www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Good luck with the house move, Goldie. Hope it all goes well.

Congrats on moving Depending on when you read this I hope it goes well/I hope it went well...delete as approporiate

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel and David, I'm just coming up for air

Every thing went well and I've just had my broadband etc ,put in so it feels like I'm finally getting some where Still have lots to do yet but at least i've got plenty of time to do it in.

My Neighbours have a lovely garden, mine seem to be bushes and pots at present, work to do there, with the hot weather and the ground so hard it will have to wait.

Lots of Butterflies passing through and Birds chasing them, loads of Birds round here, trouble is the Buddleia in the garden is full of birds not Butterflies It's great to sit under though.

I've managed a couple of shots so far mostly of Whites, but hope fully when the garden gets more flowers and less pots, I'll get a few settling.
So far i've seen Comma's , Holly Blues, Gate Keeper, and some flying so quickly I didn't know what they were but they were certainly coloured

Hope fully I'll be able to get out a bit more when I get rid of some the box's scattered about, mean time here's the two shots i took , got to post them ,
there the first shots I took of Butterflies in my new Garden Goldie

Glad to hear that all went well with your move Goldie, you won't know where to look first with all those goodies availabel down there

Cheers,

Neil.

Good to see you get your Garden List up and running Goldie and good to see that you're starting to get settled

Have agoodun

Wurzel

Thanks Neil and Wurzel, I've still lots to do, my clothes or all over the place in boxes at present ( no wardrobes ) ,mine were fitted so had to sort that out It's been worth it though, just step out the front door go to the curb , look down the hill and there's the sea mind you I've yet to venture fourth down the hill yet

I'd to do some shopping in Hern Bay today, so I thought no one coming today, I'll visit Reculver ( my Daughters been a Brick , she's been here everyday)
I'm glad I did, I saw some unusual Gate Keepers, at least I think they are, none was opened winged ,(too Hot) may be as well because their under wings were quite unusual.

I also saw a Small Tort, they seem to like Reculver, and a Red Admiral, also a Comma, didn't get a shot of that, and a Peacock which was feeding from a Buddlieia, it was too deep inside the bush to get a shot.

I also saw yet another Humming Bird Hawk Moth, I thought of you Neil and all your great shots of Moths I just had to try some more shots of it

I hope the weather keeps like this in the next two days and I've no one coming , I've just got my appetite back for maybe Temple Ewell next, looks like it'll be too hot at the week-end to venture any where Goldie

Great to hear that you're racking up the butterflies Goldie, unpacking can wait for sure Those Hedge Browns/Gatekeepers do look interesting - the first is a named ab.postlanceolata or some such (?) as the dots are elongated the other looks really dark - I think this could be down to the heat as all the ones I saw today were also darker than I remember compared to last year

Have a goodun

Wurzel

So excited for you with your new 'patch', Goldie.

Seems you're off to a good start butterfly-wise as well!

Thanks Wurzel and David for your posts, I've been doing my best to pop out now and again Thanks for the info on the ab Wurzel, it makes the popping out worth while

Yesterday I'd the day to myself so I decided to visit Seasalter, I've seen Clouded Yellow there before and thought I might find them again, not a one, there was a lovely breeze and I did see a pair of Gate Keepers ,so I was pleased with that, I also saw what I think is an Essex Skipper, it was deep grass and I'd to wait until it settled ( which wasn't easy) I hope I'm not wrong I've seen so few of the species.

I then decided with it being early why not visit Temple Ewell , that's another post I think Goldie

Went I got to Temple Ewell it was hot, but there was a cooling breeze from time to time, at first I didn't see anything on the move, then what I thought were common Blues at a closer look were actually Chalk hill Blues, they were every where , why I hadn't seen them was because of there closed wings

I walked along the paths there and found some open winged ones and got some shots, then I saw one which was half the size of the the others, I thought at first (until it opened it's wings) it was a Brown Argus but it's markings were definitely CHB.

