Hoggers

[Hoggers]

Thanks B'Saurus you're very kind. Yes, still a few at Minnis Bay and I saw on the Dungeness Observatory website that a single female LTB turned up in the observatory moat on 8th October, so they get about!

No butterflies for me today I fear: it's raining and looks like it's here to stay.

Still, we make the most of the sunny days so we can get through the wet ones!

Best Wishes

Hoggers

[Neil Freeman]

Some more great reports and photos Hoggers, I have really enjoyed reading about your fantastic experiences with the LTBs

Cheers,

Neil.

[Hoggers]

Thanks Neil,the Long Tailed Blues have given a lot of people a great deal of pleasure.

Autumn is in full stride and the weather has been typically changeable but with little chance of seeing a butterfly.

Today was blustery with sunny spells. I wandered up the garden this afternoon and was surprised to see a Peacock. I watched it make a couple of circuits of the garden and then saw it fly along the garden hedge. It then began investigating the dark recesses inside the Ivy and after a few attempts disappeared within and did not re-emerge. I suppose the sudden warmth of the sun today lured it out for a bit. It was certainly odd though to see a butterfly actively fly away from the sunshine and into the darkness.

I then saw a Speckled Wood nectaring on one of my few remaining Buddleia flowers

Another one then put in an appearance and began basking in the sun

The two chased each other, spiralling around and around, just as they do in Spring.

While watching the Speckled Woods I caught a glimpse of a Red Admiral. It spent its time high up in the plum tree, at first taking on sugars from some of the rotting plums that still hang there in bunches but then it began sunning itself very high up so this was the best photo I could get

They've been a scarce visitor to my garden this year.

[Hoggers]

This morning was bright, sunny and warm. I took the dogs out at around 10am and as it was so pleasant I decided to take along my camera, just in case.

Straight away I saw a Small Copper

And then another (although from the state of him maybe he qualifies as only half a Small Copper!)

He's clearly been through a rough patch but by the way he was whizzing about today, he's come through well enough.
A true Warrior.

Further on I saw a Peacock fly a couple of circuits then disappear and a Comma gliding over a thick Bramble patch.

And I was pleased enough with what I'd seen given the time of year, so you can imagine my excitement when a beautiful, fresh Clouded Yellow flew by. I watched it cross the field and to my joy and relief saw it settle

It was in my "Clouded Yellow Field", the field where between June and September I would see them almost daily. It's clearly a very fresh individual and I think not only has it emerged today but also that it's probably the offspring of those I saw here in Summer

So I'm very pleased indeed but only wish that the fine weather had lasted longer for it because within a couple of hours the sky had clouded over swallowing up the sun and leaving the day damp, dull and cool.

Still, the weather window had been just enough to let me see four species of butterfly in one dog walk! Not bad going at all.

[David M]

A lovely array of sightings for a late October morning, Hoggers. You were right to take your camera!

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Hoggers - I'd love a Cloudy now but we haven't had the best if the weather.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

Pretty gloomy this morning. I didn't see any butterflies on my walk with the dogs but by mid-day the sun had won a skirmish with the clouds and it brightened up just long enough to lure two Red Admirals into my garden

The flower this one is on is a variety of Buddleia ( I think it's called "Golden Buddleia" ) which I planted this Spring as part of my campaign to convert my garden from predominantly lawn to a more butterfly-friendly environment. It started to flower in the Summer and as you can see is still going strong

As we lost the sun once more I decided to nip down to Dungeness: so often when it's overcast here in Ashford, the sun is shining along the coast.

We got there around 1pm and although very blowy there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I went in search of Small Coppers. Unsurprisingly numbers have diminished dramatically since September but nonetheless I managed to find five of them, three in comparatively good nick

I bumped into a chap from the Bird Observatory who seemed faintly amused at my preoccupation with Small Coppers, but he described them as "the bright ones", which I rather like

He told me that a Clouded Yellow was spotted there yesterday and the day before and that today a Comma had been seen in the Observatory moat.

I managed to catch a glimpse of the Comma, it looked in fine condition, but I didn't see any Clouded Yellows today.

Still, I was happy enough in the dog days of the butterfly season to have spent a little more time with "The Bright Ones"

[Goldie M]

Fantastic Photo's Hogger's, it's great to see such lovely shots so late in the year, I think we've had it now though with this storm arriving, all the best Goldie

[Hoggers]

Thanks Goldie, they're a real treat during the season and a huge bonus at this time of the year.

It's been mostly rather cold, windy and overcast today but we had some sunny spells and when the sun did come out it got fairly warm. The Ivy in my garden is in flower and attracting many insects

Including this handsome Hoverfly

As I watched the wasps and flies bustling around the flowers a Speckled Wood appeared and began to bask on a leaf

I hadn't expected to see any butterflies once November arrived, so this came as a pleasant surprise.

