Neil Freeman

[Neil Freeman]

Dorset August 31st to September 7th part 5 – Shades of Brown (mostly).

Small Heaths were present everywhere I went during the week, usually in good numbers and often the most numerous species seen.

Small Heath - Osmington 01.09.2018

Small Heath - Ballard Down 06.09.2018

At Durdle door I spotted a mating pair which made me realise that this is something that I don't recall having seen before with this species despite it being such a familiar one.

Small Heath pair in cop - Durdle Door 03.09.2018

Meadow Browns were also flying at all the sites I visited although not as many as I have seen still flying here during my past visits. Mind you, that is all relative and there were still double figures seen at most places including a few mating pairs, usually tucked down in the grass.

Meadow Brown pair in cop - Osmington 01.09.2018

The female below caught my eye at Durdle Door with her large orange forewing patches and slight bleaching of her hindwings. It was just a pity I could not get a photo without intruding grass stems before she took off over the hillside and I lost sight of her.

Meadow Brown female - Durdle Door 02.09.2018

Also at Durdle Door on the Monday (3rd Sept.) I spotted a well faded Marbled White still hanging in there. Like the Meadow Browns these seem to have a much longer flight period on some southern chalk sites and I have seen a few here before in early September in past years.

Marbled White - Durdle Door 03.
09.2018

One of my secondary targets for the week was another species that seems to have a longer flight period on the chalk sites down here...the Grayling. Durdle Door produced most of these with a dozen or more seen on the slopes above the famous rock arch, but curiously I didn't see any the first couple of times I looked here and it was not until the Monday afternoon that I saw the first ones despite the weather conditions being similar each time I was there. I wonder where they had been hiding?

Grayling - Durdle Door 03.09.2018

Grayling - Durdle Door 03.09.2018

Grayling - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Grayling - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Grayling - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

The only other place I saw Graylings was at Tout Quarry on Portland where I spotted a couple down the rocky side paths.

Grayling - Tout Quarry 04.09.2018

Two Wall Browns were seen, both females, one at Tout Quarry and one at Ballard Down. The one at Portland flew on to one of the Buddleias that grow out of the rocks here as I was watching a Painted Lady and I only managed a quick record shot before she was gone.

Wall Brown - Tout Quarry 04.09.2018

The one on Ballard Down looked to be in better condition from the brief look that I got before she too was gone into the distance.

Speckled Woods cropped up at most places, especially along the more shaded paths and hedgerows along the bottoms of hillsides. For example at Osmington I counted 13 along the first part of the bridleway through the trees before it comes out and turns diagonally up the hillside. I didn't take many photos of these though, after all I see plenty back home.

Speckled Wood - Bindon Hill 02.09.2018

One more report to come with a few odds and sods that don't fit into any of the previous posts.

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Great report Neil The mating pair of Meadow Browns show an interesting individual, with the double pupil and the lighter band across the hind wing you could almost think that a Hedge Brown Brilliant Grayling shots as well and a September Marbled White - I saw them near there back in June, and they were looking tatty then

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Small Heaths, Wall Browns & Graylings are enviable in September, Neil, but a Marbled White?!?!

That must have pupated in a fridge to still be around at that time!

[Goldie M]

Love the shots Neil of the Grayling on the Berries and the Wall on the Buddeila, you usually see Wall on the ground, your Small Heath will take some beating as well. Goldie

[ernie f]

Neil, love the Small Heath "Odd Couple". That was quite a find, but equally love all your ultra-sharp Grayling shots.

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for the comments Wurzel, David, Goldie and Ernie, much appreciated as always

Dorset August 31st to September 7th part 6 – Miscellaneous Stuff.

One last report from our week in Dorset to cover some miscellaneous stuff that didn't fit into any of the previous reports.

All three species of common White were seen although only Small Whites were flying in decent numbers with far fewer Large and Green-veined Whites about.

Small White - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Small White - Osmington 04.09.2018

Just three each of Red Admirals, Painted Ladies and Clouded Yellows were seen throughout the week with only a couple of the Painted Ladies staying still long enough for me to get some photos and these had both seen better days.

Painted Lady - Osmington 01.09.2018

Painted Lady - Tout Quarry 04.09.2018

By a coincidence I also saw three Hummingbird Hawk Moths, two of these at Tout Quarry on Portland where they were hovering and darting about around the buddleias that grow alongside the rocky paths here. These always seem to move just as I press the button but eventually I managed to get a couple of shots that weren't total blurs.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth - Tout Quarry 04.09.2018

Hummingbird Hawk Moth - Tout Quarry 04.09.2018

The third HBHM was seen at Durlston Country Park where it was moving slowly over the dry grass down the gully and appeared to be searching for something, perhaps a female looking for some bedstraw to lay on among the still parched vegetation there.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth - Durlston CP 05.09.2018

A visit to RSPB Arne on the Monday afternoon (3rd Sept.) produced a couple of Brimstones along with half a dozen Speckled Woods. Whilst Jane and my mom had a drink at the cafe I went for a walk to the Raptor Hide where I had a distant view of an Osprey sitting on top of a dead tree, much too far away to get a photo with my FZ200 but I did get a decent view through my binoculars.

