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Spring must be here if you are seeing Speckled Woods, Neil. That's a nice caramel-flavoured individual to start off with too!

Cheers,

Dave

The weather you describe has been very similar down here, we've had two snow flurries.
The number of Small Torts in your reports reminds me of my boyhood in Surrey, ie they were everywhere then.
I will never tire of your ST shots, keep'em coming!.

It looks as though Specklies are starting to show at last.

Stay safe and well, and enjoy your first full year of freedom!.
Trevor.

Thanks for your comments Wurzel, David, Dave and Trevor, appreciated as always

Thursday 15th April

After another cold night and a frosty start, today turned out similar to yesterday, that is not quite as nice as Tuesday with some reasonably pleasant sun but with lots of cloud and a cold wind.
With Orange-tips now being reported from all over the midlands I decided to walk down to my local spot by Wagon Lane to see if any were out here yet, this being where I saw the first one last year.

An hour spent wandering around the usual circuit turned up the same species in similar numbers as on Tuesday albeit with no whites at all seen today.

I watched one pair of Small Tortoiseshells flying about when a cloud covered the sun and they went down. Creeping up to take a few photos, I noticed that the male had just the merest hint of the two spots in the centre of his forewing.
The female was having none of it and after taking off again she soon lost the male who landed again not far away.
Some of the Tortoiseshells here are now beginning to look a bit tatty and worn and some are looking faded to the point where the yellow forewing markings now appear to be more white than yellow.
Still no Orange-tips here, in fact no whites of any kind today. I also looked for the Speckled Wood that I saw the other day but he was nowhere to be seen either.

First Sightings.

This year has been feeling like a slow start to the season but I had a feeling that this may be partly due to me now being retired plus the fact that we have had an early Easter this year which may have skewed perceptions a bit. With this in mind I have had a look back some of my first sightings over the past five years compared with this year.

To start with I looked at my first sightings of any species;

2021 – 26th February (Small Tortoiseshell). Then a gap until 24th March.
2020 – 21st March (Small Tortoiseshell).
2019 – 22nd February (Small Tortoiseshell). Then a gap until 24th March.
2018 – 25th March (Small Tortoiseshell/Comma).
2017 – 24th March (Small Tortoiseshell/Comma).
2016 – 25th March (Small Tortoiseshell/Peacock).

Apart from the February sightings this year and in 2019, which are unusual for me here, there is a remarkable consistency in the dates with sightings falling between 21st to 25th March.

I then looked at my first sightings of Orange-tip and Speckled Wood to see if there was a similar pattern with these two species.

Orange-tip.
2020 – 26th March
2019 – 29th March
2018 – 20th April
2017 – 2nd April
2016 – 5th May

Speckled Wood
2020 - 8th April
2019 - 29th March
2018 - 20th April
2017 - 7th April
2016 - 4th May.

I have yet to see an Orange-tip this year and I saw my first (and only one so far) Speckled Wood on Tuesday (13th April).

This shows more variation in dates between years but also shows that the two species were often first seen on similar dates in a particular year.

So then, for the re-wakening hibernators, this year has been pretty much in line with what I normally see around here. On the other hand, for the species that emerge from pupae after spending the winter in that state, this year does look to be a bit late but by no means the latest that I have seen.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

A fascinating set of data there, Neil. Small Tortoiseshells appear to have a definite calendar they work to irrespective of any other factors!

One of the advantages of retirement is that you find you have time to study this sort of phenomenology! As well as being able to avoid "wasting" potentially productive butterfly days that used to be spent gazing out at sunshine from the confines of an office. Very liberating!

Cheers,

Dave

Cheers Dave. I suspect that the re-emergence of Small Tortoiseshells (and other adult over winterers) is triggered as much by the increasing hours of daylight as by actual temperature, whereas the Specklies and Orange-tips, having spent the winter as pupae, are more influenced by the weather.

Saturday 17th April.

Cloudless blue skies and sunshine all day, albeit with an underlying coolness still, finally brought the first butterflies this year to my garden earlier this afternoon.

The first arrival was my first Orange-tip of the year which I spotted from the kitchen window whilst making a cup of tea. All thoughts of the cuppa vanished as I rushed outside with my camera and managed a couple of quick shots as it stopped briefly on a dandelion.
Shortly afterwards, a Peacock did a similar thing when it flew in and stopped on a (different) dandelion before taking off again and disappearing next door.
Just the two butterflies but with one being my first Orange-tip at last, that'll do

Cheers,

Neil.

