millerd

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave , catching up on posts, you've some great shots of the Copper's, there seems to be loads of Blue badges this year, infact there's more Copper's than I've ever seen Your shots of the Dolphin's though distant or good, Iv'e not seen one either so I bet you were excited to see them. Goldie

[David M]

I'm rather envious you saw 8 Brown Argus on your count, Dave. I doubt I've seen that many all year in south Wales.

Great that you got to see those dolphins, not something I've ever witnessed in the UK.

[Neil Freeman]

Well done with the Dolphins at Durlston Dave, I saw that some had been reported but didn't see any when we were there. Like you, I thought that it was looking very dry there still and the gully looked particularly parched.

Cheers,

Neil

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Dave - I've not seen Dolphins there in all the years I've visited

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you everyone - the dolphins were a brilliant bonus to the day. Though we were not really all that close, you could actually hear them expelling air and water through their blowholes. A great sight from a great site.

Tuesday 4th September. Another decent day again, so I headed down to Fairmile Common again - well, you never know! As it was, I didn't see any more Silver-studs, but there were more Brown Argus than I had previously realised, with over half a dozen seen. I wonder why I've never come across the first brood while looking for SSB in June.

The other notable species was the ever more ubiquitous Small Copper. They are appearing everywhere, and today I found ten to a dozen individuals in various states of wear and tear and with varying numbers of blue spots.

The only heart-stopping moment was caused by this pale wraith of a Common Blue wafting around and nectaring on the heather.

For the time of year, the flower display on the common was very colourful.

Dave

[trevor]

Your Small Coppers really stand out on Heather, a great backdrop.
Good luck with your Cloudie expedition, Tuesday looks good for them.

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

That is a very bright floral display for the time of year Dave Lush set of Coppers, especially the Blue Badger Good luck with the Cloudies from me too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice mosaic of colours at that site, Dave. Not surprising that you saw Small Coppers as they seem to be abnormally ubiquitous almost everywhere right now, but the Brown Argus are welcome as I haven't seen too many of them myself this year.

[millerd]

Thanks, Trevor - the Coppers do indeed look particularly bright on the heather! I may try tomorrow for the Cloudies, and take in Mill Hill again as well, as my sources tell me third brood Walls are appearing up there too...

Cheers, Wurzel - didn't even expect to see them, but then they are having a good year everywhere (except Dungeness so far... ) Fingers crossed for a few Cloudies - you haven't heard any whispers from Southbourne this year have you?

Thank you, David. Your dearth of Brown Argus certainly isn't mirrored in the spots I've visited - in fact they are popping up in unexpected places as well as persisting in good numbers on my local patch (though to be fair most are getting a bit tired now).

4th September (continued):
At Fairmile, I was halfway down to Denbies, so another trip there seemed a good idea. To be fair it was very similar to the last one, only with fewer butterflies. There were still some Brown Argus around, a few Small Heath over the middle part of the hillside, and a single female Silver-spotted Skipper still searching out egg-laying spots.

Chalkhill Blues had almost disappeared, and this was perhaps the best example.

Male Adonis were more frequent, but no longer in the numbers they had been not so long ago.

Females, however, were around in higher numbers than the males, and some were fresh.

One was similar to the dark one I had seen a few days before, with perhaps more blue scales and less intense a ground colour. It was quite content to wander onto my hand and open up before hopping down and basking more conventionally.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Lovely Butterflies Dave, I didn't see the Adonis this year so seeing the one on your finger makes me green Goldie

[millerd]

Thank you Goldie - the Adonis are still going strong (just about!) on most of their sites. They seem to have done well in spite of the dried up landscape. That one was unusually friendly, as the females don't normally cooperate though the males will sometimes suck sweat off your fingers.

Wednesday 5th, Thursday 6th and Friday 7th September.
I stayed local again on all three days for various reasons, and went out on all three at different times. All the usual suspects were present, but most notable were the continuing good numbers of increasingly worn Brown Argus which now outnumber the Common and Holly Blues. The numbers of Small Coppers are rising too, and I'm finding them in ones and twos over the whole area I cover, with no big concentrations. The only consistency is the one closest to home, which I have seen every day I've been out since 29th August patrolling exactly the same spot. Holly Blues are at last dwindling to only one or two seen, and though there are Commas about, they all seem to be weary hangovers from the spring/summer brood, rather than shiny new autumn ones. Meadow Browns have disappeared, but a few new Small Heaths are around again.

Here is a selection from all three days.

I spotted a Brown Argus laying an egg, and when I checked to see if I could find it, I actually found three on the tiny cranesbill plant, and others nearby. Interestingly two of the three were on the top surface of the leaf, and one was underneath...

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great set of Small Copper and Brown Argus shots Dave and the female Adonis int he last posting - another beauty Brown Argus seem to have had a good year, though possibly better over your way?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Those last pair of images of the female Adonis are exceptional, Dave. I so wish we had them in my area.

