Bugboys mission

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Bugboy You did well to have a more favourable weather window than forecast - usually it's the other way round

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Pauline. Yes, back up all your stuff, I lost every photo from the past 18 months ! The company could only save 9% of the hard drive, all of which were older pics I did back up. All I have left now are those which I posted on here which I’m going through and saving as time permits.
Thanks Wurzel, I’ve been determined to eke out the most from my fortnight off. I’m back at work on Saturday so the weather should sort itself out by then .

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April 2022

Tuesday 5th. Various forecasts were predicting various amounts of clear(ish) skies today, so I plumped for another visit into Sussex. Having seen Neil’s post perhaps I should have gone to North Stoke but I went to Mill Hill and then on to Southwick Hills again. Mill Hill was almost devoid of butterflies (the Grizzlies are a little late showing there this year, but then who can blame them!) All I came across was a frisky Red Admiral near the bottom car park. It wouldn’t let me get anywhere near it so I switched lenses and kept my distance instead.

I walked off smugly having managed to outwit it but had to wait a few hours before the next butterfly showed itself, so I contented myself with other winged animals. The Skylarks were still in fine voice. Less aerial scuffles today so they’ve obviously sorted out their territories now.

Also in ‘fine voice’ were a few Corn Buntings. Of course everything’s relative, to my ears a Corn Buntings song sounds a bit like someone crunching up a crisp packet for a few seconds!

At Southwick Hills another species of Bunting was singing the song of his people, the Yellowhammer.

The sun had now come out rather well but the butterflies remained stubbornly hidden, a couple of Brimstones, a couple of Peacock, a Small White, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Speckled Wood were all I found in a few hours exploring.

I feel like the seasons not so much as stalled as taken a few steps back .

[Chris L]

Great photos as ever Paul. That smug feeling of outwitting a flighty butterfly really resonated with me. I get like that. I wander off with a smile on my face. Sometimes I even do a fist pump !

I often wish that I had the same knowledge of butterflies (and moths) that everyone has on the forum. I suppose I will get there eventually, probably in about 10 years. I am equally impressed by bird identification, as you are evidently able to do with ease Paul. I also wish I knew about other insects. And wild flowers.

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Bugboy The one that really stood out for me was the Brimstone - still not had much luck with that species I know what you mean about the weather - it feels like we were enjoying spring and then we fast-forwarded straight to late Autumn

Have a goodun

Wurzel

OTEP - you're going about things the right way, just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be surprised at how much and how quickly you'll pick it up

[David M]

Lovely to see the Yellowhammer, Paul. You have clearly mastered the art of bird photography - I sometimes make an effort but I rarely achieve any worthwhile result.

[bugboy]

Thanks Otep. Best advice I can give is to get out in the field as often as possible and stay curious. Without exception, everyone on here is still learning.
Thanks Wurzel. It felt like spring returned again today, but then I knew it would, first day back at work…
Thanks David although not sure it’s truly mastered, for every one I get there’s plenty that get binned with barely a glance!

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April 2022

Wednesday 6th. Not a day I was planning on doing much, the dreadful weather wasn’t particularly appealing but late on the clouds miraculously cleared and suddenly East London was bathed in glorious sun. Although it’s only a short walk down the road, I only managed to catch the tail end of the sunny spell before the sun was once again swallowed up and rain threatened, but I did manage my first images of a Green-veined White this year and a fresh Speckly was found pottering along.

Thursday 7th was more of a recce than a proper day out butterfly hunting, it was going to be sunny but more than a tad windy! I went to a new place, RSPB Pulborough Brooks which is a few miles north of the North Stoke site. My route, since I use the trains, takes me along the river Arun, which, on a less windy, warmer day looked like it would be excellent for Small Tortoiseshell.
The reserve itself didn’t afford as much shelter from the wind as I’d hoped but on a better day it looks like it would be a good spot, I know Brown Hairstreak are found here. I did manage to find a couple of spots that had enough shelter from the wind that enabled me to stand up straight without too much effort but for now I had to settle for the avian inhabitants, many of which were very bold.

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Robin

Blackcap

Out on the wetter parts of the reserve some Teal, Shoveler and a couple of pairs of Avocet were seen.

I did find a few butterflies in the end, a particularly striking Peacock found on one of the more sheltered spots

And a trio of Comma were active in the second spot

I found a Speckled Wood was fighting a losing battle in a less sheltered spot and also an Orange-tip, all to briefly though. he bravely attempted to land on some Garlic Mustard but was unceremoniously whisked off in the near gale that was blowing through.

