www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

You are all very kind, thank you.

I can't stress enough just how much easier the LTBs are to find at this site compared with Kingsdown. Of course, I had perfect weather today, but maybe it's because there are more of them here than at Kingsdown, or perhaps also that at this site they are more confined. I found all of them literally on the path shown in the photograph or just to each side of it The mated pair were sitting only 3 foot above the ground. They were perfectly quiet for over 45 minutes but then grew restless as you will see in these photos They then tumbled down into the grass! But there they disengaged, the male flew up but sat to bask in the sun near-by. The female remained low for a time, then flitted up slightly and remained with her wings open for a time before flying off.

Sometimes I'd see males flitting overhead at about 6 foot above the ground. They move quickly and are difficult to follow with the eye. But just as Guy said in one of his posts, although they seem to be flying away it's a good idea to be patient and just wait because they do often return Good luck to all who try for these delightful butterflies. I saw only a few Small Whites, a Speckled Wood, a tatty Brown Argus and a single Red Admiral on my walk to the site and so to suddenly be in amongst Long Tailed Blues in my home county was quite magical.

What a year it has been!

Great stuff. I doubt you'll be forgetting 8th October 2013 very quickly.
BWs, Neil

Magnificent stuff, Hoggers. What a day you've had.

Brilliant stuff, you've made the most of this possibly, once in a lifetime opportunity

Mike

Really interesting reading. Thanks for posting about your LTB encounters!

Many thanks again for all of your comments, you've been most kind.

I will never forget 8th October 2013. My visit to the Minnis Bay site, which I squeezed in to my working day,was truly magical. The weather was so perfect it could have been high Summer and to be there amongst an active population of Long Tailed Blues was a pure delight. I was so elated that I could hardly sleep at all that night and ever since I've had Long Tailed Blues flying around inside my head!

Looking through my Diary I realised that I've forgot to complete a little story that I started when I mentioned the tussle between three LTBs. I first noticed a male flying in hairstreak fashion around 6 feet above the trackway. I managed to keep my eyes on it and watched as it flew down the embankment to a stretch of rough grass and Everlasting Peas close to the railway line (which is fenced off, so no danger to the LTB Enthusiast!) I followed after it and saw there were now three LTBs involved in a kerfuffle What I omitted to add was that two of them paired The spare male peeled off from them to settle close by But then the apparently mated couple broke apart and went their separate ways. As I mentioned, all this happened down the embankment where it was even warmer than up on the path, and more sheltered too.

Also, as another bite sized chunk of behavioural observation,I did see one or two males actually fly across the railway line itself.

I also thought it might help others if I included another photograph of the mating pair to show their general environment Just a few feet off the ground and actually on the side of the pathway.

Well, the sun is shining down here in Kent today but there's a cold wind blowing. I didn't see any butterflies at all on my walk with the dogs.

Not to worry: I'm still buzzing with my Long Tailed Blue memories!

Great shots showing an interesting range if behaviour Hoggers

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel, there was plenty going on!

We've had some atrocious weather since that day, culminating in a veritable deluge over the last 24 hours which,if nothing-else, has replenished my garden ponds.

This morning dawned kinder and when the time came for me to walk my dogs it was even fairly warm. I did not expect to see any butterflies, not after all that rain,but I took my camera, just in case!

The fields were flooded. Not so much as a White, let alone a UK born Clouded Yellow which I'd so hoped to see after watching these butterflies here for the previous four months.

As I followed the river (which was almost over its banks) I heard a familiar "Seep Seep" call from high up and when I looked, there they were, a flock of Redwings, my first Winter Thrush.

Winter! Not already?!?

It's too early to be thinking of Winter!

But those thin "Seep Seep" calls felt like the final nails in the coffin of any hopes I might have had of seeing any butterflies today.

However, just as I was about to set off back home a tiny golden spark of movement caught my eye: a butterfly!

I ran over to get a closer look and was delighted to see my favourite butterfly A Small Copper He was warming himself in what brief sunshine he could get Very much alone The only butterfly that I could find in all those fields. A cloud passed over the sun and with it the temperature promptly dropped:the air feels so thin it can't hold any heat.

I wished the Small Copper good luck and headed home.

That's one if the advantages of getting behind on your PD - I'm still enjoying the Brown Argus and Common Blues if September Redwings already? Does that mean I wasn't hearing things the other day when I was sure that I heard a cackle of Fieldfares where has the year gone?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wurzel,It was just my fear of Winter coming in that led me to a) avidly watch the weather forecasts for this week and b) make sure that I had the day off when the sun was forecast to be shining!

I wanted to see some butterflies before the Season ends!

Well, I love it when a plan comes together: No work today and after some early rain the sky cleared, the sun came out and the air was mild.

