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Thanks Wurzel and Janet. Its an ambition of mine to try and get a much closer shot of the Dartford Warbler but they don't stay still for long and mostly they hide away in the heather and gorse. I used to live in the New Forest (for about 5 years), a prime location for them and was never able to get close then either.

Really lovely shots ernie of the Emperor, I hope I'm has lucky next week-end, also like the shot of the Admiral. Goldie

Thanks, Goldie. The PEs are still flying around so you might get lucky with them.

Broxhead Common - 1st July 2018

My final non-lek count of Silver Studded Blues in a part of the reserve I had not visited for them this year yielded only 7 more individuals so my overall annual total for this reserve now stands at 557. However one fresh female was doing a very elaborate wing-roll with wings ajar and with a quite wide parting at the apex of the roll. My only pics of this were too blurred to be of any use though.

One of the master oaks is now inhabited by a Purple Hairstreak (singular). But its not really a just one oak, in fact I have found it is a small group of oaks that they like here.

One Comma came down to the sand near the pond which made for a good photo opportunity because it stayed there for some time basking in the sun.
A Large White nectared from a bramble long enough for a decent photo too. I think this is a summer brood female because it is so pristine but my book suggests their second season begins at the end of July. I am plumping for summer brood though on the basis that the heat we are having at the moment might have fooled it into thinking it was August already.
Also seen was a single jaded Brown Argus, a SW Frit, Large Skipper, a pristine Small Tortoiseshell, the usual MB&R’s and my first Essex Skipper of the year. It perched on a grass which blew in the wind so again my pics were not good enough to show.

Alice Holt – Abbot’s Wood Enclosure - 1st July 2018

I started off from the usual (southern) entrance so could not count the only two Purple Emperors I saw as part of my annual tally. The circuit I did that I had not visited so far this year here yielded no further individuals.

One was on the ground and for a while we (me, Nick and Pauline) thought it may have been a female. If it had been it would have been wonderful because although no purple would have shown, I have never seen a female land on the ground before. But on closer inspection it turned out to be a male after all. It also had a massive chunk taken out of its wing but it could still fly OK.
I went searching for further Essex Skippers which have a small colony here. I found one that sat for a long while nectaring so I was able to get close for a load of pics.

But was it an Essex Skipper or not? It seemed to have black antenna tips…
But finally I got the shot that confirmed it was in fact a Small Skipper after all.
Here are past pics from this location of an Essex Skipper.
It just shows how easy it is to get confused between these two species.

Further butterflies seen were White Ads, SW Frits, a Comma, S&L Whites, a summer brood male Holly Blue fly-by and a male Purple Hairstreak on the ground. I have seen them on the ground a few times but this was only the second time ever I was able to get pics before it flew off.
Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day

Both Broxhead and Alice Holt had Brown Hawker dragonflies today. This one is from Broxhead.

Hi Ernie, I reckon that Dragonfly is an aged female Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens. The general look doesn't look right for an Aeshna sp. and Brown Hawkers have a more even spread of brown to the wings than this individual.

Bugboy. I checked again with my book and I do believe you are right. It certainly is a Keeled Skimmer after all. Its pesky when these things get old and a bit faded isn't it?

Now I wonder what the one I saw at Alice Holt was the same day. (No pic of that unfortunately).

Best Regards,

Great Purple Hairstreak down on the deck Ernie In much better nick then the one I got today, it was a right state though it'll be a while until it gets posted

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Lovely little PHS ernie, it's so hot nothings opening their wings up which is a shame.Goldie

What an amazing glut of PEs, Ernie, and glad you made it over to Daneway - sorry to have missed you there by a day!

ernie f wrote:Bugboy. I checked again with my book and I do believe you are right. It certainly is a Keeled Skimmer after all. Its pesky when these things get old and a bit faded isn't it?

I agree that this looks like Keeled Skimmer - in that light you can clearly see the keel! It's difficult to judge the size from that photo, but there is also a massive size difference between these two species - Brown Hawker is a big dragonfly, not much smaller than an Emperor.

Wurzel - Thanks. The Purple Hairstreaks are really "taking off" now (forgive the pun). There are loads of them around.
Goldie - Yep, I have not had one open its wings while at a standstill for ages now. The only reason I know the one on the ground yesterday was male is because it flew around me a couple of times and I could see all four wings were fully purple.
Callum - Thanks for your additional info regarding the dragonfly of yesterday. Its a funny coincidence that you should mention that the size of the Brown Hawker is of some stature. I was back at Alice Holt today when someone called out the Brown Hawker. As it flew by I could clearly see how big it was and the colour of its wings suffused throughout. Not only that we kept seeing it and cursing because we kept thinking it was a Purple Emperor!

