www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

badgerbob wrote:The other day I found a fully grown Red Admiral larva climbing up the door of my garage. On opening the door it fell off so I placed it in the foliage in the garden. Later I found it having a half hearted attempt at building a larval web. The next day it had given up on the web and had started to pupate. Unlike the Wall Brown larva I followed in the Spring that took 7 days to become a pupa from starting to pupate, the Red Admiral had changed to a pupa the following day. It is an amazing pupa with gold leaf shine on it and many patterns

That is indeed a work of art, Bob. Well done for finding and sharing it.

Today in my north Scottish garden, Peacocks, Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals, Large and Small Whites, Speckled Woods.
Surprisingly Commas still don't seem to got this far north.

Jack

Good that you're still seeing Peacocks up there, Jack. I think all the ones round here went into hibernation a fortnight ago!

At Samphire Ho today ,I was surprised to find 7 Male Adonis still flying ,in various stages of wear ,and all posing on the brambles and the Wild Clematis along the beach. Also seen were 4 Common Blues ,2 Clouded Yellows and 3 Painted Lady ,high numbers of Whites egg-laying on Sea Kale and Wild Cabbage.

Later on a late afternoon visit to Orlestone forest ,things were a little more Autumnal, with 2 Brimstone ,3 Speckled woods ,3 Peacocks ,2 Small Heath ,and three fresh male Meadow Browns ,and one Small Copper. Habitat shot at Samphire Ho ,the Adonis were along the bushes on the right.

Delightful coastline shot, Allan, and you have surprised me with your image of an Adonis Blue on blackberries. I've never seen that before.

Brown Argus once gave me a similar surprise. I normally think of Brown Argus as being a ground-hugging species. I encountered one high on a bramble some years ago.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Brown Argus once gave me a similar surprise. I normally think of Brown Argus as being a ground-hugging species. I encountered one high on a bramble some years ago.

Jack

Brown Argus was new to my garden list this summer in the west London suburbs. Had 2 sightings + one was nectaring on Verbena bonariensis which was about 1.5 metres high.

Strange attempted hibernation (?) site.

My car No idea when it mighthave got in but discovered when I returned to my car in Nain supermarket. It was released.

Bonus for identifying model of car

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Strange attempted hibernation (?) site.

My car
2018-09-10-013-Tort.jpgNo idea when it mighthave got in but discovered when I returned to my car in Nain supermarket. It was released.

Bonus for identifying model of car

Jack

Hmmmmmmmmm...looks like air/heat venting for a Volvo?

Several butterfly sessions from this September so far, in 2 locations...Queensdown Warren and Bluebell Hill (both Kent areas).

3+ Clouded Yellow at Queensdown Warren...1 very very pale Clouded Yellow at Bluebell Hill.
I gave chase in both locations, got as close as pointing camera at said butterflies...but no photos!!

The last day of August(Bluebell Hill) i sighted 6+ fresh male Adonis Blues an 1 female.
A week later, 3+ fresh female Adonis Blues...but in the 3 hours i was on site, no sign at all of any Adonis males!

Bluebell Hill, i sighted a fresh(3rd brood?) female Common Blue, in cop with a worn male.

Queensdown Warren, i sighted a fresh(3rd brood?) male Common Blue.
Also, i found a pair of mating Chalk Hill Blues(1/9/18). The male was very worn/tatty, the female looked very fresh?
I cant see a tatty male Chalk hill Blue, pairing up with a female Adonis? so the female must have been Chalk Hill.
I do have photos of the pair, but havent gone through all the images yet.
I sighted a very unusual female Adonis at Queensdown...but like the Clouded Yellows, i failed to capture any photos.
1 Peacock, an 1 surprise Red Admiral also seen.

Small Coppers are active at both locations, but not in high numbers.

Buzzards, Kestrels, Sparrowhawks...an 2 fantastic Hobbies, were seen at Queensdown too.

Several images from both locations, cheers Paul.
Note the extra amount/patch of blue, to the right side hind wing, of this fresh female Adonis. Sorry, this last image really belongs in August ...but hey, it was the last day of August!

A lovely set of images Paul! Excellent Adonis pairing,nicely illustrating the variation in size we,ve all been finding this Season.
As for the other pair you found,you may have been lucky enough to stumble across the paring which produces the ultra rare (naturally occurring) hybrid between Adonis/Chalkhill AB;Polonus (see pics in AB section )
You,ll have to keep your eyes peeled next spring !...…….. You never Know ,you may get lucky !!
Thanks for Comments David (re;Adonis ),must admit I,ve only seen Adonis on Blackberries on a couple of occasions ,these particular males ,seemed to be using them as prominent perches as opposed to feeding from them .
I believe theres a shot of an Adonis( on Blacberries) on the species specific section ,one of my favourite pictures actually ! can,t recall who posted it.
Regards Allan.W.

There have been some great summer brood Adonis images on here and these are definitely amongst the best, TM.

Another September surprise for me in Central Brittany. A European Swallowtail in beautiful condition that obligingly hung around in my garden for about an hour letting me photograph it.

Every time you post something Deborah, I get little palpitations of excitement until I realise you're not UK based

At a windy Dungeness this afternoon ,although sunny with some cloud ,my hopes weren't high ,but I managed to count a respectable 32 Small Coppers ,including some stunning females ! including a nice Extensa. if it hadn,t been so windy I reckon I may have counted double.
Still high numbers of Small Heath ,2 Common Blues (male ) ,5 Painted Ladies ,a few whites and a Hummingbird Hawk ,talking of Hummingbird Hawks ,Dave Walker found a full grown Larvae on the Bedstraw in the moat.
Regards Allan.W.

bugboy wrote:Every time you post something Deborah, I get little palpitations of excitement until I realise you're not UK based

Me too!

Lovely to have such a visitor to your garden, Deborah.

Is that verbena bonariensis it's nectaring on?

Gower, 9-13 September - good numbers of Small White and Small Copper; also plenty of Speckled Wood where the habitat exists and a few Common Blues, at least one still fresh. Red Admiral and Painted Lady as migrants.

David M wrote:

bugboy wrote:Every time you post something Deborah, I get little palpitations of excitement until I realise you're not UK based

Me too!

Lovely to have such a visitor to your garden, Deborah.

Is that verbena bonariensis it's nectaring on?

Sorry Bugboy and David M! Most of the time it's these on the Verbena bonariensis:

A footnote to my post from yesterday ,the Hummingbird Hawk caterpillar found by the obs; warden ,Dave Walker ,
was actually found inside a moth trap ! 40 Small Coppers today ,4 Clouded Yellows ,1 peacock ,2 Meadow Browns ,numerous Small Heath ,and various Whites ,2 Brown Args (1 fresh and "ghost " ), 1 Painted Lady and 5 Hummingbird Hawks ,also of interest 3 Wasp spider cocoons.
Regards Allan.W.

BROWN HAIRSTREAK

Sorry if this has already been reported elsewhere, although I have not noticed it, but after rumours of Brown Hairstreak in Kent the last two years I understand that 3 males have been seen and photographed near Hayes (Kent). This is very very good news for BH was lost to Kent many years ago. This is very close to Hutchinsons Bank where BH was reported last year. They may well be from that location, but equally it could be a natural eastward spread back into former haunts and yet to be discovered sites.
It was once present around the Orlestone complex (near Hamstreet) so we always live in hope as we wander around the woods. What with Black Hairstreak in Sussex, and now Brown Hairstreak in Kent, 2018 has been good for the South East.