millerd

[Wurzel]

That is one cute little butterfly - and extraordinarily well behaved Did you try a little 'whispering' on it?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Well, I don't know about you, Wurzel, but I do have the odd word with them sometimes... Once in a while it seems to do the trick!

Wednesday 29th August. Another local walk - I expect these to become a bit more frequent again as the specialist sites quieten down. However, I was rewarded today with eleven different species, which included a brand new Small Copper patrolling a spot very close to home.

There were some other new individuals amongst those species seen, including a lovely female GVW...

two contrasting Small Heaths...

...and a few Speckled Woods.

Some of the Holly Blues were none too shabby either and were following the new pattern of opening up - at least a bit, anyway.

Even this very small female Meadow Brown was (aside from the missing bit) not too bad an example.

On the way out, however, were the Common Blues and Brown Argus.

However, today's overall star had to be the Small Copper.

Dave

[millerd]

Thursday 30th August. The weather was good - I decided to go for one final look at Bookham for Brown Hairstreaks. I arrived around 1100, and despite sunshine, there was surprisingly little around. Bugboy had mentioned to me that a Small Copper was always to be found just on the other side of the stile into Banks Meadow... and here is the little chap in position, looking almost transparent with age now.

A few gentle wanders up and down the path by the hedgerow just inside the field produced nothing, but then approaching noon the first Hairstreak appeared. This turned out to be the first of two seen. Neither one was pristine, but then again neither was particularly battered.

At one point one of them set off over the field and settled on the grass - I managed a (less than perfect) backlit image, somewhat unusual for this species I imagine.

Feeling pretty satified with what I had seen, I set off back to the car. In the area covered in mint, where I'd seen the Chalkhill a week or so earlier, there was a fresh Comma, and a feisty little Small Copper.

I looked up at the hedge, and there was another Brown Hairstreak, probably fresher than the others I'd seen, busily laying eggs.

As usual, she emerged to get her breath back and was just settling down to bask when the Copper spotted her. As with the couple I'd seen a few days back, the Small Copper pursued the poor Hairstreak relentlessly until they were out of sight through the trees. A few minutes later he returned, but of course she didn't.

I did manage to find one of the eggs she had laid.

A very successful morning at Bookham, but a sudden impulse sent me on to Fairmile Common, just the other side of Cobham, where something rather unusual awaited me...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great set of Brostreak images Dave The actions of the Small Copper sound very familiar - there always seems to be another species of butterfly interfering when you're trying for a shot of something else I'm intrigued now about what you found at Fairmile...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Fabulous Brown Hairstreaks, Dave, but the female Green Veined White is the pick...a stunning specimen.

Looking forward to seeing the 'unusual thing' that was awaiting you at Fairmile.

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I was pleased with that particular set of encounters as it's been a bit like pulling teeth with the Brown Hairstreaks this year. Having see the Small Copper/Brown Hairstreak interaction twice now, I wonder if the superficial similarity in colouration has something to do with it. A real nuisance both times, I can say that...

Thank you, David - I rather liked that GVW too, and she gave me a choice of shots to choose from as well. Very cooperative.

And now for something rather different...

After Bookham on 30th August, I pondered where to go next. Then it struck me - Fairmile Common was only a few miles away, just the other side of Cobham in fact. My first thought was that I had never explored it for Graylings, which I knew persisted on the other Surrey Heaths into the beginning of September. Once I got there, the thought of Silver-studded Blues came to mind as they abounded here back in early June.

Well, I certainly didn't see any Graylings. However, as I walked slowly through the gorse and heather I spotted a small light-coloured butterfly flying low down. Closer to, it did look blue, and closer still I was able to identify it as a Silver-studded Blue, albeit quite a pale one. I managed a few shots, and though the individual was a bit worn (it must have been out a few days) it was clearly not any other species. A small brown butterfly wandered past, making me pause and think "female!", but the blue took no interest at all and when I peered closer, it turned out to be a Brown Argus. Well, if there is one, perhaps there are others... I looked further and came upon a threesome - two blues and another small brown one. I followed the brown - another Brown Argus! I backtracked and tried to follow one of the blues, but in the end I lost sight of both. It would not be unresonable to say they were also SSB, as they looked similar to the first.

