www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Took a walk around my local patch in Swansea this morning and saw small numbers of the following:

Meadow Brown, Hedge Brown, Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Heath, Speckled Wood & Common Blue.

Two more Painted Ladies were spotted (six for the year now) but again Small Tortoiseshells were easily the commonest butterfly. I'd estimate I saw around 50 in total.

Today at Mill Hill sunny day lots of Adonis Blue 30/35.
Cheers
Sezar

At Bonchurch Down near Ventnor this morning over 100 Adonis blues plus a few common and chalkhill blues. One very tatty red admiral and a good condition small tortoiseshell. A few meadow browns, small and large whites and small heaths as well.

I went up to Kenfig Pools (Porthcawl) this afternoon. It's probably the first time I've been to Kenfig when it's been in sunshine! It was fantastic, not particularly for the butterflies - there were Red Admirals, Speckled Woods, Common Blues, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and a large number of Small Tortoiseshells and Small Heaths - but for the abundance of wild flowers currently in bloom there. As well as Ragwort, Rosebay Willowherb, Common Fleabane and Hemp Agrinomy - still in flower in many places I've been recently - there was also Sea Holly, Viper's Bugloss, Wild Thyme, Purple Loosestrife, Heather and swathes of Water Mint (one of my favourite wild flowers). Despite the sun being quite strong it was also very windy, so a bit difficult photographing the butterflies there.

I may go down to Pembrokeshire on Monday for Brown Hairstreaks - I hope that the flowers are as good there, and the good weather stays with us as predicted .

Michael

p.s. I hope you don't mind the Wildflower pictures

Following on from the previous page, I couldn't find an online version of the Wildlife Magazine's article on the Painted Ladies migration, but some of the 'sciency bit' is in this article:

http://www.lablit.com/article/442

Visited Chambers Farm Wood in Lincolnshire yesterday. As with pretty much all my butterfly hunting visits this year, it was extremely windy, gale force at times!

Could't confirm a Brown Hairstreak sighting, but a hairstreak of some sort that looked brown coloured did fly up from some Blackthorn into an Ash Tree just in front of me on one of the paths. So a half tick for the day! Most common butterfly in the woods were Small White's and Speckled Wood's. In the open pastures there were good numbers of Common Blue, and quite a few fresh Brimstones.

Highlight, as usual, was the Butterfly Garden which hosted a profusion of butterfly's (plus many varying insects and a Hornet!!!). There were at least 7 Red Admiral's all very fresh looking. That is 5 more in one single garden than the 2 I've seen in the whole of the UK this year!

I suspect this might have been my last Butterfly trip of the year sadly. Only 8 months until the Pearl Bordered Fritilary's and Green Hairstreaks are out....!

Michaeljf wrote:I went up to Kenfig Pools (Porthcawl) this afternoon. It's probably the first time I've been to Kenfig when it's been in sunshine! It was fantastic, not particularly for the butterflies - there were Red Admirals, Speckled Woods, Common Blues, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and a large number of Small Tortoiseshells and Small Heaths - but for the abundance of wild flowers currently in bloom there. As well as Ragwort, Rosebay Willowherb, Common Fleabane and Hemp Agrinomy - still in flower in many places I've been recently - there was also Sea Holly, Viper's Bugloss, Wild Thyme, Purple Loosestrife, Heather and swathes of Water Mint (one of my favourite wild flowers). Despite the sun being quite strong it was also very windy, so a bit difficult photographing the butterflies there.

I may go down to Pembrokeshire on Monday for Brown Hairstreaks - I hope that the flowers are as good there, and the good weather stays with us as predicted .

Michael

p.s. I hope you don't mind the Wildflower pictures

You must have seen Wall browns at Kenfig, Michael? When I was there a couple of weeks ago there were quite a few.

PS: If you go to West Williamston look out for Nikki (lady in her late 50s who records BH activity there). She'll point you in the direction of the 'butterfly glade' where you will certainly see females laying if the weather is bright.

