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Those Dark Green Frits are stunning looking, as are the SS Blues, Dave

Mike

Well done, Dave. You've captured the essence of butterfly midsummer on a single page!

Helps that you no longer have that nasty four letter word 'work' to contend with?

Thanks, Trevor - more from Collard in a post or too, and on a cloudier day as well.

More like Tortoise and Tortoise, Wurzel - I'm falling further behind as the sunny days pile up!

Cheers, Buggy - no whispering to the SSB, I only speak Holly... There were surprisingly few older butterflies around, considering they'd been out here at least a week.

Thanks to you too, Mike - fresh DGFs are terrific butterflies and look wonderful swooping and diving over the top of the ridge at Burford Spur.

Thank you, David - you could be right, though a certain imperial contender is edging forward into the midsummer category these days. And yes, not doing the "W" word any more is a distinct advantage.

Friday 15th June was another sunny one. I headed first to Chiddingfold for a curtain-raiser before the rides fill with the heady aroma of tuna (and worse things)... As I expected, I quickly saw several White Admirals along all of the main paths. They were cruising up and down, but spent far more time on the ground itself than on any of the brambles or up in the trees. They were very restless though and continually moved on to a new patch of gravel, making photos hard to come by.It was only when the attractions of a pile of horse manure became too much to resist did one stop for a bit longer. I also came across a few Ringlets, Large Skippers and Meadow Browns, plus the surprise of a couple of aged Brimstones. After Chiddingfold, I headed for Denbies to see if any Marbled Whites had emerged. I saw ten or so, but it was windy as usual and they were mostly hunkered down in the grass. I also saw a couple of DGF suffering in the same way. Small Heaths and Meadow Browns were everywhere, as were a variety of very worn blue butterflies. Age turns Adonis Blues a shining electric blue, and they flash in the sun as the wind tumbles them along.I did find one that was much less worn, however.There probably as many, if not more, female blues but telling them apart becomes tricky as they age. I think this is an Adonis. I went on after Denbies (and after popping into the Surrey Hills Brewery behind Denbies Vineyard for some Shere Drop for the weekend) to Box Hill again. This deserves a separate post.

Dave

Dave - Great shot of a White Ad on a pile of dung. I always find the juxtaposition of a beautiful butterfly on something gross amusing.

That's a mighty dollop of horse manure...are you sure there isn't an escaped elephant roaming around Chiddingfold

Cheers,

Neil.

It really had taken on more than it could cope with there I think, Ernie.

As you say, Neil, it was a mammoth pile...

15th June - final part. Over to Box Hill for the end of the afternoon, where the DGFs of a couple of days before had been joined by Marbled Whites on Burford Spur. I love the combination of these two species at this time of year, and all the butterflies were in great condition. There were perhaps a dozen DGF and twice that of Marbled Whites, both making the most of any knapweed flowers they could find.Interestingly, the DGFs would approach the many purple orchids as well, but always shy away at the last minute - so there are never nicely posed shots of one on the other.

Some shots of the DGF... ...and the Marbled Whites Dave

Saturday 16th June marked a slight change in the weather to more cloud and a cooler breeze. Faced with the M25 solid in both directions, I went the relatively short distance down the A30 to Chobham Common to seek out some more Silver-studded Blues. Eventually, a bit of sun and brightness brought a few out from hiding - a female and perhaps half a dozen males. The only other butterflies seen here were a handful of Small Heaths blowing around in the wind, but I was disturbed by a very noisy flock of small birds. I managed a shot of one from a distance, and I think it's a Stonechat. Dave

Lovely photo's of the DGF Dave, they're out in Southport Dunes but it's just finding them, it's like a needle in an Hay Stack Goldie

Thanks, Goldie - I bet the wind over the dunes whips them out of sight really quickly too!

Sunday 17th June - Father's Day, and I was treated to a cream tea down at Runnymede. It was mostly cloudy, and the only butterflies were a single Painted Lady and hundreds of Meadow Browns which rose up from every step taken off the paths. Returning home, I ventured out locally, and was soon rewarded by the sight of the first new brood hutchinsoni Commas, just in time for Midsummer's Day as usual. They really are lovely creatures, and will soon be picking fights with the Large Skippers that are already out, as well as each other. Another first for the year was a single Ringlet. The colony here is very small for such a common butterfly, and some years I haven't seen one, so it was good to add it to the tally for the year here.

Dave

"Tortoise and Tortoise" - hear that So now not only am I behind with my own PD but also catching up on everyone else's! Still sorting the latter now.
Even more butterfly packed days, mind you things have been going crazy at the moment, it's hard work keeping up as everything is emerging all at once Fantastic White Admirals, brill Silver-studs and lush DGFs

Have a goodun

Wurzel

DGF and Marbled Whites do indeed make a great combination, and are often found together, at least in the south. It’s been a long time since I’ve visited Box Hill, I must find my way back down there sometime...

Thanks Wurzel. Yes it's a struggle to keep up and I'm just not getting round to looking at everyone else's PDs as much as I'd like I know I'll have missed some real gems...

You should definitely visit Box Hill if you can, Mark - combine it with a trip to Denbies as they are so close to each other. There is a bit of effort being made at Box Hill (the Small Blue project for example) and I've seen a lot more here than in previous years, and in a lot of different sites around the whole area - which is pretty big and includes a variety of habitats. It'll be interesting to see what July and August bring.