Having read that a second brood of this species has appeared in Cornwall, and given the date - some 12 weeks after the SSB were out here earlier - I have to conclude that the individual(s) I saw were also a second brood. Here are the photos...

blackberries for "time of year" context

the turquoise "silver studs" are just visible

wide dark borders

I don't know if this has happened before in Surrey, but this year anything is possible. Certainly a very unusual sighting.

Dave

[bugboy]

Certainly a very noteworthy find Dave . Glad and slightly you managed a few more Hairstreaks at Bookham

[Wurzel]

That is quite a find Dave It's certainly been a funny old year and there have been second broods of Dingies and I swear I saw a second brood Orange-tip mentioned from somewhere in Dorset

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ernie f]

Thanks for the heads-up on the possibility of 2nd brood SSBlues, Dave. I shall check out my patch to see if any are there.

[millerd]

Sorry about the Bookham Brownies, Buggy... I couldn't resist another go. The sunshine brought them out, though I'm still a bit miffed that the Small Copper chased away what was probably the best one.

The SSB was a definite bonus as that's not really what I went for. It may well be worth checking other SSB sites for similar emergences as you say, Ernie.

An odd year indeed, Wurzel - there have definitely been second brood White Admirals seen, and I think Neil Freeman mentioned Orange Tips somehwere in the Midlands. Maybe I should be searching Bookham for something different now.

Friday 31st August. Another local foray to kick the day off. I actually got no further than the other side of the hedge (where the fallen ash tree still lies, its ivy festoons still largely alive). This was because I was sidetracked by the now resident Small Copper...

...and by a very nice Holly Blue.

One other Holly Blue was lying prostrate on the foliage - it could no longer fly, though its struggles to do so had left silver scales alongside it on the leaf.

Eventually it flipped itself off the leaf and disappeared into the grass. I found this rather sad - it is surprising how rare it is to find a dead or dying butterfly that hasn't been obviously predated. I hope this female had managed to lay a good many eggs!

The only other butterfly I saw in this small area was a Large White on the sprawling wild buddleia bush. This particular bush seems to attract very little to be honest.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Those are perfect looking butterflies DaveI don't think I've seen a Holly Blue looking that fresh. Then from one extreme to another, it must have been sad to see the other Holly Blue so near to the end

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Silver Studded Blue in September is a highly notable find, Dave. This summer's abnormally hot weather is truly beginning to have consequences.

Love your fresh female Holly Blue, and it's quite something to see one so faded at the same time!

[millerd]

Thanks, both. The Holly Blues at the moment are beginning to polarise into the really old and worn, and the absolutely brand new. Whether this signifies the start of another brood, I wouldn't like to say for definite, but it wouldn't surprise me. Whether I keep seeing them into November like last year is another matter!

That quick local visit was just the start of the day (31st August). After the trip to Fairmile and its attendant surprise, I thought I'd have a look at another of the Surrey heathland sites at Dawneys Hill. Unlike Fairmile, there were no SSB but there were Graylings (between 15 and 20 seen), but like Fairmile there were heart-stopping moments when other butterflies masqueraded a possible Silver-studs. Once again there were Brown Argus and this time there were a couple of Holly Blues down on the heather too.

The Grayling were getting a bit battered at this end of the season, but I still had a go (like Wurzel) at catching them in flight for those open wing shots.

I also found one couple indulging in a bit of brief courtship, but I was too distant to make much of the opportunity.

However, there were good opportunities for the traditional camouflage shots on the sandy ground, and the odd one up on the heather.

I came upon one egg-laying female, and managed to locate the egg amongst the dried up ground litter.

Off course, it is traditional to play Spot The Grayling at this point...

