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Looking back at 2015 – part 2.

…Continuing on with the summary of the remaining 25 species that I saw through the rest of the 2015 season, again in approximate order that each species was seen.

26. Silver-studded Blue – Having seen a couple of sighting reports of SSBs at Upton Towns just before we went down to Cornwall, I was hoping that I would get a chance to have a look whilst we were there. On the last Friday afternoon I got my chance and drove over for a look and found half a dozen or so mostly fresh males in sheltered spots in the dunes.
27. Clouded Yellow – A single example seen at Upton Towans then half a dozen seen later in the year when we were down in Dorset in early September.
28. Large Skipper – First one of the year seen at Greenscombe Woods when we stopped off on the way back from Cornwall on 6th June but it was another week or so before I started to see them around my local patch. They then seemed to have a very good year with large numbers around for the rest of June and most of July.
29. Meadow Brown – Another species first seen at Greenscombe Wood on 6th June. Seemed to have a good year around my local sites and I also saw good numbers everywhere else that I went. They were particularly numerous around Durdle Door in early September.
30. Heath Fritillary – This species was the reason for the stop off at Greenscombe Woods on the way back from our week in Cornwall. A dozen or more were seen during the all too brief time that I could spend here before continuing on our way back home.
31. Black Hairstreak – A day down at Bernwood in on 16th June provided my first ever Black Hairstreaks with a couple seen in the meadows and maybe half a dozen at the M40 compensation area on a partly cloudy and quite breezy day. A week later I went down to Whitecross Green Wood where I saw another half a dozen or so.
32. Marbled White – First seen at Bernwood Meadows on 16th June and then at a number of sites through the summer.This species first appeared at my local sites around Solihull in 2012 and since then numbers have increased year on year. This year was the best yet with good numbers seen at one site in particular. There were still a few in good condition around Durdle Door in early September.
33. Ringlet – Ringlets always seem to do well in cooler years and this year was no exception with them appearing in almost plague like numbers at most local sites. I also had them in my garden in greater numbers than ever with 6 at once on one afternoon.
34. Small Skipper – This was one of the species that was a bit late appearing in any numbers around my local patch but then had a good year with fresh looking examples still appearing well into August.
35. Silver-washed Fritillary – I saw the first few in the Heddon Valley in late June followed by good numbers at Fermyn Woods a couple of weeks later. A couple of worn examples were still flitting about at Bernwood in the second week of August.
36. High Brown Fritillary – My main target species for my 3 day stay in the Heddon Valley. A couple of days of beautiful weather produced good numbers in the area. About a month later I also saw a few up at Arnside Knott but not as many as in previous visits to that area.
37. Dark Green Fritillary – My previous comments about the HBF apply equally to this species. Seen at the same places in approximately the same numbers.
38. Gatekeeper – Another species that was a bit late appearing but then seemed to have a good year and hung around a bit longer than usual. There were still a few around in Dorset in early September.
39. Essex Skipper - Like the Small Skipper in that they were a bit late appearing and then had a good year. More numerous than the Small Skipper at some local sites and with their slightly later flight period they were still about in numbers well into August. Also a garden first for me this year.
40. White Admiral – I only saw this species on one occasion this year and that was at Fermyn Woods in mid-June. I quite simply didn’t get around to seeing them at any of their Warwickshire haunts.
41. Purple Emperor – After missing out on a visit to Fermyn last year, I was determined to get there this year but unfortunately I was a bit late going and missed the best time by about a week. During a day that started off wet and then gradually improved by the afternoon I saw half a dozen with just a couple coming to ground. Numbers reported here this year were apparently well down compared with the showings of the previous few years.
42. Purple Hairstreak – Due to their elusive tree top living habits I have no idea what kind of year this species had. I saw them on a number of occasions at various sites flitting about the tops of trees and had a short but notable audience with a number of individuals at Bernwood Meadows when I stopped off there on my way back form a day at Aston Rowant. I was also pleased to finally confirm their presence in the park by my Moms house.
43. Scotch Argus – My main target for the trip up to Arnside in late July. I was in fact a little early this year which combined with a slightly later emergence meant that I saw far fewer than previous visits and those I did see were all males. Apparently they were flying in good numbers a week or so later.
44. Grayling – A few seen at Arnside Knott and Gait Barrows and then about a month later there were loads on the slopes above Durdle Door.
45. Northern Brown Argus – A bonus for me this year. I have previously seen this species at a few sites in the Arnside area when I visited last year in mid-June. During my visits in previous years which were later for Scotch Argus the NBA have usually finished so it was a pleasant surprise to find a number of good condition examples still around, both at Arnside Knott and at Gait Barrows. Apparently they emerged around their normal time and then dribbled out over a longer period than usual, no doubt as a result of the generally wet and gloomy weather in that part of the country earlier this year.
46. Chalkhill Blue – I saw loads of these on both sides of the reserve at Aston Rowant on 12th August. My impression was they were a bit later emerging here as there seemed to be more fresh examples flying compared to my visits in previous years which have usually been a week or two earlier. I also saw loads still in good condition on Bindon Hill on Sept. 2nd, far more than my visits there in previous years when there are usually just a few late ones left.
47. Silver-spotted Skipper – My main target for my visit to Aston Rowant. Good numbers flying on both sides of the reserve and although I did not make an accurate count there appeared to be more on the slopes on Bald Hill on the south side than there were on the north side of the M40.
48. Brown Hairstreak – Just the one individual of this species seen this year, during my stop off at Bernwood Meadows on the way back from Aston Rowant.
49. Adonis Blue – This species is always one of my main targets to see during our late summer family breaks in Dorset. Their emergence in this area appeared to be a bit late this year but varied by site with loads at White Horse Hill Osmington and fewer than usual on Bindon Hill. Also, I did not find any females at Bindon Hill which indicated that it was still early in their emergence there.
50. Lulworth Skipper – With Durlston Country Park being a known late site for this species and having seen them there before in early September I was hoping to see them there this year. Unfortunately there was a weekend of heavy rain at the beginning of our stay in Dorset which I feared might have finished them off so I was pleased to find a couple of well-worn females when I went to Durlston on 1st September. The biggest surprise for me however was finding a female still on the slopes above Durdle Door on the afternoon of our last day (4th September).

