www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

David M:

Prestbury Hill

I used to live near there (Winchcombe) and would be a very convenient stop off on my way back from Haugh Wood Herefordshire where I am going for PB Frts.

It would be very nice to revisit Prestbury and see how is is some 30 years since my last visit. Can you give some pointers for the best spots to look for Dukes?

Dukes also used to occur along the old railway between Andoversford and Bourton-on-the-Water but I think that is now horribly overgrown.

Jack

Celery, thanks for the Ketton info. I made hard work of it though, having three sightings in about 1.5 hours. I think it was a bit too hot for them to be flying whilst I was there.

Just to clarify, this is Grizzled isn't it - it just looked a bit orangey below with a prominent dark spot compared to how the guides show it??

Thanks.

That's 100% grizzly! The underside colour does vary, but that's pretty typical.

Guy

Jack Harrison wrote:David M:

Prestbury Hill

I used to live near there (Winchcombe) and would be a very convenient stop off on my way back from Haugh Wood Herefordshire where I am going for PB Frts.

It would be very nice to revisit Prestbury and see how is is some 30 years since my last visit. Can you give some pointers for the best spots to look for Dukes?

Dukes also used to occur along the old railway between Andoversford and Bourton-on-the-Water but I think that is now horribly overgrown.

Jack

The four I saw, Jack, were spread across the entire site. They're territorial butterflies though, so if you follow the pathway which runs towards the south of the site and then over the bridleway that is signposted 'Cotswold Way', I feel you'll have a good chance of meeting up with one (I saw 2 along this path). Three of the four Green Hairstreaks I saw were also patrolling this pathway, which is mainly gorse but with shrubby trees like Hawthorn.

PS: If you ARE going to Haugh Wood, may I recommend that you wear long trousers. At the moment, my lower legs are swollen and painful due to the sustained assault suffered as a result of the huge numbers of flies in the wood right now. If you want to wear shorts, crush a couple of garlic cloves and spread the juice on your legs before departing (which I sincerely wish I'd done yesterday morning).

Follow the south butterfly trail from the signposted car park and look out for information board 6, which features Pearl Bordered Fritillary (1.5 - 2 mile walk, but not too steep). As you are standing before this board, there's a track which goes right. Follow this track and you'll see the woodland open out somewhat into scrubby banks with bluebells growing on them. This is the best part of the wood. You should find Wood Whites and the odd PBF. Just after this, where the track veers right then immediately left, there's a gully on your right with dandelions and bugle growing near the path which is in direct sunlight. This is the hotspot. Stay tight and just look up the banking and you'll see sizeable numbers (I'll be posting my pics tomorrow with a shot of the area where they can be found).

It was a tad warm today wasn't it ... the Grizzlies were certainly buzzing around at a rate of knots here - it isn't often that they get so hot that they have to close their wings to prevent themselves bursting into flames, but that's what they were doing (closing their wings that is - not the bursting into flames bit!).
Did someone mention rain?... please send some to Cambridgeshire - haven't seen any for so long, I can't remember what it looks like.

Trev

Apart from several visits to Mill Hill , Shoreham where I can add little to other sightings there except perhaps a Small Copper seen last Monday , my sightings have been confined to Grand Avenue Worthing and adjacent seats .
There is a very healthy population of Speckled Woods and numerous Holly Blues around here but I was surprised to have seen 3 male Orange Tips adjacent to West Worthing station .
The biggest shock was not a butterfly but a flash of green as a Common Lizard scuttled away from my doorstep , I had no idea there were any in this fairly central area .

I was out by the river watching local buzzards (been monitoring them for 14 years) and went around counting all the cuckoo flowers and how many orange-tips eggs were on them, 21 flowers, 24 eggs. One flower had something I had not seen before, one egg was on the end of the flower petal. Saw several Green-Veined white eggs as well and a buzzard passed so close over my head, I felt the wind and heard a woosh. Hoping to see orange-tips tomorrow, haven't seen any adults yet due to not being well and not able to get out, but almost back to full health so I can get out and about.

Out and about in the West Wight today and several first sightings for me this year.
A walk along the cliff top at Shippards Chine,Freshwater but no sight yet of Glanville Fritillaries here yet.
Can anyone tell me the name of the moth,please.

Haugh Woods, Herefordshire - Saturday 23rd April

Went quickly to Haugh Woods, Herefordshire today as per David's helpful description yesterday. Not much to add except the Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries were in abundance (about 25, all in great condition) around a big swathe of Bluebells down a path on the Southern end of the Forest Commission Woods site under the PBF information board (via the signposted green walking posts). The photos at the end should help anyone trying to find the spot. As per David's report there were plenty of flies that were more of an annoyance rather than a biting horror. Excellent management of these woods to help this declining species. The layout through the Woods is also nicely done and easy to follow. It was, however, difficult to take photos today as the PBF's were all flying rather quickly.