If you don't, then here are the directions: You pass through a gate onto the foreshore (there's a mounted sign here with a picture of a Brown Hairstreak on it). Walk along the path for approx 200 yards and near the hedgerows there's a patch of very large and robust yellow, hawkweed-type flowers. By here there is a small opening in the blackthorn which leads to the 'hotspot' for BHs. You may find Nikki sat on a plastic chair pen and paper in hand.

Also, take a good walk through the Sea Asters and you'll see dozens and dozens of Tortoiseshells (and probably a few Painted Ladies as well).

Good luck.

David M wrote: You must have seen Wall browns at Kenfig, Michael? When I was there a couple of weeks ago there were quite a few.

PS: If you go to look out for Nikki (lady in her late 50s who records BH activity there). She'll point you in the direction of the 'butterfly glade' where you will certainly see females laying if the weather is bright.

If you don't, then here are the directions: You pass through a gate onto the foreshore (there's a mounted sign here with a picture of a Brown Hairstreak on it). Walk along the path for approx 200 yards and near the hedgerows there's a patch of very large and robust yellow, hawkweed-type flowers. By here there is a small opening in the blackthorn which leads to the 'hotspot' for BHs. You may find Nikki sat on a plastic chair pen and paper in hand.

Also, take a good walk through the Sea Asters and you'll see dozens and dozens of Tortoiseshells (and probably a few Painted Ladies as well).

Good luck.

Hi David,

I'm contemplating going to West Williamston at some point myself as I only saw male Brown Hairstreaks at Alner's Gorse. From which point did you access the foreshore: via the little bridges from the Oxwich Burrows side (which I'm familiar with), or from the Nicholston Farm campsite area? Also, where did you park? Would be most grateful for this extra info .

Cheers,

Jon

Can anyone confirm any recent sightings of Silver-spotted Skipper at Aston Rowant - was aiming to go down tomorrow for Adonis Blue and S-sS. However, if the latter has stopped flying, I may wait until next Spring for AB.

Thanks in anticipation.

Lawts wrote:Can anyone confirm any recent sightings of Silver-spotted Skipper at Aston Rowant - was aiming to go down tomorrow for Adonis Blue and S-sS. However, if the latter has stopped flying, I may wait until next Spring for AB.

Thanks in anticipation.

I was at Aston Rowant 10 days ago. There were one or two about then

selbypaul wrote:

Lawts wrote:Can anyone confirm any recent sightings of Silver-spotted Skipper at Aston Rowant - was aiming to go down tomorrow for Adonis Blue and S-sS. However, if the latter has stopped flying, I may wait until next Spring for AB.

Thanks in anticipation.

I was at Aston Rowant 10 days ago. There were one or two about then

Yesterday at Mill Hill lots of Adonis blue within 200 yds of main carpark. Cheers Sezar

Overcast, windy and some drizzle but I still managed to see a female Brown Hairstreak at Preston Down near Paignton in Devon this afternoo, Also saw two Wall Browns and a Meadow Brown

Jonathan Evans wrote: Hi David,

I'm contemplating going to West Williamston at some point myself as I only saw male Brown Hairstreaks at Alner's Gorse. From which point did you access the foreshore: via the little bridges from the Oxwich Burrows side (which I'm familiar with), or from the Nicholston Farm campsite area? Also, where did you park? Would be most grateful for this extra info .

Cheers,

Jon

Oxwich Burrows? Think we may have our wires crossed here, Jon.

West Williamston is in Pembrokeshire, over 50 miles from Swansea.

http://www.welshwildlife.org/reservesPe ... re_en.link

Once you're there, there's only one way to the foreshore so if you follow my earlier instructions you can't go wrong.

If the sun is out and you find the butterfly glade, I'd be absolutely amazed if you didn't see any laying females.

