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AUGUST 2018: the last week.

I went out locally on 23rd, and with the strength of the sun fading a bit now the Holly Blues had started to open up again, though they were getting a bit worn. I did spot one laying on the ivy buds which were now beginning to swell. There was definitely another round of Small Whites appearing. After the disappointment of 22nd, on 24th I drove down to Steyning again. Though it was hardly wall-to-wall, there was sufficient sunshine to bring out a few Brown Hairstreaks, and a Neil Hulme with them. The species can become a bit addictive, and on 25th I started the day with another visit to Bookham, meeting up with Bugboy again. No disappointments today, with three probably seen.I followed this by driving down to Box Hill - seeing Adonis Blues (and some very faded Chalkhills), but strangely no Silver-spotted Skippers. 26th was the wet day - still a rare phenomenon!

27th August saw me out locally again, and this time there were new Holly Blues. At this stage of the summer, it is difficult to know whether these are late second or early third brood individuals. A new male Holly was indulging itself on a huge pile of horse manure......and basking in between bouts of slurping minerals.There were still a few Brown Argus around, and I came across a courting pair, though the male proved to be unsuccessful despite his persistence.A single Meadow Brown remained, though if all were camouflaged like this one there could well have been a few more. On 28th, it was time for Denbies again. Today was a real Adonis Blue day, mostly because of the array of new females, but there was other interest too: including mating pairs, a fresh male or two and a beautiful example of a female ab. krodeli.There was also a fresh-looking female Chalkhill......and a photogenic Silver-spotted Skipper that was happy to sit for the camera for quite some time.I took an extraordinary number of photos today...

Home again on 29th, but far from dull - new Small Coppers had appeared......and it was the turn of the female Hollies to open up a bit.With fresh GVW, Small Heaths and Speckled Woods as well, it proved to be another good day. Space precludes me finishing August in one go, but the next post should do it.

Dave

AUGUST 2018 - the last two days.

On 30th August it was one more trip to the Bookham Brown Hairstreaks. There were three seen altogether again, including some egg-laying activity. I watched one female achieve this... but as she paused in the sun to get her breath back she was accosted vigorously by a male small Copper. They disappeared over the trees - he returned but she didn't.After Bookham, for some reason instead of my usual drive down to the slopes of the North Downs, I went the few miles northeast to Fairmile Common. What a good choice this proved, as flying over the heather of this sandy heathland was a male Silver-studded Blue. I was aware that second brood individuals had been seen in Cornwall: at such a late date as this my sighting could only be the same thing.Highly unusual.

On 31st, in view of the previous day's surprise, I went to my other relatively close bit of SSB habitat down at Dawneys Hill. No SSB, but there were good numbers of Graylings.I saw an egg being laid, and managed to find it amongst the ground litter......and also succeeded in a distant shot of a courting pair with the female open-winged.There was also a splendid new blue badge Small Copper, which provided a colourful contrast to the subtly sandy Graylings - and also to the purple heather it chose to sit on. Home again, and this time a fresh female Holly Blue provided the main interest, as well as another shiny new Small Copper. September next...

Dave

Terrific sequence, Dave. You sure had a busy August!

The Holly Blues are, as ever, ravishing, particularly that last female but pride of place has to be that stunning Adonis ab; I'm not sure how that can be improved upon.

An Awesome August for you Dave A cracking array of Brostreak shots and great to see gre Meadow Brown pretending to be a Grayling The MrGreens ( which for some reason I can't enter but there would easily be a couple) go for the courting Grayling something I keep trying to find but don't have any luck with.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers, both of you - August was a great month last year, and amazingly so was September, with only a handful of days lost to the weather. However, once again I have to interrupt last year with an update to activity in 2019.

On Saturday 23rd March, it felt warmer and the dreary grey skies of the last few days had finally broken a little to allow some sun to filter through. This was enough to tempt out a single Brimstone, plus three of four Peacocks.