So that’s it…50 species seen and photographed during what in some respects turned out to be quite a challenging year. As usual, I managed to make the most of my time by planning trips and family breaks to maximise the opportunities to see as many species as possible, but even so I managed to see a few species that I hadn’t planned for at the beginning of the year.

The cloud that had been regularly building up through May continued to be a feature for the rest of the year, as did a persistent wind that made itself felt to some degree on almost every trip out. The weather wasn’t all bad, there were some spells of decent warm weather, but overall the summer was a cool and cloudy one.

With me finally seeing Black Hairstreaks this year, it just leaves Chequered Skipper as the only resident UK mainland species that I have not yet seen. Of course to complete the UK list I would have to take a trip across the Irish Seas for the Cryptic Wood White.
I have not yet made any attempt to see a Long-tailed Blue but if they start turning up more regularly then that may be on the cards before long. I also believe a LTB was reported from near Weymouth the week before we went down to Dorset so you never know.

With a couple of months of cold dark nights ahead still, it is time to start thinking of next season and of making plans on where to go and what to see.

Bye for now,

Neil.

Superb once again, Neil. Lovely, sharp images too, especially the Silver Washed & High Brown Fritillaries.

I agree And your Gatekeeper is an ab., if you could add it here: gallery/album.php?album_id=353

Cheers,

- Pete

HI Neil,
You've got some crackers there, and some species iv'e yet to see. Invariably they are the one's
that are a long distance from home. Lovely shots of the High Brown and Black Hairstreak .
Now that I have a new car I will feel more confident embarking on a long journey to see some lifers!.

All the very best,
Trevor.

Fantastic photos Neil, I really envy them and wish I'd taken them Goldie

Thanks all for the great comments, they are really appreciated

Hi Pete, thanks for asking but Vince has reminded me that the Gatekeeper photo is already in the ab.excessa folder in the species specific gallery after he requested it a while back.

Cheers,

Neil.

Neil Freeman wrote:Vince has reminded me that the Gatekeeper photo is already in the ab.excessa folder in the species specific gallery after he requested it a while back.

I should have realised that Vince would be on top of things, as usual!

Cheers,

- Pete

An interesting report and one that's given me some food for thought as I write my '2015 Tally', cracking shots as well especially the Scotch Argus

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel, looking forward to your summary of the season

Looking back at 2015 - part 3.

