www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Thursday 3rd, Forest of Dean, nr. Cinderford, Glos:

Common Blue 30-40
Dingy Skipper 20-25
Wood White 12
Small Copper 1
Large White 1

An hour on the hill gave me my first Meadow Brown of the year emerging from the grass. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Dingy Skipper 7
Brimstone 3
Large White 5
Small White 8
Orange-tip 3
Common Blue 2
Adonis Blue 13
Red Admiral 1
Speckled Wood 4
Wall Brown 1
Meadow Brown 1
Small Heath 12

Friday 4th - White Sheet Hill, Wilts:

7 Glanville Fritillaries seen here (many thanks to Stevieb for his assistance), along with decent numbers of Small Heath, Dingy Skipper & Adonis Blue.

Other butterflies seen in small numbers were Green Hairstreak, Large White, Common Blue, Small Copper, Peacock & Large White:

The Marsh Fritillary dumper has reached N. Yorkshire! I found 6 this morning at a SSSI site near Pickering.

Meanwhile in Norfolk today, the butterflies were playing hard to get...

Also on Marsh Fritillaries, a very enjoyable day in central Lincolnshire, with many thanks to Pete Smith for showing us the site.

There were quite a few on display, mostly males, many showing a degree of wear but also quite a variation in the markings and colouring.

Here is the best male and female I was able to photograph, best in terms of freshness and contrast of markings.

A lot of credit should go to Lincs branch of BC for their highly successful management of this site.
Roger

Almost two weeks later than last year, I had my first agestis show itself in my North Yorkshire garden today.... a nice fresh male....

Nice post, Roger, although part of me fears that if you are making special excursions in Britain to see particular butterflies then foreign travel is all but a pipe dream this year!!

I managed to get away to Malaga. Provided you are organised , the travel is easy and I am happy to quarantine on return. Plenty of butterflies including this Southern marbled and Lulworth Skipper. Up to the Sierra Nevada today

Barton Hills Bedfordshire....

a lovely sunny day in the Chilterns yesterday

i was pleased with this Dingy Skipper pic:


i almost got a similar one of a Brown Argus but it flew off

David M wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:18 pm Nice post, Roger, although part of me fears that if you are making special excursions in Britain to see particular butterflies then foreign travel is all but a pipe dream this year!!

It may be a pipe-dream this year, but I haven’t quite given up yet.

It’s just nice to see butterflies wherever and at least Covid offers an opportunity to see species in the UK that I wouldn’t normally see, such as Marsh Fritillaries yesterday (last time I saw them in England was over 40 years ago) and Black Hairstreak last year. I would like to see Large Heath and that may be possible if France is still off the menu.

I do have a plan for France and even if I don’t get to implement it, it is still enjoyable to do the research and plan the trip. The current plan involves leaving on 26 June and heading for the Pyrenees, a region of very low Covid incidence. The problem is one of testing (we are both long since double-dosed) not only on exit, but more so on return. We get the distinct feeling that the logistical problems of testing and the exorbitant financial cost may have less to do with Covid safety than preventing money going out of the UK. Maybe.

In the meantime, I recommend Pete Smith’s just-published book on Lincolnshire butterflies which I started reading last night. It is a rare combination of being both highly informative and very readable.

Roger

Roger Gibbons wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:46 am
In the meantime, I recommend Pete Smith’s just-published book on Lincolnshire butterflies which I started reading last night. It is a rare combination of being both highly informative and very readable.

Roger

Thanks Roger! It was a pleasure showing you both around the meadow and catching up over lunch. Glad you got a couple of photo's. In the event that France doesn't happen for you, Lincolnshire is also an option for Large Heath, and it is definitely our turn to pick up the tab for lunch next time!

A super fresh Meadow Brown this morning. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Roger Gibbons wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:46 amIt may be a pipe-dream this year, but I haven’t quite given up yet...

That's the spirit!

Me neither, but such is the speed with which things change I think any trip of mine will have to be a last minute thing.

I too will have been fully vaccinated from next week, and it's more than a little frustrating that in spite of this, getting abroad is proving to be far more difficult than last summer when nobody in the world had been vaccinated!!

We'll see how things develop and hopefully by the end of the month there will be more clarity. I'd like to think you'll be okay during July in France, Roger. Touchons du bois!!

Priddy Mineries
At last , I was beginning to envie those of you who have been posting photos of a wide variety of butterflies from other parts of the UK, my only species seen have been a couple of Specked woods one large white half a dozen small whites and the odd green veined white.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/


Today at Priddy Mineries 



Good numbers of Small heaths
and a number of very active Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Green-veined White One interseting Bug Please help. One very worn Peacock
One Dingy Skipper
One Burnet companion
one Common blue


The last three days at Shapick
Scarce Chaser. Southern Hawker.
Four spotted chaser
Black tailed skimmer.

Your bug is a male Oedemera nobilis .

Cheers Greenie

Number of bugs on show at my work this lunchtime including Sloe and Cinnamon.

Red Admiral, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath, Common Blue, Brown Argus, GVW also around in small numbers each. Plus a range of damsel/dragon flies that unfortunately don't seem to like hanging around to be snapped.

Saturday 5th - 15 Marsh Fritillaries seen during a 45 minute count on Fairwood Common, Gower:

I was pleased to get a snap of this morning's partial solar eclipse, albeit through thin cloud here in Abingdon:
Mike

MikeOxon wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:07 amI was pleased to get a snap of this morning's partial solar eclipse, albeit through thin cloud here in Abingdon:

Well done, Mike. I haven't got a sun filter so I projected it onto paper through a pair of binoculars (with one objective covered):





I guessed I wouldn't be the only UK Butterflier out there getting piccies!

Guy