The final sighting was a Small Tort along the river Arun on the way home

Friday 8th. I only managed to get out quite late in the day and despite the sun, found just a single solitary Speckled Wood at Tottenham Marshes.

[Wurzel]

"It felt like spring returned again today, but then I knew it would, first day back at work… "- I know that feeling and share your pain
Still the posting those Green-veined White images must have cheered you up And the first Specklie looks to be in mint condish

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, plenty more fresh condish Specklies coming to a PD near you soon

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April 2022

Sunday 10th. Obviously the weather had got much better now I was back at work, however it did give me the opportunity to do my first transect of the year. Only two species seen but still good numbers at this time of year here. I had two Brimstone flybys and seven, very fresh looking Speckled Wood. Now seven Specklies wouldn’t normally be considered anything to write home about. However, for this site at this time of year its quite a remarkable number. I would consider ten in a day during their peak flight later in the year rather good so based on that, and also what I was seeing this afternoon on my patch, I think Speckled Wood are in for a good season .

[Wurzel]

Lovely Specklies Bugboy I hope you're right about them having a good year - it's about time the 'common' species got a break

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Nice to see Speckled Woods get off to a good start round your way, Paul. I agree it's frustrating when the weather is better both prior and after a period of leave from work. I hope fortune evens itself out for you over the next few months.

[Neil Freeman]

Glad to see your time off work wasn't a total loss Paul

Good to see that Specklies look to be having a good start down there, still too early to tell around my patch, I only saw my first one on Sunday.

Cheers,

Neil.

[bugboy]

Here you go Wurzel, some more freshly minted Specklies
Thanks David, it looks like this weekend is going to be good, although whether I’ll be able to leave to confines of the big smoke due to all the extensive rail closures remains to be seen!
Thanks Neil, hopefully they’ll be doing as good round your way as they seem to be doing down here

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April 2022

Monday 11th. I was rostered to finish at 3.15 today but I had a bit of time owning and wangled a 12-noon finish. Keeping it quiet so as not to let ‘Mr Sod’ see what I was up to (since he seems to be doing a fair whack of overtime around me at the moment), I snuck off to my local patch to see what was about on this sunny, if breezy afternoon. Quite a bit as it turned out. Several Peacock and Comma were ‘larking about’ in a fenced off area and not coming close except to beat each other up, but nearby I found a Small White and a lovely fresh female Speckled Wood.

Moving to one of my favourite sheltered spots I was immediately confronted with an Orange-tip fluttering along towards me. He nonchalantly fluttered past whereupon he found himself in a windy spot and quickly decided he needed to take a breather. Oh well, it would be rude not to record the encounter for posterity wouldn’t it!

Moving on along this favoured spot I found numerous more Speckled Wood, indicating like at work, a good overwintering for the species here.

The truce was predictably short lived!

Comma, Peacock and Green-veined White also showed up.

Over at the Small Tortoiseshell nettle bed I found just one but it was very windswept and searching the surrounding areas I found 5 more sensibly making use of more sheltered patches of nettles.

Total seen for the afternoon:
Speckled Wood 10
Peacock 8
Small Tortoiseshell 6
Comma 5
Green-veined White 2
Small White 1
Orange-tip 1

33 individuals of seven species is the best result here so far this year

[David M]

Nice selection of species, Paul. Glad you were able to knock off early to see them, especially the Orange Tip.

[Goldie M]

Some cracking shots there Bugboy especially the Peacock, your up on me with that one and the Orange Tip Goldie

[Wurzel]

Brilliant Orange-tip Bugboy I wish they'd plop down for a breather in front of me but generally it's me that needs the breather after tearing round after them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thanks everyone, since it's that season here's some more of everyone's favourite harbinger of spring

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April 2022

Tuesday 12th, Bookham. I’d seen a few pics of Orange-tip from here on social media so I knew they were out, and it doesn’t take much to get me down to Bookham anyway. I was also well aware that both Green Hairstreak and Grizzled Skipper were out on Denbies too so if I time the trains right I can do both in a day, that was the initial plan anyway…

It wasn’t too long before I caught sight of the first OT of the day, a male flitting around along the shady path leading up from Effingham Junction. Intermittent cloud cover kept him relatively docile and a good few pics were in the can before he decided the photoshoot was over.

A bit further along I spied a white similarly fluttering about ahead of me and my suspicions were confirmed when she settled just as I caught up to her.

