached Cardiff, I've even been checking the Small Skippers here in Swansea today. I reckon it might only be another 2 or 3 years before they arrive this far west.

Thanks guys for the comments, I'm quite pleased to have found my first Essex, though have to confess that I didn't even notice until I had looked through my pics! Just goes to show the value of a camera in the field!
Cheers, Alex

Noticed my first Essex today..... in amongst loads of Small Skipper....a few appearing to lay in the junction of grass sheaths and stems, about 10" above ground....
Interesting to watch them go about their business; testing stems for suitability and them crawling to the correct place to lay an egg.
They seem to insert them inside the sheath of grass, as I couldn't find any eggs visible. I suppose they could all have not laid anything, but they seemed very business-like...

Nice observations Nick! Small Skipper are able to lay their eggs surprisingly deep within a sheath, so much so that you need to unfurl the sheath to see them at all! They must have quite a long and robust ovipositor!

Cheers,

- Pete

Yesterday at Chobham Heath, S S Blues 30+, few large skippers, plenty of small skippers and ringlets also large number of small heath they look rather larger than usual ones. Plenty speckled wood. Few comma and Tortoiseshell and whites. No graylings yet. Cheers Sezar

Alexc »

Just goes to show the value of a camera in the field!

Nowadays, I rarely bother with binoculars. My Panasonic FZ150 has better resolution than standard 8x42 bins; moreover, with a camera you can look at the subject at leisure to confirm i/d. I find this particularly useful with birds.

For example, I wasn’t sure when I saw this in the distance whether it was a Pipit or an Eagle. The photo enabled instant confirmation.

http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac85 ... 82f16d.jpg

Jack

Sussex Kipper sighted today in a Northamptonshire wood by my son Chris and myself.

Usually to be found further south but has been known to appear anywhere, a bit like a two legged(wheeled?) Painted Lady or Clouded Yellow
Anyone with sharp eyes may notice that there are two Purple Emperors in the photo above, one just in front of Neil's boots and another in flight just in front of the knees of the chap on the left (my apologies if you read this, I didn't get your name)
Just after that photo was taken the airborne one landed on that chaps jeans
A great day in Fermyn, apparently a bit quieter than Monday/Tuesday but one during which I still saw more Purple Emperors than I have all put together up until today

As usual, loads of photos to sort through.

Neil F.