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millerd wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 8:38 pm...and nectaring on the last remaining pea flowers in initially heart-stopping fashion, a fresh Common Blue...

I'm sure your heart skipped a beat for a moment, Dave. I see Common Blues around the copious BLEP at a coastal site near where I live and they always give me a start even though there's practically no chance of them being boeticus.

I'm impressed how your Graylings and Wall Browns last into September. They're gone not much after mid-August round my way.

Shame you didn't get to look for any doddery Graylings, Wurzel... The car was successfully fixed - a broken bit of suspension, probably from some of the potholes in the roads round here that make that drive up to the car park at Bentley Wood look like a racetrack.

Other Blues are definitely attracted to the BLEP too, David - I saw both Common and Adonis visit it at Kingsdown in Kent last year. I was impressed at the longevity of the Graylings at Chobham too, but the Walls are just par for the course at High & Over (and a number of other Sussex sites) as they are third brood individuals which are often seen well into October these days.

Third brood Small Coppers were the next attraction, as on Thursday 10th September (another sunny and fairly warm day) I spent a bit longer down at Staines Moor to specifically seek them out.

Other species seen : a few Meadow Browns, rather more Small Heaths and a couple of new Common Blues.A Red Admiral was also spotted, enjoying some very squashy blackberries. I had intended to pick some of the better ones, but decided to leave them to the butterfly. Over the course of about two hours, I counted no fewer than 19 Small Coppers, with the usual variety of ages, colour and spotting (dark and blue).It's quite likely some of the very worn individuals not included here were leftovers from the second brood; I think their presence here is near enough continuous from April onwards with the broods running one into the next, and it remains to be seen how long they will be around this autumn.

Dave

On Friday 11th September I set off down to Brighton to see the Long-tailed Blues up at Whitehawk Hill. Though there were perhaps a dozen enthusiasts already there (including a lot of familiar faces), there were decent numbers of butterflies as well, and no shortage of photo opportunities. There was some hazy sunshine, but it wasn't hot by any means and it was good to see the butterflies routinely opening up. This was quite a contrast to the day I'd spent with them near Seaford in 2019 when they had almost invariably kept their wings shut. The other difference was that at that spot last year there had been a lot of BLEP still in flower, whereas up at Whitehawk today most had gone over.

Firstly, some undersides.Here are the uppersides - all males with varying degrees of blue. The first one has some wear, but all the others looked fresh.Well worth the slog up and down the hill from Brighton Station!

Dave

A fantastic collection of LTBs Dave The second open wing shot in particular is a right royal cracker - really shows off the tails to great effect If only they'd come a bit further west

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Some superb studies of LTB, Dave.
The noticeable thing about them this year was the ease of finding them.
In previous years, at the locations I've seen them, they really do take some searching out.

I think Neil Hulme posed a question to consider, should we be delighted or alarmed that LTB's are now frequent visitors?.

If you get fed up with the long slog from the station, PM me for a car park with a bus stop nearby,
the bus takes you to the base of the hill.

Great stuff, stay well.
Trevor

Cheers, Wurzel. Maybe if they come our way with increasing frequency (as they seem to be doing), the LTB will advance on a broader front and make landfall further west along the south coast and further north up the east coast. It would need the population size on the continent opposite to prompt them to cross bigger stretches of water combined with suitable weather patterns. The obvious factor which gets in their way is that they run out of summer every year. They are simply not equipped to survive the lower temperatures of a northwest European winter at any stage of their life-cycle.

Thank you, Trevor - you're right, they were relatively easy this year, though it does appear that they do have favourite spots which they regularly aim for (as well as Brighton, I believe they found their way to the clifftop at Kingsdown in Kent again for example). Of course, this does mean we tend to stop looking for them elsewhere, and encounter them elsewhere by chance rather than design.

It's difficult not to be delighted to find them more frequently, and see their status on the British list evolve from "rare migrant" into "regular migrant". I have probably seen more LTBs this year than Painted Ladies in fact (though not in so many places). The alarm must stem from the reality that this is another symptom of the changing climate, which has potential downsides which are not in any way balanced by the arrival of a single attractive insect in increasing numbers.

I don't actually mind the walk up and down the hill, Trevor, and the fitness benefits are a bonus of course. I'm not sure about doing it four times though, Buggy... In fact I drove down to Southwick and caught a train to Brighton from there (unlimited free parking along the road above the harbour a few minutes walk from the station). I did notice that the No.2 bus runs all the way from there right up to Whitehawk, but goodness knows how long that might take...

