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Some superb Wood White sequences, Dave. I note that some seem quite fresh.
I went there for them on May 10th, and they are still going strong.
It is unusual to find any by the time the Emperor arrives, but at this rate, who knows?.

Catch you soon,
Trevor.

Thank you, Trevor. There were endeed still a lot of fresh ones. Interestingly, I have seen both very worn first brood and brand new second brood examples when going there for Emperors. Not the same year, mind! On both occasions, they were being completely overlooked by almost everyone there for some reason...

The rather iffy weather continued on Tuesday 28th May, but as ever, I had to make a foray onto my local patch. This was a typical vista, but somehow the hefty showers avoided me and there was sufficient warmth and brightness to activate the butterflies from time to time.I have already posted (in the May sightings thread) this stunning blue female Common Blue, but here area few more shots of this lovely insect.There were a dozen or so Blues flying, and other blue females, but not in quite the same league.Even this new male paled by comparison.An attempt to capture open-wing Small Heaths in flight didn't really succeed.There were more Holly Blues laying, and this time I managed to track down an egg - in fact I think there may be a second one in this shot.Also seen were Brown Argus (though no interesting or fresh ones today), a Small Copper and a distinctly weary-looking female Orange Tip.Finally, amongst the numerous Burnet Companion moths, I came across my first Silver-Y of the season. Dave

Wednesday 29th May was one of those unusual "blank" days, with no butterflies to grace it. Thursday 30th once again produced unspectacular weather, but it was worth a trip out locally, and my resolve was to perform one of my periodic more rigorous counts. The results:

Brown Argus 40
Common Blue 36
Small Heath 19
Holly Blue 15
Large Skipper 3
Orange Tip 3
Brimstone 1
Peacock 1
Small White 1
Speckled Wood 1

That is by far the highest total of Brown Argus I have come across here. There used to be only a handful in years gone by. Most were worn now, but there were one or two quite fresh ones.Generally today I took fewer photos than usual, but as I have come to expect there were particular butterflies worth recording. A couple of fresh Common Blues...A Large Skipper...One of the last Orange Tips of the season I suspect...Last but not least at all was another egg-laying Holly Blue. This difference with this one was that she was brilliantly new, freshly emerged over two months since the first males appeared. Between bouts of laying (and pretending to do so) she basked to restore her energy levels.The relatively low light levels really enhanced her blue colour: she was a beautiful insect.

Dave

millerd wrote:...she was a beautiful insect...

I absolutely agree Dave.

And beautifully photographed as usual

Cheers,

Neil.

Crickey Dave I only commented this morning and now there are three more posts It's difficult to know where to begin - the female Common blue is stunning - surely an ab. as it's lacking the orange lunules Cracking Wood Whites but that Holly Blue Words fail.. .

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd wrote:...However, I was really here for the Wood Whites...

....and you've done a superb job with them, Dave. I think I've seen more forewing images in this post than I have in all others combined!!

That is one glorious female Holly Blue, Dave. They don't open up better than that!.
On the subject of ' blue ', That all blue female Common Blue is a gem, never seen
one a pure as that. You've certainly earned a couple of mrgreens .

Sure to see you again soon!
Trevor.

That's an impressive female CB Dave - I've seen an awful lot of blue females recently but not one as striking as that!

Thank you everyone for the appreciative comments. Those two female blues (one Common, one Holly) are just what keeps me looking at my local patch almost every day in the season. It's constantly throwing up surprises and terrific individual butterflies.

I was pleased with the Wood Whites as well - the intermittent sun was quite useful in keeping them less active - a Wood White in full sunshine can fly (albeit very slowly) for a long way without stopping! And the "burst" mode on the camera enables the capture of the open wing shots, as long as you are prepared to sift through dozens and dozens of useless images for the one in 20 or so where you've have chanced to get it right. There can still be movement even at 1/2000 s.

