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I feel your pain, buggy. The wind in particular has been horrendous this month. It’s due to improve later this week for some, though this is too little to late for many species.

You'd better get a season ticket to the Sussex coast in October!.

How I missed it I don't know, but a mrgreen for your penultimate Large Blue shot.
Not only open wing, but glowing blue too.
Bad luck with the Brown Hairstreak, hope you get to see some. Maybe try Burgess Hill,
look for' Humanist burial ground ' on a map, a very good area for BH

Bound to see you soon,
Trevor.

"The far end Wurzel, where the upper slope meets the lower one, ninja mountain goat skills are needed at that end "been there, got the bruises I know you saw only one Chalkhill but a great one at that It's been a funny old season this The weather forecasting this year has probably been the worst that I can remember

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Indeed it has Essex, and persistently from the same direction which is particularly annoying when whistling along the best south facing sites!
I'd need to remortgage my flat to get a southern rail season ticket Trevor! Those bloody BH were showing today at Bookham.... I was in Sussex
Thanks Wurzel . I totally agree with the forecasting, utterly pointless at times this year!

24th July
The weather was really starting to heat up now so on my midweek day I decided hide from the worst of it, plus I had a few things that didn’t concern butterflies to do. Nevertheless I managed to squeeze an hour and half in the morning for a wander locally before the day really heated up.
At Tottenham Marshes it was already getting a bit warm at 8.30 with most butterflies already fully charged for the day and unapproachable. Having said that there wasn’t a great deal around. There were plenty of Whites, Mostly Smalls from the ones that drifted close enough to ID.

A few Speckled Wood were around, already trying to keep cool, either sticking to the shade or keeping their wings firmly closed at rest. Gatekeepers were out in okish numbers but I only managed to pin some down when I found some Scabious they were enjoying. In the same corner I also found the only skippers I was to find, a single Large and a Small who escaped the camera. It was here I found the best butterfly of the jaunt, a rather attractively fresh Brown Argus who was missing the usual diagnostic spotting on the underside, both sides were the same. Elsewhere a slightly worn Comma turned up for a while and a few Green-veined White eventually settled. The final species to appear was a Red Admiral, who sat up high in a Buddleja. By 10, with the temperature already nudging high twenties, I decided it would be a good time to take my leave and find somewhere cooler to spend the rest of my day

Lovely sequence of shots Bugboy That is an interesting looking Brown Argus, it's missing that one extra spot - where did it lose that too?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

All seems like such a long time ago now, BB, even though it's only been four weeks!

That's a beautifully marked Green Veined White. The second brood is always more striking than the first.

You did well for that spell of very hot weather, Buggy. Most things seem to disappear or bimble around in the shade where it's tricky to get decent shots.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Wurzel, she must have been at the back of the queue when spots were being handed out
Thanks David, yes I've seen some very nicely marked GVW this summer
Thanks Dave, although to be fair, all those shots in my last post were taken before 10am!

28th July
I took a trip down to Mill Hill today to see what was going on there. The hot spell had broken and It was a cooler, cloudier affair than my last day out with a bit of a stiff breeze. It was still warm enough for stuff to be on the wing though. My usual route around the horse field threw up several fresh Red Admirals, most saw me first but I managed to creep up on one as it nectared. Also of note here were a couple of Walls. Only one sat for me and only on the other side of the barbed wire fence, probably sticking his tongue out at me! On the hillside the dominant butterfly were the Chalkhills, with lots of fresh males around and mostly rather active. A few rather attractive female Common Blues were found on the upper slopes, along with a ghostly, barely recognisable Painted Lady. As I wandered the slopes I came across the odd Wall, and all but the tattiest of females behaved exactly as expected! The biggest surprise of the day came in the form of my first Silver-spotted Skipper of the season, they really weren’t on my radar here but two or three were active. As I left near I was distracted near the bottom car park, as I often am, by more butterflies. This time a particularly vibrant male Common Blue, a Brown Argus and a SmEssex Skipper perched on some Bindweed. I still had a bit of time on my hands so I popped down to Southwick Harbour before heading home, finding not much. Just a Peacock and a couple of Red Admiral on the Buddleja near the storage tanks amongst the usual selection of Whites. A tatty Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Speckled Wood & Holly Blue completed the species list for the day.

