Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Dave, yes, getting any kind of decent open wing shots has been a real challenge in the recent hot weather. Last Monday and Tuesday were scorchers here but it has since gone the other way, too cool and cloudy.

Cheers Wurzel, We still get mostly brown female common Blues here although a few of those fancy blue ones have been turning up the past couple of years.

Thanks Trevor, I was chuffed with that Wall Brown, especially as I wasn't expecting it and only the second One I have seen this year.

Yes David, it is feeling like it is winding down around my local patch with no specialities here to extend the season.

Hi Goldie, just the one was undersized, the rest were pretty much normal.

Thanks Ernie, I have not managed many open wing Holly Blue shots this year myself, apart from the one above just one spring brood female.

Saturday 11th August

Not much to report from the weekend, Saturday was so-so, a few sunny spells but overall much cloudier and cooler with a fair breeze blowing. Sunday was very wet with rain all day, although I suppose we needed it. It felt like we had returned to a normal summer

During the brief sunny spells on Saturday I spotted a few whites and at least one Holly Blue passing through the garden but the only butterflies I attempted to photograph were the garden Speckled Woods with at least two different males and a female seen.

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 11.08.2018

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 11.08.2018

Speckled Wood female - Coverdale 11.08.2018

Monday 13th August

Back to work today and of course the sun came back out to make for a pleasant day, not as hot as last week but much better than the weekend.
A couple of different male Specklies were in the garden later this afternoon when I got in from work.

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 13.08.2018

Speckled Wood male - Coverdale 11.08.2018

Bye for now,

Neil.

[David M]

Those are nice, fresh Specklies, Neil. Must admit, I haven't seen too many over the past few weeks so hopefully there'll be a new emergence round my way as August progresses.

[Andrew555]

I like your Speckled Woods and Common Blues Neil. And the Gold Spot moth is a beauty.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks David, loads of Speckled Woods around lately here in all sorts of conditions, some more coming up below

Thanks Andrew, I was chuffed with that Gold Spot, especially as it seemed that everyone else around here was getting them in their traps.

Sunday 19th August

Last weekend was dull and cloudy around here with Sunday being the better day with a few sunny spells to brighten the day up a bit.
I did the usual weekend stuff around the house and then decided to see how many different Specklies were in the garden by photographing them to identify individuals by differences in marking and condition. In the end I identified at least 7 males in varying condition and 1 female with a probable 2nd female that passed through without stopping long enough to get a photo to confirm, but she did look to be in better condition than the one I did get a shot of.

The 7 different males,

and the female that I got a shot of,

Apart from the Specklies, a few Large, Small and GV Whites passed through along with a single Holly Blue.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

A cracking array of Specklies Neil Hopefully this weekend will be okay weather wise, fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Your weather's been a bit like our's Neil, wet, windy, rainy, and chilly, with the exception of a few hours here and there, it's a good job we've got Gardens where some Butterflies braved the weather Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Wurzel, so far the weather this weekend has been worse than last and today (Sunday) is a total washout. Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow is 'supposed' to be a bit better...we'll see.

Yes Goldie, we have gone from one extreme to the other. I'm fortunate in that I have Specklies in the garden and they will fly in dull conditions otherwise I would have seen very little this past couple of weeks.



Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

Your traditional late summer array of Specklies, Neil! There are some lovely ones around at the moment. If the forecast is to be believed, after today's wind rain and cold, things should steadily improve into September. Fingers crossed!

By the way, are Brown Hairstreaks persisting up at Ryton?

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Cheers Dave. Yep, fingers crossed for the weather, I am off down Dorset next weekend for another of my traditions, a late season break down by Lulworth /Durdle Door

The Brown Hairsteaks are still at Ryton I believe although I have only seen one sighting reported so far this year, mind you the weather has not been very conducive up here. There have been more sightings from Grafton Wood over towards Worcester but still a relatively poor showing so far.

Garden Moths – August

With a lot of nights here lately being either quite breezy of going clear with dropping temperatures, I have only run the garden moth trap a few times this month. Most of what I have caught have been the usual common late summers species including second broods of species seen earlier in the year.

There had been some comments on some moth group Facebook pages regarding the lack of Large Yellow Underwings recently with some wondering if the dry summer had effected their numbers, this being one of many moth species that pupate underground. I had been getting a few in my trap over the past few weeks but nowhere near the normal numbers...until last Monday night when I had 43 in the trap. It would appear that the recent wet weather had encouraged them to emerge in numbers at last, whether this is a good thing or not is debatable when you have 40 odd of these blundering around in a trap. There is a good reason why they are often referred to as 'Blunderwings'.

A few of the 43 LYUs in the trap last Monday night

Another common 'trap filler' at this time of year is the Square-spot Rustic and I have been getting a few of this quite variable moth.

Square-spot Rustic - Coverdale 15.08.2018

The Brimstone Moth is another common species that I get regularly through the summer and always brightens the trap with its yellow colour. This yellow colour seems at odds with the mostly green vegetation earlier in the year but blends in well with dying leaves in the autumn, much like Clouded Yellow undersides are effective camouflage underneath yellowing leaves.

Brimstone Moth - Coverdale 15.08.2018

Many will have seen a Yellow Shell as they are easily disturbed during the day and I usually get a small number to my trap each year.

Yellow shell - Coverdale 15.08.2018

I get quite a few Orange Swifts from mid summer onwards, the larvae of this common species feed underground on the roots of many herbaceous plants and grasses and overwinter twice before pupating.

Orange Swift - Coverdale 15.08.2018

I love this head on shot of the same moth above posed on a different twig that makes it look like a little fluffy demon sitting on a branch.