Whilst looking back through my photos, it has become a bit of a habit for me to pick out a few photos that, although not necessarily the best I took I still find interesting for one reason or another. One group of these are photos that show more than one butterfly in the frame, sometimes displaying courtship behaviour or sometimes just simply nectaring or basking together.
Bye for now,

Neil.

I love these kinds of photographs. Those Small Torties particularly made me smile.

David M wrote:Those Small Torties particularly made me smile.

Me too And the Speckled woods of course. Lovely selection of multiples Neil

You make shots of multiples look easy, but easy they are not.
Luck, opportunity, right place at the right time are all needed in equal measure.
How many UKBer's have a shot of male and female Orange Tip together, not many i'll bet.
Superb stuff .

All the best for 2016,
Trevor.

Many thanks for the great comments David, Jack and Trevor

Looking back at 2015 - the places.

With various family stuff going on over Christmas I have been a bit busy but with just a few hours left of this year I thought I would post a few photos looking back at the various places I visited during 2015.

During the spring I ventured out a few times around Warwickshire to places such as Bishops Hill, Harbury Spoilbank and Ryton Wood.
I also spent a day wandering around the Wyre Forest,
In early June I had my first trip further afield when we stayed for a week on the Lizard in Cornwall,
Later in June I went looking for my first Black Hairstreaks at Bernwood and Whitecross Green Wood...
and towards the end of June it was down for a few days in the Heddon Valley,
A month later I was heading north for a few days in the Arnside area,
I was a bit later than usual taking my usual run down the M40 to Aston Rowant but this seemed to tie in nicely with the late season,
Then at the end of August we were down in Dorset for our usual weeks break, again stopping at Durdle Door,
Overall I had a great year returning to some familiar places plus visiting a couple of new places for me

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year and hoping that we all manage to see what we wish for in the forthcoming season.

Cheers,

Neil.

All the best to you, Neil, and many thanks for posting such uplifting images on a dreary New Year's Eve.

Lovely series of shots Neil however my favourite has to be of Durdle Door, my favourite place in the whole world. Happy New Year!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely shots Neil, my favourites are the shots at Arnside and Gait Barrows, they remind me of the summer to come, hope fully better weather too, Happy New Year to you Goldie

My apologies David, Wurzel and Goldie...I have just noticed that I didn't respond and thank you for your comments With not having much to post in my diary during the dull winter months I must have just missed them.

Sunday 17th January.

After a mild but very wet and windy start to the new year, the weather returned to more typical conditions during the past week with overnight temperatures dropping to minus figures and those during the daytime struggling to reach 4 or 5 degrees at most.
Along with some morning frosts we have had our first snow, with me driving to work through some fairly heavy stuff early Thursday morning and some lighter flurries on Friday morning. The band of snow that passed across the country last night left us with a covering of a couple of centimeters this morning but this was mostly washed away by midday.

There have been plenty of birds visiting the garden with all the species that I usually get showing up with the exception of Blackcaps which I have not seen in the garden since early last year for some reason.

A couple of shots below taken through the window from the comfort of my back room
Looks like the weather is going to be staying cold for a bit so the butterflies should be staying tucked away where they should be at this time of year.

Bye for now,

Neil

Great shots Neil, especially that cracking Bullfinch

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely shots Neil, your right about the Robin it looks great in the Winter months, we've missed the Gold Finch in our Garden , they've not paid us a visit since October. Goldie

Cheers Wurzel We have at least 2 pairs of Bullfinches visiting the garden regularly which I have confirmed by seeing both pairs there together.

Thanks Goldie . I have Goldfinches visit my garden occasionally but have not seen any myself since the autumn.

After a couple of weeks of colder but brighter weather with overnight temperatures down to -2 or -3 and regular frosty mornings, it has gone back to being a bit milder here but wet and gloomy. I am starting to give some serious thoughts to some plans for the coming season and booking some time off work but as usual will have to take a bit of a flyer with various species in terms of emergence times.
So far around here the first half of the winter was very mild with conditions only returning to something like normal for the past couple of weeks. There is plenty of time yet for a proper cold snap and indeed I can remember a few winters when a mild first half was followed by a colder second half which dragged on into spring...only time will tell what the coming season will turn out like.

Bye for now,

Neil.