millerd

[millerd]

Many thanks again, everyone - it was good to see so many Small Blues all together. They seem to be doing well as I've seen good numbers elsewhere too.

Wednesday 15th May. Another sunny day, and I headed this time up to Aston Rowant (north side) for my first visit of 2019. Walking along the bottom of the hillside, I soon encountered Green Hairstreaks and Dingy Skippers.

very nearly spotless...

I think I saw more of both today than I have seen here before - maybe I just timed the visit right. There were several Small Coppers...

...and the first few Common Blues...

...plus Small Heaths and Brown Argus. The slopes are covered in Rock Rose plants, which must be the foodplant here for the latter (unlike my local population which thrives on cranesbill). I also found a few Grizzled Skippers, which I don't recall seeing here in previous years, though I suspect they must have been here all along.

Finally, I was taken by surprise when this very large moth emerged from the grass in front of me.

Any ideas as to what it is, anyone?

Dave

[peterc]

Hi Dave,

Perhaps Oak Hook-tip Watsonalla binaria ?

All the best

Peter

[Wurzel]

I'd go for Fox Moth - you've actually got shots of one sitting still and not bombing around and almost taking yer head off Great shots especially the two Coppers

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Having looked online at both those suggestions, I will come down in favour of the Fox Moth - Wurzel: deux points. It certainly did fly around madly before plummeting back into the grass in front of me.

Later on 15th May and also first thing on Thursday 16th, I had walks around my local patch. The first of the year's Common Blues had finally appeared, quite surprisingly a whole fortnight behind the emergence of the first Brown Argus here.

very new

this one appears to have found a chalk pebble to rest on

The latter, along with the Small Heaths, both managed double figures on each day, even outnumbering the Holly Blues.

nectaring on the foodplant

with a deformed hindwing

Over the two days, eleven species were seen. A further selection:

pausing for a rest whilst looking to lay

one of two surveying its territory

a recent resurgence in numbers

not many more of these to come, sadly

Dave

[millerd]

On the afternoon of 16th May I returned to the northern, more frequented, portion of Bedfont Lakes Country Park. I once again found Green Hairstreaks - three of them in fact, in widely separated locations including one within sight of the visitor centre.

The most numerous species was the Holly Blue, and as far as I could see all were females, with several of them apparently laying on the vetch plants that are common here. I have seen this in previous years here, so it appears to be a successful strategy.

Half a dozen Brown Argus were seen, fairly widely scattered...

...and three new Common Blues. One of these was a female, found in an area described specifically as a nature reserve and off the more beaten tracks (dogs forbidden! ). She looked almost white in flight in full sunshine, a shining pale blue close to mimicking the look of a male Chalkhill, and even in less strong lighting was unusually blue with virtually no brown scaling at all.

I always enjoy the huge variety of colouration that female Common Blues provide, and this one was a corker to start the selection for 2019.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Dave, I was going to say Fox Moth but I see Wurzel has beaten me too it.

That female Common Blue is a real stunner

Cheers,

Neil.

[trevor]

That is one stunning female Common Blue, Dave.
I have never seen one with so much blue, lovely markings too.

Great to see you briefly the other day!.
Great shots.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Glad I got the ID right Dave That female Blue is a stunner - almost a ghostly blue and an almost silver cell spot - lush

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, really lovely female Common Blue shots nothing here too windy and wet. Goldie

[David M]

Good to hear about the Holly Blues, Dave, and nice that you've seen plenty of females, including the one pictured which looks extremely fresh.

The female Common Blue is mightily impressive. As you say, almost a touch of the 'chalkhill' about it.

[millerd]

Thanks, all - that was a great way to start the female Common Blue 2019 collection, certainly. Hard to better...

Friday 17th May was an odd one - completely blank and no butterflies seen. There haven't been many of those recently.

Saturday 18th May was actually better than expected, but in the end I just stayed local and decided to perform one of my periodic butterfly counts and resist the temptation to take too many photos. The result was a total of 102 individuals seen, of 12 different species:

Brown Argus 27
Small Heath 20
Common Blue 11
Holly Blue 10
GVW 7
Orange Tip 7
Peacock 7
Small White 5
Small Copper 3
Brimstone 2
Red Admiral 2
Speckled Wood 1

OK, there were a handful of photos...