Hi David,
thanks for the help regarding West Williamston tomorrow. I'm 99% sure I'll be going, it's just a question of how early I fancy getting up. We went to the Gower this afternoon and frankly I'm a bit knackered now . Our plan tomorrrow is to get to the Pembrokeshire site just after 9:00, spend a couple of hours there (or however long it takes) and then go back to Rhossili Bay or Three Cliffs Bay for a bit of landscape photography.

I only saw one Wall butterfly at Kenfig, I'd forgotten it because it flew pretty quickly as soon as I tried to get a photograph ..after that I spent a lot more time near the shoreline, so any other Walls may have been nearer the Information Centre.

Jon - the email I've received gives parking at a small reserve park at SN032058. But don't go nicking my space now

The forecast still looks good for the whole of South and West Wales tomorrow.

Michael

Ahh...I See what I've done now . Will let you know how I get on .

Cheers,

Jon

A quick trawl of my local cemetery this morning reveals a several Small White and a single GV with 3 or 4 Speckled Wood. Highlight is my second-ever sighting of Small Copper in there, both this year - a nice male.... N

Headed out for my last serious butterfly trip of the year today. Once again I decided to visit West Yatton Down near Chippenham, as it is the nearest place to me where Adonis Blues are to be found. The site is also extremely sheltered, being in a massive dip, and with temperatures no better than 17C, I guessed it would probably be better to go somewhere not too exposed.

For once it was practically unbroken sunshine all the way, with just the odd passing cloud interfering occasionally. An Adonis Blue sighting would have raised my total to 40 species this year which would have been a nice way to bow out. However, I can now post 41 as my total, because whilst searching the scrub I suddenly spotted the unmistakeable deep hue of a Clouded Yellow. It flew over the barbed wire fence but I followed it, ripping my shirt in the process. I twice caught up with it only for it to zoom off again before I could photograph it. I then lost it completely and cursed my bad luck. However, I disturbed it again some 10 minutes later quite accidentally, and this time I got the little blighter, a male with a penchant for settling near patches of bare earth.

I should point out that this site is phenomenal for Blues. I only saw 5 Adonis but there were Brown Argus, Common and Chalkhill Blue everywhere; there was even a dogfight between males of the latter three and a Small Heath, which made for quite a spectacle of colour.

Overall, the 3 hour visit returned the following numbers:

1. Small Heath 100-120
2. Brown Argus 80-100
3. Chalkhill Blue 60-80
4. Common Blue 40-60
5. Speckled Wood 25-35
6. Meadow Brown 13
7. Green Veined White 7
8. Adonis Blue 5
9. Small Copper 4
10. Small White 3
11. Brimstone 2
12. Small Tortoiseshell 1
13. Peacock 1
14. Clouded Yellow 1
15. Large White 1

For Attention of David M,

Hi David,

I spent today at Rodborough Common, near Stroud, there were good numbers of both Adonis Blue and Brown Argus. Chalkhill Blue were present but are past their best. Like you I wanted to get to the nearest Adonis Blue site from home in South Wales, there's only a couple of miles difference between Chippenham (40 miles) and Stroud (38) from the new Severn Bridge, but I'm not familiar with West Yatton Down so I don't know if you have to add any further mileage on.

Next year you may also consider Stinchcombe Hill, near Dursley (also Gloucestershire) which is most probably the nearest place for us for Adonis and Chalkhill Blue, it also has Small Blue, Grizzled and Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak and Dark Green and Silver-washed Fritillary. This site is at least ten miles less than the two mentioned above, I've heard and read some good things about it but have not paid a visit yet - must keep something for next year !!!

Hope this may help a little towards planning your 'butterflying' diary for next year.

Best Wishes,

Bill

I found this odd looking Meadow Brown with white patches at Cuckmere Haven on Saturday:
Cheers
Lee

Within 1 hour, had sightings yesterday of at least 3 different individual Brown Hairstreaks at Shipton Bellinger, coming down to blackthorn and bramble along the smaller parallel subsidiary path. Also plenty of common blue and reasonable numbers of holly blue, speckled woods and brimstones.

Rgds, Alex