May 2009 Sightings

[Pete Eeles]

Good morning all, can anyone ID the pink sphere just below the Female Marsh? Egg? She was on the grass stem for a couple of minutes and seemed to be just basking then she flapped her wings and moved up the grass by about 2 cm's and when i took the next shot i noticed the pink sphere. Been looking at references for MF eggs and they seem to be laid in clusters and are a different colour.

Female-Marsh-Fritillary.jpg

I'm pretty sure this is meconium - a waste product released by freshly-emerged adults.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Jack Harrison]

Not sure if this is strictly in the wild. Buff Ermine in my Skinner trap and photographed next morning.

Canon A650 in macro mode.

Jack

[Gwenhwyfar]

Had 2 Painted Lady in the garden today nectating on Chives.
Also had a very worn Holly Blue.

[Shirley Roulston]

One Wall in the garden, I nearly missed it and only got one photo.

Picture 046.jpg (73.23 KiB) Viewed 612 times

[Jack Harrison]

Painted Lady visible migration observed Sunday afternoon, 24th May. Near home (South Cambridge) a continual stream of following a hedge in a WNW (for the serious navigators, heading approx 300°). Singles but sometimes three were passing in a few seconds. A rough count gave 20 in ten minutes, all flying very fast (perhaps 20 km/hr) in exactly the same direction. One or two seen away from the hedge all flying strongly in the same direction.

Nearby in the meadows, an amazingly early (for these parts) Large Skipper. Also my first Brown Argus here since 2006.

Pictures: http://www.snapperjack.co.uk

Jack

[Trev Sawyer]

As well as the huge influx of Painted Ladies heading across East Anglia today, there have been reports on the Cambs and Essex BC website of Clouded Yellows appearing in large numbers around the Essex/Herts border too. Jack has obviously seen some near Cambridge, so I must get my eye in before the rain tomorrow

Trev

[Dave McCormick]

Went out to a bog today. It started cool, and cloudy, but got warm, quite a bit. I found these:

First time I have seen a mother shipton moth, saw 2 of them:


Common heath (must have been about 50 or more)


Is this a cocksfoot moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella)?


Saw 2 Small Heath, here is one shot I got:

A photo of me taking a photo of small heath (The small heath is circled as its so hard to see)


GV Whites (There was over 30 here):

Mating Pair:


I also saw 2 large whites and one male orange-tip. Guess it was a little early to see the 50+ small heaths I found last year.

[Bill S]

Hi Bill,

I mean they I saw them along the track from the Sillens Lane car park up to Bockerley Dyke, and especially in the sheltered area where the path from the south enters the reserve.

I think you're referring to the car park of the main road - which I never use. I always go into Martin, and then take Sillens Lane onto the reserve.

Definitely not on the other side of the road (the Kitts Grave area) - although they might be there too!

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks for that Pete, had a eraly trip there today and saw pretty much as you did. Many GH in that sheltered spot and SB everywhere. Also saw Adonis Blue there today.

Cheers

Bill

[IAC]

Hi all,
Visited Burnmouth, in south eastern corner of Scotland today with my target species being Small Blue, and I was in luck.This is quite early for Small Blue in these parts...a week or so, however I was convinced these guys have been at it for quite sometime.
A record number of 20+ in a small coastal bluff....groups of 5 spiralling in the shelter of the gorse. Also some Small Heath and Small Copper. Large White in good numbers best year for yonks...GVW AND Small White scattered. Wall Brown a relativley new resident here were at least 4 strong, very visible, but impossible to approach...they remind me so much of Grayling, they too are very flighty characters.
My eyes are to the sky on the coast waiting for the Painted Lady invasion.....its just pure tension.
Cheers IAC.

[FISHiEE]

Painted Ladies everywhere right now. One of the commonest species wherever I go. Didn't see any last year. I had anticipated clouded yellows also with the long periods of strong southerly winds we have had recently. I expect Hummingbird Hawk Moths must be coing soon! Again none seen here for 2 years.

[IAC]

Hi Dave....Is this a cocksfoot moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella)?.....Yes Dave it is...I have photographed so many this year because I thought them to be an exotic rarity....down earth bump. That Common Heath pic is great...why have I never seen any?
Cheers IAC.

[xmilehigh]

From Sand Point on Saturday.

Glanville Fritillary


Painted Lady

[FISHiEE]

Super shots. The Glanville is stunning!

[xmilehigh]

Thank you very much

[Dave McCormick]

Jerry, love the glanville, excellent shot! IAC I like the small blue, petty none have been seen here since the early 2000's or I'd go looking for them myself. So far in Northern Ireland, only one (I think) Painted Lady has been seen here, but I am guessing by mid July there will be much more if they come from England. Hopefully clouded yellows might appear too, but I a not sure if I'll be here to see them then.

Wondering if there will be an influx of Silver Y Moths too? In 2006 I saw them in their thousands here and they migrate too.

[Susie]

I saw my first Silver Y of the summer this evening.

[FISHiEE]

Painted Lady numbers really have jumped massively this past week so maybe they will be with you in Ireland shortly

[Dave McCormick]

Painted Lady numbers really have jumped massively this past week so maybe they will be with you in Ireland shortly

Well maybe. I know of a sight on the bottom of the Ards pinnuslia called Killard Point NNR: http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/nature ... lard.shtml and I was told any migrating butterflies like Clouded yellow, usually stop here first, lay eggs and the next brood is what is seen farther up the coast where I am. But this is usually if clouded yellow come early enough, they lay eggs in around May time, those caterpillars feed up and my July the next brood is here where I live about 40 miles or so from this location, it might be similar for Painted Ladies.

In 2006 I saw good numbers of Painted Ladies here, loads of caterpillars all over thistles too. I even bred 10 to adult from caterpillars I found. Last year was rather poor, know its different this time. I am going to write a report on this on my website, already wrote a bit on home page about this and posted a like to the topic here.

[FISHiEE]

Hardly been any here since 2006 either so I think it has been bad in general. This year seems to be very good so far however

[Denise]

Stunning Glanville Jerry.

Today's weather forcast for my area was nice this morning and thunder after lunch.
In fact it was cloudy and dull this morning with occasional showers and sunny this afternoon.
No butterflies this morning but when the sun came out, a few butterflies did too.
3 fresh Speckled Wood and half a dozen assorted whites. I saw one Painted Lady skim the garden so I took my garden chair to the lawn to get a good view of the Bowles Mauve, Red Valerian and Common Knapweed which has just started to flower. In the space of 35 mins I saw 15 go through, and as I moved the chair I found another 4 nectaring on my scottish Rowan tree. Too high up for photo's. I should have left the chair on the patio.

Denise