Hoggers

[Padfield]

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

If I remember correctly, Wurzel, you also added that the Dartford warbler was your favourite sh*t. It quite brightened my evening!

It's been Groundhoggers day today because Pete inadvertently removed 24hrs worth of posts last night in his unfailing bid to improve UK Butterflies (see viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7313). You're not cracking up, Hoggers!

Guy

[Hoggers]

I've not seen a butterfly since November 16th and so think it's safe to say that my 2013 butterfly season is now over.

I still think about butterflies; hardly a day passes that a butterfly or two doesn't flit around inside my head and through my dreams carrying happy memories of the summer and hopes and plans for the future.

What a truly wonderful place this UKB website is! All the butterfly wisdom, knowledge and experience it contains, the beauty of the many photographs and the unselfish goodwill of those who set it up and keep it running, and of the many who contribute to its pages. It enhances the quality of life: I don't think you can say that about many websites.

I'm so glad I started my own Personal Diary here, for many reasons, not least of which is that no matter where I am (and at the moment that means being stuck in the concrete heart of London), at the click of a button I can look at photographs of butterflies that I saw and of places that I went to. It can be a considerable benefit though these Winter days.

I've been thinking about my own favourite butterflies and also my favourite butterfly moments of the 2013 season and I thought I'd like to start writing about them here. I hope it will help me while away the Winter months!

The very first butterfly that popped into my mind was an Orange Tip.

Ted Hughes wrote a beautiful poem about Swifts and about how when he sees them for the first time each Spring he knows the World is still turning. Well, that's just how I feel when I see my first Orange Tip: I'm still here, I'm still alive, the World is still turning and Winter's OVER!!

This year they kept me waiting much longer than usual and it wasn't until the 28th April that I saw one, a male, flying along just ahead of me as I walked my dogs. This is him

By early May I was seeing them every day, sometimes 10 or more at a time with females too

I try to get a good photo but I have the same problem with them as I do with Whites in that the results are usually over exposed.

It's so wonderful to see them though, they come at a time of year when everything is fresh and green, full of hope and bursting with life

And this year I've had them in my garden, which has been a great thrill

Some, as you can see, are very friendly

Planting Wall Flowers and Garlic Mustard in the garden was the best thing I've done in ages, the Orange Tips came and some even stayed for a few days

In fact I was seeing Orange Tips right up until mid-June, often in my garden.

So there's my first "Choice" butterfly of 2013, the Orange Tip. It flew into my mind today of its own accord but I'd guess it's my love of Spring and of new growth and new life, which the Orange Tip represents to me, that invited it in.

[Wurzel]

A lovely read Hoggers with some cracking photos (I try not to use 'shots' as much now as predictive text on the iPod insists on changing it to 'sh*ts' ) . How long to wait now? I've had enough of this winter lark already!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Paul Harfield]

I still think about butterflies; hardly a day passes that a butterfly or two doesn't flit around inside my head and through my dreams carrying happy memories of the summer and hopes and plans for the future.

What a truly wonderful place this UKB website is! All the butterfly wisdom, knowledge and experience it contains, the beauty of the many photographs and the unselfish goodwill of those who set it up and keep it running, and of the many who contribute to its pages. It enhances the quality of life: I don't think you can say that about many websites.

Hi Hoggers

Yes I know that feeling all too well, I think we are all a little obsessed and/or slightly mad I agree totally with your comments about UKB, what would we do without it

Your Orange Tips are fantastic, by the way

[Hoggers]

I've been thinking about the butterflies and the butterfly moments that meant the most to me in 2013.

First came the Orange Tip (and many thanks for the kind comments Wurzel and Jack, much appreciated) a butterfly that for me means new life and the end of Winter.

My second choice butterfly is undeniably the Dingy Skipper. Now before this year started if you'd asked me "What does a Dingy Skipper do for you, Hoggers?" I'd have answered in all honesty "Well,not a lot...they're alright I suppose...they really are butterflies aren't they ?"

I come across them easily at Wye Downs Nature Reserve. They're sort of "there": I'll see one, it'll just about register with me and then the rest might as well be invisible because I'm looking for more glamorous fare. They remind me of the black suited city gents making their way to work across Waterloo Bridge every morning: lots of them and they all look rather, well, dingy I suppose.

But this year it was different. I started to notice Dingy Skippers because there weren't any. Or not at first anyway.

