www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I think Hemp seeds are a staple ingredient of a lot of bird food mix, Pauline, so that may explain how you came to have this plant growing chez toi.

Thank you Allan - that's really interesting. I shall have to take a closer look at what I am feeding my birds!

Cheers David - I shall need to inform my local pet store that they are the middle man in a drugs dealing racket!!

I am pleased to be able to say that Noar Hill is, at last, delivering the goods. Yesterday I stopped to chat to a guy from Essex who was on his way to Arundel Castle. He had been there a while but had seen no Brown Hairstreaks. He was the only other person on site. Sadly, 5 mins after he left the action started with 4 males and 2 females down low - added to that 3 Clouded Yellow were zooming around, so fast I was only able to get a distant shot. The males are starting to look quite worn now but the females were immaculate. I watched one egg-laying and took a shot of a couple of her eggs:
Still struggling to get that full open-winged shot so still something to aim for! Not sure why it's so late here this year - or why the males seem to be avoiding the hemp agrimony in favour of just about anything else!

Pauline wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 9:18 am
Actually, just thinking about it, I think it might have been Neil F. who asked if my demented squirrel had access to any strange substances! Well, he certainly eats the birdseed and was chewing these plants along with my acers and delphiniums! Would certainly explain the sort of behaviour I have never seen before eg rolling around on the grass on his back!

Although, I must admit Pauline, I always thought that cannabis made you more relaxed and chilled out, sounds like your squirrel had been on crack cocaine

Cracking Brown Hairstreak photos, I particularly like the one with the Small Copper

Cheers,

Neil

Hi Neil - I'm thinking of sprinkling some of that seed on my breakfast cereal. I could do with being a bit more relaxed Those BH (along with many other species this year I might add) are proving to be hard work (especially in this heat). They really take some searching out and today I could only find 3 males and no females. It was a bit breezy which didn't help with many shots when timing is down to a split second but I did manage a few worth posting (probably!):

A cracking set of images Pauline It seems like they're having a good season now that they've gotten going

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Wurzel wrote: ↑Mon Aug 10, 2020 7:10 pm It seems like they're having a good season now that they've gotten going

Not at all Wurzel. They're proving to be really hard work at Noar Hill this season

Another hot morning on Noar Hill and the 3-4 BH males I eventually found today are looking more worn by the day. They are not very easy to spot as they are often low down and seeking shade under some plant even whilst taking nectar. It really is hard in this heat scouring every plant for a sighting - they can be quite well hidden! I found one on that Purple plant that is all over (wild marjoram?) which is a first for me. I still haven't seen any more females so it will be interesting to have a good look round there after the predicted thunder storms when the air is a bit fresher.

Lovely shots Pauline, one I'm looking forward to seeing in the near future Goldie

Looks like a betulae fest, Pauline.

Nice combo with the Small Copper. Haven't seen that before.

Hopefully there'll be more Cloudies in the autumn if numbers are picking up in the first half of August.

Cheers M. If you haven't seen one before you come down here I shall make it my personal mission to make sure you do

David M wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:25 am Looks like a betulae fest, Pauline

You wouldn't believe how hard it has been David. Hope the females (when they decide to show themselves) are not as difficult!


Well, the storm has finally arrived - and how swift. The sky darkened and before I had time to bring in the garden cushions I was being pelted with huge hailstones, a gale had sprung from nowhere and loud thunder. By the time I shut the animals away I was soaked to the skin and couldn't see with all the water and sunscreen in my eyes. Just as well I paid a brief visit to check up on my CB larva this morning. I was delighted to see that since my last visit, less than a week ago, there has been a population explosion of SSS. there must have been about 2-3 dozen and that is the most I can remember for very many years. How easy it was to get shots of them instead of trying to keep track of the odd 2 or 3. They were almost presenting themselves to be photographed. In the end I just stopped photographing them and just stood and watched them I easily saw 4 females as I was monitoring them in different locations for about 20 mins. I think they had just emerged. I'll be back shortly to watch the egg-laying.

Cracking set of Silver Spots Pauline - love the final shot in particular - are they just about to tuck in or is that the equivalent of a hot towel and mint?
"Not at all Wurzel. They're proving to be really hard work at Noar Hill this season"...Should have gone to Shipton Sorry I couldn't resist that pop culture reference ...in my previous comment I just meant that numbers wise they seem to have picked up a little bit as earlier (much earlier) some were voicing concerns

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I'm so glad your SSS appear to be thriving, Pauline. Let's hope the hailstones didn't harm them too much.

It'll be interesting to see how many female Brown Hairstreaks present themselves this year after a poor showing in 2019. I'll be checking out the Pembrokeshire colony towards the end of the month. Last year I saw just 4 in three visits which was a record low.

