www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thanks Wurzel, it’s ok though I managed a few more bites from that particular cherry this year, but more of that in the coming weeks
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May 2021

Saturday the 29th, the return of the sun (it was a gloriously sunny day in Norfolk by all accounts). At this juncture my diary starts to resemble Millerd’s somewhat. We’d both independently arranged a visit to see the Glanville’s residing in the now famous (to some, infamous) south London site. It was early in their flight period this year, no surprise there, and over the day we probably saw a maximum of half a dozen (reports from later visits talk of 30+). I arrived first and after a circuit I managed to locate one in the cutting and as requested, I kept eyes on him until Dave arrived although to be fair, he never flew far…. until we wandered off and we found the same one on the bottom path. Wandering along to the new improved larger main scrape no more were seen but the other notable attraction at this time of year put in an appearance and were my first of the year. They mostly looked nice and fresh but were already sorting out the next brood . We next moved onto Chapel Bank to see if we could find any Dukes forming the tiny colony that is apparently located there. We didn’t but there were plenty of Dingy Skippers, Brimstones and a solitary Glanville stopped momentarily before shooting off to who knows where. You had to be careful where you stepped, Twyblade Orchids were commonplace but do a really good job at blending into the background. Back at Hutchinson’s bank, the Small Blues were still at it, and attracting unwanted attention. Grizzled Skippers weren’t as numerous as Dingies but what we did see were still looking reasonably fresh The cutting was now occupied with three or four Glanville’s, all looking lovely and fresh. The weather had kept them all open winged up until now but we did find one that periodically closed it’s wings so I managed some of those gorgeous undersides. Dave already mentioned the dark Dingies we’d seen in his PD but here’s another example, almost inky black, and she was far from unique in this outfit. Also seen during our wanderings was a Holly Blue sniffing around a Dogwood, a curious sight of a Muslin Moth fluttering maniacally in the grass with a spider attached and the odd Peacock Coincidentally we’d also both made separate plans to visit Wiltshire the following day, so I bid Dave farewell mid afternoon to miss the rush hour and try and get myself an early night for the early start in the morning, unaware that I’d be meeting him a lot earlier than planned.

Fantastic report Bugboy with some cracking images of the Glannies Their undersides are stunning and the topside is none too shabby as well I've noticed more than a few of the inky/darker than usual Dingies this season - could this be due to the temperatures during their development - I can never remember how temperature affects pigmentation? Looking forward to reports from the Hill as I didn't get there this year , found somewhere equally as good

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, it’s colder temperatures that produce darker colouration. Presumably as a response to darker wings warm up quicker in cooler conditions but how the warmth is transferred to the flight muscles I’m not sure? Here’s The Hill
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May 2021

Sunday the 30th. The night before, my lift to Wiltshire had cancelled at the last minute but thankfully Dave (Millerd) stepped in at the 11th hour…as long as I could make it to Staines nice and early, not always an easy task on a Sunday! I made it and we found the roads to be almost clear for the entire journey, making excellent time and arrived just in time to find the first Marsh Fritillarieswiping sleep from their eye and fluttering weakly from one clump of grass to the next, they really are quite pathetic before they’ve fully warmed up ! We were also very pleased to find that earlier reports of the demise of The Hill to be somewhat premature, the frosty April most likely magnifying the winters essential scrub management of the site.

By far and away the most numerous butterfly of the day were Small Heath, and as the day progressed many a curse was uttered in their general direction as they destroyed perfectly lined up shot after perfectly lined up shot with their constant interference with the main target of the morning.

Of course The Hill is more than just the Marshies so to whet one’s appetite, here’s some of the supporting cast, all to constant soundtrack of Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting: Peacock, Dingy Skipper, Wall, Speckled Wood, Whites and Orange-tip were amongst the others seen.

And here’s the main course, no two alike with plenty (particularly the females) being freshly minted. It’s somewhat surprising that we only managed to find the one mating pair, what with all the freshly emerged females wafting pheromones willy nilly. Well that took us up to lunch, in my original plan I wanted to stop off at Chiddingfold on the way back home, a detour Dave was only too happy to oblige .

Pleased you and Dave had a very worthwhile visit to Cotley Hill.
I've never known a really poor year for Marsh Frits there, but this year
seemed to be particularly good. I was pleased to see the re-growth
since my first visit back in April, then it looked like a disaster zone.

Great shots, and a for the mating pair.

Possibly see you around soon!
Trevor.

A definite feast of butterflies there.