As it turned out, there was a bit more to see on this bit of sandy heath. I must have seen three or four Small Coppers, disturbed a Small Heath, and miles away from the trees, turned up a Speckled Wood.

Both the Coppers I managed to photograph were very new and both were members of The Blue Badge Brigade.

Another good late season day out, and I'd say there is at least another week left in those Graylings if the weather holds.

Dave

[trevor]

I didn't get over to Dawneys this year, looks as though I missed a treat.
Well done With the Graylings, and your very late Silver Studded Blues.
But it's that fresh female Holly Blue that earns the mrgreen .

Trevor.

[CallumMac]

Nice set millerd! Those Small Coppers fairly shine off the screen. And a trousered Grayling - is that unusual? In my experience they can't get away from me quickly enough...

And I spotted it this time (usually I can't!). But it took a minute or two, so I won't give the game away...

[Andrew555]

Wow Dave! So much good stuff recently.
Love the Adonis from Denbies, a nice ab, and that dark female is a real stunner.
I also like your close up of the Silver-spotted Skipper, your lush Small Coppers, and the Graylings.

[Maximus]

Nice to see the Grayling are still going strong at Dawneys, Dave, nice shots, and what stunning Small Coppers As Dawneys is only fifteen minutes from us I might have to pay a visit - weather permitting!

Mike

[millerd]

Thank you for the appreciative comments, everyone. There have been some good things to see recently, but the Small Coppers are stand-out stars at the moment.

As for trousered Graylings, Callum, my own experience is that I can't visit one of their sites without being settled on in this way. Sooner or later one will bound up and plonk itself down. They particularly like denim - whether it looks like a tree trunk to them, I don't know!

Saturday 1st September. Staying local, I decided to carry out one of my periodic counts of butterflies across my patch. Not very scientific, but carried out to avoid double-counting as far as possible, and with fewer photos taken so I didn't miss things whizzing by while I'm stuck in some ungainly position on the ground. The results over a two-hour walk were:

Small White - 22
Holly Blue - 12
Brown Argus - 8
Large White - 8
Common Blue - 7
Speckled Wood - 7
Small Copper - 5
GVW - 4
Small Heath - 4
Red Admiral - 1

I would have expected a Comma or two, considering the day was sunny and pretty warm. Only one Red Admiral is very poor as well - this time last year, numbers were starting to build.

I did manage a few shots...

On Sunday 2nd September, my son was involved with his first rugby training session of the season so I had little opportunity to go out on what was a very sunny and almost hot day. In a very short local walk I saw the same set of species, though for some reason there were twice as many Small Heaths around. A Red Admiral was patrolling a piece of sunlit path and was reasonably amenable

Dave

[Wurzel]

How did I miss the Grayling post Dave ?A cracking set of shots and those open wing ones are brill - something I've still got to find Also good to see another trousering

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - it does take a bit of perseverence and muttering under the breath to get any open-wing shots at all. I was just extremely lucky three years ago with that threesome, and have never come close since.

Monday 3rd September. Will the end of the school holidays approaching fast, and a good weather forecast, it was time for another day out at the beach. Amazingly the traffic was good too, and at 1030 the beach at Studland was almost deserted. I didn't see any butterflies down there, but after lunch we had a walk over at Dulston Country Park, where there were quite a few worn Adonis flying along with a couple of Meadow Browns and Small Heath. It struck me that the slopes hadn't recovered yet from the long hot spell and were still looking quite brown.

At this point, any further butterfly searching was interrupted by my son shouting out "dolphins!" and tearing off downhill to the top of the cliff. He was right - swimming along a little way out was a group of dolphins. He'd not seen them before, and I'd not seen them in the UK. By the time we were down at the edge, they had moved a bit, and they swim a lot faster than you can walk along a cliff path so kept ahead of us. I managed a few distant photos and Elliot took some video on his phone.

I have to say it did go some way to make up for the lack of butterflies!

Dave