Back at Durdle Door, a Peregrine was seen on some days above a small valley that goes by the great name of Scratchy Bottom that runs inland just a short way along the coast path between the rock arch and Bats Head.

Amongst the other birds seen down there were quite few Wheatears on the grassy slopes at Durdle Door.

Wheatear - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Wheatear - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Wheatear - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

Also quite a few of these which I think were Linnets but I am never that good at identifying these small brown jobs so would be happy to be corrected.

Linnet (I think) - Durdle Door 05.09.2018

On the Wednesday morning there were loads of House Martins swirling about in the air around the rock arch and nearby grassy slopes, impossible to count with their fast aerial movements but it seemed like hundreds of them and they made for an impressive display. I was watching a Small Copper about 09.00ish when I realised the House Martins had all disappeared, I didn't see which way they went but I guess they had gathered here before heading off south for the winter.

Grassy slope above the arch at Durdle Door.

And to finish off, a few more scenery shots...

Looking down on West Lulworth from Bindon Hill.

Looking towards West Lulworth from the footpath behind Hambury Tout

Durdle Door looking towards Bats Head.

Evening sun shining through Bats Hole at Bats Head.

All in all, another cracking week in one of my favourite parts of the country

Bye for now,

Neil.

[millerd]

What an excellent series of shots of lots of different species - very hard indeed to single any one thing out there, though the views are glorious too! The Marbled White is on the face of it a strange find, though I do recall seeing one at Durlston on the last day of August one year - so perhaps not quite so strange.

Cheers,

Dave

[CallumMac]

Amidst some fantastic butterfly pictures, I just have to say that your last photo of the sunset through Bats Hole would not look out of place on a postcard!

[Wurzel]

Fantastic images Neil So you saw a 'white arse' at Scratchy Bottom great stuff As are those Hummingbird Hawk Moth shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Neill, love your scenery shots, callum's right they could be post card shots, lovely! Love the Bird shots also Goldie

[David M]

That’s an exceptionally beautiful part of the UK, Neil. It also has exceptional butterflies, and a few decent birds by the look of things.

[Andrew555]

A beautiful selection of shots from Dorset Neil. The Adonis and Coppers really stand out. Lovely scenic views as well, and great shots of the Wheatear.

[Neil Freeman]

Many thanks again for all the great comments Dave, Callum, Wurzel, Goldie, David and Andrew.

That part of the Dorset coast really is a great place to spend some time in early September

Dave, I thought I remembered you seeing a late Marbled White at Durlston. I have see a few late ones down that way now, either at the end of August or the first few days in September. I suspect that they sometimes last longer on the chalk down here in a similar way that Meadows Browns also last much longer here than they do back home.

I have had a look back through my photos from previous years and and found these, all taken in the area at around the same time.

Bindon Hill 5th September 2012

Durlston Country Park 2nd September 2013

Durdle Door 31st August 2014

Durdle Door 30th August 2015

Cheers,

Neil

[millerd]

Fascinating, Neil - it's clearly a regular thing with the species in that part of the world. The majority of those above are reasonably fresh as well. Do you happen to know when they first appear on the Dorset coast in any given year? That might indicate whether they have a late emergence or a protracted one.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wurzel]

Intersting to see them hanging on so late into the season, especially this year when they were here one minute and gone the next I wonder if it's because of the maritime climate making it more benign?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Just checked, Neil. and I can add Durlston 27th August 2016 to your sequence (no photo though).

Dave

[David M]

Quite extraordinary to see Marbled Whites flying at all in September, Neil, much less in that kind of condition.

Do they emerge at the usual time in that part of the country, i.e. early to mid June?

[Neil Freeman]

Thanks for the comments on the Marbled Whites guys

I believe that the main emergence down there is around the same time as most other parts of the country i.e. mid June with numbers building into early July. I have certainly seen them in large numbers down there at the end of June. I reckon that the late ones that I have seen are the last examples of a more protracted emergence than we get at home in the midlands rather than being a later flight period overall.

I have done a bit of reading up on this species and interestingly the excellent 'Butterflies of Sussex' gives an average last sighting of 23rd August.

Anyway, the season is rapidly winding down around here but it can still taunt me with what looks like a week of reasonable weather ahead whilst I am at work after a pretty scabby weekend. Saturday here was awful, gloomy wet and windy all day. Sunday was a bit better with the sun trying to break through but a cold wind kept the temperatures down to 12 degrees at most.
Despite the cool and mostly dull weather a couple of faded male Speckled Woods braved the conditions to chase each other about but that was the only butterfly activity I saw all weekend.

Bye for now,

Neil.

[trevor]

Somehow I seem to have missed this page in your diary completely,
I'm not usually that slow !. Of all the images it's the Grayling on the
blackberry that steals the show for me. .
Your successful Hummingbird Hawk moth shots took some patience,
as they spend a millisecond on each flower before darting off to the next.
There would have been an extra mrgreen for your female Wall, but Iv'e seen one recently.

All the best,
Trevor.

[bugboy]

Just caught up on your diary, a great way to wile away the time sat on a train down to the south coast for some more Cloudie action. It's very obvious why your south west trip is an annual thing, impossible to get bored visiting places like that