11th September (continued).
Returning to Southwick, I had a good look along the harbour to see if the BLEP had hatched any LTBs here, but it appeared not to have done. I spotted a few Common Blues and a Small Copper, but not much else.

As there was still some time and sunshine left in the day, I drove the short distance up to Mill Hill. One or two worn male Adonis Blues were still flying on the main slope (plus females, but these were more difficult to pin down).. Three or four (maybe more) Clouded Yellows were patrolling back and forth, rarely stopping (so in all probability male butterflies)......though the one I got closest to may well have been a worn female.I came across a couple of Walls, one male nectaring on buddleia......and one female hopping from hollow to hollow, probably looking for spots to lay.The grass roots overhanging the edge of the scrape in this second shot are a typical site I believe.However, the main feature of the visit was the spectacular number of fresh Common Blues. The timing of this emergence clearly makes this a third brood, but some less-than-obvious factor here has prompted dozens to appear and possibly outnumber both spring and summer broods. The majority were along the path that runs along the hilltop between the car parks and in the meadow areas at the northern end (though there were quite a few on the lower slopes too). With such numbers, the shining males were joined by a variety of lovely females, from nearly brown to bight blue.Quite a sight.

All in all, not a bad end to a very successful and full day.

Dave

"Maybe if they come our way with increasing frequency (as they seem to be doing), the LTB will advance on a broader front" - fingers crossed Dave
Another envy inducing report Dave Cracking Walls but that Cloudy is soooo yellow and then there's the ridiculously blue female Common Blue

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

That blue female was a cracker, wasn't she, Wurzel? Much easier to get a shot of than those Cloudies which as you say were very yellow indeed. When most of the year your eyes are tuned to the yellow of Brimstones, then they really do come as a shock to the eyes. What we need are a few more Swallowtails to confuse things further - they look vaguely coffee-coloured in flight.

Over the weekend of 12th/13th September I had other things to occupy me, including taking my son to rugby training for the start of the new season on 13th. The venue has switched to a site on the fringe of Bushy Park in Hampton, so given the glorious summery morning I set off to explore. I hadn't realised just how large the park is and was pleased to see extensive areas of uncut unmanicured grass... and several deer (sensibly keeping to the shade).There are a number of water features, including a circular pond with a statue of the goddess Diana in the middle. This figure was clearly a popular feature - at least among the local cormorants... Continuing in the semi-shade along the bank of a stream, I suddenly came upon a grey heron intent on fishing. The individuals I see on my local patch take off well before I get anywhere near them, but this one paid me no apparent attention at all as I approached within a couple of metres. Neither did it seem concerned about a couple of dogs cavorting in the water a bit further along.Thus far I had seen no butterflies at all, but then one piece of the dried up grass seemed a bit different: Small Heaths appeared and then a couple of Small Coppers (the latter sitting on the caterpillar foodplant). I'm guessing that earlier in the year there would have been more, plus Meadow Browns galore, Common Blues and maybe Brown Argus.

During the afternoon of 13th, I paid another quick visit to Staines Moor - it appears Small Coppers can become addictive... Dave

14th September proved uninteresting - I did go out locally, but nothing appeared worth a close look or a photo. Tuesday 15th September was another warm sunny day, and after the school run (and knowing I'd be covering the afternoon one as well) I headed up to Aston Rowant again.

Having seen the Adonis Blues in Sussex fading fast, it was good to see the Chiltern ones still looking pretty good.There were definite females too......and I even tracked down an egg.Chalkhills had now disappeared, except for a possible few pale brown females and though there were a few flying, there was none of the Common Blue abundance that prevailed at Mill Hill. However, I did find a couple of new third brood Brown Argus......several Small Heaths......and naturally half a dozen or so Small Coppers.Today's highlight came from a bit of a double-take with yellow butterflies. I had watched a male Brimstone for a bit when I was distracted by another yellow butterfly passing close by. At this time of year of course, Brimstones take little interest in each other (saving all their energies for the spring), so it was odd to see them briefly interact until I realised that I was actually looking at a Clouded Yellow. To be fair, it wasn't long before the two went their separate ways, and the Cloudie started on a spell of nectaring which allowed a few photos. It turned out that it was a female, and as well as some standard underside shots, I managed one flyby showing the upperside (albeit somewhat blurred).Eventually the butterfly disappeared over the fence into the field at the top of the hillside, heading north. Turning back, I found the male Brimstone still hopping from flower to flower nearby. Good to find a nice new Clouded Yellow somewhere other than on the south coast!

