www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Cheers Wurzel. If you want to give them a try ALS is the place for lures https://www.angleps.com/pheromones.php

Thanks David. I've now had another three species, report to come in due course.

Friday 10th July.

Another Friday morning and another visit to both mine and then Jane's Mom with me then leaving Jane chatting to her Mom whilst I went for a look around Blythe Valley Park.

The theme of the week continued at first with an almost continuous blanket of cloud that began to thin just occasionally to allow the briefest glimpses of the sun. Nevertheless, with an air temperature in the mid teens, the usual Meadow Browns and Ringlets were flying in good numbers although many of both species are now looking a bit tired and faded.
One female Meadow Brown looked interesting with almost 'blind' eye-spots on her forewings with just the slightest hint of a pupil showing in each spot.
My first Gatekeepers of the season were also flying here now, all fresh males with about fifteen seen around the various hedgerows.
One individual stood out as being particularly attractive with a bronze/gold flush inboard of the sex brand on his forewings.
A few Small and Green-veined Whites were seen but seldom settled despite the distinctly average temperature.
A handful of Small Skippers were also flying and again I failed to find any Essex Skippers here.
A single fresh male Common Blue was also spotted, the first of the summer brood here. Hopefully by the time I return here next week (weather permitting), he will have been joined by others along with the next generation of Small Coppers and Brown Argus.
Back home again later, it eventually turned into a reasonable afternoon with some pleasant sunny spells and a male Speckled Wood was back in one of the usual spots.
A few Whites also passed through, mostly Small and Green-veined but I also saw a couple of Large Whites...or maybe the same one coming round again on repeat circuits.

A nice Comma also came and hung around for ten minutes or so before deciding to carry on and investigate next doors garden.
After three days of almost constant gloom and rain with just a couple of short interludes in which it stopped raining but stayed cloudy, it was good to see the sun again.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Cheers for the info Neil I'll look into that - mind you it might have to wait until September so I can store them in the freezer at work I don;t know how well storing them at home would go down...
Great set of photos - really interesting to see the 'blind' Meadow Brown it's surprisingly eye-catching

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Those are lovely, fresh Hedge Browns, Neil. I guess it won't be long before the females are almost equally as numerous.

For all the tired looking specimens right now, the second half of July heralds new emergences of butterfly species that we've already seen in earlier broods this year, as well as the final handful of new ones, such as Silver Spotted Skipper, Scotch Argus and Brown Hairstreak. Much still to look forward to.

Cheers Wurzel. I store my lures in small airtight plastic pots which then go into a dedicated plastic food (sandwhich) box in the freezer.

Thanks David. Yes, the females have been appearing around here this week.

Sunday 12th July

After the dull and dismal weather last week, Friday finally began to brighten up a bit later in the afternoon, as mentioned in my previous report. Saturday also stayed dry, although it did not brighten up as much as the forecast had indicated and a thick overcast returned for most of the day along with a fairly cool breeze.

Sunday finally brought some proper warm weather back, in fact once again we went from one extreme to the other with temperatures shooting up to the mid twenties by late morning.

With a couple of hours spare in the afternoon, I decided to pop around to my local site at Castle Hills, although I knew that the butterflies would be fully warmed up by now and taking photos would be a challenge. My main reason for going today was that, with the work going on around there for the new JLR logistics centre, it can get busy during the week by where I park the car and Sundays are much quieter. I was also keen to see if any summer brood Common Blues, Small Coppers or Brown Argus were out there yet.

I set off on my usual circuit and immediately started seeing the expected Meadow Browns and Ringlets plus Small and Essex Skippers, all of which were very active in the warm afternoon sun.
Small Tortoiseshells are still flying around here but no longer in the same numbers they were a couple of weeks ago. Most of them have either gone into hibernation or done their bit towards producing a second brood later this year and going by other reports I have seen I suspect a combination of both.
Gatekeepers are appearing here now and I also saw my first females of the year, only one of which sat still briefly for me to get a photo. It wasn't until I looked afterwards that I noticed that the orange patches on her hindwings were a bit on the small side, in fact I have seen some female Meadow Browns over the past couple of years with more orange on their hindwings than this.
I carried on and checked out the usual spots here for Common Blues and Small Coppers and found just one of each, a fresh male in both cases.
No second brood Brown Argus here yet but that just means that I will have to come back in a week or so for another look.

