millerd

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I don't know how I missed your postings of the Cloudies and the Grayling because there fantastic! It must have been one of my miserable weather days Goldie

[millerd]

I think you're right about the Denbies Adonis, Buggy. I've seen a few blue females over the years, nearly always in the second brood. It puts a whole different meaning on the concept of blue genes...

Cheers, Wurzel - she was very eye-catching wasn't she. Thanks for the confirmation on the Chalkhill too - even worn it does look distinctly different.

Thank you Goldie - I hope your weather perks up again soon!

Sunday 16th September: Another warm and increasingly sunny day, but the morning was occupied watching my son rugby training with Quins u-14s at a college in Twickenham. I happened to notice that a piece of ground between the playing fields and the road had been deliberately sown with some kind of wildflower mix.

Nevertheless a few newish-looking Common Blues had found it. A bit of rope kept folk from traipsing across the area, so I wasn't as close as I would have liked.

A few more examples of this sort of thing in suburban areas wouldn't go amiss!

Dave

[millerd]

During the afternoon of 16th September, I made my way to Bookham again in strong warm sunshine. Things are gradually declining here as elsewhere, with only one or two Speckled Woods, Common Blues and Small Heaths seen, a single worn Brown Hairstreak disturbed from the blackthorn (but evading a photo) and one Comma (likewise).

However, the expected Small Coppers popped up in several spots and will no doubt keep the season alive here for a bit longer.

As can be seen, the fleabane is still going strong here and providing pretty well the only nectar source.

Dave

[bugboy]

That's a nice fresh looking last female Copper . I hope the sun comes out tomorrow

[Wurzel]

Cracking 'Force' of Coppers Dave One seems to have quite small markings on the fore wing And you caught a two spotter

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

That's a Hoggers type haul, Dave. Lovely specimens, well captured.

Trevor.

[Andrew555]

Love the Clouded close up Dave, and the Wall and Copper.

[millerd]

Thank you all - Coppers every day wherever I go it seems! (and I spotted the collective noun for them, Wurzel! ). There will be a few more to come I feel certain...

Monday 17th September: an absolutely glorious warm sunny day transplanted from high summer induced me the 60 miles down to Sussex again, and the slopes of Mill Hill. I think I saw 18 species altogether:
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
Comma
Peacock
Wall Brown
Meadow Brown
Speckled Wood
Small Heath
Brown Argus
Common Blue
Adonis Blue
Chalkhill Blue
Small Copper
Brimstone
Clouded Yellow
Large White
Small White
Green-veined White

Admittedly, some of these were singletons and some were very well worn, but it was an impressive showing.

A round-up:
I counted around 20 Walls, including 5 females which appeared to be egg-laying on the lower slopes. The sunshine made them all very active and I managed only a few shots.

There were at least five Clouded Yellows, mostly along the bottom of the hillside, but some higher up as well and one in the meadow to the north.

I found at least six new Peacocks - I imagine these are second brood from a slightly earlier batch of caterpillars than those described by Neil Hulme in his diary. Theywere the only species taking an interest in the area of hemp agrimony.

Naturally there were a scattering of Small Coppers - how could there not be?

I came across a couple of almost transparent Chalkhills, and some slightly less worn Adonis. I couldn't find any females that were a patch on the ones from Denbies, however.

A Painted Lady appeared on a wholly inaccessible buddleia.

However, if anything the third brood Common Blues were the stars, the females especially with some splendid blue examples.

I also got chatting to guy called Ben from Brighton, recently arrived in the area from north east London, and sung him the praises of UKB!

Another terrific day out.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That was indeed a terrific day Dave, a brilliant range of species for this time of the season Sme glorious looking butterflies; those Walls and Coppers are lush looking

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

That is indeed an impressive haul, Dave.
The sight of two Peacocks in the same shot would not normally
be cause for comment, but it is this Autumn. The whole Vanessa
family seem to be missing around here at the moment. With the
exception of a solitary Red Admiral on Monday.

A mrgreen for your female Wall sightings ,
Trevor.

[millerd]

Cheers Wurzel and Trevor - I suspect that may well be the last day quite like that of the year, especially with the current forecast for the next few days.

Tuesday 18th September: back to the home patch and some more warm sunshine, though overnight it had been very windy and there was still more than a breeze blowing. As always, there was something worth seeing. To start with, there were some faint echoes of last year, with both a Comma and a Red Admiral on the ivy flowers. I saw another of each species elsewhere as well.

Naturally, there were Small Coppers, completely unfazed by the strong wind and darting around as if it wasn't there.

Luckily, the Copper chose this flower, rather than the one next to it...

Speckled Woods were the most frequent species (15 seen today)...

...and then Small Whites (11).

A few newish Common Blues were on the wing, in some cases showing jagged wing damage, probably from living amongst the thistles as they largely are at present.

There were a handful of Small Heaths as well, and one or two fading Brown Argus.

However, pride of place today goes to another shiny new third brood Brown Argus, found nectaring on a dandelion some way away from their usual haunts. It looked silvery in flight and the underside of this male was indeed silvery-grey. The upperside orange lunules were very well-developed for a male too.

I know the second brood females were ranging out early on to find cranesbill that had not been shrivelled by the summer heat, and I suspect this individual is the result of one of those peregrinations. Next spring they may continue to pop up in unexpected places: this species does seem to be gradually getting more widespread around here over the years I've been watching them.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That Small Copper definitely made the right choice, and it also makes a cracking photo Dave Also cracking is that 3rd brood Brown Argus - mint condish and lush looking Looks like we're in for some more typical UK weather over the next few days

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Great Adonis ab, Dave. It must have looked remarkable when it first emerged. Good to see a few species still flying near you (18 must be some kind of record for September?), especially those Small Heaths which I have seen precious few of in 2018.

Yet another new brood Brown Argus as well! My envy-meter is rising.

[Goldie M]

Love the Peacock shots Dave, I've not had one in the Garden this year which is unusual, they don't seem to have done too well here this year.Goldie

[millerd]

Yes, the Small Copper was lucky there, Wurzel - the spider seemed to be reaching out for it nonetheless, but was just too far off. The Brown Argus was a great little butterfly to see at this end of the season.

The 18 species at Mill Hill could have been 19 if there had been a Small Tortoiseshell, or 20 if the Brown Hairstreak seen the day before had appeared. Pretty good for the time of year, David, certainly. I'm glad you also liked the Brown Argus!

Thanks, Goldie - those Peacocks were one of the highpoints of the day to be honest. All my local ones went into hibernation in July, and if it wasn't for this second brood at Mill Hill I wouldn't have seen any more this year I'm sure.

Wednesday 19th September. Another warm, largely quite sunny but very windy day. Touring my local patch once again, things were similar to yesterday, but not quite the same. There were fewer butterflies for a start, with no Brown Argus seen for the first time since June and the gap between broods. A couple of Common Blues...

...and at least three Coppers remained...

...along with ones and twos of other species.

Once again though, there was an unexpected highlight. Nectaring on the dandelions for all it was worth was a Small Tortoiseshell.

Great to see one - I spotted one briefly a couple of days ago, but otherwise I haven't seen one around here since 24th June (curiously the same last date I didn't see a Brown Argus).

Dave

[trevor]

I was going to say ' great to see your Small Tortoiseshell ', but actually
it is something of a relief to see it. I have not seen one since the Spring.
I think we have both seen more Emperors and Black Hairstreaks this year
than Small Torts.

Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, it's great your still seeing so many Butterflies, hope fully next week we'll all see some more before the season ends Goldie

[millerd]

I suspect you are right about those numbers, Trevor. It will be interesting to see what the spring brings as that's when I see the most Tortoiseshells these days. Not like when I was a kid in London in the sixties when in September the michaelmas daisies in the garden were covered in them.

I'm hoping this dismal weekend of weather won't have wiped everything out, Goldie, as next week promises much better conditions again.

Thursday 20th was cloudy and windy again, and all I saw anywhere was a Small White and a Small Copper, both being blown around.

Friday 20th September was even windier, though there was at least some sporadic sunshine. It was noticeably cooler though. In the only sheltered bit of my local patch I could find today, I found a couple of Small Whites, two Speckled Woods, a quite fresh-looking Red Admiral above my head on the ivy flowers, and finally a new Comma, but a bit lower down.

Today (21st) has been chilly, wet and windy and tomorrow looks similar for most of the day. This does mean however that I have finally caught my diary up to date!

Dave

[Wurzel]

A belated 'good to see' Dave for the Small Tort, they've been a bit thin on the ground round this way too but then they usually are and then in the Spring they're all over the place, fingers crossed Great shots as always Dave but that Comma it a cracker, it's throwing a great pose I've also got my fingers crossed that the weather hasn't knocked the butterflies on the head quite yet

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'm pleased you got to see that Small Tortoiseshell, Dave. I seem to recall they had a decent showing further east in 2017, but this year the pickings have been slim - even round my way (where they're usually pretty common) they have been around in disappointing numbers.