www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Still quiet here but a nice ♀ Holly Blue in the garden this lunchtime. Melksham, Wiltshire

As promised, shots of my first Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreak of 2022, seen today down at Denbies Hillside on the North Downs. I think there were a couple of Grizzlies, and at least four Green Hairstreaks.Full report of proceedings in my PD in due course.

Cheers,

Dave

Took a short wander round my local fields today. Now that approval to develop the site for 130 houses has been given, I have to get in as many trips as I can - although each visit leaves that bittersweet taste. There is nowhere locally I know of with such a rich concentration of insect species this side of the downs or Ditchling Common. The blackthorn/oak/bramble hedgerows alone are centuries old (and very wide)....and they've started punching holes in those already.

Still mustn't grumble (a saying I only use after 15-20 minutes of solid grumbling).

Nothing quite as sexy as Dave's Grizzly or GH but I did see 5 Peacock, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Small White, a Speckled Wood and my first Orange Tip of the year (sans orange tips). Plus a great view of a kingfisher taking an ox-bow bend in the Herrings stream in its stride and at full pelt.

Dandelions may not care about the time, but they are certainly doing their bit for insects. The fields are full of them and each one seems to have a bee or hoverfly feeding on it. Not to mention the odd butterfly. I even found one just waiting to accommodate multiple insects arriving from different directions.

I kept a sneaky half day quiet so Mr sod wouldn't inflict his law on me again, it worked !

Well done, Paul. You must do that more often.

My first female Orange Tip of 2022 near home this morning......then another visit to Denbies at lunchtime where more Green Hairstreaks and Grizzled Skippers were flying - until it clouded over. Cheers,

Dave

The first of the Orange-tips I have been rearing emerged today.

Excellent news that Grizzled Skippers and Green Hairstreak are out Dave. That cheered me immensely up to read that. Lovely photos too.

I saw 26 butterflies on Sunday, notably 2 of them were Orange Tip, my first of the year.

A day at Bookham turned into a bit of an Orange-tip festival. Double figures within the first hour (including 3 females) and a count in a small corner of 15 eggs already!

A brief sunny interlude in the garden this morning brought out this fresh ♀ Holly Blue. Melksham, Wiltshire

Saw my first male OT today....it was my first OT at work this year. Unlike me, male OTs are gold standard zigzag wanderers.

Also saw what I take to be a Light Brown Apple Moth. Reading up about it, it's a rapidly expanding Aussie species that is continually brooded and whose larvae feed on a massive range of stuff. Little wonder I'm seeing it at work - it'll fill its boots in a garden nursery !

Certainly is LBAM. I've reared the larvae from scabious, valerian, broom, osier, possibly one or two other things.

Stevieb wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 2:03 pmA brief sunny interlude in the garden this morning brought out this fresh ♀ Holly Blue. Melksham, Wiltshire

What a delight, Steve.

saw first Holly Blue of the season in the middle of St Neots this morning, then an Orange Tip or two at Little Paxton Nature Reserve.

First visit of the year to the hill. 6 Green Hairstreak, 4 Peacock, 2 Brimstone and 1 Comma.
Plus a few Marsh Frit caterpillars. Battlesbury Hill, Wiltshire

Anthocaris, couple of mornings ago, must have just emerged onto this pink hyacinth. Didn't know they had pink in the underwing, they never seem to keep still long enough. Still my favourites however.

Friday 15th - the cloud broke up a little around 1pm, so I thought I'd drive three miles to the edge of Fairwood Common to explore an area of local woodland. Butterflies seen were:

Brimstone 5
Peacock 4
Green Veined White 3
Orange Tip 3 (2m, 1f)
Speckled Wood 2
Large White 1 (female)

It was sunny all day in my corner of South Derbyshire yesterday and there is no escaping it, I was a little disappointed in my haul of 34 butterflies seen. I did remind myself in the evening that it is only mid April.

- Small Tortoiseshell 10
- Orange Tip 7
- Brimstone 7
- Peacock 7
- Speckled Wood 2
- Holly Blue 1

Pride of place in my haul was my first Holly Blue of the year. I was also quite pleased with the 7 Brimstone, as they are not commonplace here.

A truly perfect butterfly day today in Devon, full sun blue skies and 16 degrees with light wind.
I spent the afternoon at the celebrated Garden House (check website www.thegardenhouse.org.uk) Lots of Orange tips there enjoying this lovely Devon day, here are a pair in cop, on Lady smock.
Brimstones, Small Whites and Peacocks also in abundance.