I began my usual Spring visits to Wye and to Folkestone Warren too. I was seeing Green Hairstreaks, Orange Tips, Small Coppers, Brimstones, Small and Large Whites (I even saw the Duke) but not a sign of a Dingy Skipper. And I actually became genuinely worried. By May 12th despite a good number of visits to prime sites I hadn't seen a single Dingy Skipper.

I've got a note in my notebook; "16th May - bright sunny and warm - The first decent weather since 12th May". I finished work early and had gone back to Wye, arriving around noon. I easily found 12 Green Hairstreaks, a butterfly I'd usually be over the moon at finding but not on this occasion because I wanted to find a Dingy Skipper!

And according to my notes "after a long search" I finally managed to find one

By the look of it, freshly emerged

I was delighted

What a relief!

A gorgeous butterfly

It meant a lot to me and it is now a butterfly I'll never take for granted again. So there's my second "Choice Butterfly" of 2013.

[Wurzel]

Definitely a gorgeous butterfly Hoggers - I suggest a name change to Carpet Skipper or Mosaic Skipper, much nicer sounding and more in keeping with the butterflys livery.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

We've been battered by wind and rain all day down here in Kent. It wasn't so much a dog walk as a paddle when I went out this morning with the fields all flooded. Nothing in the way of sunshine of course on this the Shortest Day of the year.

Unsurprising that I should find myself thinking back to the Summer for a little comfort and one of the best days' butterflying I had.

On 31st May I teamed up with my dad and younger brother and headed out to Abbot's Wood in Sussex. I wrote in my notebook "A warm sunny day after 3 days' of rain!!"

I remember a pleasant drive, all three of us full of expectation at the prospect of seeing Pearl bordered Fritillaries.

I'd been given some directions from other UKBers and so once we'd arrived in the car park it took only a short walk before we were in amongst these stunning,athletic butterflies

They were "juiced up" and difficult to get close to for a photograph before they'd raced away to the next Bugle flower but with patience and a lot of luck I got some pictures

I mostly remember them flying fast at knee-height along the woodland rides

Over the course of 2 hours we saw about 20 of them

It was a fantastic day out with my dad and brother and the Peal bordered Fritillaries

Here's to many more days chasing butterflies!

[Wurzel]

Great little tale Hoggers with some great photos As I live really close to Bentley Wood I eagerly await the Pearls every year. If you can get there early in the morning they're much less active and you can catch them still roosting which means you can get the luscious closed under wing shots
It seems too far away after the atrocious weather we've had recently...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Butterflysaurus rex]

You've brought back some great memories of my time in Abbots wood last spring Hoggers, there are several sites in Abbots and I thought "site A" was by far the best one this year.

I'm looking forward to spending some time there this coming spring

B'saurus

[Hoggers]

Thanks guys, I will remember that tip Wurzel, I really enjoyed watching them zooming about but it'd have been nice to get close to one!

It was my first time there in a few years B'Saurus and very impressive it was too, lots of Bugle and lots of butterflies. I hadn't realised they were reintroduced here. It certainly turned out well!

I've been to Park Corner Heath a couple of times, which is fairly near Abbott's Wood, to see Small P-b's but I don't think they had any this year. Just shows how vulnerable these butterfly populations can be.

[Butterflysaurus rex]

There is a little bit of good news Hoggers, a few Small Pearl's are still hanging on at Park Corner Heath. I saw a few there but they were so few and so active I didn't even get close this year. You would see one whizz past and not see it again.
It's the first year for several years that I've not managed to get a photo
I hope they can hang on there, it's the only colony in East Sussex that I'm aware of. The volunteers continue to do great work there improving the habitat, with any luck we'll have a good spring and they will bounce back.

I love wondering around Abbots Wood looking for PBF's, there are even a few PBF's at Park Corner now as well!

Come the springtime I will be there once more trying to get some half decent photos

[Hoggers]

A year ago today I made a start with turning my garden into a more butterfly friendly place

Here's how it looked to begin with

By March there were signs of progress

Here's the garden in May

And June

The project turned me in to a gardener (of sorts!!) and opened up a whole new world of bedding plants, perennials and compost. Now I cannot resist visiting nurseries (and sadly for my bank balance there's a garden centre strategically positioned on my route home from work!)

I had Orange Tips, Large,Small and Green-veined Whites, Speckled Woods,Brimstones, Commas, Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals, Gatekeepers, Holly Blues and Small Skippers all visit, some in numbers,lots of other insects too, and in addition to this, it looks so much better and gives so much more pleasure than when it was just bare lawn.

The project isn't over by a long chalk, I've lots more to do and I'm very much looking forward to it!