Cracking set of shots Bugboy Such variation is stunning to see - they could almost be different species - especially the really orange one Great to see the Hill back on track although that's more through luck than judgement

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Trevor, sometimes these winter habitat management work can look quite drastic and worryingly destructive until the spring growth hides it all, you just have look at some of Neil’s pictures of the woods for the Fritillaries, but the amount of new wildlife that colonises in only a few years proves it’s all worth it in the end .
Thanks Katrina, it was quite the opposite for the second half of the day, but still worth it .
Thanks Wurzel, give nature an inch and it will always bounce back
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May 2021

Sunday the 30th cont. The drive to Chiddingfold was as pain free as the drive into Wurzel country and we even had a Wood White welcoming our arrival, flitting around near the Botany Bay entrance.

When Dave last visited a week or so previously there were only males around, today females probably outnumbered them and the usual shenanigans could be found along the edges of the path, mostly deep in the undergrowth and out of the way from the camera.

It was slightly different in the clearing where several females were flitting around busy looking for somewhere to lay eggs. I took the opportunity to try and grab something a bit different from the norm with some in flight shots. These proved to be far more difficult than expected, probably due to their small size and habit of flitting in amongst the undergrowth. When she found a suitable sprig of Vetch or Trefoil much excitement ensued and we did watch several eggs being laid. Of course there were males loitering around and there was more of the usual interaction. On one occasion a ‘lucky ’ female was having to fend off the advances of two eager males with an awful lot with flapping going on to fend off double the normal number of tongues being waved around in her face! I came close to getting a shot of both male and female open winged at the same time too. An excellent day that even a a traffic jam on the way home couldn't ruin, thanks Dave !

Fantastic set of Wood White shots Bugboy Hopefully I'll be able to make it over that way for the second brood but the first brood seem so much whiter

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

First class Wood White sequence, Paul. You've captured the uppersides superbly (and regularly!)

That was a couple of excellent days of butterflies, wasn't it? A lot of familiar-looking individuals, too - you did a far better job than I did with the Wood Whites, and you managed a great Glanville underside. Knowing how many shots you had to sift from those adventures, I'm surprised you aren't still sitting with your finger hovering undecided over the delete key...

Cheers,

Dave

Some great action shots there of the Wood Whites Paul. I must try to get there on a sunny day for the next brood.

Lovely Wood White shots Bugboy, it 's quite a while since I've seen them, they're such a delicate Butterfly and you've caught that well Goldie

Thanks Wurzel, good luck with the second brood, lets hope the weather sorts itself out or it might be a bit of a damp squib though.
Thanks David, as I’m sure you know, getting the uppers is largely luck with the burst mode of the camera!
Good days indeed Dave, although looking out the window today at all the rain and general greyness it seems like a world away now .
Thanks Pauline, good luck finding a sunny day
Thanks Goldie, they really are delicate. The best description I can come up for them in flight is like a drunk fairy
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May 2021

Monday the 31st. My last day of my week off I decided to go back to the Chilton’s for another day in the company of Dukes and Duchesses. On my last visit the weather was decidedly iffy, particularly the first half of the day and the walk along the Ridgway from Aldbury Nowers to Ivinghoe ended up being unusually butterfly free. This time things felt far more normal putting aside it was the last day of May and a lot of the Dingy Skippers looked fresh as a daisy! The Brown Arguses had also emerged en mass since my last trip. Despite this photo opportunities were very much at a premium; everything was already well warmed by the sun. I did manage one Brown Argus who was at the back of the queue when they were handing out spots, and was possibly in the artexerxes queue. A context shot of the slope I walk along, the actual ridgway path is at the top (as the name would suggest) but further down the slope is much less exposed to the wind and richer in butterfly life...it also avoids the steepest climbs! The numerous humps are ant nests and are mostly covered in Rock Rose, hence the large numbers of Brown Argus found on these slopes. Like everything else this year the Dukes are having a late (or more likely) an elongated season and at Ivinghoe I found them in states of wear from decrepit old timers to ones that were only hours old. This female I’m pretty sure was on her maiden flight and I followed her hoping she’d stumble into a male’s territory (mating Dukes is still a gaping hole in my in-cop list) but somehow, she managed to avoid them all and rudely vanished over a Hawthorn thicket. She was far from alone, here's three more fresh Duchesses I managed to pin down and no doubt many more went unnoticed by me. I also explored areas I’ve never ventured to before here, the western slopes of the ‘beacon’, and found many more areas where Dukes and Duchesses proliferated (basically anywhere you found a gully or dry ditch you’d find dukes, they love a gully!) and it was here quite late in the day that I got the biggest surprise of the day. Having been in a field full of them just 24 hours previously there was no mistaking the Marsh Fritillary that flew past me. Living evidence of the activities of the phantom Marshie Dumper of 2020. I estimated I saw four or five but, being super charged in the afternoon heat and having plenty of Dukes and Small Heath to chase, it took some time to pin one down for some photographic evidence. There was plenty of other stuff around too, Brimstones were still out in good numbers, Common Blues were just starting to emerge, a few Holly Blues were active and Grizzled Skippers weren’t looking to shabby either for the last day of May.

