www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

A quick half an hour in the cemetery today and I got as close as I've ever been allowed to a Green Woodpecker...
While the Starlings were a little more allowing...
I wanted to see if the Common Blues or Small Coppers had put in an appearance but despite 2 male Holly Blues behaving rather like Common Blues, not yet. Over the last 2 years they have been slightly behind the mass emergence time at this site (mid to late May I think last year) so it probably is too early. It did look extremely dry though and the wild plants were wilting in places.

Holly Blues are still emerging though:
And the Orange Tips are still in good numbers.
Best of all, my first (and possibly second) Greenford Small Tortoiseshell

We are in Somserset for the weekend and I'm pleased to report my first Common Blue and Small Copper of the year this afternoon in Brompton Ralph.

Species seen in one hour this afternoon:

Common Blue
Small Copper
Red Admiral
Comma
Peacock
Speckled Wood
Orange Tips in silly numbers
Large White
Small White
Green Veined White

A few photos from Somerset. I managed to find two colonies of Common Blue that I hadn't previously as well as seeing my first of the year along with my first Small Coppers for 2011.

Saturday 30th April - UKB Photo Workshop

My second workshop and another enjoyable day. It was lovely to meet a few new people from the website as well as catch up with some familiar faces. Hopefuly I've picked up a few more tips too.

The field trip to Magdalen Hill Down was spectacular, the weather being with us, against forecast. A lovely reserve, stock full of butterflies.

Most unusually I found this Marsh Fritillary, my first ever. Luckily I was with Pete and Susie, who also saw it. The nearest known colonies seem to be some 20 miles to the west.
I also saw my first Brown Argus and Small Heath of the year. Green Hairstreak were everywhere, with Grizzled and Dingy Skippers and Common Blue putting in a good show.

Sightings:

1 Marsh Fritillary
15+ Small Heath
30+ Brown Argus
30+ Green Hairstreak
30+ male Common Blue, 1 female
25+ Grizzled Skipper
3 Dingy Skipper
10+ Brimstone
2 male Orange Tip, 1 female
2 Large White
3 Green Veined White

Also seen, but not by me, were Small Blue and Small Copper.

A lovely day, my thanks to all involved.

That's butterflies Lee,,, beautiful creatures, and beautiful people.... Crikey,,,,, i sound like a hippy,,, shoot me.

Lee Hurrell wrote:Most unusually I came found this Marsh Fritillary, my first ever. Luckily I was with Pete and Susie, who also saw it. The nearest known colonies seem to be some 20 miles to the west.

Apols again for my cynicism Lee! When someone asks me "is that a Marsh Fritillary?" (on a site where they've never occurred, with the nearest colonies miles away) and "I've never seen one before" ... then I tend to play safe! Anyway - nice find! I suspect that considered opinion will be that this is a captive release.

Cheers,

- Pete

Pete Eeles wrote:Apols again for my cynicism Lee! When someone asks me "is that a Marsh Fritillary?" (on a site where they've never occurred, with the nearest colonies miles away) and "I've never seen one before" ... then I tend to play safe! Anyway - nice find! I suspect that considered opinion will be that this is a captive release.

Not to worry Pete, I'd be the same! Although I don't recall you being that cynical. I'm just glad you were there to see it!

Cheers

Lee

Friday 6th May 2011

I've been over to my local cemetery a couple of times after work this week looking for Common Blues and Small Coppers but with no joy. Some of the wild plants are started to dry up completely now.

Tonight I saw what could have been 2 Small Coppers but as they disappeared over a hedge I won't know.

I did see my first Swift of the year though!

Later on, (at 19.47 ) a Speckled Wood flew through the garden. I presume it had been disturbed from its roost as it went into a tree and I didn't see it again.

Today (Saturday) we popped into a friends and in the space of 15 minutes a Holly Blue, a male Orange Tip and a Red Admiral entertained us.

Happy Birthday, two days late sorry. Hope you had a good one Lee.

Thanks Zonda

I had a lovely day, which included some butterflies of course!

Report and photos to follow.