[Hoggers]

One of my favourite butterflying trips this year was to Dorset. I went down to Lulworth Cove on 16th July with my Dad and Brother Hoggles. We had gorgeous weather for it, hot, calm and sunny.

A four hour drive from Kent and there we were, Lulworth Cove, standing at the water's edge and practically speechless at the sight of the Cove ,so symmetrical you'd think it had been carved out by hand. A stunning place.

Then we were climbing up Bindon Hill in the heat where we found hundreds and hundreds of butterflies: Marbled Whites, Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, graceful Dark Green Fritillaries gliding down the hillside, and also the object of our visit, the Lully

They were in good numbers

Some Golden

Some dark

Fast moving

On almost every flower

It was the first time that my brother and Dad had seen Lulworth Skippers

We celebrated with Ice Creams by the Cove.

I loved our time there, the Cove,the view from Bindon Hill and of course the butterflies, but most important for me was that I shared the adventure with my brother and Dad

[Wurzel]

Lovely report Hoggers and it featured my favourite butterfly . If you thought the Cove was great you'd be awestruck if you went slightly further west to Durdle Door, my favourite place in the world, ever . Have a great New Year and I hope the garden is even more fruitful in 2014

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Hoggers]

I haven't been luck enough to see a butterfly just yet although I'm keeping my eyes peeled as we're enjoying a mild January (with even some glimpses of the sun today!)

No butterflies and as yet no bumblebees either, but over the last couple of weeks we've noticed Blue Tits back at our nesting box. At first the pair would visit only briefly but now they are spending much more time at or around the box and even popping inside as well

I guess it's the same pair that nested here last year

I didn't clean the box out after they'd left and I'm not sure whether this was a mistake (I'm thinking of disease or infestation maybe) or whether I've done them a favour

I'll have to wait and see, but it's good to have them back.

As for my garden, I've got plenty of Crocus sprouting up

Although I'm most pleased about my Lesser Celandines

I "rescued" a clump last year from what it now a huge building site and planted it by my pond. I'd no idea how they'd do and when the whole lot died off I gave up hope. But here they are once, so i'm looking forward to seeing some flowers soon.

[Hoggers]

Sunshine today and some signs of Spring.

I saw these Snow Drops this morning when out with the dogs

And in my garden a few Crocus just beginning to flower

The Blue Tits continue to visit the box every day so I've got my hopes up that they'll raise another brood this year.

Still no butterflies for me so far but lots of near invisible gnats dancing in the sunlight.

[Hoggers]

Walking the dogs I came across a very fine display of flowers for this bleak time of year. I didn't have my camera with me so took a few snaps with my mobile phone

Winter Aconites

And some Snow Drops too

Such a pleasant and welcome splash of vivid colour on the woodland floor.

I haven't seen a butterfly since November but the time's getting ever closer when I'll see my first of 2014.

Can't wait!

[Wurzel]

Nice report Hoggers - not long now then I too was out looking for signs of spring today but all I found were some Snowdrops braving the floods - the road at my folks house is now a fast flowing stream up to a foot deep in places
Still if we're having all this rain now I expect we'll have a hosepipe ban in June/July

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Hoggers]

My copy of "Butterfly Magazine" arrived this week

The cover photo is just stunning. I've mentioned before that the Small Copper is my favourite butterfly. I try to see as many of them as I can during the season

Today with the sun out and the gales having moved on I thought I'd go down to Dungeness and visit my favourite Small Copper "Hot Spot". Last Summer it was easy to see 70 or more during a short visit

Dungeness looked glorious

The sea was as high as I can remember seeing it, with the fishermen sitting within a few feet of the waves

The best place for Small Coppers is around the Bird Observatory. There's what they call The Moat, a shingle ditch full of brambles, Hawthorn and Sorrel. I've always understood why they call it a moat of course, but I've rarely ever seen any water in it..until today!

As you say Wurzel, there's so much flooding about, with often tragic consequences. Seeing it like this made me worry about the over-wintering Small Copper larvae

Surely any beneath the water will perish? But even so, I'm sure enough will survive to enrich the Summer months

Back at the ranch, I'm getting good numbers of Crocus

They are so good to see and help me keep my spirits up through the (hopefully!) last days of Winter.

[Wurzel]

Lovely shots of the Small Coppers Hoggers - they really brightened up my day But then seeing the flooded habitat literally out a bit of a dampener on it Mind you nature has a way of bouncing back so hopefully enough will make it and then they'll have less competition By the way that it the biggest blue spots I've seen on a caerlopunctata
Have a goodun

Wurzel