Dave

Congrats for obtaining that ' open wing ' Clouded Yellow shot, Dave.
I have often wondered how they have evolved to never open up when at rest,
or when nectaring. It can't be to make them inconspicuous as their underside
is very bright anyway!. They are masters at keeping their beautiful markings
to themselves.
I also saw one well inland last Sunday, not far from Devizes.

All the best, stay well.
Trevor.

Cheers, Trevor - one day I'll get a closer, less blurred, open-winged female Clouded Yellow... Still, it means there's always something to aspire to! The females are particularly attractive, with subtle shading on the hindwings combined with the large orange/peach spot in the middle. I suspect they are quite variable too, but you never get to find out.

Wednesday 16th September and more warm (even hot - 27 degrees) sunshine lured me onto my local patch again. 12 species today and a total of over 50 butterflies - which is pretty good for mid-September:

Small White 20
Common Blue 12
Speckled Wood 5
Small Heath 5
Red Admiral 3
GVW 2
Brimstone 1
Large White 1
Small Copper 1
Holly Blue 1
Brown Argus 1
Peacock 1

A selection:

Small Whites continue to predominate.As often seems to happen, Speckled Woods become more numerous towards the end of the season.A bit of a record shot of the single Peacock - overall an excellent year for the species here.Small Heath still going strong......and a Small Copper turned up a long way from their usual haunts.A third brood of Common Blues is now properly kicking off here as well - they have also had a terrific year on this patch.This last one appeared to be lacking the diagnostic forewing spot that normally distinguishes the species.However, I believe this is not an uncommon occurence.

Dave

Thursday 17th September continued the run of warm sunny weather, so I decided to drop in on a few spots that I could cover over just a few hours.

I started at Denbies (with another excellent coffee from the van) and soon encountered a couple of Small Coppers - in fact the species turned up in several spots across the hillside.I looked in vain for the electric flash of male Adonis, but did discover a single female.There were other female blues around, but this was the only definite Adonis I was able to approach. Another possible turned out to be a nicely marked female Common Blue......and another a new female Brown Argus.There were male third brood Common Blues as well, though not in any appreciable number. Curiously, this particular very fresh individual (like the one I'd seen local to me the previous day) lacked the diagnostic forewing spot. After Denbies, I headed back to Bookham Common. I had looked at the various blackthorn areas at Denbies in case of late Brown Hairstreaks (no luck) and the story was the same at Bookham. More Common Blues and Small Coppers also made it a bit of a similar story altogether.The final Copper had suffered a deformity (in the pupal state I imagine), but was still able to fly and dispute territorial rights with other males. My final stop was just up the road the other side of Cobham, at Fairmile Common. I remembered seeing a Silver-studded Blue here at the end of August in 2018, so it was worth a check in case the current season had produced a second brood too (they were out early this year after all). There were none to be found, but another half-a-dozen Small Coppers enjoying the heather flowers made the visit worthwhile. It does seem to be a very copper-coloured autumn so far...

Dave

Another cracking Constabulary Dave Also like the Cloudy shots - they haven't been quite as numerous this year though I'm hearing good things from Southbourne Undercliffs I need to try and get down there That Common Blue that's missing the 'diagnostic' spot is interesting as I've heard tell of this but never actually seen it - it also looks a little 'washed out' as well - wonder if the two things are linked?

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Had I seen those Common Blues minus the cell spot on the continent, Dave, I'd have been tempted to believe they were Chapman's Blues.

No such dichotomy in the UK, but it proves that butterflies can have a range of natural variation that confounds the text books!

Still plenty going on round your way in mid-September. Clouded Yellows are a welcome addition to the local butterfly brotherhood, although it's the other yellow individual that caught my eye - Brimstones are seldom seen on the wing in the autumn, so definitely a for that one.

Cheers, Wurzel - yes, the Coppers have been out in force almost everywhere this year. More Cloudies to come in forthcoming posts too, including one I saw locally today.

It was a very odd coincidence to see two Common Blues in quick succession with the same unusual variation - and in two completely different places as well. I wondered what you might think of this, David - knowing your expertise with matters continental - clearly that diagnostic spot is not 100% conclusive. Luckily (or unluckily perhaps), we only have the one species it could be here in the UK.

The Brimstone was a bit of a surprise, and clearly it confused the Clouded Yellow for a moment or two as well.