Cracking shot Neil - I hope you had a celebratory cuppa after getting that one The butterflies always seem to be able to sense tea or coffee being poured (and slightly more painfully, bites taken from extra hot Lime Chilli Pickle ) I sometimes stop and pour one just to see what'll turn up

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Neil Freeman wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:00 pm..The first arrival was my first Orange-tip of the year which I spotted from the kitchen window whilst making a cup of tea. All thoughts of the cuppa vanished as I rushed outside with my camera and managed a couple of quick shots as it stopped briefly on a dandelion.

Good for you, Neil. Doesn't really seem like spring until the first Orange Tip crosses your path.

Still haven't ever had one in my garden even though I live on the edge of Fairwood Common where there are plenty.

Cheers Wurzel. That Lime Chilli Pickle sound tempting, no wonder they turn up for it

Thanks David. Yes, Orange-tips are the very essence of spring. Still only seen two so far but looking back at my records this is not really that late for around here.

Sunday April 18th

After yet another cold and frosty start, things once more gradually warmed up until by early afternoon it was feeling quite pleasant. There was also a lot more cloud around but this was mostly thin high level stuff that just filtered the sun a bit and didn’t take much warmth away from it, in fact if anything it felt a bit warmer today.

Having seen my first Orange-tip of the year yesterday (Saturday 17th), I decided to wander down to my local spot by Wagon Lane to see if any were flying there.

As has been the norm this spring, the first butterflies seen were Small Tortoiseshells. I didn’t bother counting them today but my impression was there were similar numbers to my previous couple of visits here, that is, maybe thirty or more. Having already taken loads of photos of these this spring, I wasn’t going to bother today but when they just plonk down in front of you it seems rude not to take the opportunity.
Peacock numbers were up today with around a dozen seen. With these I try to identify different individuals by comparing the ‘expression’ in the ‘faces’ in the hindwing eyespots. As with other species, identifying individuals like this has proved to me that I often see the same ones in different parts of the site and helps to avoid double counting.
Just two Commas were seen today, both in corners that are often occupied by one of these although often by different individuals on different days.
A few whites were on the wing and although I initially thought that one or two were possibly Green-veined, those that I got close to all turned out to be Small Whites, which just goes to show how difficult it is to tell these apart on the wing.

A single male Orange-tip was spotted and I watched him for a while as he patrolled back and forth along a hedgerow but he was in typical non-stop mode and showed no sign of stopping before eventually disappearing into some nearby gardens.

I am still on a total of six species so far this year with five seen today. No more Speckled Wood since the one the other day and I still haven’t seen a Brimstone or Holly Blue around here, nor a definite Green-veined White yet.

With lots more sun forecast for this week, hopefully lots more butterflies will be out. Having said that, we haven’t had any rain here for ages now and if we don’t get a good soaking soon we could be looking at a spring drought.

All the best and stay safe,

Neil.

Lots of lovely Butterflies Neil I'm still trying to get an Orange Tip in my sights Goldie

Thanks Goldie. I'm sure you'll get one sooner or later.

Monday 19th April.
With our garden waste bins being emptied on Tuesdays, I wanted to spend a day in the garden today (Monday 19th) and fill my green bin up ready for the morning. It takes a while to warm up after the cold nights and frosty mornings we have been having lately and it was mid-morning before I ventured out to do anything and even then it still felt a bit chilly.

Under clear blue skies, the sun was feeling pleasantly warm by mid-day although it was quite nippy in the parts of the garden still in the shade.
As I pottered away, I kept an eye out for any passing butterflies but it was early afternoon before I saw one, an unidentified white that went straight through without stopping. A little later I saw my first Holly Blue of the year that did the same thing.
I was watching the Holly Blue disappear next door when I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye which turned out to be my first garden Speckled Wood this year (only the second one that I have seen anywhere so far). I watched him as he flew up the side of the garden and then settled. Grabbing my camera, I managed to get a couple of quick shots before he was off again.
During the rest of the afternoon, I had further sightings of an unidentified white, Holly Blue and Speckled Wood. In each case I reckon that these were probably the same ones coming around again, but none of them were stopping in the now warm sun that was shining brightly from a cloudless blue sky.