On Friday 31st May, the weather was nothing special again, but there was still no rain. I started off at Fairmile Common, with the outside chance of an early Silver-studded Blue. There were none, and not much of anything else either. A tally of one Red Admiral, one Green Hairstreak, one Common Blue and one Brown Argus was the lot. The heathland currently has a carpet of sorrel plants, but despite this bounty, last autumn's brood of Coppers did not appear to have produced any progeny.

I then had a look at Box Hill which more surprisingly was almost equally bereft of butterflies. The total of two Common Blues, two Small Heaths, a Speckled Wood and another Red Admiral was really quite worrying.

Finally, it was over to Denbies, where I'm glad to say things were a great deal better. The lack of sun probably reduced sightings somewhat, but I still counted several dozens of Adonis Blues, of both sexes. Most are getting worn now, the males taking on the more electric blue sheen that they acquire with age. The females largely can't begin to compete with some of the stunning Common Blue females I've seen lately, but a fresh chocolatey-brown one has a beauty all of its own.Amongst the shining males was this one.I had a sneaking suspicion that it might be more interesting than it immediately appeared, and when it shut its wings, it revealed itself to be an ab. krodeli.These are not uncommon at Denbies, with a few appearing in both broods every year.

In contrast, the other main point of note was my first sighting this year of the ubiquitous Meadow Brown. Getting that first shot of a new velvetty male every year always feels like an achievement though! Also seen: Small Heath, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Dingy Skipper, and a Red Admiral. Interesting that A Red Admiral should turn up at each of the sites I visited today...

Dave

Cracking shots Dave You're right about the Meadow Browns they can be really hard work at this time of year right up until when they look all tatty and ragged and then they can seemingly sit for hours I've found Specklies to be similar in behaviour this year too - very flighty

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers, Wurzel - Meadow Browns at the start of their year feel like almost a different species to those you see in September and later. As for Specklies - they do seem very thin on the ground generally and certainly on my local patch.

However, on Saturday 1st June I did find a couple of them, and one posed rather well in the morning sunshine.Over an hour or so, I saw 78 butterflies of 8 species, mostly Brown Argus, Common Blues and Small Heaths. Amongst the sprinkling of other species were three Large Skippers, a singleton male and this mating pair.A few Hollies were mingling with the Common Blues again, nectaring on a range of flowers now.On the return leg of my circuit, I spotted a couple of Brown Argus females well away from their usual bit of ground. I have noticed that as the first brood starts to wind down a bit, the females do disperse to seek out new pastures.This one had found some cranesbill, and was enthusiastically laying on it.Guest moth today - I finally relented and managed a shot of a Burnet Companion. There are dozens of these around, confusing Small Heaths, Small Coppers and me in equal measure... Dave

Dave,

Playing catch up with the diaries. Wherever you were on Saturday, 78 butterflies is a decent haul. Interesting that you have seen low numbers of Specked Woods this year. Up here in Suffolk, they seem about on par with normal.
Hats off to you for the photos of the newly emerged Holly Blue. What a stunner, I don't think I have seen one that fresh before.

Regards
Kev

Still making the most of retirement there Dave . Have a for those mating Large Skippers, I've still only seen the one so far this year and it doesn't look like that will be changing for the next few days at least and going back a bit further, for that stunning Holly Blue!

Hi! Dave, those Holly Blues are fantastic, also the Large Skippers mating Goldie

Cheers, Kev - it was the previous Saturday (1st) with reasonable weather, rather than 8th, which was a lousy day.

Thank you Buggy and Goldie - I haven't seen many Large Skippers either, so finding those two was a real bonus. As for the Holly Blue, I was very surprised to find such a new example so late on in the first brood. She was laying, so must have been mated as soon as she emerged and had managed to remain in pristine condition since. This species is a constant joy around here regardless of how everything else is going!

