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Lovely Red Admirals Dave, as you say some really recently emerged That Comma thought, stunning, it's sooooo ginger

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Since we visit the same sites quite often, your diary is usually at the top of my list to check on what's about if I've not been able to get out for a few days, looks like I have some serious catching up to do! Those hutchinsoni are truly stunning

It looks as if the weather may perk up round your way a bit by next weekend, Goldie - I certainly hope so.

Definitely a fresh local crop of Admirals, Wurzel. A reliable sight here in almost any month of the year these days. And the new Commas are just magnificent.

Yes, Buggy, get out and see them whilst they're fresh - they haven't got the staying power of the hibernating brood...

Saturday 10th June: Glorious weather this morning, but I was forced to stay local - which is no great chore as there is always something to see. For the first time in quite a while, I saw all the common Nymphalid species on the same day: Red Admirals, Commas old and new, an elderly Peacock, several new Small Tortoiseshells, and two Painted Ladies. The wind made photos difficult to achieve and the sunshine made the butterflies very active: the Painted Ladies were just astonishing in their high speed aerobatics. New hutchinsoni Commas appeared in their usual haunt at Comma Corner - two in particular spent ages contesting the right to sit on the same leaf. As I walked the path across the open areas, I disturbed a series of Small Tortoiseshells, as well as the Painted Ladies - they were basking and taking minerals from horse dung. Whilst following Common Blues and a Brown Argus, I was putting up Small Heaths in all directions, and I glimpsed one of these being intercepted by a small orange blur, which turned out to be a Small Skipper. Unfortunately, every time I approached it, another Small Heath would disturb it. One of the Common Blues today had the same aberrant joined spots as I saw on another earlier in the season. Also seen today were Speckled Woods, Meadow Browns, Large Skippers and a Small White. Close to home on my return, I found a newly emerged Small Tortoiseshell nectaring avidly on the abundant bramble flowers. It clouded over later on, but I had another brief excursion. Bizarrely, at Comma Corner, there was a Comma - not a new one this time, but one of the old timers from last year. Even more oddly, I found another shortly afterwards. It seems that the new brood revel in sunshine and hide away if it's cloudy. However, the hibernators appear to cope happily with less sunny and warm conditions, as you might expect. I didn't see the two generations together, and I do wonder how they would interact.

Dave

Your local patch seems to defy the ' June gap '. I went to two usually good sites on Saturday,
and nothing at all. The old railway did perform, however.
Great Comma, and Small Tort. images. How's the brownie point/annual leave situation?.

Trevor.

June has brought a marked change, Trevor, but things never quite dry up, and the appearance of the new Commas, Red Admirals and Skippers has kept things going.

Sunday 11th June: More sunshine today and I expected a broadly similar day to Saturday on my local patch. There were brand new Commas again (but no old ones)... ...but a few other items of interest cropped up to make the day (as ever) different from any other. I managed to catch up first with another new Small Skipper, some way away from yesterday's sighting. I then found a new area with both Common Blues and Brown Argus: I watched two of the latter indulge in a right old tussle down in the grass - it looked quite violent for such tiny protagonists. Some of the Common Blues were still in reasonable nick. Meadow Browns were more frequent than yesterday but still difficult to approach. On my way back I spotted a Red Admiral behaving quite differently to most I see - it was flying gently over and back across a small patch of foliage. I suspected it to be a female, and just to confirm this, it settled on a nettle stalk and its abdomen arched down. After it moved on I checked the nettle and sure enough there was an egg. The geriatric Peacock and a posing Large Skipper completed the day. Dave

Dave, it's tough reading to see such an array of species when I'm stuck at work!!

I love the fresh Commas in particular!

Great stuff Dave - there is quite a difference, even though they're pretty two tone, in the markings on those fresh Commas It's great to see Smappers on your PD as that means they'll be round my way within the week I also noticed (you know what I'm like for seeing spots) that one of the tussling Brown Argus was pretty 'lightly' marked on the hind wing underside - a possible ab?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Looking out of the office window at a sunny day can be very depressing David, when you know there are things out there to see.

Thanks, Wurzel - yes there is quite a lot of variety in those Commas, and there are a few more every day at the moment which is good to see. And you're right about that Brown Argus - I wish I'd come across him before he started beating up his rivals and become so battered.

Monday 12th June: Late afternoon after work and there were more Commas, and a healthy portion of Red Admirals.The red bands were divided by heavy black lines on this rather worn individual...... and this much newer one has forewing edges that look almost pink. One Meadow Brown opened up a bit for a change as well. Dave

It's good when the Meadow Browns finally start opening up, but generally when they're past their best

Have a goodun

Wurzel

That's true, Wurzel. It's rare to catch a fresh one doing it, especially a female.