That is a standout Common Blue Bugboy Congrats on the LTB I reckon that could have been karma paying you back for a less than profitable Dorset trip

Have a goodun

Wurzel

That's a great image of the mating Chalkhills, BB - the male with his wings open and the female displaying her dark undersides. Nice that you got Wall Browns too.

Thanks Wurzel, yes I like it when karma works that way round
Thanks David, they couldn't have posed better if I'd stuck them there myself

29th July (part 1)
This was a two site day, Bookham for the morning on the off chance of an early Brown Hairstreak and then off to Box Hill to see if the Silver-spotted Skippers were out there.

It was a bright and warm morning and the Browns were out and about at Bookham, no early BH were lurking in amongst all the Gatekeepers though. A resplendent Peacock also caught my eye, glowing in the morning sun and one of this year’s rarities was also pinned down for a quick photo, but the real surprise of the day came as I rounded a corner. Keeping my eye’s peeled for a Brown Hairstreak, a large black and white butterfly soared off from the bracken, glided around, inching ever higher until it settled in the nearby Sallows and there she sat . Only one thing for it then, time to crack out the big lens ! After that I felt things had probably peeked at Bookham for the morning but there was still time to check on the White Admiral Caterpillars, who were all getting rather large and fat, snapping a few other inhabitants on the way. Next stop, Box Hill…

Well done with that Empress, Buggy! A very welcome and unexpected surprise I should think. Also good to see the WA cats still thriving in the honeysuckle jungle...

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Dave, she certainly was, just kicked myself for not noticing her whilst she was settled lower down! Not sure if those WA cats are still thriving though bearing in mind how far behind I am this was a couple of days before I introduced them to you

29th July (part 2)
By mid-afternoon I was at the foot of Box Hill. I hadn't appreciated the strength of the breeze in the relative shelter of Bookham, that would make pinning down a Skipper extra difficult. Chalkhill Blues greeted me straight away along with the usual array of late summer Browns. Marbled Whites had long gone, though Dark Green Fritillary were still around. I watched a faded but still full of beans male chase a female through the turf, something they really don’t seem to be designed for, and really would have benefited from the Benny Hill chase scene soundtrack . The first Silver-spotted Skipper appeared near the top of the slope, a spot where I often find the odd straggler when I'm here in season. When I reached the main spot, the lower slope in-between the zig zag of Zigzag road, they soon started popping up. Mostly fleeting orange streaks as they zoomed past, the stiff breeze making it impossible to follow them for more than a split second. Some careful stalking worked though and I soon managed to fill my boots with some gorgeously fresh Skippers. Also here are one of the UKs rarest moths, the Straw Belle. I see one or two most years, today I found five, including for the first time a female, identifiable by the filamentous antennae as opposed to the male’s feathery attachments. The upper slope usually also has a few Skipper stragglers but at this time of year is normally the domain of Chalkhills. The pick of the bunch here being the female half of a mating pair with a set of studs that would make a Silver-studded Blue green with envy. I've seen these before but never such a strikingly marked individual! The odd Common Blue also turned up. Back on the lower slope I once again turned my attention to the Skippers. A female, like the earlier Chalkhill, being particularly striking in the underside dept. A very successful and satisfying day out. As a reward to myself I wandered up to the visitor centre for an ice cream and finished the day with a couple of Red Admirals enjoying a sunlit clearing.

"just kicked myself for not noticing her whilst she was settled lower down!" - at least you managed to get some shots I saw 2 or three of His Nibbs on three occasions and didn't get a single shot
Cracking images from the most recent report especially the female Silver-studded Chalkhill

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, yes I was lucky she didn't fly off straight away

31st July
The sun, indeed, any form of butterfly friendly weather was playing hard to find today. My best chance of finding any meant heading south into Sussex and keeping my fingers crossed that the forecasters had inadvertently made some correct guesses.

