www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Great to see what was going on down at Durlston, Buggy. I missed going there in the end this year which is a shame as it's one of my favourite spots. A definite for the Lulworths in particular.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks Wurzel, it really is a great spot for all sorts of wildlife and despite the distance I have to travel, I always look forward to my (usual) annual visit, the scenery ain’t too bad either!
Thanks Dave, it was certainly much lusher than my previous recent visits (for obvious reasons)

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July 2021

Sunday the 11th, the last day of my three-week break, was back to my normal routine in Emperor season with a return to Bookham and, as so often happens at this time of year I was once again accompanied by Millerd. Our hopes of finding HIM were once again ruined by not so good weather, various shades of grey clouds spoiling our fun in that respect but the air temperature remained warm enough for other inhabitants to come out and play. All the usual suspects were in attendance, many now beginning to show the signs of their age (WA, SWF, Satyrids), although as is always the way with these aged specimens, they do tend to become much more approachable and amenable to the photographer, the energy and vigour of youth now just a distant memory (something I can relate too…). In amongst them there were still enough fresh specimens, the SWF in particular still seemed to be emerging, to take our minds from the lack of Emperor action and a few species were just getting going here from the looks of things. There were quite a few hutchinsoni Commas around. These seem to have had a good summer, in more recent visits I’m finding decent numbers of Comma cats so we may well enjoy a glut of ‘starsky’(©Padfield) Commas. Close to the Orange-tip pupae I’m keeping an eye on there was still a hungry caterpillar, munching on a partially ripened seed pod. The seeds themselves were still green and no doubt rich in protein and very nutritious. Dave left after a few hours leaving me to see if I could find any White Admiral eggs or cats, no luck in that respect but before leaving I came across my favourite type of Robber fly, Leptogaster cylindrica. From a distance they look very dainty and you wouldn’t think they’d harm a fly… The following day whilst browsing facebook on my lunch break, up popped another picture of a grounded Emperor at Bookham taken that morning…

Being back to work does means I can try and catch up on my PD a bit now, I have Wurzel nipping at my heals which is slightly embarrassing .

"Being back to work does means I can try and catch up on my PD a bit now" Damn it I was so close to overtaking you
Cracking set of shots but my favourite by about a million miles has to be the Small Skipper thrying t hide behind the blade of grass - brilliant that is

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, A pose all the Skippers work well with, something about their cute fluffy faces and big eyelashes . You might yet catch up with me, my laptop seems to have thrown a wobbly, I’m posting this one from work but I need my laptop for post processing etc !

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July 2021

Friday the 16th. Off course it stands to reason that after three weeks off work where I was lucky if I had a combined tally of four or five days’ worth of what you would call ‘summer’ weather, my return to work coincided with a notable upturn in butterfly friendly weather. Purple Emperors were still on the top of my hitlist so clearly Bookham was once again the destination. A nice fresh female Green-veined White distracted me to begin with, still not seen many of them this year. Wandering the paths Emperors were notable in their absence but an early morning sighting of a freshly minted, and particularly dusky, Painted Lady was very welcome, it being my first home grown one of the year . I’ve seen quite a few dusky looking Painted Ladies on social media this year, likely due to the generally cool summer we’ve had. Purple Hairstreaks haven’t exactly been raining from the treetops like they have in recent years but they are still plentiful enough to be able to have a few close encounters of them and this female wasn’t too bothered about me getting up close and personal. My orange-tip pupae was changing colour from green to a sandy brown, matching it’s chosen pupation spot. Hutchinsoni Commas were busy, I watched a few females fussing over nettles and depositing the next generation, missing by mere seconds on a couple being laid. Also in the reproducing mood were my second mating pair of Silver-washed Fritillary of the year. They were settled low down until I pointed my camera at them when they flew up into a Sallow. The male might have been an ab., no matter what angle I photographed him from, he seemed to be somewhat lacking in the silver washing dept. The female didn’t seem to have any issues. In the same tree some female Demoiselle damselflies were distracting me with some synchronised moves . The warm weather had certainly encouraged more Emperor hunters out, but no one seemed to have any images despite overheard conversations along the lines of “I’ve seen two on the ground today”. There were however lots of Red & White Admirals and Commas doing their best Emperor impressions so whether these were genuine sightings is open to question. I’d heard rumours that the first Silver-spotted Skippers had been reported so I planned to head over to Box Hill to have a scout, but it had turned into a rather hot day and figured it would be best to hang around in the relative coolness of the wood.

Whilst waiting for things to cool down a tad I went to see if the Small Skippers were mud puddling again, discovering they were at it like they were in the Alps or something! A freshly minted Brimstone also proved irresistible. It was nearly 6 when I finally got to Box Hill but it was still a bit on the warm side and the single solitary Silver-spotted Skipper I came across only hung around for a few snaps. A male Chalkhill Blue posed and there were still many Dark Green Fritillaries around, although given they’ve been on the wing for some weeks now it was no surprise to find the males looking somewhat battered. On the other hand I was pleased to find a female still looking fresh as a daisy, another dusky beauty. Off course it goes without saying (but I’m going to anyway) that an Emperor was photographed on the ground the following day, once again taunting me from the pages of facebook at work .

"ou might yet catch up with me, my laptop seems to have thrown a wobbly, I’m posting this one from work but I need my laptop for post processing etc !" - I'll slow down a bit Bugboy

Fantastic set of shots especially the dusky Painted Lady and the lush DGF. I had similar, if not worse luck with His Nibbs this year - in fact I might not even bother with Him next year

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, my laptop was an inpatient at the computer hospital down the road for a few days but I’m pleased to ,it’s back up and running now so business as usual resumes. More Purple Emperor woes below, I really was having a run of bad luck this year

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July 2021

Tuesday the 20th. Millerd had informed me that he’d seen a valesina SWF at Bookham the previous day, so if any more incentive was needed, I headed that way bright and early. An early start was now essential due to the increasing temperatures, 30+ was becoming the norm (for only a short period as it turned out). Unsurprisingly I bumped into Millerd who showed me where the SWF had flashed past him a few times the day before, but neither of us saw any sign of her today. Of course, Emperors were also high on the list, and we hung about the car park a bit, somewhat self-consciously, in the hope one may grace us with his presence. Purple princes and princesses descended but his grace was once again a no show for us. Most of what was about was either very energetic or hiding from increasing temperatures, even quite early in the morning. We did find a gaggle of White Admirals who had found a particularly tasty bird dropping and a Speckled Wood who’s hindwing ocelli where noticeably fainter than normal. Dave left mid-morning, leaving me to continue my wanderings. On a little break from walking the main rides I located my first White Admiral caterpillars of the year, five first instars in the usual dark and gloomy spots I find them. Approaching midday, I toyed with idea of making one last pass through the car park but decided against it, it was getting uncomfortably hot but it was a decision I would later rue. I’m sure you can guess what I saw on FB as I sat waiting for my train. This time the poster had been quite exact in the location of HIM, and based on the time, I had been just a minute or two away when I made the fateful decision to turn right instead of left. A definite pattern seemed to be emerging for my search for a grounded Emperor this year .

A cracking set of shots Bugboy Whilst I appreciate your woes with His Nibbs I still find it hard to see White Admirals as I managed just four shots all season! I too was 'gripped' when looking for His Nibbs this year, several times in one day actually Oh well hopefully next year will be a better one all round

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, three is one shot must be a tad galling then... . We can but hope next year is more fruitful in our searches

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July 2021

Monday the 26th was my next chance to get out and find Emperors (off course more pictures from Bookham of them flaunting their royal purpleness had surfaced in the intervening days) but despite loitering around car parks and endlessly walking up and down the main rides, there was no sign of them. There were plenty of Gatekeepers out now and fresh Peacocks were joining the waning numbers of Fritillaries and White Admirals at the Bramble blossom. A female Gatekeeper was notable for having reduced orange markings on her hindwings. I narrowly missed the chance of getting a snap of a White Admiral egg being laid, here it is fresh from the bum of mum . After checking on my Orange-tip pupae (all ok there) I moved on to see how many White Admiral cats I could find today, on the way finding a nice fresh Holly Blue doing some mudpuddling. I found some new WA cats whilst others had been nobbled in the intervening days but managed a total of seven. Whilst searching I noticed something rather large flapping around in the leaf litter which, once I’d looked it up in my guide books later at home (and gained confirmation from more expert eye’s on here), discovered it was one of the less common Red Underwings, Catacola sponsa, the Dark Crimson Underwing. Curious names for these moths since they all have underwings of a more pinkish hue!

Your second gatekeeper photo is gives a sense of serenity.

Cracking set of Hedgies Bugboy I saw Hedgies similar to that myself this year - could be something in the conditions Love the shot of the Silver-washed with the greenish tinge on the hindwings

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Katrina, glad to help with your mental health
Thanks Wurzel, I had an inkling you might enjoy that post when I was choosing images

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July 2021

Thursday the 30th. Due to a combination of unfortunate events (various people going on furlough and a change in how I can book holiday from days to hours) I’d managed to inadvertently use up virtually all my A/L, meaning that since my return to work I’m reliant on my rostered days off to coincide with decent weather. This is how I came to be standing under the trees at the top of Denbies hillside watching sideways rain hammer down. Thankfully the passing showers were whisked through by a ‘stiff breeze’ but when they did arrive, you knew about it! The reason I chose to risk it was due to a certain Small Copper ab. that Millerd had found the previous day, in much better weather.

Despite the rain the masses of Chalkhill Blues still put on a good display, I stopped counting mating pairs when I reached double figures within 5 minutes of seeing my first pair and I came across bundles of silver fluttery wings harassing what were presumably freshly emerged females on more than one occasion. Sunny spells did bring out other species but despite this the only Small Coppers I came across were all standard issue representatives of the species. A fresh Painted Lady made a welcome appearance But by far and away the most numerous species were the Chalkhills, by a conservative margin of thousands! Remarkably, despite the huge numbers there seemed to be precious few notable abs around. There was plenty of minor variation in spotting but after much searching I only came away with what I would class as two true abs., one of whom wasn't particularly symmetrical. Other species seen in single figures were Common Blue, Brown Argus, Marbled White, Small Skipper and Silver-spotted Skipper. The second flush of Meadow Brown seemed to be just getting underway with several fresh individuals seen.

A great collection of shots Bugboy In the shot where there are a pair in cop at the top just out of focus with a single male, open winged, near the middle of the shot is he displaying his genitalia for a purpose or has he suffered some damage?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel. I actually meant to comment on that male’s behaviour but completely forgot in the write up. There was no damage, I took a run of images of which some have him exposing himself, where others don’t. I guess pheromones were thick in the air…

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August 2021

Tuesday the 3rd. Into August we go and back to Bookham it is, moving seamlessly from my frustrating search for Emperors to (fingers crossed) a better showing from the resident Brown Hairstreaks.

On a rare sunny, warm day there was plenty of orange/brown butterflies about, a sure sign that Autumn is just around the corner. Extra spotted Gatekeepers seem to be rather thin on the ground this year but this morning I found a couple of females, along with a rather dusky male. A boldly marked male Meadow Brown was worthy of my attention and a female Common Blue made a for a brief change in the general colour scheme. I stopped under the large Ash next to Banks Common, used as a master tree by the Hairstreaks and after a few minutes started to see some activity. They were all however of the Purple persuasion, until that is I saw something fluttering around that looked a little larger and perhaps with an orange tinge (although the latter could have been wishful thinking). When he finally settled in clear view his identity was without question, 2021’s first Brown Hairstreak . Now I just needed to find one nectaring, and there was an awful lot of their favourite tipple this year. At Bookham, Hogweed is the food source of choice. Thistle and bramble blossom tend to be a second choice and Fleabane, often stated as a firm favourite in the literature, well I’ve never seen one take the slightest interest in it. Half an hour later, along a path leading into the wood that regularly comes up trumps for me, I found my quarry, exactly where I expected to find him. I enjoyed his company for nearly half an hour before the constant disturbance of the various other nectaring insects proved too much. Walking back down the path another fresh Painted Lady distracted me. 5 minutes later I found my third Hairstreak and shortly after was joined my Millerd whom I’d earlier messaged to let him know they were out. This particular one had chosen to nectar in a rather hard to reach Hogweed and in our efforts to get closer we managed to disturb him. Still three in my first Brown Hairstreak hunt of the year is a pretty good return. I know Millerd found some more including a nice basking male later in the day , but I had other plans for the afternoon. The lack of any more holiday and the continuing questionable weather patterns meaning I’d decided a two-site day was in order. A migrant Hawker wished me farewell as I made my way to the station . To be continued…