On Sunday 24th, the sun blazed forth at last, winds were quite light and it felt very pleasant. The butterflies responded: on my local patch over a couple of hours in the middle of the day I counted 30 individuals of five species:

Brimstone 11
As half past two approached, the Brimstones ceased their patrolling and came down to nectar on the abundant dandelions, becoming very approachable. I did disturb one, and fluked this shot: Peacock 7
Along all the paths, and also nectaring on the dandelions, but this one basked for a while: Comma 5
In the same spots as the peacocks, but more inclined to bask and pose in the sunshine. Quite variable in colour and degree of wear. Small Tortoiseshell 5
Inseparable from the dandelion flowers. Small White 2
This one chose a daisy instead. With the current forecast, there could be many more flying by the end of the week. Spring would appear to really be here this time!

Dave

An excellent weekends work there, Dave.
Although we were seeing Butterflies at the end of Feb, it was yesterday
that seemed to spark off the Spring emergence.

Trevor.

Cheers, Trevor - after today's showing on top of the weekend, I would say that spring is most defintely here...

It's amazing how two consecutive days are never the same, despite very similar weather.

Monday 25th March was not quite so warm, and a fraction windier, than Sunday. However, the sun was shining strongly and I set off round my local patch at near enough the same time. In a spot sheltered from the northerly breeze, I glimpsed a flutter of blue wings over the ivy - a Holly Blue, my first of 2019. For a few seconds, I thought it wasn't going to settle, but a burst of stronger wind grounded it for a moment fairly high up. I had just enough time for one quick shot before it was off again.I followed it, but as it wafted out over the River Colne, something else caught my eye down near the bank. Sitting on a dock leaf, about a metre or so below me was an Orange Tip - another first for the year.Frustratingly I couldn't get that close, and in any case after a couple of shots, it was disturbed by yet another butterfly - A Red Admiral. This butterfly was happy to pose while sunning itself on the bridge over the river. That meant that the none of the first three species seen today were amongst those seen yesterday... Very strange.
A bit further on I spotted another Holly Blue high up amongst the ivy-festooned trees, and then along the rest of my route I encountered four Small Tortoiseshells and eight Peacocks.I caught sight of two of the latter high up in a flowering prunus, indulging in a lengthy courtship.Unfortunately, they eventually disappeared from sight before anything further happened.

Another interesting day, with my 2019 total now standing at 8 species. Curiously, after their frequency yesterday, I saw not a single Brimstone today (nor were there any Commas). Some subtle difference in the weather must have kept them grounded.

Dave

Nice haul, Dave, your Orange-tip might be the first - reported - this year Interestingly we also saw no Brimstones today, as you say some subtle difference in the weather seems to have kept them grounded in our area too.

Mike.

Cracking 'fluke' shot Dave You've shot out of the blocks this year - 8 species with an OT already Here's hoping that this little warm patch is the proper start to Spring

Have a goodun

Wurzel

A couple of very nice new season ' firsts ' there Dave.
Your arborial Peacock shots are my favourite type of Butterly image,
ie. Sun, bossom against blue sky. Camera problems scuppered my day yeaterday,
with the thing not focusing properly. Taking my old one out today.

Hoping for a cracking day today!
Trevor.

Interesting that your experience of the Brimstones matched mine, Mike. Curious. It appears that Orange Tips came out all over the place on Sunday and Monday - amazing synchronicity across the country!

Cheers, Wurzel - I do like it when accidental shots come out well, especially considering the frustration sometimes when attempting to set up the deliberate ones...

Thank you Trevor - I was pleased with that Peacock sequence, especially as it was at full stretch on full zoom. It was also good to get the Holly Blue and Orange Tip within seconds of each other. almost one of those "which one do I follow" moments.