At least it was warm even if it was mostly cloudy to start with. I decided Abbots Wood, a place I rarely visit outside Pearl season, was worth a pop. It was a bit early but I thought I might get lucky with a second brood SPBF. The warm air and occasional brighter spells were enough to wake up the usual suspects, Browns and Whites, with the occasional tired looking Silver-washed Fritillary and some fresh Common Blues mixed in for some variety. No SPBF showed up but I wasn't overly surprised. I also wasn't overly surprised when it started to rain since I had been promised a rain free day ! The forecast was however quickly forgotten when a large, dark silvery Fritillary lazily fluttered past in the light drizzle. I've only ever had two encounters with a valesina before, both times frustratingly long distance, so despite her age and the inclement weather I followed her around persistently, getting as many shots as I could. Then the heavens opened and we both took shelter, me making a mental note of where she was hiding before I darted under a tree. Thankfully it was just a passing shower and ten minutes later the sun was threatening to break out. My valesina stirred from her spot and sailed down just in time to catch the sunny spell and posed for a short time before heading for a shady area to feed. After she bid me farewell, I moved on, planning a couple of hours on nearby Malling Down, although it was another 2 hours before I finally managed to leave, increasing sunny spells leading to increasing reasons to become distracted . A distinctive feature of July and August this year has been a persistent wind and with Malling Down being rather exposed, most the targets here were huddled down in the turf. There was however plenty to point my camera at I also couldn’t help but notice how much Round-headed Rampion was growing here, there were carpets of the stuff in places! A good way to end July

Those Chalkhills and Silver Spotted Skippers are well worth making the effort to get down south - something I haven't been able to do this year. Lovely close up of the Valezina!
Janet

Cracking Greenish Bugboy They are a breathtaking sight when they appear on the scene, often favouring the more shaded areas I've noticed. Brilliant shot of the Wall as well, a really interesting pose really well captured

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely feast of colour, BB. I think this is the time of year when I'm most envious of those who reside in the SE of England - your Chalkhill & Adonis Blues, Silver Spotted Skippers and, of course, the migrants.

Thanks Janet, I think you've more than made up for it by your foreign travels
Thanks Wurzel, yea Valesina have a tendency to overheat so they prefer to keep out of the sun. That Wall shot was just a lucky one, catching her as she took off, pretty typical shot really
Thanks David, fingers crossed I can keep the season rolling on for a good more few weeks yet

1st August
August arrived and so did my first realistic effort to track down a Brown Hairstreak at Bookham. An early start wasn't particularly sunny but I hoped this may help in keeping any freshly emerged at a reasonable height. Gatekeepers were out in force despite the lack of sun, keeping me on my toes, and a freshly emerged Small Copper with a wonky wing made me look twice. Once again there was a bit of a breeze blowing and the master tree was getting a bit buffeted. Up high I could see some small butterflies flitting around, some of them may even have been the target but most flashed silver in flight and seemed to be Purple Hairstreaks. I've noted this in previous years here, just when the Brown Hairstreak season kicks off the Purples seem to switch from Oak to Ash. A few snaps confirmed the ones in view were mostly Purples although I’m not sure about the one on the left in this image, I didn’t see it until I looked at the image on my camera. I wandered on, keeping a close eye on the hedge and bumped into Millerd who had just arrived. Our combined forces didn’t bear fruit so we went into the wood to check on my White Admiral cats. Dave's never seen one before and on the way to the nursery hotspot I saw one by the side of the path, for such a tiny animal they really do manage to make themselves stick out like a sore thumb if you know what you're looking for. Anyway, since this is the first one he's seen, I named this one Dave . At the nursery there were a few MIA but a couple were still to be found. One was all wrapped up in his hibernaculum, meet Pete . Nearby Wurzel was having lunch . Things had begun to brighten up a bit and a few old Silver-washed Fritillary joined us as we made our way back to the car park where we parted company, Dave to continue the days butterfly hunt elsewhere in Surrey, me to head of home to catch up with some other bits and bobs. My walk back to the station was, as always, a slow meandering stroll with a few pleasant distractions (no Hairstreaks though).

I'm glad you've made in into August Bugboy as now I can start making progress towards July Great shots especially the first Painted Lady shot, that made me wince a bit and there's something about that Hairstreak that's a bit beguiling I hope I make it through the winter

Have a goodun

Wurzel