One of the CHB's with closed wings looked like some one had drawn on them, I had to take a shot of that one

Then I saw what I'd gone to look for Marbled White, trouble is they proved to be hard to photograph , they didn't stay long on any flower and flew quite fast, I did get some shots of them but not really what I'd hoped for and some had damaged wings, still , when they did land they flew into deep grass, so at least I did get a few shots

I'd a great day out with more to come hope fully Goldie

Hello Goldie ,
Pleased you found your new home ,and glad that you,re settling ok.
I was at TE/L at 6.45 -9.45 am this morning and as you mention ,it was alive with Chalkhills and Marbles ,if you get on-site at around 8am you,ll find that the Chalkhills and Marbled Whites will pose very nicely for you ie; sit still with wings open !
Very few Common Blues ,and no Brown Args (or Cloudies !) for me this morning ..............but i did find 9 pairs (Chalkhills ) in-cop in less than 10 minutes ! .
Good Hunting ! Regards Allan.W.

Sounds like they were just coming out Allan when I was there, I did see lots of MW's , but I made the mistake of going to Seasalter first and it was nearer to 12 o'clock by the time I got to TE, I left it too late really by the sounds of things

I will go again when this heat passes , I'll tell you I did see though which was unexpected a Ringlet, I've not seen one there before, I did also see a Brown Argus , I spoke to a man there who said he'd counted 13 different species and he'd not been there that long , I think I need some new Glasses

Oh! nearly forgot if you do see any CY any where let know, Goldie

Goldie ,
You do see a few Ringlets at TE/L ,mainly along the hedges bordering the area just up from the allotments ,and also along the bottom of the slope
to the left of the main Kissing gate . There is an area on the Lydden complex with a small White Letter colony ,although i must confess i,ve never really tried to find it ! I believe it is some where further along the path that leads up from the car park ,and instead of going left by the benches ,continue straight on to another gate ,and look for some Elms i suppose .......................Sorry i can,t be more precise !
As for Clouded Yellows,not seen any myself as yet , but as i,ve said before ,one of my "go to " spots is at Reculver ,along the bottom path (away from the bikes ! )
Allan.W.

I'll certainly be going back to Reculver when you say bottom paths, do mean the ones going down to the sea, Or along side the cliff top?

I wonder also if you've any Idea what this flower is called, I found it under a tree next to the shed in deep shade, I also found two Large Whites in the bush, and a gate Keeper looks like with a bit of re shuffling I might get the Butterflies to stay in My Garden after all Goldie

Hi Goldie, I'm really pleased to hear that you are finally settled in
The plant is an Acanthus, most likely Acanthus mollis (also known as Bear's breeches). https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/acanthus

Vince

No Goldie ,the path i,m talking about is below the sea wall where all the bikes travel ,going towards Bircington ,so up past the towers ,down to where the concrete path /wall starts ,walk a few paces along the wall and you,ll see a slope going down to a gravelled roadway ,
step over the small railing ,it says private road or suchlike ,but i,m pretty sure thats for cars and i,ve walked it dozens of times .
Its good for Cloudies ,Small Copper ,Com;Blue ,Brown Args + all the commoner species (and some good plants !)
Your plant looks like a very poor specimen of Bears Breech (Acanthus Mollis ) The spikes are usually huge ,and they like the sun ,looks like yours has met with an accident !

Vince beat me to it ! Regards Allan.W.

Hi Goldie, evenings can be productive at Lydden Temple Ewell. As long as it’s sunny!

I was there the other day, it was too hot when I arrived at 4pm, but had more luck after 6.

There don’t seem to have been many Clouded Yellow so far, but there’s still time! I usually see them from August to October.

Congratulations on your move, by the way!

Thank's Vince , I've a corner in the garden which will suit this plant , Very dry ,even stoney, I'll take some seeds off it and see what I can do. Does it like Butterflies I wonder, I'll soon find out.

Thanks again Allan, next time I go I'll try out the path, i think I know where you mean, and it's not far for me to go to Reculver for a Quick hour
I thought the plant looked lovely Allan, unusual, I'll use that corner and try to grow it

Thanks Essex, it's a good run for me to Lydden, from Herne Bay, I am trying to find my way about more, but the mornings are best for me being on my own, besides I'm usually whacked by evening time

I've come to a promise with the Birds in my new garden, I've bought some seeds etc, now there more interested in the seeds, also bought a pot and plant base and I've made them a bird bath, it seems to be going down well I've not seen them chasing the Butterflies today Goldie

Great to see you getting in on the Chalkhills Goldie I see what you mean about the underside - looks like a 'v' to me?

Have a goodun

Wurzel