All afternoon I had been serenaded by various birdsong with one particular Dunnock being in particularly fine voice.
Over the past week or so, with the succession of clear and cold nights, I have not bothered with the moth trap. Last night (19th) was supposed to be a bit milder with some light cloud so I decided to give it a go. I really should know better by now than to trust the forecasts, at 10.30pm it was still clear as a bell and looking to be yet another cold night. This morning the skies were still clear but at least with the temperature a couple of degrees above zero, we didn’t have a frost.
The result was just one moth to the trap, a nice fresh Brindled Beauty which is a species that I only get in small numbers here so I suppose I can’t grumble at that.
Tomorrow night is looking more promising so I'll probably give the trap another go before it goes colder again later in the week, that is if I believe the forecasts…we’ll see.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Good news that the Specklies have finally arrived in your garden Neil - to me your first garden Specklie is almost as important sign that spring is here as my first OT

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Neil Freeman wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:31 amAs has been the norm this spring, the first butterflies seen were Small Tortoiseshells. I didn’t bother counting them today but my impression was there were similar numbers to my previous couple of visits here, that is, maybe thirty or more.....Peacock numbers were up today with around a dozen seen.

Those are good numbers, Neil; certainly more than I've been seeing on any one day round my way. In fact, the vanessids are rather falling away these last few days and Commas have virtually disappeared completely.

I note that even the moths are fed up with the cold nights. Just one is a surprisingly scant return for the second half of April, but it definitely lives up to its name - a beauty it is!

Cheers Wurzel. Yes indeed, the first garden Specklie is always one I look forward to.

Thanks David. I have noticed in previous years that your butterflies down there are always a week or two ahead of mine in appearing and disappearing, for those widespread species that we both get that is.

Tuesday 20th April – Cannock Chase.

Over the weekend, I had seen on social media that Green Hairstreaks were out in good numbers at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire and as I had never visited there before I was tempted to venture out of Solihull for the first time this year to go and have a look.

So it was that we set off around 9.30am to give it chance to warm up a bit after another cold night. We headed up the M42 and along the Toll Road so that we could miss the horrible stretch of the M6 around Birmingham and then after passing through Cannock we arrived at the car park on the Chase just 45 minutes later at 10.15am. For some reason I had always thought that it would take longer to get here which is partly why I had never been before.
From the comments I had seen over the weekend, I knew to park in the glacial boulder car park, so named after a lump of rock (the glacial boulder) which is supposed to have been deposited here during the ice age. Green Hairstreaks could apparently be seen flying around patches of bilberry immediately across the road from the car park.

Crossing the road and heading down the first path, I noticed a figure crouched down with a camera and said hello. This turned out to be a member of West Midlands BC who I had never met before but on introducing ourselves we discovered that we had previously exchanged comments on the West Midlands BC Facebook group. He pointed out a male Emperor Moth that he had been photographing and which was not yet warmed up enough to take off. He explained that he had been in this spot the previous day with a pheromone lure which had attracted loads of males and reckoned that this one had stayed around and spent the night here. I have a lure myself which I have been trying at home without success so far and had intended to take it with me today but had forgotten it and left it at home in the freezer so I was well chuffed to see this one.
After we had both finished taking photos of it where it was we decided to tickle it to see if it would display the hindwing eyespots but all this did was wake it up and it flew a short distance onto some gorse from where I managed a couple more quick shots before it flew off again.
As we were talking, another Emperor Moth arrived and flew around us but this one didn’t settle. Although he didn’t have the lure with him today, this chap reckoned that there may have been a lingering vestige of pheromone on his bag from the previous day that was still attracting them.

Anyway, I had come here to see Green Hairstreaks and so carried on looking around the nearby patches of bilberry and soon started seeing them. When I had read the reports of them being here in good numbers, they weren’t kidding and I gave up counting after the first dozen or so as it was difficult to keep track of the different males as they chased each other around just above the patches of bilberry. Every so often one would land for a bit giving me the chance for a quick photo before taking off again to intercept another one that came too close.
By 11.00am it was warming up and the Hairstreaks were in almost constant motion, plus with more people arriving it was getting fairly busy so we decided to make a move and do some shopping on the way back home.