Brilliant Duchess Bugboy Looks like the Marshie Dumper has been at it again but I still can't work out why? Brilliant image to end the report with

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Those butterfly species are definitely a couple of weeks behind where they would be normally, Paul. Brimstones, Grizzlies, Dingies, Dukes & Holly Blues would normally be scarce on the cusp of June, but this year has been bizarre in the sense that the spring overwinterers have hung on later than usual (Commas apart) and some of the regular late April posse have delayed their emergence due to adverse conditions in May.

Nice to see some context with your habitat shot. I’m not at all surprised that the sheltered area at the bottom of the slope is a favoured location.
Lovely Duchesses, and yes, that Brown Argus is distinctly less ‘pupilled’ than normal on the underside ocelli front!

Thanks Wurzel, Yup, Marshies are everywhere. Of course this is just year one, there’s no way of saying whether they’ll be around in a years’ time. Without doing your homework and making sure the finer details of the habitat are right for the species there’s no guarantees these mysterious introductions will work.
You’re right David, and I’m sure there’s still a few on the wing as I post this entry in my PD.
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June 2021

Friday the 4th, Norfolk Swallowtails take 2. Now I’ve discovered that getting to Strumpshaw is both well within my logistical means and my financial means, it would be rude not to use these details to my full advantage. Once again, the day had to be planned a few days in advance so success or failure was in the hands of the weather gods. The forecast looked good the evening I booked the train tickets, the following morning it had changed significantly to mostly rain and over the next few days it seemed to sway between ok and monsoon deluge by the hour. In the end I was set to get both! The actual weather for the morning was at best borderline for Swallowtail activity and I didn’t see any for a few hours, both the doctors garden and the hill behind remained Swallowtail free zones. It wasn’t until 11.30 that I finally came across a male holding territory in the glade at the other side of the afore mentioned hill, and the twenty-minute encounter made the whole day worthwhile, even if he didn’t settle below head height . Of course with a whole day to kill and no more Swallowtails on the menu, I switched to other life, primarily the other major invertebrate draw of Strumpshaw, Odonata. Damselflies in particular were plentiful and don’t need the sun to stay active. The Variable Damselflies from my last visit were now joined by the more familiar Azure. The males of these blue damselflies are relatively easy to separate as long as you get a close look, the markings at the base of the abdomen are one of the best ways to get a positive ID. The females on the other hand are trickier, often coming in a variety of colour morphs. Male Azure Damselflies have a ‘floating U’ at the base of the abdomen whereas in the variable it’s attached to the black band separating the segments. The bottom two are females, I think one of each, Azure on the left and Variable on the right. Large Red Damselflies were also around, and are the only all red damselfly found in this habitat. Amongst the numerous Dragonflies I had a Broad-bodied and four-spotted Chasers both settle for me A few other bits and pieces included a small dark Cranefly carrying a busload of mite passengers,a worn Painted Lady, mating 14-spot Ladybird, and a Small Tortoiseshell caterpillar. By 2pm the rain started and didn't stop for the rest of the day. My train was the 6pm so I was left with 4 hours to kill. I can now say I'm very well versed in Norwich's finest retail outlets! to help while away the hours, I did keep my eye's out for Norwich's most famous son, Alan Partridge. I opened many, many doors exploring Norwich but no sign of him, the only Partridges I saw were a small covey of Grey Partridge that morning on the hill, the first of that species I've seen for about 30 years!

What a glorious swallowtail he was Paul! Most of my time with this species has been spent with the continental version hill-topping on some remote mountain in the middle of nowhere, but you’ve reminded me that seeing britannicus on a rainy day with occasional sun is a wonderfully British experience and well worth the considerable effort you went to! Nice to see your other finds, but with a trip like that it’s important for the star of the show to put in an appearance however brief - great stuff.

Lovely shot of the Swallow Tail Bugboy, it's always a pleasure to see them. Goldie

Glad to see that your perseverance paid off in the end with the Swallowtail bugboy, cracking photos too

Cheers,

Neil.

Cracking shots Bugboy - I've seen the European race but judeging by your shots it's not a patch on the British one which I've yet to see (it'll cost me slightly more for a return ticket than what you're paying ). Good catching up today even if it was brief - I hope you got onto some Daneway Large Blues

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel