www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

An interesting read and great pics again Wurzel.

Cheers Andrew I need to get (even more of) a wriggle on now as I've started seeing butterflies in 2018

Have a goodun

Wurzel

The year wouldn't be the same if you weren't just a little bit behind, Wurzel...

That said, I've been very much enjoying your review of 2017 - here's to a great 2018 butterfly year.

Dave

Hi! Wurzel, I'll have to wait until I get home to look for the Duke, last year there wasn't too many Dukes at Gait Barrow although I did see a mating pair, I'm just wondering how it will be this year up there, they've had a really bad Winter up there.Goldie

Cheers Dave Let's hope it's a cracker of a year
Cheers Goldie Hopefully the winter will have done them some good, knock their parasites on the head etc and maybe a delayed spring will mean the'll all emerge at once so there'll be plenty about, finger crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

The Hairstreaks 35 Green Hairstreak, 09-04-2017 Martin Down

I had an exceedingly good year with the Greenstreak as they had an exceedingly good year. I found my first one very early indeed in 2017, a one day shy of a whole month earlier in fact. As my first came from a different site and one which was slightly further south whether this explains the early sighting or not I can’t be sure although they’d been seen before even my early date so it seems like the dry and warm spell worked out well for them.

After this initial single sighting I struggled to get out again for a while what with work and a visit to my Outlaws getting in the way but when I finally managed to get out proper my Duke Site was crawling with them. There weren’t any at the usual Cypress tree as the small Hawthorns had been hacked down over the winter but from base of the hill fort they were in great numbers. In fact I gave up counting in the end there were so many. This must have been their peak at this site but there were still good numbers here on successive visits. I also found them again at Martin Down and on into almost June at my Marshie site, although by then they were looking slightly tired. So numbers wise a very. Very good year and something of a success story.

I suppose it was because there were so many of them but this year I really started noticing the variation. My first was a one spot, then I got a two spotter at my Duke site. Here the punctata form was quite common and there were also a few inferopunctatas. However the best aberration/form that I saw was one which was almost brown in certain lights or olive in others which could be an ab. Brunnea? 36 Brown Hairstreak, 05-08-2017

There’s good news and bad news. So first the bad news – the hedgerows from the car park to the Master tree and the field are still replete of Brostreaks. From two visits I encountered only a single male on one occasion in this area. It seems that it is still suffering the effects of the Japanese collector…

Now to the good news. The Hedge Hotspot is back on form, 2 trips and two males and two females on both occasions, easily found and all at the edge of the hedge and low enough down for photos. They were two days earlier this year but due to a band of dodgy weather that settled over the West of the country they were well behind the Brostreaks emerging in the East which is a common occurrence really and something you have to get used to living on this side of the country.

The one disadvantage of the Hedge Hotspot being back on form is that on one visit I had to queue for shot! It was all very civilised and less of a punch-up than a birding twitch but having previously visited this site and had the place to myself it was strangely disconcerting. I’m used to the enjoying the peace and solitude these visits normally offer. Even more galling was when over enthusiasm to get ‘the perfect shot’ by one person led to spooking of a glorious female. Oh well maybe next year I’ll get a quiet day and it’ll be just me and the Brostreaks? 37 Purple Hairstreak, 02-07-2017 Bentley Wood

It was a good year for Purple Hairstreaks. I saw my first on the same day and at the same place as last year and although I saw them at only this site and made only one visit they were showing well. They’d flit from one Oak to another across the Switchback and other Rides putting in regular appearances. Others were doing well with them as well and one of my memories of 2017 will be the sheer number of shots people were getting; not the usual ‘here’s a tree and just left of the third leaf you can see a wing tip’ variety but real juicy close-ups that suggested at a hitherto unknown exhibitionist nature. I also managed to see them relatively grounded. As with all of my ‘low altitude’ shots they were on Bracken. Why they chose to come down this year I’m not sure but I have suspicions that it’s related to heat as we were baking in a mini- heatwave during the start of their flight period. Perhaps the Honeydew at the top of the trees has dried up or evaporated first so they had to come down lower into the shade to refuel?

38 White-letter Hairstreak, 02-07-2017

Again the same day and same site. This species provided me with a first this year, my first ever shots of Bentley Wood Whiter. After seeing them here every year for several years it was grand to finally capture one on film. Unfortunately my joy was quickly stifled on the walk home; the Wytch Elm sucker is looking in a really bad way and I saw only 2 individuals from the ‘colony’. Hopefully the colony cans shift to the next set of suckers so that this won’t become their last hurrah… Have a goodun

Wurzel

The Blues Part 1
Ironically only one of the four species covered here is actually blue… 39 Small Copper, 22-04-2017 Duke Site

My first came in spectacular fashion 13 days earlier and from my Duke site. I’d sent the first part of the trip on the lower reaches searching for Dukes (nu luck) and Greenstreaks (crawling with em!) and then set out to walk up and round the ramparts of the Hill Fort. Having worked my way up and round I then cut back across the top of the hill and there glowing vividly like a spot light was shining on it was my first Small Copper of the year. After this brill start I saw them at many sites and in much better numbers than I can recall. Each site that I visited which had them had them in multiples whereas I’m used to finding only the odd one here or there. The Devenish and Duke site were particularly good (ONLY UKB this bit – and at times I felt it had all gone a bit Hoggers) with 5 or 6 whizzing about. They lasted right through with my final singleton on 23rd of September and I even had a garden ‘tick’ with one turning up amongst the Hedge Browns during our family holiday to Devon. The only downside was that I didn’t find a Welsh Copper this year but this was probably because of the terrible weather the first time and the fact that the ‘field’ is now blocked. 40 Small Blue, 14-05-2017 Martin Down

It’s great to think back and write about Small Blues as for once the memories are cheerful and positive as round my way they seemed to have a good year. My first came 15 days earlier and from Martin Down where there were a couple around. I wasn’t too worried by their only being a couple as it was still earl in their flight. I then found them at my Marshie site where they had a propensity of hanging around the bottom of the hill amongst the scrubby bits which the Wall Browns also seem to favour. To bolster my positive vibes further I rediscovered them at Larkhill. All in all a great year for Small Blues. 41 Silver-studded Blue, 13-06-2017 Slop Bog

A tricky one this as unlike in previous years I only saw them at one site, Slop Bog and I saw them 6 days earlier. This could be because they’re a bit further than some of the other species so I have to ‘make a plan’ to see them. However I usually wait for them to emerge further East before venturing out. So if I saw them early it’s quite likely that they were early elsewhere. In terms of numbers I feel they did quite well as I probably saw more of them at Slop Bog than last year and also they were more widespread across the Bog and not just restricted to the aptly named ‘Silver Stud Field’. 42 Brown Argus, 02-05-2017 Duke Site

Last year I described Brown Argus as ‘patchy’ but this year they just seemed to be down. I’d look back on the sightings and I’d be seeing them but the odd one rather than a handful, almost the exact opposite of Small Coppers to be honest. I found very few at Larkhill and other sites weren’t much better. However it might not be all doom and gloom as I did see hem 26 days earlier, almost an entire lunar month and so what could have been happening was that they were around in the their usual numbers but not as time compressed, more temporally spaced. Also I probably missed their final flourish as I didn’t get out as much as I’d like to have during September. So this could have accounted for my gut feeling that they were down, here’s hoping this is the case. Have a goodun

Wurzel

Fantastic shots Wurzel, how do you manage all these fabulous shots and go to work as well I love the Green Hairstreaks, especially the one on the Blue Bell. Goldie

Cheers Goldie you're too kind I'm lucky in that my daughters don't mind accompanying me out butterflying (though for how much longer I don't know ) so I can get out at weekends and then before and/or after work The trick is to get a really good lens
Have a goodun

Wurzel

Do you mean len's or eyes What ever your using it certainly works, Guess what, the Sun's trying it's best to come out here, hope it does we'll be out and about. Goldie

You have several mrgreens coming your way, one for all the Hairstreak images ,
and two more for that vivid Green Hairstreak, and the one with a complete complement
of white spots .
I thought last year was exceptional for Hairstreaks in general.

Hopr this year will be as good,
Trevor.

Cheers Goldie A good lens makes photos easy, it just becomes a matter of point and shoot They seem to think that the weather will be getting better by the weekend so fingers crossed
Cheers Trevor It was a very good year for Hairstreaks last year, the weather seemed to fall just right for them Fingers crossed that this year is as good Even though it'll probably start a lot later...

April 2018

It feels like it'll be a long time til we see one of these... Have a goodun

Wurzel

Brilliant selection Wurzel, really makes the mouth water.
Love the Greenstreaks, especially the fully spotted one, and your SSB set.

Cracking set of Hairstreaks Wurzel

In fact have a as well as I only managed to see Green and Purple last year and the Purples were all too high up for photos unlike many that were seen further south.

Cheers,

Neil.

Cheers Andrew They’re getting ever closer now I find evening times are best for Silver-studs then you can get the oily sheen on the females
Cheers Neil I’ve had seasons like that with Purple Hairstreaks, even this year I managed only 6 photographs of the same individual. I reckon certain sites should have tree top walkways constructed so that you can photograph them up in the canopy

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Blues Part 2
43 Common Blue, 14-05-2017 Martin Down

Martin Down yielded my first Common Blue of the year 18 days earlier than last and once I’d seen one I saw them at most sites including back in Wales and one even strayed onto my Devon list. Seeing them all over the shop was great and they seemed to have a reasonable year. Not a vintage one but still nowhere near the dire wasted years. The main thing I noticed this year was a complete dearth of brown females. Time was, when I was just starting out in this game, that a large female Brown Argus was tricky to separate from a small female Common Blue. If the cell spot was hidden and the hindwing underside was obstructed you’d be left staring at the wings hoping to find blue scales…I and others have remarked over the last couple of years that the females have been getting bluer so identifying against a Brown Argus has almost become a doodle. In fact I can’t recall a single female this year that wasn’t an obvious blue. 44 Chalkhill Blue, 16-07-2017 The Devenish

Despite finding my first Chalkhill 6 days early at the Devenish I was slightly concerned for the species here as they seemed down compared to previous years. There were only a couple the first time around and on my second visit only a single male was found. I didn’t get back after this until later in the year but still they were down. Despite worries from one site I still feel that they had an oaky year as they were around at Martin Down and I even saw there or four at Broughton Down. Really for a fair assessment I need to get to somewhere like Stockbridge or Laverstock Down – both places where I’ve seen them in reasonable numbers before. 45 Adonis Blue, 14-05-2017 Martin Down

My first brood Adonis came from Martin Down this year whilst I was nurdling along the Dyke looking for anything but Adonis Blues. They were 2 weeks early the first time round compared to last year but I’m wondering if in this case it was because of their more Eastern location? It would certainly tie in with my own pet theory. After this I encountered them at my Marshie site where they were a bit sparser. The second brood however was much better and as usual seemed even more electric blue than the first. They lasted well as well, still turning up on visits to both Larkhill and Martin Down into September. 46 Holly Blue, 05-04-2017 Enford