Cheers Wurzel - I almost feel a sense of responsibility for the future of this little colony so I am delighted at the numbers. How and why they have suddenly increased I have no idea.

I've just looked back at my diary for last year David and it was from about now until the end of the month that I saw the most female BH. I decided to have a quick look up Noar Hill between the thunderstorms. There were quite a lot of folk there and for the most part they all said the same thing - 'no, they hadn't seen anything, but the butterflies don't like it in this weather, do they?' I just smiled and nodded whilst thinking 'really?!' It was the summer of 2012 that I learned differently. The interesting things I saw today were 3 female Clouded Yellow (tho' I only managed record shots of 2 of them), an absolutely beautiful, pristine Painted Lady and 4 male Brown Hairstreaks:
The weather really hadn't slowed them down much at all hence just 'proof of sighting'.
Sadly, the 4 BH eggs that I found recently have disappeared. There were a few of these repulsive creatures on the branches where they had been. I don't know what they are but could they have eaten the eggs?
I did manage to find another one - but just the one. I wonder how long that will survive.
I was pleased to find some Ladies Autumn Tresses on the way back:
Back home, one of 'my' Brimstones (1M, 3F) was taking shelter from the storm:

Interesting to see a dozen or so SSS still active early evening, long after the Chalkhills had gone to roost. Even more interesting was watching them go to roost which for the most part seemed to be up in the trees . Do they do this on other sites? I had always imagined for some reason that they would roost low down in the grass or in nooks and crannies (just an assumption not based on anything in particular). It might explain why I have been unable to find/disturb any when visiting the site really early in the morning ?

Cracking shots Pauline Interesting observations of their roosting habits which would explain why they can suddenly just appear after you've been onsite for a while

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

Cheers Wurzel - I don't know if they roost high up elsewhere but it would be interesting to find out. On this site there are Dukes which are referred to as 'woodland Dukes' and they too roost in trees. It occurred to me that given the overgrown environment here perhaps the SSS were adapting in a similar manner .........?

I wish I had practised open-winged shots. If I had, I might have got some reasonable results when I saw this Small Heath recently, repeatedly flicking its wings fully open whilst nectaring. As it was, this was the best I could do :
After the event, with time to sit and think about it, I knew what I should have done I suppose I could always have tried Sports Mode! I have seen a Small Heath do this only once before a few years ago. Before it happens again, I shall make sure I am better prepared!

Slightly better (imo) are a few Small Copper shots from Noar Hill whilst searching out BH:

Lovely Small Coppers Pauline Dave and I have both witnessed that behaviour before, I don't know whether it's because they've gotten something caught between the wings or whether they're a bit skittish whatever the reason it always makes me reach for Sport Mode too the trick is remembering to readjust your settings again after Something I always forget to do

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

I haven't yet tried the sports mode on my camera Wurzel but I certainly shall. I usually just increase the aperture to get a faster shutter speed and bang up the ISO if there is not enough light. Hope that's right!

With the weather being what it is I decided to look through some of my past photos with a view to culling many of them. I came across this shot which I took in 2007 at OWH. I have it labelled as an Adonis Ab Semiceronus. I am sure way back then I would not have been able to work that out myself but can't remember who provided the ID. Looking at it now I am not even sure whether it is an Adonis or Chalkhill I'd appreciate it if someone could clarify please?

With regard to Silver-spots roosting in trees, down at Denbies the other day the sun was in while I was on a bit of hillside where I knew they'd be flying. When it came out, I saw several Silver-spots descend to the flowers from hawthorn/blackthorn scrub at the base of the slope. I've also found one or two sitting in hawthorn scrub in cloudy weather at Aston Rowant.

As Wurzel mentioned, I have once or twice managed to "freeze" a Small Heath as it flicked its wings. They sometimes do this to a greater or lesser extent when nectaring for some reason, and it seems to be peculiar to individuals. Some do it, some don't. I have captured this behaviour using the "burst" mode on my camera (up to ten shots in rapid succession) with as fast a shutter speed as I can with whatever light there is. If that sounds a bit haphazard - it is! The technique works well when getting shots of open winged Wood Whites and Brimstones (both very bright butterflies) and my best attempts with Small Heaths were in bright sunshine.

Now, your female blue - the patterning of the blue scaling is very similar to one or two blue female Chalkhills I have seen (including a stunning example Neil Freeman posted in my diary recently by way of example) Subtracting for the slight overall greenish cast there is in your photo, you might end up with a more Chalkhill, less Adonis colour. Either way, it must have been a stunning individual.

Cheers,

Dave