Alice Holt Forest – The Straits Enclosure - 2nd July 2018

Another purpling day but this time the Purple Hairstreaks far outnumbered the Purple Emperors. Saw two fresh PE’s at the end of the enclosure walk. One low down on a tree for over 30 minutes while another circled above it from time to time. Also 9 Purplestreaks, 6 Comma, five of which were on the ground, Red and White Ads, MB&R’s L&S Skips, Small White and two Brimstones. A dozen or so SW Frits, plus a Brown Hawker (really this time... honest!)
Alice Holt Forest – Anne’s Meadow - 2nd July 2018

A new location for me. I found another Purple Emperor, two Purplestreaks, a Small Skip, and lots of Marbled White and Meadow Brown.

This brings my annual PE tally to a cool 20. There are still one or two places in the Alice Holt Woods I can go to increase this slightly and I shall take these in over the next couple of days.

Non-butterfly Snapshot of the day

The typical toadstool found in children's books, usually with a pixie sitting on top – the Fly Agaric. Imbibe this and you definitely WILL see pixies!

Note: It is of course illegal to take hallucinogenic mushrooms so I am not proposing you actually do this. Not only that but as you are probably already aware - it is very poisonous.

Great to see more PEs Ernie Also an interesting view of Fly Agaric, not the typical shot

Have a goodun

Wurzel

It's the Pixie's eye view, Wurzel.

Alice Holt Forest: The Arboretum Enclosure - 3rd July 2018

Last year I saw a couple of PE’s here, not so this year so my annual count has not increased. However I did see 6 Purple Hairstreaks, mostly low but none staying still. Also 5 White Ads, 2 Red Ads, 2 Comma, some Large Skippers but starting to show some signs of wear in one or two, and Small Skippers had blossomed – there were loads of them, mainly feeding off the thistles. There were a few S&L White and the usual teeming MB&R’s, a male Holly Blue flying down a forest track and my first Gatekeeper of the year.
Also Bullfinch and Greater Spotted Woodpecker quite close but fleeting.

Since this is my first spot of Gatekeeper this year – here are some of my past pics of it. My pic today was a blurry record shot only so I won't show it.
Non-butterfly Snapshots of the day

The Maple walk in the “Arb” is spectacular in Autumn.

Nice pic of the Gatekeepers in cop, Ernie. The arboretum looks glorious; you can't beat maples for colour.

Thanks, Janet. The Arboretum is an interesting place at any time of the year and there is no entrance fee. It is not publicised and there is no signpost from the road. Its really just another forest enclosure which has been planted up with some foreign trees. I have a special affinity for it because most of it was planted in the year I was born! It is amazing to see how tall and wide the Wellingtonia is. It gives you some idea of my age (but I am not telling).

Hi! ernie, great shots of the Gate Keepers, it's always great to see them, and thats a good shot of them in cop, Goldie

Goldie - Thanks. Gatekeepers always mean the onset of high summer to me. I feel its the turning point in the butterfly season when they come on-stream.

Thursley Common - 4th July 2018

Today was not primarily a butterfly day for me although I was on the look-out for Grayling which I have seen here in the past. It was a general wildlife day really.

Thursley is a reasonably large heathland. Bits are acid bog, bits are dry heath, bits are grassland, bits are woodland and there is a small, less-acidic lake that enables fish to breed and water lilies to bloom.
Today I did see some butterflies, including four Large Skipper, two Silver-studded Blue, a Dark Green Frit fly-by and both Small and Large White. Also the Common Heath moth.

Other things seen today were Common Lizard, Stonechat, Redstart, Goldfinch (which everywhere seems to be far more common than it once was), Woodlark, Linnet, Dartford Warbler, Black Darter, Bog Asphodel, Cottongrass, Sundew, one last remaining Heath Spotted Orchid still partially in bloom and Common Liverwort.

Also what I think was a Leaf Cutter Bee on the boardwalk.
I would appreciate a better ID if anyone knows.

I have been visiting this reserve for over 15 years so I have built up a stock of photos of its wildlife. I have selected a few which you may like to take a look at.
As usual, if you know I have an ID wrong, please let me know, and why. Thanks.

Butterfly Snapshot of the day

I saw two SSBs here today. A male and a female and both kindly did a wing-roll for me. Although neither were entirely fresh, neither were they old and tatty. There is still some mileage in the SSB’s this year.

Great set of shots Ernie Glad you gt another wing roll - I wonder if that's their way of greeting you? I reckon that's a good call for the leaf cutter Bee

Have a goodun

Wurzel