I have commented in a couple of my recent reports about the amount of rain we have had here and there were plenty of puddles and muddy spots along the paths here. As I wandered along these paths in the warm sun today I came across a number of instances of butterflies taking moisture or minerals up from around these spots, usually Small and Green-veined Whites but occasionally Small and/or Essex Skippers.
Most of the butterflies I saw today were either too flighty to get close to for photos or when they did settle they kept their wings firmly closed. There are always exceptions though and I came across a male Green-veined White sitting with his wings open.
A couple of male Commas were also chasing things about and summer Peacocks are starting to emerge around here now. I saw half a dozen fresh looking Peacocks but only managed couple of shots of one individual as he came down on the damp path and flicked it's wings open a few times.
A good couple of hours with lots of butterflies even though it was too warm for many good photo opportunities. The bright sun also meant the light was too harsh really for decent photos, but for me, afternoons like this are more about seeing the butterflies flying about naturally and doing their thing.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Sunday 12th July – Garden Clearwings update.

My experience over the previous week or so of using the new LUN lure for Lunar Hornet Moth, along with other reports that I have read, has shown that this species is happy to fly in surprisingly dull and cloudy conditions.
As far as I am aware, most other species of Clearwing prefer warm and sunny weather and with Sunday being the first real sunny day for over a week, this was my first chance to try some of the other Clearwing pheromone lures that I have.

I chose to try two lures, MYO for Red-belted Clearwing (also known to attract Red-tipped Clearwing) and VES for Yellow-legged Clearwing (can also attract Orange-tailed Clearwing).
I hung the MYO up down the bottom of the garden and the VES nearer the house so that there was a good separation between them.

Just before going out to Castle Hills in the afternoon as described in the previous report, I checked the lure and found a Red-belted Clearwing in the MYO trap.
There was also a Clearwing in the VES trap that looked like a scruffy Orange-tailed but as it's tail was a bit threadbare, I wasn't too sure, so I potted it to look at more carefully on my return from Castle Hills.

I returned from Castle Hills and checked the lures again, finding another Clearwing in the VES trap, this time a definite Orange-tailed. Comparing this one with the previous one confirmed that one was indeed an Orange-tailed that had seen better days.
I left the traps out for a bit longer and was just thinking about bringing them in at around 6.00pm when I found a Yellow-legged Clearwing in the VES trap.
This meant that I had three species in the garden in one day which I was rather chuffed with. Along with the Current Clearwing the other week and the Lunar Hornet Moth, this brings me up to five species in the garden.
There is one more species that I have a lure for and can try for here, Six-belted Clearwing, so I will hopefully try for that one next week (weather permitting).

Bye now and stay safe,

Neil.

Interesting report on the lures and Clearwings Neil - lovely photos as always. You're definitely tempting me.

Thanks Pauline. It may be worth hanging on to next year now. There are a few Clearwing species still flying and should be for a week or two yet but after early August their season will be just about over.
Bye the way, I thought of you when I took one of the photos below

Tuesday 14th July.

The return to warm sunny weather didn't last long here, just the one day. Monday morning saw a return to the thick overcast we have seen so much of and by midday it was raining again.

Tuesday (14th July) was much the same but with less rain, a bit of drizzle in the morning which had cleared up by the afternoon.
Despite the dull and cloudy conditions and a temperature barely reaching the mid teens, I went for a walk down to my local spot by Wagon Lane Park.