Orange Swift head on shot of the moth above - Coverdale 15.08.2018

Pug moths are often overlooked with many of them being small, little larger than micros, and some species being difficult to identify. The Double-striped Pug is one of the smallest of these but can usually be easily identified, especially when fresh like the example below which is the the most well marked example of this species I have seen.

Double-striped Pug - Coverdale 20.08.2018

Most of us will have seen the common 'grass moths' that are usually disturbed in grassy fields and meadows when we are out looking for butterflies. I have now identified 7 different species of these in my garden which appear in succession through the summer months with 2 or 3 species flying at any one time.

Agriphila geniculea - Coverdale 15.08.2018

And finally an attractive little micro, Ypsolopha sequella which is only the second of this species I have seen in the garden with one caught last year.

Ypsolopha sequella - Coverdale 15.08.2018

Bye for now,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Great set of moths Neil Good luck down in Dorset

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Specklies always seem to be ‘between broods’. Nice that there are some emerging in mint condition like those in your sequence, Neil. I’m sure they’ll keep you company well into October.

Love the moths too. Soon they'll outnumber the butterflies once the colder weather kicks in.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks Wurzel, heading down on Friday for a week . I really don't know what to expect this year but am guessing that the dry summer will have had an effect.

Thanks David, I can always rely on the Specklies when nothing else is about

Cheers,

Neil.

[essexbuzzard]

Good luck in Dorset next week. It didn’t perform for us a couple of weeks ago, but the weather is set to improve, hopefully, as the kids go back to school.

[Andrew555]

Yes good luck in Dorset Neil, I'll be interested to see your reports.

Nice Specklies and moths. I saw 4 or 5 of those lovely Brimstone's recently while walking through woods.

[David M]

Thanks David, I can always rely on the Specklies when nothing else is about

Now that you've become expert in trapping these beautiful moths, Neil, I doubt that is ever going to happen.

[ernie f]

Lovely set of moth shots, Neil. I have a particular liking for the Brimstone.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for the good luck wishes Mark and Andrew...they seem to have worked

Ah yes!, good point David

Yes, the Brimstone Moth is a particularly attractive species Ernie, I never tire of seeing them

Dorset August 31st to September 7th – part 1.

We returned earlier this afternoon from a week down in Dorset, staying at Durdle Door Holiday Park. This was primarily a family holiday for us to take my mom away but earlier in the year when we were talking about where to go Jane said I could choose the location...so I just had to go for my favourite early September destination.
Regular readers of this diary will know that I believe that this stretch of Dorset coast is one of the best areas for late season butterflies and have made regular visits here at this time of year. Given the hot and dry summer this year I was curious, and a little apprehensive, as to what I would find this year.
As it tuned out I needn't have worried. For one thing, we struck lucky with the weather which for most of our stay was dry with plenty of sun alternating with high summer clouds with temperatures rising to 23 degrees most afternoons. This good weather held until yesterday (Thursday 6th September) when it clouded over later in the afternoon and we saw the only rain of the week, but by then we had enjoyed a good week and I had seen plenty of butterflies, so we couldn't grumble at that.

In total I saw 19 species of butterfly during the week, with large numbers of some and just one or two examples of others;

Adonis Blue – Lots seen at the usual sites (Durdle Door, Osmington, Bindon Hill, etc.)
Common Blue – Quite a few seen at most places.
Chalk Hill Blue – Half a dozen faded examples hanging on at Bindon Hill.
Small Blue – A surprisingly fresh male seen at Durlston Country Park.
Small Copper – Good numbers of fresh 3rd brood seen at most places.
Brown Argus – Good numbers of mostly faded examples at most places.
Large White – A few seen but not as many as previous years.
Small White – Loads about, easily the most common 'white' seen.
Green-veined White – A few scattered about during the week.
Brimstone – 2 seen at RSPB Arne.
Clouded Yellow – 3 seen, 1 each at Osmington, Durdle Door & Durlston CP.
Painted Lady – 3 seen, 1 at Osmington, 2 on Portland.
Red Admiral – Just 3 seen, 1 at Osmington, 1 at Swanage & 1 on Ballard Down.
Speckled Wood – Loads about.
Meadow Brown – Seen at most places but not as many around as usual.
Grayling – At least a couple of dozen at Durdle Door and 1 on Portland.
Marbled White – 1 faded example at Durdle Door.
Wall Brown – 1 on Portland and 1 on Ballard Down.
Small Heath – loads seen everywhere.

It can be seen from the list above that Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma were absent, all three being species that I have seen here at this time of year in the past. Going by comments I have seen elsewhere, it appears that the first two are probably already in hibernation.

Anyway, a few scenery shots to start with from by where we stayed at Durdle Door.

The obligatory shot of the rock arch, this one taken in the early evening light.

Looking towards Bats Head with Weymouth on the horizon.

Man O' War Bay to the left of the rock arch

Man O' War bay looking towards Lulworth Cove

Now to sort through the many butterfly photos that I took and put some words together over the next few days for a few reports.

Next to come...Adonis Blues.

Neil.

[millerd]

I'm looking forward to this, Neil. I was at Durlston very briefly on 3rd and didn't see a great deal, so it will be interesting to hear what your no doubt longer visit threw up...

Dave

[trevor]

That's quite a haul for the time of year, Neil. Looking forward to your images.
Great location shots as well. Hoping for a late season to shorten the Winter !.


Trevor.

[Wurzel]

I too am looking forward to the Butterfly but the scenery shots are wonderful, I've a little tear forming from nostalgia and homesickness

Have a goodun

Wurzel