I saw my first Holly Blue at one of my early sites – the Enford pull-in, a tiny lay-by big enough for a couple of cars on the ‘scenic’ route home. I was looking for Orange-tips and other Whites when a tiny blue butterfly flew by and I managed possibly one of the worst shots I’ve ever gotten of this species LOL! As it was a month and a day earlier than in 2016 I took it to be a good omen of things to come. In fact things did turn out well for this species this year as I saw them at a great range of sites – from Enford to Bentley Wood, on a one holly tree in the middle of the Down leading to Bentley, at Durlston and I even had one trying to steal my coffee (not as successful as the Dingy Skipper) at my Marshie site. The best site for them was without doubt Shipton and the Hedge Hotspot at the back of the site again held good numbers of them and they were settling long enough for photos. 47 Large Blue, 18-06-2018 Daneways

This was my second visit to Daneways and whilst the butterflies were easier to latch onto here than at Collard getting an accurate judgement or even a gut feeling was difficult. I made my visit 8 days earlier but that’s not to say that they emerged any earlier, it was just that was when I was able to make my visit. But the timing of the visit is the reason why making a call on how well they fared tricky. You see I went during the mini heatwave that we had, with temperatures getting up to 30 degrees. I got there early in the morning before it got really hot but the butterflies were still really active and most of my shots were either ‘grab’ shots or distant in flight ones. I’d read somewhere that the females are more active at the end of the day when they will fly to find suitable places to lay their eggs but I saw this happening at 11 in the morning and by midday they were either almost impossible to follow or were hidden away sitting out the broiling sun. Because of this I felt like I saw fewer butterflies thought they probably were on a par? I again found a very dark female, one which appeared almost black when in flight so it will be interesting to see if a third visit throws up a similar variant but the highlight was the mating pair.

The 2017 Season
And so ends the 2017 Tally. It was a funny old year really with the vagaries of the weather playing havoc with some trips and so I feel lucky to have managed 47 species.

Lows

1. I was slightly disappointed after the early start that things didn’t pan out so I could get to the magic 50.I was often playing catch-up as the weather would be unconducive for a butterflying when I was in the right place, then when I was elsewhere the weather would be great etc.
2. No Clouded Yellows; despite going to the right places at the right times I just wasn’t able to latch onto one. It wasn’t exactly a Clouded Yellow year so maybe 2018 will be a biggy?
3. The MOD blocking off the lay-by at my Larkhill stop-off.
4. I still didn’t get it together to get another British tick – I just can’t seem to justify the travelling to myself…

Highs

1. Revisiting East Blean for my second taste of Heath Frits
2. Any trip I made with Philzoid as invariably these trips produced the goods either in terms of ‘firsts for the year’, the range of species seen or some fantastic butterfly memories.
3. Greenstreaks by the bucket load at my Duke site

Looking forward to 2018:
1. With a family trip to the Dordogne in August I’ll hopefully pick up a few foreign lifers including Scarce Swallowtail.
2. Finally get the nerve to go for a British tick – High Brown (British) or Black Hairstreak (lifer) though I’ll probably bottle it.
3. This year I’m going to try for 45 species from Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset only.
4. Get some decent shots of Chalkhills, more shots of Marbled Whites and check out more areas for Pearls/Small Pearls at Bentley Wood.

So now I’ve finished with 2017 I better start sorting out my 2018 posts (at the time of writing there are 5 to do already ). I hope everyone out there has a cracking season!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

And a cracking good season to you too.
Yes, Larkhill was a pain, caused me quite a diversion !.
As for Clouded Yellows you were in the wrong place. You could have dumped
the Ladies in a department store in Bournemouth, and gone and found some.
Sussex performed well for them too.
The Black Hairstreak is on my list, but I need to go with someone who knows their hideout.

Hopefully catch up with you soon.
Trevor.

Lovely Female Adonis Wurzel, I've not seen one for ages, may be this year I'll hit the jack pot. Goldie

I've only just seen your Large Blues. No mrgreens for the mating pair.
( I found two at Collard hill), but an open wing shot eluded me,
so several mrgreens for your fine shot!. .

Trevor.

Brilliant shots Wurzel. The Adonis are fantastic, and I love the Large Blues.

Cheers and a cracking season for all of us!