To start with, not much was flying apart from the usual Meadow Browns and Ringlets that I put up as I wandered about, but a slight thinning of the clouds brightened things up just enough for a few Small and Essex Skippers to join them.
A couple of Small Tortoiseshells were also spotted basking on the brambles along with a single red Admiral.
As I stretched across the brambles to take a photo of the Red Admiral, my foot snagged a trailing bramble shoot and it took off rapidly into the distance so I only got the one shot which had an out of focus bit of grass in the way.
A few whites were also flying and I managed to ID a couple each of both Small and Green-veined but no Large Whites again today.
There were also lots of Small Tortoiseshell larval nests still to be seen around the various nettle beds and I counted a good dozen in various stages of development.
I often see urban foxes out during the daytime around here but they are usually too quick for me to get a photo. This one stood his ground just long enough for me to get a shot before he turned and legged it.
After about an hour here I felt some more drizzle in the air so made my way back home.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Interesting to see your Clearwing successes, coincidentally I came across a 6 belted one the other day and you've remind me I need to send the sighting to the county recorder. Also coincidentally I found a 'blind' meadow Brown this past week to add to my growing collection of Meadow Brown abs. I've been seeing this year

Cracking Clearwings Neil - they're really attractive looking little moths Great sets of shots in your recent reports - the Green-veined and Small side by side is a brilliant shot - worthy of being in an ID guide that one Looking forward to some 6 belt action

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

These Clearwings are fascinating, Neil. Generally, they remain out of sight but it's amazing how use of a lure can tempt them out so readily.

Beautiful image of the fox. You definitely captured it on 'high alert'.

Thanks Bugboy. Six-belted is the last species that I am trying for in my garden this year, although it is probably the least likely one for me to find here. Having said that, I know someone that had one come to a lure in a garden in South Birmingham just a few miles from me so fingers crossed.

Cheers Wurzel. Considering they have few scales on their wings they can be a remarkably attractive group of moths.

Thanks David. Until this year I knew very little about the Clearwings but the more I find out, the more fascinating they become.

Thursday 16th July.

Another week that had turned out to be dull and cloudy so far but Thursday afternoon looked like it might brighten up with some promising sunny spells forecast for the afternoon. This tempted me to return to my local spot at Bickenhill to see what had changed since my visit two week ago.

The first thing that struck me was the number of Peacocks. Just inside the first field there is a patch of brambles against a hedge and there were at least half a dozen fresh looking examples flitting around here.
As I continued around the usual paths I saw loads more Peacock with every patch of brambles playing host to anything up to a dozen or more...and there are lots of patches of brambles here.
They were also on clumps of ragwort or thistles...
A few weeks back, people had been reporting lots of Peacock larval webs and there was a lot of speculation that there would be a good summer emergence. This afternoon was the first evidence of this that I had come across around here with dozens of fresh examples flying all over the site.

As well as all the Peacocks there were a few Commas scattered about and a single Small Tortoiseshell put in an appearance.
A couple of Red Admirals were also flying about but these were even more restless than everything else and seldom stayed settled for long.
Meadow Browns were everywhere as usual but Ringlet numbers had dropped substantially with most of those still flying looking tired and worn now.

Marbled Whites had practically disappeared from here with just one seen. On the other hand, Gatekeepers were on the increase with lots of males and a few females along the hedgerows and on the brambles.
Both Small and Essex Skippers were zipping about all over the place but once I had confirmed the presence of both species I didn't pay them much attention apart from when I spotted a mating pair of Small Skippers.
I was particularly pleased to find three Small Coppers in three different parts of the site...
… although I only found one Common Blue here today.
I reckon it is still a little early for the second brood of Common Blues to get going around here, maybe another few days or a week depending on the weather we have. The season had been running early due to the warm spring but it is beginning to feel like the collapse in the weather we have had here over the past few weeks has brought things back closer to where they would normally be about now.

Lots of Shaded Broad-bar moths were also here. These are really nocturnal moths but are so easily disturbed from long grass during the day that they are often thought of as day flyers.
A cracking couple of hours in what was for once really pleasant conditions, not too hot and with some fluffy summer clouds drifting across the blue sky.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Friday 17th July.

After a clear and chilly night, Friday morning was again quite pleasant for my weekly visit to Blythe Valley Park, although a lot more cloud once again built up as the morning progressed. This site today produced the same selection of species as the previous day at Bickenhill albeit most of them in differing numbers.