Some good memories of the first day of Brownstreaking, Bugboy. (that's probably a neo-Wurzellogism... ) Over the last few summers the males have been consistently descending to the hogweed here, so the days of cricked necks and purple confusion have largely vanished - though I see you (successfuly!) gave it a go. Like you, I have yet to see a Brown Hairstreak of either sex take any interest in fleabane, and other butterflies always seem to head for other yellow flowers if available too.

Cheers,

Dave

A mrgreen for your male Brown Hairstreak. The Hogweed sets him off nicely.
You mention millerds basking male. I know the images of which you speak, and I am
trying to forget about them, they are far too taunting !.

Great stuff as usual, stay well.
Trevor.
,

Great report Bugboy and smashing photos I too have never seen them on Fleabane but I've seen them on Rosebay Willow Herb and Wild Parsnip at Shipton though their favourite there is Creeping Thistle Your excessa Hedgies didn't even get a mention how very dare you!

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Thanks Dave, great memories indeed but it really doesn’t seem like over six weeks ago. Not sure about that ‘Brownstreaking’ term, conjures up some dodgy unfortunate connotations!
Thanks Trevor, you may want to avoid one of my soon to come posts (the one after the next one I think). I’ll try and remember to post a , warning for you.
Thanks Wurzel. I had a female on water mint last year, and if they emerge late or the Hogweed fails, Bramble blossom and ripe Blackberries are also used. Unfortunately it would have to be a very special excessa to get my full attention when I’m on a Brown Hairstreak hunt

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August 2021

Tuesday the 3rd cont. The afternoon was spent at Chobham Common and despite having to change trains three times it was a remarkably pain free journey with not much hanging around on stations. There’s only one reason to go to Chobham Common in August (well for us butterfliers anyway), Grayling, and suffice to say they looked like they were going to have a very good season. Some Large Skipper and a particularly photogenic Brimstone kicked of proceedings, I find it nearly impossible to walk pass a backlit Brimstone without taking its picture. The Grayling started appearing soon after, and pretty much didn’t stop appearing for the rest of the afternoon no matter what path I was on and best of all, virtually everyone looked brand new and very vibrant. I was really hoping to add mating Grayling to my collection today and after wandering around the hotspot I always head for I put up a pair who very quickly attracted the attention of a second male. Three times they settled and three times I managed to close in and just get them in my viewfinder and three times they were off before I hit the shutter button . The last time they flew off they gave me the slip, bobbing off over the Heather, through some trees and out of sight to continue the deed in privacy, curses may have been uttered… still, always next year.

Other species seen included Small Heath, Peacock, Gatekeeper, Silver-studded Blue and various unidentified Whites (I suspect mostly Small’s). I stayed until early evening when the Grayling switched from bounding along paths chasing anything that looked worthy of their attention to fattening up for bedtime. Silver Birch is a favourite perch on Chobham, probably giving them a better vantage point with which to leap out at innocent passing insects/bird shadows/rivals and mates etc. Freshly minted Brown Hairsteak in the morning followed by equally fresh Grayling in the afternoon, an excellent day even if I did miss capturing some mating Grayling by the skin of my teeth !

"it would have to be a very special excessa" but they're all special
Cracking Graylings - I had fun with the spot the Grayling although I think the first one was a bit of a cheat his species is quickly becoming my favourite overall

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Lovely pictures of the Graylings, Bugboy. Bit jealous as I've never seen one.

Just to prove that Brown Hairstreaks will at least visit common fleabane, here's a snap from the fields behind us last year (2nd August).

Mind you, in that patch there's not a lot else to choose from !

I agree with Wurzel, the two on the Silver Birch are fair game,
but the other one is hiding behind a clump of grass.
Reminds me of Monty Python's ' The secret of not being seen '

Great to see them on Heather.
Trevor.