Monday 18th June: I'd been invited down to see an old school friend in Taunton, so I decided to pay Collard Hill another visit. I thought it would be another brilliant sunny day as last time, with firmly shut butterflies, but mysteriously the cloud appeared just past Wincanton, and Collard was blessed with thin, bright and very warm overcast. Would the theory for ideal Large Blue conditions be correct, or blown to bits over an hour or two?

Well, it turned out to be the best day I've had with this stunning species. Many of the butterflies were fresh, and most of them settled relatively often and opened their wings wide. The females were noticeably heavily spotted, but the males were much more lightly marked. There were other butterflies too - a few Marbled Whites, several Common Blues (well past their best), Large Skippers, endless Meadow Browns and a couple of Painted Ladies. I spotted one of the Painted Ladies lay an egg on a viciously spiny thistle... ...and caught a threesome of Common Blues showing there was still some life left in them.Finally, back at the car park a Red Admiral landed on the path in front of me. The day, however, belonged to the Large Blues... Dave

Stupendous, is this only word to use for those open wing Large Blues shots. .
Now we need the Emperors to do the same !.

Trevor.

Just saw your last batch of Large Blue pics. Fantastic.

Cheers, Trevor - if only...

Thanks, Ernie - perfect conditions on the day, a real piece of luck. They seem (like most things) to be doing really well this year.

21st June - as it isn't far from Taunton, I had a look at Haddon Hill for Somerset Heath Fritillaries. Up on the fringes of Exmoor, the cloud was unrelenting and produced some drizzle (there had been overnight rain judging by the puddles). It was windy and fairly warm, but all I saw were dozens of Small Heaths.

Wednesday 22nd June: My drive home was extended via Dorset, and the west country cloud persisted somewhat. Up on the cliffs at Durlston the sun came through from time to time, but it was really windy. However, there were butterflies to be seen (albeit briefly as they barrelled past on the breeze): Blues, both Common and Adonis, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, and a scattering of fresh Marbled Whites. Every now and again, a tiny orange blur would whizz by, impossible to determine what type of Skipper it might be - after all, any one of four is possible here. Finally, I followed one to a sheltered standstill, and it looked to me like a Small Skipper.Moving on, I soon did the same with another, and this time I was more confident that it was a Lulworth. The faint "sunburst" mark was there (always less obvious on male butterflies).As I made my way along the path at the very edge of the cliff, I found it surprisingly free of the wind, and located another Skipper nectaring on thyme flowers. It moved to perch on a blade of grass and this time was very clearly a Lulworth Skipper. Dave

Yes, definitely Lulworths those last ones. It’s amazing to think they will probably still be present at the end of summer. To think the number of species which will have come and gone by then. Your Large Blue pictures clearly show the conditions the photographer needs, which I also found when I visited Daneway Banks a couple of years ago. Driving from afar, you need a bit of luck too!

Some great reports Dave, fantastic Large Blues.
I've also been loving the DGF / Marbled White combo.

Thanks for the confirmation on the first Lulworth, Mark - I was pretty confident, but it was nearly as orange as the Small Skippers, unlike the second one which was the more traditional olive colour. They are both males. It is astonishing how long and drawn out their emergence is: the first ones appear in May around Lulworth itself, and you can still see them in September here at Durlston Country Park. Nearly as long a season for a single brood as the Meadow Brown.

Cheers, Andrew - I was really pleased with the Large Blues; I am going to struggle to better that day with them in the future. The DGF/Marbled White double act was still going strong today at Box Hill, if you can get there.

Thursday 21st June: Home again and the weather was, as you might have guessed, very warm and sunny. After a few days away, the first priority was to visit my local patch and see what had changed. Quite a lot was the answer. Though I still saw a few Common Blues, a battered Brown Argus and yet another very tired female Holly Blue, most of what was out there was new. The first Gatekeeper appeared, and the first Small Skippers.There were new brood examples of Small and Green-veined Whites, and the first new Small Tortoiseshell.Finally, in the tiny area very close to the south western airport perimeter, I found the Essex Skipper colony had emerged.There were only five or six butterflies, but this included a mating pair (a first for me). I believe the male is the paler of the two, the one higher up.However, the area was very dried up and I wonder if it will be able to continue despite the best efforts of these two butterflies. It is also the only time I have seen both Small and Essex Skippers here for the first time on the same date.

Dave

More brill stuff Dave Looks like you had the prefect conditions for open wing Large Blue shots. I was there this afternoon and it was so hot they just wouldn't open up but at least I saw them I was going to confirm your Lulworth but Essex got there first; one trick I use with the tricky fresh males is that they seem to have the pigment plastered on whereas Small Skippers are more metallic - if that makes sense A collection of Purps next?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks, Wurzel! I can see what you mean about the Lulworths they have more of a matt finish that teh Small and Essex. It is tricky at Durlston as all three fly together at this time of year.

Nearly time for things purple, but first the rest of the day on Thursday 21st June, which was spent up at Black Park in South Bucks, next to Pinewood Studios. Purple Emperors have been seen here, but I always have to manage with White Admirals and the odd Silver-washed Fritillary, plus Purple Hairstreaks inevitably evading the camera. Today was no different, though only one SWF was seen, and not very closely at that. However, the White Admirals put on a good aerobatic display, and even stopped on the brambles towards the end of the afternoon, as did a few new Commas and a Ringlet (out in the sun for once). Dave