Fresh summer Peacocks were out here in lower numbers than at Bickenhill with a total of 'only' around a dozen seen.
Small Tortoiseshells, Commas, and Red Admirals were represented by a couple of each.
Gatekeeper numbers had increased from last week and females had now joined the numerous males.
Meadow Browns were again everywhere but Ringlet numbers had dropped now and only just edged into double figures.

In a reversal of the numbers seen at Bickenhill the day before, three Common Blues and a single Small Copper were seen.
On my previous couple of visits here I had seen plenty of Small Skippers but failed to find any Essex Skippers. I finally succeeded with the latter today with a dozen or more confirmed by the usual antennae shots.
Lots of whites were flying, mostly Small and Green-veined and for the first time this year I also saw more than just the one Large White with maybe half a dozen seen during my wandering around here.

Back home later in the afternoon the cloud had built up once again to a 100% overcast but it was still warm enough for a few butterflies to be passing though the garden. These included a Holly Blue that paused for a refill on the brambles and a couple of Green-veined Whites that both found something inviting about the same spot.
With uncanny predictability, we had some heavy rain again overnight to get the weekend off to a wet start. At least with me still being on furlough from work, my butterflying this year has not been mostly restricted to the weekends. I am not sure how much longer this is going to last though, my guess is that I will probably be back in work after what would be our summer shutdown in a couple of weeks.

Bye for now and Stay safe,

Neil.

It has been an extraordinary summer for Peacocks Neil - I can't recall seeing as many, they're all over the place Lovely shot of the Essex Skipper - they always seem a bit more 'sandier' rather than orange to me as in your shot

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

That's a great angle you've got for the Essex Skipper, Neil. No mistaken identity possible there!

That Skipper shot is fantastic Neil Goldie

Lovely selection of summer species recently, Neil, and every one in fresh condition.
A mrgreen for the Small Tortoiseshells you keep finding .
My East Sussex total so far this year stands at three!.

Stay safe,
Trevor.

Thanks Wurzel. Yes, loads of Peacocks around now. With all the Small Tortoiseshells that we had around here a few weeks back it almost feels like the kind of summer we used to have...if only we could have a bit less of the gloomy cloud cover we keep having here.

Thanks David. The tall thistle made that one easier.

Thanks Goldie. Glad to see you are having a great time in Kent.

Thanks Trevor. Small Tortoiseshells have had an excellent year around here and judging by the number of larval nests I am finding there should be a decent second brood to come.

Sunday 19th July

Saturday started off very wet after heavy overnight rain and although we didn't have any more rain during the day, we didn't have much sun either, and it remained dull and damp for most of the day.

Sunday was much better with some nice warm sunny spells throughout the day but I ended up staying at home doing a few little jobs in the house and pottering around the garden.

Small and Green-veined Whites were seen passing through and often stopping for a refuel on the dwarf buddleias or bowles mauve plants.
The males of both species spent most of their time chasing after the females and each other and I saw a few instances of attempted courtship, all of which were received with the rejection display.
I also saw a couple of Large Whites passing through but these were flying strongly as if on a mission rather than fluttering apparently aimlessly about like the others.

Singles of Peacock and Red Admiral were hanging around for most of the afternoon and alternating between visiting the buddleias and basking on the neighbouring plants.
I also had brief visits from singles of Comma and Small Tortoiseshell that dropped in but didn't stop.

Given that I didn't see many spring brood Holly Blues here, I was pleased to see a couple of summer brood today, one of which was a nice new female that stopped briefly but only opened her wings part way to tease with a partial view of her lovely fresh topside.
A couple of male Speckled Wood were in their usual spots and one of them seemed to take particular exception to the Red Admiral and relentlessly chased after it whenever came anywhere near.
A pleasant and chilled out day just watching the butterflies in the garden and I managed to get a couple of little jobs done which all helps to keep the brownie points topped up

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil

I reckon the gloomy weather is here for a while now Neil as the School Holidays have started - so that's it for the weather until September Lovely set of shots as always especially like the almost inky black Specklie - lush that is

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

That last post is almost a return to spring, Neil. Pick of the bunch is that female Holly Blue.

Lovely shot of the fox Neil . Always guaranteed to get my attention - eventually!