Not much of a proper report as I'm off for a week and leaving early tomorrow morning!

I hope David M got some better shots than I did.

Michael

David M wrote:

Jack Harrison wrote:David M:

Prestbury Hill

I used to live near there (Winchcombe) and would be a very convenient stop off on my way back from Haugh Wood Herefordshire where I am going for PB Frts.

It would be very nice to revisit Prestbury and see how is is some 30 years since my last visit. Can you give some pointers for the best spots to look for Dukes?

Dukes also used to occur along the old railway between Andoversford and Bourton-on-the-Water but I think that is now horribly overgrown.

Jack

The four I saw, Jack, were spread across the entire site. They're territorial butterflies though, so if you follow the pathway which runs towards the south of the site and then over the bridleway that is signposted 'Cotswold Way', I feel you'll have a good chance of meeting up with one (I saw 2 along this path). Three of the four Green Hairstreaks I saw were also patrolling this pathway, which is mainly gorse but with shrubby trees like Hawthorn.

PS: If you ARE going to Haugh Wood, may I recommend that you wear long trousers. At the moment, my lower legs are swollen and painful due to the sustained assault suffered as a result of the huge numbers of flies in the wood right now. If you want to wear shorts, crush a couple of garlic cloves and spread the juice on your legs before departing (which I sincerely wish I'd done yesterday morning).

Follow the south butterfly trail from the signposted car park and look out for information board 6, which features Pearl Bordered Fritillary (1.5 - 2 mile walk, but not too steep). As you are standing before this board, there's a track which goes right. Follow this track and you'll see the woodland open out somewhat into scrubby banks with bluebells growing on them. This is the best part of the wood. You should find Wood Whites and the odd PBF. Just after this, where the track veers right then immediately left, there's a gully on your right with dandelions and bugle growing near the path which is in direct sunlight. This is the hotspot. Stay tight and just look up the banking and you'll see sizeable numbers (I'll be posting my pics tomorrow with a shot of the area where they can be found).

David, when would you expect the Wood Whites to be at their max numbers at Haugh Wood, given the warmer weather we've been having?

Thanks.

marmari wrote:Can anyone tell me the name of the moth,please.

Hi Marmari,

I think your moth is Pyrausta purpuralis, see http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1362 The very similar Pyrausta ostrinalis may not occur on the Isle of Wight (or maybe it does...?)

Gibster.

Thank you Seth.
Regards,Peter

Had THE most frustrating day today! Visited Creswell Craggs, and the place was alive with butterflies. Speckled Woods, Peacocks, Orange Tips, Holly Blues, and more Brimstones than I've ever seen in my life. But, the damn things would NOT settle long enough to get anything other than the briefest glimpse - not a hope of getting any photographs. Am in complete awe of the photography skills of many people on here, how do you do it? I suspect some skullduggery! Do photographers catch their subjects and subdue them with chloroform to photograph them as they come round? JOKE!! Seriously though, I don't know how you do it!

55bloke wrote:Had THE most frustrating day today! Visited Creswell Craggs, and the place was alive with butterflies. Speckled Woods, Peacocks, Orange Tips, Holly Blues, and more Brimstones than I've ever seen in my life. But, the damn things would NOT settle long enough to get anything other than the briefest glimpse - not a hope of getting any photographs. Am in complete awe of the photography skills of many people on here, how do you do it? I suspect some skullduggery! Do photographers catch their subjects and subdue them with chloroform to photograph them as they come round? JOKE!! Seriously though, I don't know how you do it!

Simple - get up early. Very early in some cases, just as the critters are warming up and taking their first flight of the day when they're more likely to settle and feed!

Cheers,

- Pete

55bloke:

...But, the damn things would NOT settle long enough to get anything other than the briefest glimpse - not a hope of getting any photographs. Am in complete awe of the photography skills of many people on here, how do you do it? ...

Pete's reply about going early was spot on, but I have found that coolish days with intermittent cloud - not that we've had many of those lately - provide some good chances. Orange Tips for example often settle withing a minute or so of the sun going in. Wait by your target and when the sun comes out, it will open its wings and you have a few seconds before it's on it's off again.

Jack

Thanks - I did wonder about the getting up early thing - it does seem to be the answer. Not a popular move at the weekend!

On a slight tangent...

We had a Tawny Owl apparently perched on our roof last night. The calls coming through the bathroom skylight made it sound as though it was actually in the room with us!

Jack Harrison wrote:David, when would you expect the Wood Whites to be at their max numbers at Haugh Wood, given the warmer weather we've been having?

Twas not I who asked that. But the answer is next Wednesday when I WILL BE THERE!

Jack

Gibster:

On a slight tangent...

I got good views yesterday SATURDAY (!) of a Cuckoo calling as it flew over the Ouse Washes near Mepal.

Jack

Not many posts from Cheshire - so here's one! Lots of Green Hairstreaks at National Trust's Bickerton Hill, particularly by Maiden Castle