I headed for Minnis Bay in the hope that the Long Tailed Blues would still be out. Since I saw them there last week, we've had some pretty rotten weather and I feared the worst for them but as you can see, I needn't have worried The cold and the rain of the last few days doesn't seem to have dampened their ardour one little bit I wasn't alone in admiring the LTBs today as I quickly joined up with five other enthusiasts, one of whom was our own Lee Hurrell who I hadn't seen for a couple of years so I was delighted to meet up with Lee again and to talk butterflies with the others too.

Rather like the mated pair that I saw here last week, these two were quiet for 30 minutes or so but then grew restless They then flew a short distance once or twice before uncoupling and going their separate ways The female looked pristine I saw four LTBs today (including the pair) I walked back to the cars with Lee and on the way we saw a few Small Whites, but most surprisingly, two Peacocks as well, doubtlessly tricked out of hibernation by the warm conditions.

I had to pinch myself that it is 17th of October!

Wonderful to be able to get out and see ANY butterflies at all, let alone Long Tailed Blues.

Another unforgettable day's butterflying.

You really are making hay right now, Hoggers.

I truly wish I lived within a 2 hour drive because I'd be down in a flash if that were the case.

Keep up the good work; your reports are like gold-dust.

And I thought that I'd done alright seeing a Red Admiral in the centre of town and a Large White out on a drive! Cracking shots again.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Hoggers,

I totally agree with David and Wurzel, absolutely brilliant. Two copulating pairs of LTB`s must be a record for anyone in Britain. Congratulations.

All the best, Nick.

I'd feel just the same David, if our positions were reversed. I am so lucky to have had not one but two colonies of Long Tailed Blues no more than 30 miles from home. I'd hoped that you could get down here to see them, you'd have loved it!

By the way, Lee mentioned you yesterday: he said you were looking for Glanvilles at the Wrecclesham site on 21st May 2011, sporting a red T-Shirt. I was there too. That was when I met Lee for the first time. It's a shame I missed you.

But If you were there and in a red T-Shirt, what a T-Shirt it must have been for Lee to remember it over two years later...!

You've been doing much better than me, Wurzel, the weather has been so unpleasant that up until yesterday I hadn't seen so much as a flutter. It's only because of the unique circumstances of having the LTBs so close to home that I've had this opportunity. What with Autumn being in full swing and Winter just around the corner I had a hankering to see some blue butterflies. Thank Goodness they were still there.

Nick, I'm glad you've said that. Yesterday as the whole group stood around the mating LTBs, hardly able to believe what they were seeing, I just so happened to modestly drop into the conversation that I'd seen all this before and am somewhat of an Old Hand at this sort of thing.

One of the guys replied (rather dryly I feel) by observing that I must now be the UK's Leading Authority on Copulating Long Tailed Blues...

I can take a joke. But all the same I think I'll have a T-Shirt made up with my new title emblazoned across the chest and it's something to mention at parties.

Anyway, here are some more photographs from yesterday The female really did look to be in pristine condition and had perhaps emerged on that very day. I particularly admire the dusting on her wings.

It was a wonderful day with both butterflies and their admirers.

Fantastic report and photos, Hoggers.

It was a day that will stay in the memory for a long time!

Best wishes,

Lee

Wonderful pictures, Hoggers!

Hoggers wrote:One of the guys replied (rather dryly I feel) by observing that I must now be the UK's Leading Authority on Copulating Long Tailed Blues...

I think you should add a few letters to your name:

Dr Hoggers, M.A., D.Phil., L.boet. (in cop.) would look great!

Guy

Hi! Hogger's fantastic photo's of the LTB's . I was at Minnis Bay in July and August, didn't see a Butterfly

Would these LTB'S have just arrived (hope that's not a silly Question) or will they be the second batch as people have been seeing at ST Margarets I'm not too well up on these migrant species I'd to dig through my BF books to look up the various Clouded yellows Goldie

Hi Goldie, they're the offspring of the original migrants. I'm told they cannot survive our winter but I think we are all hoping otherwise!

Guy, with those letters after my name I will be able to charge more per hour, so that's fine by me!

Great to see you again Lee, hope to bump into you again next season.

Hoggers wrote:
By the way, Lee mentioned you yesterday: he said you were looking for Glanvilles at the Wrecclesham site on 21st May 2011, sporting a red T-Shirt. I was there too. That was when I met Lee for the first time. It's a shame I missed you.

But If you were there and in a red T-Shirt, what a T-Shirt it must have been for Lee to remember it over two years later...!

That is true, Hoggers. Yes, shame I didn't get to meet you both (the only guys I spoke to were not UKB members, sadly).

Wonderful stuff yet again Hoggers, it's interesting to see them still going strong over in Kent while here in Sussex I can't find any LTB's at all. You have some absolutely fantastic photos to go along with some unforgettable memories, just brilliant

B, saurus