Good to see Red Admirals again, and the burgeoning population of Brown Argus continues to surprise me.

Dave

[millerd]

On Sunday 19th May, I was up early, trusting the weather forecast, and heading west to the fabled hillside near Warminster and another meetup with Wurzel. Following Trevor's recent advice, I turned right just past the gate at the bottom of the hill and found myself on the south-facing slope, rather than the west-facing one I normally wander across.

There was a great variety of species flying - at least 15 I think - with the most prominent and most numerous being the Marsh Fritillaries. Paring down the many photos to a relative few select ones representing this most variable species has not been easy.

There were a couple of mating pairs...

...and numerous gravid females struggling to fly

I also came across an aberrant individual, with the congenital deformities that commonly accompany such forms.

There was a lot else to see, but I'll put that in a separate post.

Dave

[trevor]

That Marsh ab. is very striking, but their markings are so individual and varied it's sometimes
difficult to differentiate normal from ab. Glad the trip went well. On the same morning
I went through several torrential showers on the A27, and would have turned back if I had
planned to visit that day!.

Great stuff,
Trevor.

[Katrina]

A load of great photos there - wonderful!

[millerd]

It was a good day, Trevor and Katrina, and the Marshies weren't all by any means. I was joined by Wurzel, and then later by Philzoid - very good to meet up with you both on what has become an annual event. Exactly the same date as last year in fact!

There were Adonis...

...and Common Blues around

...and Wurzel spotted another ab, this time a male Adonis.

There were only a few Small Blues flying that we could find, but they included a nice mating couple.

However, the next high point came when we returned to the main slope to meet up with Philzoid, when Wurzel's keen eyes noticed that sitting next to the path was a brand new Duke. There was at least one other as well, as they repeatedly chased each other in their typically soaring tussles.

Also seen: Green Hairstreaks, Small Heaths, Brown Argus, Orange Tips, Brimstones, Dingy and Grizzled Skippers, various Whites, Holly Blues, a single surprise Small Tortoiseshell and finally a selection of Walls. The latter were typically proving impossible to approach, as is their wont, but I think Wurzel managed a few shots - better than I could do. Today's moth: a Forester, doing its best but still coming second to the Hairstreaks in the greenness stakes.

The cloud built, and with a few drops of rain falling we called it a day around lunchtime - an excellent day out in good company.

Dave

[millerd]

A postscript to the day: I arrived home on 19th with time for a quick look at my local butterflies again. It was late, and not very sunny, but the Brown Argus were still performing.

I also managed a decent shot of a roosting Small Heath.

Interestingly I'd come away from Wiltshire with no photos of either of these species...

Dave

[trevor]

Two great reports from Wiltshire, and good value for your tank of petrol!.
If you meet Wurzel there again, ask him to show you the site at Tilshead.
It can easily be combined with a trip to ' the hill '. The A303 or Salisbury( A360 )
are easy to access from there. It's a wonderful grassland site.

Trevor.

[millerd]

Well worth the trip down tere, Trevor! Yes, I ought to investigate other sites in the area while I'm down there (Tilshead does sound rather good) but on that day we ran out of weather rather than time, unfortunately...

Monday 20th May: another day to stay local and look at the area near home. Considering how often I do this, this patch rarely disappoints and frequently throws up something new. Today was no exception - I spotted my first Large Skipper of the year overseeing the crowds of Brown Argus from a shrub.

No exaggeration either - there were a couple of dozen of them today, mostly in the same area. There were still fresh examples, some very fresh.

Another surprise was a Small Tortoiseshell, a good four weeks since the last one I'd seen here - maybe someone had been late getting their mower out this year...

In similar numbers to the Brown Argus, but not in the same part of the patch, were the Holly Blues. There were some new examples still appearing amongst them too, some two months since the first ones emerged.

Altogether I saw around 80 butterflies of 13 different species, the highest species total for the year so far.

Dave

[bugboy]

Some impressive recent posts Dave with a good range of butterflies, I don't think there's going to be much if any of a June gap this year the way the traditional spring species are still emerging.

[Wurzel]

That person getting their mower out is a good few months late - their lawn must be a right state
Great reports Dave - I'm even more envious of the ab Marshie now - what a cracker Glad the Hill paid off again, phew

Have a goodun

Wurzel