Tuesday 13th June: I was out around the same time as yesterday, and though probably warmer, it was quite cloudy. The stand out feature today though was that along a substantial bank of brambles along the banks of the River Colne, not far from the M25, there had been a noteable emergence of Small Tortoiseshells. I counted about a dozen (quite likely to be some repeats in there, I suspect), and there were lots of chases going on involving multiple butterflies. Mostly they basked on the brambles and other foliage, or on the path - which is where they were most accessible for photos. I also found another couple of Small Skippers, one of which was grounded for some while by the clouds. Commas were not so evident today, but one more darkly marked individual posed nicely on one of last year's teazels. Dave

Wednesday 14th June: A hot and sunny day. I escaped from work a bit early and decided on an expedition up the M40 to Whitecross Green Wood to see and catch a glimpse of a Black Hairstreak before the end of their distinctly early season. The paths through the wood are resplendent with flowers this year and there were Large Skippers everywhere. There were quite a few tired-looking Common Blues, Meadow Browns, Speckled Woods and Commas, plus one bright and very active Red Admiral. the skippers were all posing very nicely. As I approached one of the Hairstreak hotspots, I disturbed a Marbled White from the grass - it ascended and roosted in a tree, making for a very blurry photo from some way off. My first sighting of 2017. Shortly afterwards I found Black Hairstreaks. They were very active, almost entirely around the top of the trees and shrubs and affording no chances of a photo. However, I went off down a side path that has been productive in the past and caught sight of one resting lower down. It looked relatively new (female?) despite a nick from a forewing. I took one shot from a little way off, moved a bit closer - and it was away. I saw a few more over the blackthorn here as well, so all in all between 8 to 10 were seen. I spoke to a fellow enthusiast from Coventry who had seen a White Admiral earlier on, but I wasn't so lucky.

Dave

Pretty envious of your Blackstreak Dave I just can't pluck up the courage to go for them for fear of disappointment Oh well, maybe next year...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thank you, Wurzel - they are quite a lot of effort to see well, even when you're right at a hotspot. You can quite easily tick off a sighting, but decent photos are hard to come by. There seems to be a ready supply of honeydew on the leaves this year, so they have no need to nectar instead.

A quick visit to Bedfont Lakes CP on 15th produced Commas and Large Skippers, but little else. On Friday 16th June, I decided to have a look at the Essex Skipper colony which is perched on a grassy bit of roadside close to the airport perimeter. It was late afternoon, and a piece of cloud obstinately covered the sun for most of the time, but in this very small area of verge there were half a dozen roosting skippers.Walking back, inevitably there was a nice new Comma basking - a fairly dark one. The Essex Skippers are noticeably early - in the year I discovered this compact little colony (2012), they were fresh on 12th July. Dave

Great shots of the Essex Skippers, Dave. Unmistakeable!

Some lovely pictures of the Skippers Dave. I saw my first ones of the year yesterday and they were out in their hundreds.

Regards Kev

Great shots of the Essex Crooks they've clearly all had their dabs taken

Have a goodun

Wurzel

It's my turn to show greens, lovely shots of the Skippers, I've only ever managed one shot of them and that was not a pretty one so I'd love to see more, mine always turn out to be Small Skipper's Goldie

Ticked of my season first Essex the other day, whilst in Essex looking for WLH . They are early here as well, seemingly emerging at the same time as Smalls.

Thank you all for the kind comments. They are a very photogenic butterfly and their persistence in this spot amazes me every year. I wonder how they came to be here? It's interesting to compare them with the Small Skippers in the photos higher up in my diary just to see what differences there are (apart from them dipping their antennae in the inkpot!).

Saturday and Sunday were a complete blank for me. I developed something nasty tooth-related and spent some time tracking down an emergency dentist. It was also very hot and the combination kept me indoors. However, on Monday 19th June I felt better, and despite even more torrid weather, I decided on a walk at Black Park in Buckinghamshire. Within a few minutes of arriving in Strawberry Wood, I had seen three new species for the year: White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and Ringlet. However, I thought for a while that I would be unsuccessful getting any photos of any of them, and in the end came away with none of the Ringlets and just one of a SWF, caught as it took off from a rare nectar stop. I had almost despaired of the White Admirals as well, until I discovered what they like to do in hot weather. I found a shady grove of small oaks alongside a path, with a few brambles underneath. The shade was dappled and the path was in full sun, and three, possibly four, White Admirals were circling at low level around the grove. They paused every now and then to perch on a leaf, usually in the shade. Only once did one emerge and nectar on the brambles in full sun. The perching behaviour allowed for some backlit underneath shots, not something I've achieved before.This particular one seems to convey the heat of today with very much a summer butterfly. Also seen today were Meadow Browns, Speckled Woods, Commas, Large Skippers and a single elderly Brimstone.

Dave

Great shots of the White Admiral Dave, it's in my book for this year hope fully. Goldie