Friday 18th September. Warm and sunny again, so another visit to Whitehawk Hill in Brighton seemed like a good idea. The one drawback was that the wind (though warm) was strong and gusty from the east, and the favoured area of last week was not very sheltered. However, on the western side of the TV mast there was a bit of meadow out of the breeze, full of purple michaelmas daisies (a variety of wild aster certainly) and attracting a variety of butterflies including half a dozen or so Long-tailed Blues. Compared to the visit on the 11th, they were rather more world weary and less willing to stop and pose. The other butterflies that had set up territories here (notably a Common Blue and a Small Copper) constantly interfered with the LTBs (which were also interacting with each other in their typical ascending spiral dogfights - cut short each time they reached where the wind was blowing above the trees). It was all thoroughly entertaining - and very sociable once again with faces familiar and new. In fact the time passed rather more quickly than I'd realised, and my intended side trip afterwards to Mill Hill again fell by the wayside. That would have to wait for another day...

Dave

Saturday 19th September. The run of decent weather continued, but I stayed local today and caught up with the emerging third broods of Common Blues, Brown Argus and Small Coppers.There were a few other things as well...I also spotted another example of BA's use of "retro" liveries, with this Airbus A319 looking very smart in BEA colours. With the afternoon to play with as well, I took in a walk down to Staines Moor. As well as the inevitable Small Coppers (now looking to lay on the carpet of sheep's sorrel here)......a new Red Admiral was sunning itself on the bridge where I'd seen courting Small Tortoiseshells back in July.Good to see, as there have been relatively few of this species around lately - very unusual for the second half of September.

Dave

Glorious looking Brown Argus's Dave and that Red Admiral is a right stunner - they've been a bit thin on this ground so far this autumn over this way - hopefully though it means they'll be a round for a while yet

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers, Wurzel. The pretty good September weather (in the South East at least) has kept things going nicely and enhanced the third broods.

In fact, I've been looking at the weather stats for my neck of the woods from April onwards, and they look quite interesting. All the numbers are close approximations, and no doubt official figures will vary a bit from these - but not by much I think.

Each month, followed by the average daily sunshine hours and then the average daily maximum temperature:

APRIL 7.8 hours 18.0 degrees
MAY 10.0 hours 21.1 degrees
JUNE 5.9 hours 22.8 degrees
JULY 5.6 hours 23.8 degrees
AUGUST 5.2 hours 25.3 degrees
SEPTEMBER 5.7 hours 21.6 degrees

This table really highlights just how sunny the spring was - more sunshine in the two months April+May than in the three June+July+August. And for September to be sunnier than July or August, and nearly as sunny as June (bearing in mind how much shorter the days are) is pretty good. May of course was unprecedented for sunshine.

Out of these six months, I think all were on the warm side except for July. There were notable spells of particularly warm weather in all of these months, some of it exceptionally so.

Dave

Sunday 20th September was once again sunny, and temperatures local to me reached 25 degrees or so. I decided to look at Aston Rowant again, and up on the Chiltern ridge it was comfortably cooler.

Across the main slope of the hillside, there was no longer very much flying - just the odd Small Heath and Meadow Brown and a few white butterflies. The luck that presented me with a Clouded Yellow here a few days earlier was absent today. A strongly marked Small White had to do instead.Along the fence line that divides this slope from the next part of the hill (Beacon Hill I believe), there is more shelter and there were a few Small Coppers around.On one of the fence posts, I spotted a Comma posing, but at an awkward angle and mostly closed up against the warm sunshine.I went through the gate at the bottom of the slope and headed onward along the path along this bottom edge - not all that far from the M40 itself. Ahead was another relatively sheltered area.This turned out to be the most productive part of the site today by far. Before concentrating on the butterflies, I was distracted by these two planes trundling noisily overhead.No doubt someone will be able to identify what they were.

With eyes returning to ground level, I started to find a variety of Adonis Blues, wearing a bit, but largely still in one piece and still brilliantly blue.A couple were having a bit of a barney, facing off on the ground......and I did find one female (I suspect there were more, but they kept low and largely out of sight while undertaking the serious business of laying more eggs).Competing for attention were some very fresh third brood Common Blues, though not in any numbers......and a few Brown Argus.Here too were more Small Coppers, dividing the path up into approximate territories with consequent frequent boundary disputes.An invisible line ran between these two...Nearby, a female ignored all this and investigated spots for egg-laying. While the sun shines, the season continues - even up on the Chilterns well away from the balmy south coast. This though was where I would be headed again over the next couple of days.

Dave