Sunday 2nd June. I had arranged to meet up once again with Wurzel and Philzoid, this time at Wrecclesham for the population of Glanville Fritillaries that persists there, and seems to have done for at least ten years now. Unfortunately (as is widely known) the main part of the site is now a working sand quarry, and incursion on foot is thoroughly discouraged by warning notices threatening helicopters, CCTV and the instant arrival of officers of the law. However, there is a broad area separate from the working part of the site which has been left as a wild field/meadow and is full of trefoil, plantain and brambles - and currently good numbers of Glanville Fritillaries. This area also sports warning notices, but the perimeter fence is not robust and virtually nonexistent in places. The danger here derives from its previous existence as a landfill site: there is a selection of visible pipework in many places, intended to facilitate the venting of flammable gases (principally methane I imagine), and you can appreciate why a casually discarded cigarette might be problematic... That said, the area is clearly used (as it has been for many years) by locals walking their dogs, and also at this time of year by certain folk taking an interest in a rare species of butterfly.

I arrived at the same time as the other two and we found our way to the butterflies with no difficulty, with an ideal mix of hazy sunshine and cloud. We found Ernie was already there - good to meet you for the first time, Ernie! A rough count he undertook produced 19 Glanvilles - there could well have been more. Also seen were Green Hairstreak......Common Blue (including the inevitable blue female)Brown Argus, Small Heath and Red Admiral.

However (as you might expect) the Glanvilles were the stars. Picking out the best of the photos has been very difficult - perhaps the most difficult sift for any visit I've made anywhere, but here's a selection.There was one curiosity amongst them, and typically it was one of the least impressive photos. This individual was small, less bright in overall colour, and had heavier dark markings.Another great day out in excellent company and a real treat as far as the butterflies were concerned. Dave

Those glorious Glanvilles, Millerd! Especially the underwings - I never managed to get a shot of them with their wings closed
I guess the paler one with darker markings will be an ab.
Janet

Thank you, Janet. They were a great set of butterflies, even though with the fencing and the notices, and the fact that technically they are an introduction here, it did feel a bit like being in a zoo. On the other hand, it would be terrific if they gradually spread across the plantain clumps that grow quite readily on scrubby land all over southern England. My local patch has loads...

The forecast for Monday 3rd June had been favourable for a while, and actually remained so on the day. I had decided to head for Norfolk, and the Swallowtails. I had not made this pilgrimage for a good number of years, and in order to make the most of the day had booked into a hotel in Norwich. However, butterflies first. I reached Strumpshaw RSPB reserve around 1100, and ended up parking by the roadside. Though the area was clearly busy, many of the folk there were looking at the birdife, and a good proportion of the remainder were concentrating on the dragonflies. I headed off to the area recommended by Bugboy, passing the flowers of the Doctor's garden (nothing there at that time) and progressing through a bit of meadow. I was very soon hailed by the familiar tones of Trevor, accompanied by Doug and Gary. It just shows - anywhere you go, however far, you will come across people you know.

Trevor had found a Swallowtail which had established a territory along a sheltered bit of path. It made regular sorties, usually when another one passed through its territory, but returned faithfully to the same nettle stalk to bask in the hazy sunshine. It allowed many photos - including some at very close range - and was quite happy to stroll onto my hand. This does give an idea of the size of this beautiful insect - the forewing extends the full length of the top two joints of my forefinger. Though Trevor has posted a few shots of this individual (which he christened "Nicky" because of the distinct nick in its left forewing), here are a few more. There was more to come - but I shall post the further adventures separately. The day had started very well.

Dave

' Nicky ' was, without doubt the best behaved of all the Swallowtails
as far as photography was concerned, and seemed to be unique in
having a territory to defend. All others seen were frantically nectaring
while the sun shone, and sometimes went to ground if the cloud lingered.

I wonder how the Swallowtails have coped with this weeks weather!.

A memorable few days,
Trevor.

Wow! Dave, Glenvilles and Swallow Tail's what's in your next post can't wait Goldie

Trevor,

Great Glanvilles at Wrecclesham. I was not previously aware of this site and that it had this species.

Lovely Swallowtails at Strumpshaw Fen. We must have passed each other, as I was also in that meadow late morning. I certainly remember seeing Gary, who I had met for the first time a few days earlier at Rowland Wood in Sussex. It's a shame we didn't get to have a chat.

Regards
Kev