No surprises on Tuesday 26th March. Less sunshine, but less breezy too and after their complete absence on 25th I found three Brimstones, one of which was a female. The first male was nectaring and therefore easily approached.I saw just the four Peacocks today, including this one flat on brambles. Their bright colours can actually provide a degree of camouflage agianst the old bramble leaves from last year, which are often shades of maroon and chestnut by the spring. A Holly Blue was patrolling the ivy-bedecked trees by the river again, and I found just one Small Tortoiseshell today. However, the Commas, like the Brimstones, had returned. This one was particularly bright, hardly touched by hibernation at all. It was flying around a nettle patch and I suspect it was a female. Dave

Doing well there Dave . I'm somewhat behind in my UK sightings now as it was straight back to work after my little continental jaunt, and with a level of precision the weather forecasters can barely dream off, the cloud cover arrived at noon on my half day and continued over most of my day off today. No doubt sunny skies will return tomorrow with the start of my 6 day stretch at work

"Their bright colours can actually provide a degree of camouflage agianst the old bramble leaves from last year, which are often shades of maroon and chestnut by the spring."

I was thinking exactly the same thing this lunchtime Dave. First there was a discarded crisp packet (now in the bin) and then there was said old bramble leaf before finally actually finding what I thought was a leaf was actually a Peacock Your great start to the season continues unabated - brill- keep up the good work!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers, Bugboy - you'll soon catch up, though I think your trip abroad more than makes up for it!

They keep on coming, Wurzel - another first for the year today, making nine all told. This must be a personal best for this time of the year I reckon, and with three days of March to go.

Thursday 28th March. Warmer, sunnier and hardly a breeze - and the butterflies responded. I saw my first Speckled Wood of the year, and after a couple of hours had spotted all nine of the species I've seen in 2019. A great selection:
Brimstone 15
Peacock 5
Orange Tip 3
Comma 2
Small White 2
Red Admiral 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Speckled Wood 1
Holly Blue 1 More sunshine to come, apparently...

Dave

WoW! Dave, what a day you had, I've only seen four species so far and got shots of three hope fully more will be out before it goes cooler at the week-end it's still misty at the moment here. Goldie

Thanks, Goldie, and today was even better!

Friday 29th March: A glorious day with sunshine dawn till dusk, only the slightest breeze, and at least 16 degrees by afternoon.

I spent about four hours altogether on my local patch, seeing 60+ butterflies of nine different species, including another new one for the year. Brimstones and Peacocks were the commonest by far, with 20 of the former and 16 of the latter seen - conservative estimates I'd say. Various white butterflies were next, with six Orange Tips (including a female), six Small Whites and - the first ones of 2019 - two Green-veined Whites, one of each sex. Rounding things off came five Small Tortoiseshells (including a courting couple), three Speckled Woods, two Commas, and two Holly Blues. The only absentee from the party was the Red Admiral.

As you might imagine, I took a lot of photos, and paring these down to a reasonable number to post was quite tricky. Here goes! A splendid day, given the date...

Dave

That was one hell of a day Dave! I'm surprised that you were able to get a post out having had to sort through all of those shots! I was slightly surprised to see female OTs already as it feels like the males have only just emerged and normally the females are a week behind Love the smoking Green-veined White

Have a goodun

p.s found the Brimstone

Wow! There's so much going on at the moment that I've been struggling to keep up to date with everybody's PDs.

Shame on me for missing those early Holly Blues/Orange Tips of yours.

You have amassed about as much as one could reasonably expect to be about thus far.

Great to see a Green Veined White in particular. I'm hoping they won't be long round my way.

Thank you, both - yes, good to see some Green-veined Whites, a very attractive butterfly in my book.

Saturday 30th March brought forth fewer butterflies, but Peacocks and Brimstones were still the most numerous. Seven species seen today, with Orange Tips being the most photogenic.I also got a shot of a Grey Wagtail, which paused briefly not too far off. Normally they don't stop for a moment. The sun came out late on Sunday and I didn't see any butterflies, but on Monday 1st April, it returned for the day, and was reasonably warm too. I counted 47 separate butterflies, with due allowance for double sightings, with again Peacocks most numerous. Holly Blues are gradually building too, with six seen today. Now the weather goes downhill for a while...

Dave

Very nice OT shots, Dave . Believe it or not, none have shown up in my area yet!.
And it's not for the want of looking. I've searched all their previous regular haunts,
but nothing yet. Still, it's early days for them.

Looks like Spring is cancelled for the time being,
Trevor.