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Forty or so Scotch Argus seen at Arnside Knott on Thursday 6th August, almost all of which were very or fairly fresh:
High Brown and Dark Green Frits still on the wing, as are small numbers of Northern Brown Argus.

A request for info - Just wondering if anyone can tell me if there are any Brown Hairstreaks on the wing in the Crawley area yet, or is it still a bit too early?
The reason I ask is that this is a species I have yet to see & photograph and would like to make the trip from East Kent for them once they are on the wing.

Many thanks in advance,
Adrian

Hi Adrian,

I have not seen any locally. There have only been two reported in Sussex so far (29th and 30th July) but these were in the south of the county.

Vince

OK, thanks Vince, I did wonder if it was too early for them yet, but didn't want to leave it too late and miss them at their best.

Adrian

Saturday (8/8/15) and i once again returned to Queesndown Warren in Kent, target species were SSS.
Spent over 6 hours on site, and sure enough there were a few SSS's to be seen.

Several photos of both male and female, and what looks like a female egg laying/ovipositing.

Cheers Paul.


Probable male. This female looks to be ovipositing. A pair here, male in foreground/below, female in background/above.
EDIT - forgot to add, i saw 4 Holly Blues in my garden today (the most Ive seen at one time) all flying together and acting out courtship/duels.

An excellent 3 hours or so spent at West Williamston Reserve in Pembrokeshire on Saturday 8th August produced the following seventeen species:

Hedge Brown 60-80
Peacock 30-40
Meadow Brown 30-40
Red Admiral 10-15
Holly Blue 10-15
Large White 5-10
Small Copper 4
Green Veined White 3
Speckled Wood 3
Small Skipper 3
Ringlet 3
Comma 2
Small White 2
Common Blue 2
Silver Washed Fritillary 2
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Brown Hairstreak 1

Excellant numbers of Silver-spotted Skippers at Box Hill today. Seen right along their usual bank (last year they were mainly confined to the far end) and also a noticable amount on the higher bank. Also good numbers of Common Blue and a single male Small Blue seen.

Hi, Gang,

Last week (4th-7th August) I led a bug-hunting tour with Ashley Saunders of Oriole Birding. We offer four such tours each year but this one certainly 'took the biscuit'. In all we saw 35 species of butterfly in three-and-a-half days. So successful was it that I thought you might to read a short account. I've listed the species in alphabetical order with the sites seen in brackets. The list of sites is appended at the end.

Brimstone (2,8); Brown Argus (2,8); Brown Hairstreak (2); Chalkhill Blue (6,8); Comma (8); Common Blue (2,8); Dark Green Fritillary (6,8);
Essex Skipper (2,8); Gatekeeper (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8); Grayling (1,3,4,4,6,7); Green-veined White (1,2,7,8); Holly Blue (1,2,4,6);
Large Skipper (3); Large White (2,8); Lulworth Skipper (6); Marbled White (8); Meadow Brown (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8); Painted Lady (2,3);
Peacock (2,3,8); Purple Hairstreak (2); Red Admiral (6,8); Ringlet (2,6); Silver-spotted Skipper (8); Silver-studded Blue (4,5,7);
Silver-washed Fritillary (2,8); Small Blue (6); Small Copper (2,8); Small Heath (3); Small Skipper (2,6,8); Small Tortoiseshell (8);
Small White (2,8); Speckled Wood (2,8); Wall Brown (6); White Admiral (1); White-letter Hairstreak (8).

(1) Acres Down, New Forest; (2) Alners Gorse, Dorset; (3) Crockford Stream, New Forest; (4) Hatchet Pond,New Forest; (5) Matley Bog, New Forest; (6) Portland Bill, Dorset; (7) Shatterford, New Forest; (8) Stockbridge Down, Hants.

Happy hunting
Adrian Riley
www.bugalert.net

Adrian Dowling wrote:A request for info - Just wondering if anyone can tell me if there are any Brown Hairstreaks on the wing in the Crawley area yet, or is it still a bit too early?
The reason I ask is that this is a species I have yet to see & photograph and would like to make the trip from East Kent for them once they are on the wing.

Many thanks in advance,
Adrian

I had one fly past my window in West Sussex last Wednesday but I've not seen anything since. I went to Steyning that afternoon but the conditions were overcast and nothing was flying.

Female Brown Hairstreaks are out and about at the main Pembrokeshire site, so I'm certain they'll be around at the southern English sites right now. Definitely worth taking a chance!

Susie - nice to know there is at least one around, and past your window too, very nice.

David - thanks for the info, I had hoped to try today but the weather isn't good enough to chance the trip. Hopefully it will be better when I am off next week.

Adrian

Scorch Argus in abundance at Smardale Gill today - my first visit to this fantastic site, and a nice try-out for my new Sigma 150mm OS Macro lens!

Dave

DaveO'B wrote:Scorch Argus in abundance at Smardale Gill today - my first visit to this fantastic site...

It is, indeed, a breathtaking place.

IMO there are more aethiops here than there are at Arnside Knott.

Had a great day down at Aston Rowant yesterday (Wednesday 12th), spent the morning on the north side and then moved onto the south side for a couple of hours. Loads of Chalkhill Blues and Silver-spotted Skippers on both sides plus Essex and Small Skippers, Common Blues, Brown Argus, Peacocks, Brimstones, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, Speckled Wood and all three common whites. A couple of Small Coppers and a single Small Tortoiseshell were also seen on the north side and a couple of faded Marbled Whites on the south side

On the way back called in at Bernwood Meadows to check out the 'Purple Hairstreak hawthorn' at the end of the long meadow by the road. Approx half a dozen PHs were flitting about but best of all was a Brown Hairstreak that was fluttering about with them.
Report and photos in my diary as usual when I have sorted through the many photos taken during the day.

Neil.

Brown Hairstreaks out and about at Bookham Commons now, details in my PD

Great stuff, Neil. I'm sure Brown Hairstreaks are about to hit their straps 'countrywide' (assuming the thunderstorms haven't taken their toll).

Brown Hairstreak females Hants. Peter.

I'm seeing a lot more Holly Blues around at the moment, suggesting they are at the high point of their cycle. Are others noticing the same?
I've been doing a run-of-the-mill transect near Brentwood since 2009 and have had a previous high count of 7, in the summer of 2010. However, my last 4 counts have been 15-15-9 and today, 37!

picture taken late July, when it started getting silly.

Glorious 6 hours spent at the West Williamston Brown Hairstreak site near Pembroke this Saturday.

At least a dozen betulae were seen:
A fair few Holly Blues were about too:
Other species seen were Hedge Brown, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White, Green Veined White, Small Copper, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Painted Lady, Comma & Silver Washed Fritillary.

Comma caterpillar seen today near me - on a Red Admiral caterpillar "tent". This stretch of nettles had dozens of these folded leaves containing Red Admirals of various sizes - but only one Comma as far as I could see...

Dave