End of Year Tally 2014
For me 2014 was a bit of a mixed bag. Things started well with Bob seeing me in at the New Year, a Red Admiral in January and a Small Tortoiseshell in February. It then got slowed down as the mild, stormy winter calmed; there were periods of activity interspersed with cooler times so things would get going to then be held back when the weather changed. Eventually things seemed to get going proper and not as late as last year. The summer passed by quite quickly and then the autumn seemed to go on and on, not exactly an Indian Summer just a never ending autumn with butterflies in October and November. I even managed to film a Red Admiral on 23rd December so 2014 was the year I had a full house, with butterflies in every month.
One thing I noticed this year was an East/West split with almost a fortnight difference between the emergence of species in the warmer, sunnier and drier eastern side of the country compared to those in my local neck of the woods. It felt like I was forever playing catch-up with the first sightings generally coming in from the East and then I’d have to sit around and twiddle my thumbs whilst the butterflies got round to emerging near me. Things in the west started to speed up and then things started coming earlier – but still behind eastern part of the country generally.
It felt like quite a frustrating year for me – I did get to see more species this year compared to last but often it felt like hard work. If I wasn’t rushing to beat the weather I’d only see one or two of my intended targets or I didn’t manage to get a photo as they were playing hard to get. Also I didn’t manage to make visits to some of the places I’d intended and often I’d choose to go somewhere and the call would turn out to be the wrong one and there to rub salt into the wound would be a report from someone detailing the bucket loads of butterflies at the site I’d chosen not to visit. So yes 2014 felt like hard work, hopefully 2015 will be easier and more relaxing!
And so to work...
The Skippers
1 Small Skipper, 14-06 Five Rivers
Almost three weeks earlier in my locale than last year although that could have been down to actually getting out and looking and finding rather than the actual emergence. To me they seemed to put in a good showing this year and I saw them in good numbers at a range of sites including first sightings at work and even at the girls local play park.
2 Essex Skipper, 30-06 Five Rivers
Essex Skippers also seemed to have a good year in my neck of the woods and I was seeing them at most sites that I visited. I’m finding it easier to identify them now although how long that will continue I don’t know as my knees are starting to wear out. The easiest place to identify them is The Devenish as the side of the down is so steep that I don’t need to clamber around to see the presence or lack of ink pads so long as I’m higher on the down than the butterfly. In terms of emergence they came out slightly earlier than last year but only by about a week.
3 Lulworth Skipper, 15-06 Lulworth Cove
The recorded emergence of the first Lulworth was much earlier than last year. In fact when I went to see them in mid June they were already looking pretty worn and this was almost 6 weeks earlier than my first sighting in 2013. That being said they were still around the Lulworth site in mid August. I found it difficult to judge how well they did as I saw them at several sites this year (including one at my annual camping holiday site Downshay). However the seemingly ever changing phrenology of this species does seem to be having an effect as although they are around for a huge length of time when I did see them they weren’t in the huge numbers that I’ve encountered before and rather than seeing what felt like hundreds on a visit at the new sites they were individuals and at Lulworth itself I was scrabbling around trying to find them. Hopefully they’ll get their timing sorted and settle back into a routine to enable them to start building in numbers.
4 Silver Spotted Skipper, 25-07-2014 Stockbridge Down
Last year I was lucky enough to find a Silver Spot at Martin Down but I didn’t have the same luck this year. In fact I only managed a single trip out to look for Silver Spots at Stockbridge Down. They were easy enough to find at this site but they were definitely down in number compared to last year. I’m just hoping that they did better at other sites nearby and that after a few not so good years they can pick up at Stockbridge.
I did find them earlier this year, by a fortnight but that is more to do with being able to get out and find them than they actual phrenology. This year unlike previously I was able to take advantage of the first couple of days of the holiday s I broke up on the Wednesday so I had a spare couple of days before we set off on our camping trip. On my trip to Stockbridge this year I was accompanied by both my daughters and they had a great time trying to hunt down the Silver Spots for their dad and I think that they’re my younger daughter’s favourite butterfly as she remarked on how much they look like a Teddy Bear when we were able to approach one as it was feeding.
5 Large Skipper, 25-05-2014 Marshie Site
I’m not really confident with explaining how well Large Skippers did this year as I saw them in just as wide a range of sites as last year and my first sighting was three weeks earlier. Yet on the other hand I don’t recall seeing them in such large numbers as I did last year. Then on the further other hand (or should that be foot?) they still seemed abundant. Can’t quite fathom it if I’m honest but my gut tells me that they didn’t have as good a year as other species.
6 Dingy Skipper, 03-05 Martin Down
It seemed like this species emerged a few weeks earlier this year and also they seemed to have a good season with numbers on the rise. There were a couple of highlights with this species for me this year including finding them at The Devenish for the first time. The second was witnessing some unusual behaviour at the same site. The Dingy flew up high and perched in a tree about 12 feet up where it adopted the usual roosting pose with the wings held back like a moth. Hopefully I’ll be able to add them to the Larkhill list in 2015.
7 Grizzled Skipper, 18-04-2014 Duke site
One of the best things about 2014 was that Larkhill threw up plenty of Grizzlies after finding my first there in 2013. I found that by walking further along the West bound path brought me to the best parts of the site for Grizzlies as here the shrubs were sparser and the path was stonier and the Grizzlies liked to bask in the early morning sun. This year I found my first Grizzlie of 2014 almost a month earlier than in 2013 at my Duke site. In fact I saw Grizzlies at a wide range of sites and in good numbers so I feel that they had a good year.
Have a goodun
Wurzel
In fact looking back on it now I remember that Iphad visited the site before - on a Scout night hike - I should have been looking out for Moths 
What you say about the expectation is true and I go though it for pretty much every species throughout the year - but I wouldn't have it any other way