Then I spotted a Comma on the single golden Buddleia flower that is still out. I just managed to get a quick snap before it fluttered up weakly into a Silver Birch and disappeared

I saw a Peacock earlier this week in Canterbury so I'm not doing too badly at the end of the butterfly season.

[Neil Freeman]

Nice one Hoggers

Nothing left in flower in my garden now except the Ivy which has almost finished flowering and has been attracting a few bees and hoverflies this past week.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Hoggers]

Cheers Neil, I've still got some Wallflower and a few Asters going but aside from the Ivy that's about it really, although I planted a Viburnum during my hectic Spring gardening spree and I've just noticed that it's attempting to flower!

Lots of sunshine today. I went down to Dungeness this morning where it was very blowy but not cold. In the hour or so that I had there I saw two Small Coppers. What a surprise! Still hanging on there in a very unforgiving environment.

But I failed miserably to get any photographs: the second I'd stalked them and got in position to press the button they'd lifted up into the wind and been swept away at speed, never to be seen again!

Ah, well, not to worry: two Small Coppers in November isn't bad going.

I wonder if they'll be my last butterflies of 2013?

[Hoggers]

The sun came out briefly this afternoon and it quickly grew pleasantly warm. I saw lots of activity on the Ivy in my garden

As I stood watching these insects to-ing and fro-ing, a dark shape caught my attention as it flew in from overhead then settled close by but quite high up. I had to perch on a chair to get a picture

A beautiful bright Comma! It fed on the flowers but as soon as a cloud passed in front of the sun it shut its wings up tight

And only opened up again when the sun returned

It certainly brightened up my day.

[Wurzel]

Lucky get Hoggers I haven't seen a butterfly for almost a week now aside from Bob who is still hanging on the ceiling

Have agoodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

I've got my fingers crossed for Bob, Wurzel!

A cold but sunny Sunday down here in Kent. The Hoggers Clan descended on Dungeness this morning for a clatter along the shingle beach. An icy wind was blowing. I saw a few birders gazing through their telescopes at the flocks of gulls feeding offshore and a fisherman or two looking very cold indeed ( now I think about it, they might be the same chaps that I saw last week, not budged an inch.) But otherwise, no sign of life. It certainly did not seem to be a day for insects let alone butterflies.

On the walk back we followed the Power Station stone perimeter wall. Much warmer here,sheltered from the wind and in full sunshine. I saw 6 small Dragonflies basking on this wall ( those common ones, often red in colour) so I lay my hand on the wall too and found it to be very warm. I'm not glowing green yet, so hopefully it was just the sun,unaided, that had heated the wall enough to be of use to these Dragons.

And then I spotted a butterfly! A gorgeous Red Admiral warming itself alongside the Dragonflies. It waited patiently for me to remove the lens cap from my camera and get myself in position then it quickly lifted off and disappeared over the other side of the wall never to be seen again just before I could press down the shutter button ( much to everyone's amusement.)

I saw two Small Coppers here last week but not a one today so I guess their season is over.

Still, good to get some fresh air and to see a butterfly on such a chilly day.

[Wurzel]

Don't you hate it when they do that Looking back over a few of your posts I reckon the lovely Hoverfly is Volucella zonaria the Hornet Hoverfly - nice

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

Something strange has happened to my diary: the entry I posted yesterday appears to have vanished! Unless it was all a dream? Perhaps I'll never know. But I will try again and see if this time it sticks because I had a stroke of good fortune yesterday and don't want to lose all record of it.

Dungeness yesterday was treated to some glorious weather. It was warm, sunny and calm. I'd seen what I guess was a Red Admiral on the drive down, so it looked promising for more. What I didn't expect was to see a beautiful Small Copper

Which as you can see was in excellent condition

A Small Copper on 16th November!

My luck continued because at the same site I found a Clouded Yellow

The poor thing had suffered an injury and couldn't fly. After clumsily fluttering about in the grass it eventually quietened and sat on a pebble in the sunshine

With my luck running so well I'm surprised I didn't see a Long tailed Blue as well!

[Wurzel]

I think this is similar to the comment I left on your lost post...Amazing to see Small Coppers this late in the year especially in such good nick

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It's like Groundhog Day, this!

A Small Copper in mid-November is an amazing sighting.

[Hoggers]

Thanks guys, thought I was cracking up! I wonder where my lost post went?!?

But yes, a Small Copper so late! No idea where he's finding nectar. Maybe Dungeness Small Coppers are the toughest in Britain?

[David M]

No idea where he's finding nectar.

Maybe he's just absorbing the mineral salts from the tide!

As you say, he's one hardy critter.