I had a few more flybys, along with a few fidgety Peacock and Comma walking along the edge of Banks Common. By the time I reached the Brown Hairstreak hotspot known as ‘nightingale corner’ I was close to double figures with OT’s but the next photo opportunity arose at the aforementioned corner, where there also happens to be some lush Cuckoo Flower and low and behold, I found a male and a couple of lurking, camera shy females. The male was a bit of a show off!

I finally tore myself away from him to go and find my White Admiral cats. The first two that were active on my last visit were still alive and well

The next one was still in its hibernaculum… I have a feeling I’m actually now (and perhaps have been a for while) following a corpse!

The final one is officially MIA. The hibernaculum is empty but there is no evidence of nibbled leaves, various species of Tits are currently prime suspects as to its knowledge of its whereabouts!

More Comma, Peacock and Orange-tip, a few Brimstone and my first Holly Blue were enjoying the newly cleared areas and delayed my departure to Denbies.

This delay turned out to be a blessing in disguise since it had begun to cloud over quite a bit now. Earlier when I’d been chasing the Orange-tips, I’d noticed a female visiting every Cuckoo Flower spike but not feeding, barely settling for a second and then moving to the next. Her behaviour suggested egg laying but none of the flower spikes were suitable. I had my suspicions so since the butterflies had stopped flying, I returned to have a closer look. Nearly every flower spike had one freshly laid egg, presumably she could smell pheromones she herself or another had left.

In the end I found 15 eggs and inevitably I came across a roosting male, almost certainly the same male I’d photographed earlier. It was still warm enough for him to be active, especially when I got my foot tangled in a bramble stem and nearly fell on top of him! Anyway he survived my clumsiness and after flitting around for a while decided upon some Blackthorn to roost on, allowing some closeups.

By now it had started to rain, just a few spots but the dark clouds coming my way suggested worse was to come but, on the way back I slowed down where I’d seen the very first one of the day. They are so predictable!

[millerd]

They are so predictable!

They certainly are... Once you remember their habits from previous years they become a lot easier to find and approach. And settled down, once their antennae are pressed close together, they can be very docile and easily moved to a different perch. As soon as the sun falls on them again, everything changes!

Some great shots of the species there too.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

Dave is quite right, OT's are so predictable. Forget trying to photograph them in this sunny weather.
A bit of cloud and they are putty in your hands. Some great shots of them, a for the female.

I'm off to Wilts for a few days, I think it will be Abbots Wood when I return!.

Trevor.

[bugboy]

Thanks guys, and here’s some more pics obtained from their predictability

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April 2022

Wednesday 13th. If I were a superstitious person, I would have guessed today would have turned out as it did. My leaseholder had booked a roofer to come round to look at the flat roof above my kitchen which keeps leaking. They were due between 8 and 12 but do you think they turned up, they didn’t even bother to call! I sent my leaseholder a stern email, grabbed my camera and went out looking for Orange-tips on the marshes to cheer myself up! The morning had been rather pleasant, at least it looked like that through my window but by the time I got to the marshes it was rather overcast with just small breaks here and there. Searching for roosting Orange-tips I did come across an optimistic Comma still basking but just a few snaps later an orange-tip fluttered weakly past, looking for somewhere to set down. It was, to be fair rather muggy, so the temperature must have been borderline for him. He eventually decided on some Cow Parsley after much dithering but as you can see from his antennae, he was still somewhat alert.

Leaving him I went back to search mode to see if I could locate anymore, coming across a compliant Green-veined White instead, these seem to be having a very good first brood.

As I checked out all the usual spots the sun began to slowly win the battle against the cloud cover and more butterflies began showing themselves, nothing new but still plenty of surprisingly fresh looking adult overwinterers.

Some of the male Speckled Wood were starting to show signs of their constant sparing, this female on the other hand was taking much better care of herself.

Back at the Orange-tip corner I had to wait for them to calm down again now, which happened when the cloud cover returned.

The underside pattern shows this was a different one from earlier and when a short lived sunny spell roused him and caused him to flutter around again for a couple of minutes, he managed to find a third individual when he came to rest again.

GVW 3
Small White 1
Orange-tip 5
Speckled Wood 5
Peacock 7
Small Tortoiseshell 7
Comma 5
Plus numerous unidentified 'whites'

A good end to what started as a pretty #**# day!

[Wurzel]

At least you managed to get out - I share your frustration as I've had many similar tales of woe I could give plenty of examples but I fear I might force some of the keys through the rest of the laptop as the rage builds Cracking shots, the OTs in particular. I don't know if this is a particular behaviour but the other day they were bombing around in the sun until about 3:00 when they started feeding incessantly - were they having an early supper?

Have a goodun

Wurzel