A cracking morning and it was great to try somewhere new for me, although apart from the Hairstreaks and Emperor Moths, no other butterflies were seen today. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries can be seen flying a bit further over on the Chase in June and now that I know that I can get here quicker than I previously thought, these would be my nearest colony to home, so another visit then could well be on the cards.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil

That was a day and a half you had there Neil! , and some wonderful shots too.

Excellent stuff, Stay well,
Trevor.

Great report Neil!

I grew up in Birmingham but never visited Cannock Chase for some reason - well, maybe I went mountain biking there, but certainly not for butterflies (and moths!).

Looks like you had a great morning and if the price was a bit of shopping on the way home then so be it!

Superb photos and narrative Neil. Cannock Chase is on my 2021 hit list because of the species I have read that it hosts throughout the year. News of the Green Hairstreak might just prompt a visit in the next few days. Also being advised to head towards Glacial Boulder car park was good intelligence for this adventure. Thank you for posting all of this information.

I just love Green Hair Streaks Neil, and your shots are great Goldie

Thanks for all the comments Trevor, Benjamin, Otep and Goldie

Wednesday 21st April.

After a run of clear and cold nights, Tuesday night (20th) finally saw some cloud and with temperatures forecast to stay around 8 or 9 degrees all night I decided to run the moth trap again. The result was 11 moths of 8 species, although these numbers are still on the low side for this time of year. They were mostly the usual suspects but also included a nice Herald Moth which is one that I only see here occasionally.
Friday 23rd April.

This morning (Friday 23rd), we popped round to my mom’s and after having a chat and a coffee, I left Jane and my mom to carry on chinwagging while I went for a quick look around the park which is just down the road from her house, the first time this year that I have done so.
I noticed that some work had been carried out here sometime over the winter which included opening up some paths through the wooded area which had been getting rather overgrown and these were looking much better with more light now allowed through.

I headed to a corner that is often occupied by a male Speckled Wood or two at this time of year and sure enough I spotted one flitting about between sunny spots. I watched him settle and he almost immediately closed his wings in the bright sun so I crept up and cautiously allowed my shadow to fall across him to see if he would open up. He did so just long enough for me to get a couple of photos before he took off to find the sun again.
Shortly after I watched him settle again, this time on a dock leaf and I managed to take a couple of shots before he closed his wings again. It is interesting to note the difference in appearance between the photos taken in the different light conditions.
I carried on along the sunny side of the woods and spotted a ‘white’ that went down on a patch of brambles. I noted where it had settled and slowly approached to find my first definite Green-veined White of the year.
He took off to intercept an approaching white that turned out to be a male Orange-tip and after a bit of a half-hearted tussle the GVW flew off leaving the Orange-tip to settle not far from where I was standing. This gave me the chance for a photo before he too was off on his way, just a pity about the blade of grass casting a shadow across his wing.
By now it was past 11.00am and with the bright sun shining from clear blue skies it was rapidly warming up so I circled back towards my Mom’s house, spotting another Speckled Wood and a Peacock on the way, both of which were fully warmed up and not stopping for anyone.

Back home in the afternoon, I spent a couple of hours pottering about in the garden and, as usual, kept my eye open for anything that came along. During that time, I saw a Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, at least two different male Orange-tips and a couple of unidentified whites. Most of the time these were highly active in the warm afternoon sun, although later in the afternoon the Orange-tips did stop occasionally for a refuel, including on my one remaining Bowles Mauve that has so far survived the frosts.
The Speckled Wood was settling quite often but most of the time would very quickly close his wings.
In the end it turned out to be the warmest day of the week. Tomorrow is forecast to be similar and then it looks to be turning cooler and cloudier here for a while. Still no rain in the forecasts though and the ground here, which is mostly clay (Mercia Mudstone) is rock hard. It is getting a bit concerning now.

Bye for now and stay safe,

Neil.

Great couple of reports Neil Those Emperor Moths are stunning, I've never seen one myself and I reckon they must count as an honorary butterfly Love the Orange-tip shots - the one where it 's just taking off is a particular cracker

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

What a way to start a site visit - an Emperor Moth!

Good to see a few Green Hairstreaks out too. In spite of being further north and well inland yours have emerged earlier than the colonies on the Gower which are less than 5 miles from the coast!!

Lovely Orange Tip shots as well, especially the last one with the mottled hindwing undersides contrasting with the orange uppersides.