[millerd]

Thanks, Wurzel - yes, a very good year for the Brown Argus round here. On my probably-not-very-scientific way of counting, they come out sixth in the sightings league on my local patch this year. I think I've also seen them in a few spots where I can't remember doing so before.

That female Adonis was another cracker, wasn't she?

Saturday 8th September. I had time for another trip out today. I initially tried for Bookham, but there must have been something happening in Cobham as the traffic heading into the town was solid, so I headed back to the M25 and a surprisingly clear run to Denbies again. Diminishing returns once again - no SSSkippers and only a couple of forlorn Chalkhills in amongst the remaining Adonis and Brown Argus. I did notice there were quite a few Small Heaths around, but as always there was a strong breeze across the slopes and they were impossible to approach at all closely. The best of the blues:

a touch of the krodeli about this one

There was a bit of a look forward to spring - one or two of the violets were flowering again.

As long as there are plenty of new leaves for the Dark Green Fritillary caterpillars, that's all that matters.

I'm not sure whether it's worth visiting Denbies again this year now. The season is moving south as it always does at this time of year, so it looks like trips to the South Coast may be in order instead.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Those Adonis still look good to me Dave Goldie

[millerd]

Thanks, Goldie. A few more to come from elsewhere - their season isn't over quite yet, I'm glad to say.

Sunday 9th September. With only the afternoon to play with, it was good that the sun appeared soon after lunch. I stayed local, and at this time of year, there is more variety on a patch like mine than there is at somewhere like Denbies. The first interesting thing was an absence rather than anything else - this is the first time since June that I didn't see a Holly Blue! However, there were ten other species on the wing, with approximate counts:
Small White - 17
Speckled Wood - 11
Brown Argus - 9
Small Copper - 7
Large White - 3
GVW - 3
Small Heath - 3
Common Blue - 3
Comma - 2
Red Admiral - 2
I managed photos of all except the three species of White - not unusual, and often only possible first thing when they are warming up.

least worn of the whole bunch

this is the one I see every day, still looking good at ten days old

a female CB

a rarity this year

Still plenty to see when the sun shines!

Dave

[millerd]

The forecast for Monday 10th September was a good one across southeast England, so I headed for Sussex and a visit to the unlikely spot of Shoreham Harbour. After the glorious South Downs countryside this little hotspot by the sea requires driving into rather unedifying urban scenery, complete with oil tanks, power station and piles of scrap metal. The harbour itself is a long (several miles altogether) canal-like waterway running parallel to the actual coastline proper. The western part is tidal (being the estuary of the river Adur), but the eastern part is protected by locks and is where most of the commercial shipping docks. Opposite these wharves, between the harbour and the A259 (and not far from Southwick station) is a long narrow area of greenery, mostly tangles of brambles but with wild buddleia and other flowers as well. There are steps down and a path running the whole length.

When I visited, there was a stiff breeze from the west but it was fairly sunny and quite warm too. Before very long, I was met with a Clouded Yellow bowling along with the wind. As far as I could tell, this individual was flying endlessly up and down the path, so I just waited a few minutes and it would be back from the opposite direction. Settling was rare, unless a cloud obscured the sun, when it would drop like a stone onto the bare ground or maybe a low plant. Timing one of these pauses to the moment when I was in the close vicinity was the trick, and eventually it worked (though I had to be quick as the sun was just appearing again as the camera drew close... ).

As far as I could tell, there was just the one while I was there. What there were more of were bright shining new Common Blues - all distinctly small as has been the case this summer. How they battled the wind I can't imagine, considering their small stature. I saw at least half a dozen.

Curiously, while I was there, not a single butterfly paid a visit to any of the buddleia plants. However, it's an interesting spot, and certainly worth revisiting on a less windy day in the near future...

As it happens, I had been to Mill Hill on the way to Shoreham, and had seen quite a bit more: worthy of a longer post to be constructed in more leisurely fashion.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That Copper is certainly aging well Dave , I wish I was Great work with the Cloudy, persistence paid off I've often wondered how butterflies mange when flying in event eh slightest breeze, they seem to be skilled as utilising the ever changing gusts and lulls

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Great description of the Cloudie site, Dave.
Not a likely Butterfly spot when viewed from a car on the A259 !.
As the Clouded Yellow is apparently resident at Southbourne ( never been there ),
it has me wondering whether this is the case at Southwick. It seems uncanny that
migrant Cloudies find that same spot year after year. The site is certainly sheltered
from northerly wind, and catches the Sun from dawn till dusk all year round.
We know that they breed there, hence the fresh specimens seen at this time of year.

Only a thought,
Trevor.

[bugboy]

Glad you found the place and got your Cloudie Dave. Looking forward to seeing what you found at Mill Hill the day after I was there