Cheers

Lee

Birthday Blues (and Coppers)

Sunday (8th May) was my birthday and I had a lovely day. After a splendid Sunday roast in a pub I had a hour in the cemetery. We'd finally had some substantial rain over a couple of nights and I wondered if it would tempt the blues and coppers out. Not sure if it was the rain but they were there!

I found the Small Coppers first, seeing 4 in all, of which 2 were a courting couple. After a good search I was about to give up on the blues when I found a male Common Blue and then another. It was almost as if they knew it was my birthday. The one below seems to have symetrical spots in S6 of the hind wing.
I also saw a Large White and 2 male Small Whites.
After a while of patchy cloud the sun broke and stayed out. We went for a walk, specifically as it was my birthday. I'm not normally accompanied on my field trips (she's a self confessed 'butterfly widow'), but as the sun was out we set off for Horsenden Hill. I packed a small wine and a beer for me. And so we sat in one of the meadows (packed with vetch) in the sun having a natter and a drink while all around Burnet Companion moths fluttered by. I walked about a bit and with every step hundreds of these tiny grasshoppers/crickets would scatter. They were no more than 8-10mm long!
Not sure what this beetley looking critter is, never seen one before.
Otherwise we saw 4 male Orange Tips, 2 Speckled Wood, 1 Large White and a Red Admiral.

I really enjoyed today

It's a black and red froghopper, Lee!

http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o116 ... hopper.php

Nothing like relaxing with a beer, watching life...

Guy

I think it's a type of Froghopper: Cercopis vulnerata.

Dave

Thanks Guy and Dave. It was so unusual, more like something I'd see in France or Spain!

I completely agree Guy, it was a lovely afternoon I don't normally take beer (or someone else) into the field but she agreed on account of how nice it was that she would come out with me more as long as she has the sun and a glass of wine

Cheers

Lee

And the weeny fella is a young Field Grasshopper

PS Happy belated Birthday matey!!!

Thanks Seth.

Do they grow bigger then?

Cheers

Lee

Lee Hurrell wrote: [on 17th March 2011] I went to Grafton Wood between 13.30 and 15.30. The forestry works mentioned earlier in the week seems to have involved lots of coppicing and ride widening and it looks well worth a visit later in the season. Plenty of sallows available too. I wonder if some of the rarer small Fritillaries are found here.

As 'tweeted' on UKB and already sent to me in newspaper cutting form, it would seem the answer to rarer Fritillaries being found in Grafton Wood is yes!

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/900 ... _30_years/

I hope they do well.

Saturday 14th May - Denbies

I went to Denbies on Saturday - not just for the Adonis abs, I haven't seen one so far this year, and I missed the spring brood last year.

I did find some unusual specimens though. Of the 25/30 that I counted, I would say about 1 in 4 were abberant or/and deformed.

Abberant Adonis:
The more I look at this one, it seems wrong. Could it be polonus?
Normal Adonis:
Adonis Blues weren't the only species looking different to normal though:
While these two female Common Blues were noticably different in flight - excuse the poor photo, but the first one looked more like a male Silver Studded!
Sightings:
25 male Adonis Blue, 5 female
20 male Common Blue, 3 female
1 Green Hairstreak
3 Small Copper
1 Brown Argus
30+ Small Heath
3 Grizzled Skipper
15+ Dingy Skipper
5 Mother Shipton
5 Burnet Companion
Hundreds of Burnets, mostly 5 spot I think
Plus.......7 of these beauties, Clouded Buff. I'd never seen these before
The Small Heaths were particularly pugnacious, dueling with anything; Grizzled Skippers, Dingy Skippers, Adonis and Common Blues. The Dingy Skippers were past their best, pretty faded and a couple a light tan in colour.

Finally, on the way back to the car I spotted this basking Common Blue
One for Gibster:
I even had a fly past at one point!

Well done you for getting a photo of the clouded buff! I have chased these around so many times but without even getting a snap of the shutter.

Lovely photos, Lee, I am glad you had a good time there.

Thanks Susie

They were particularly difficult I have to say! I'd flush one, watch it land, then get within 6 feet and it was off again.

Cheers

Lee