Trevor

[trevor]

Thanks Mike. It seems BH like warmth but not intense heat!.

Having established that Tilshead would be worth an early morning visit I arrived there at 6.45.
Fortunately the air was still fairly cool, and the only active butterflies were Meadow Browns.
Searching the many grass stems for roosting Blues was easy and up to a point I was able to
select the best specimens to wait by for the ' wake up '. I was disappointed not to be able
to find any Adonis Blues having seen some flying the previous afternoon.
I did however manage to photograph male and female Common Blue, Brown Argus,
both sexes of Chalkhill Blue and finally a female Wall Brown which fortunately settled
on a tree trunk. The time by now was 8.45 and getting very warm. Time to head back to Sussex.

Trevor.

[Wurzel]

It was a cracking (if sweltering) day Trevor. I took another visit there on Wednesday and it was even worse and the butterflies were either flighty as heck or hiding away in the shade. Hopefully things will get back to normal next week Cracking set of shots from Tilshead captured in that wonderful golden morning glow I've already put next year in the diary

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Wow, that was a real early start, Trevor, but you got your rewards. You can tell they were just waking up by the fact that almost all of them are facing downwards.

I think I'll have a 7.30am start tomorrow and see how it goes.

[essexbuzzard]

Agreed. That’s dedication for you! But your early start paid dividends, well done.

[trevor]

Many thanks, Wurzel, David & Mark. I prefer an early start at this time of year.

Yesterday, with family coming to stay, I only had a short window to get out.
So I chose Herstmonceux Castle. The gardens have really suffered from the lack of rain,
and a much reduced butterfly population as a result. No Small Torts, Peacocks, and most
worrying no Small Coppers. The only species frequently seen was the Comma, followed
by Red Admirals and ' Whites '.

Apparently it might rain today ( Just when I have three kiddies to entertain! ).
Trevor.

[Katrina]

Sorry to hear the gardens have suffered.
Hornets were there last time I was too chasing the butterflies round the buddleia.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Painted Lady Trevor We had a bit of the wet stuff yesterday Trevor and much needed it was but hopefully it didn't curtail your planned activities?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

Thanks Katrina,
We had a lot of rain yesterday so hopefully the gardens will perk up.
Might see you and the other suspects at the top of a certain hill soon.

Cheers Wurzel.
We had two deluges yesterday, so much that my large water butt was filled
from empty to overflowing in under an hour.

[David M]

Hopefully now you'll have had a bit of rain, Trevor. You've still been seeing some good stuff during the dry period, especially that hummingbird hawk moth - good luck to any hornet that wants to catch one of those!

[trevor]

Thanks David. HBM are frequently seen around here at the moment.

Today it all went wrong !!.

This morning I left home under a blue sky with some fluffy white cloud. By the time I reached Brighton
I was greeted by complete grey gloom, and worse it started to drizzle. The only butterfly I saw was a Small Heath.
Back in the car, driving along the A27 the sun came out, so I headed for Bo Peep, up on the Downs.
Here the grey gloom/sea mist reasserted itself and all I saw was a couple of female Adonis and Chalkhill Blues.
Fortunately a male Wall Brown was seen before it started to drizzle again.

Trevor.

[trevor]

Two from my garden today.

[Katrina]

Nice Hummingbird Hawk moth - seems to be a good year for them

[trevor]

Thanks Katrina, there was a choice of two HBHM on that bush.
I seem to see one or two most days at the moment.
I struggle to get a sharp image of them with my camera.

Trevor.

[trevor]

This morning I got up at 5 to enjoy the thunderstorm, a certain law ensured that it past
Hailsham to the West, heading North, and missed us. A morning of steady rain was great,
but prevented an am start for butterflying.
With a resonably fine afternoon I went over to Herstmonceux Castle. Here there were
hundreds of fresh Large Whites, but I only saw four Vanessids, two fresh Painted Ladies
and two fresh Peacocks. Only a handful of Small Coppers were found, together with a
solitary fresh Brown Argus.
Moths included what I am sure was a Mint Moth, and some almost expected Hummingbird
Hawkmoths, once again these were being harassed by Hornets.

[Goldie M]

Great shots Trevor of the Humming Bird Hawk Moth, they seem to have had a great year, your shots of the Common Blue though are fantastic Goldie

[trevor]

Thanks Goldie. I see you are reaping the benefits of Kent, lovely Adonis shots.

Whitehawk Hill today and the wrong kind of Blue.
I was amazed to see at least five Common Blues showing great interest in BLEP flowers.
Their behaviour on the flowers similar to the LTB as well. After landing they would walk
under the flower and emerge after a short while and bask open wing before taking off.

[bugboy]

That first blue looks suspiciously like a female Brown Argus

Good to bump into this afternoon. Not sure if you want to know but a reasonably fresh female LTB showed up and posed beautifully after you'd gone...

[trevor]

That sounds about right Paul ! / Still an enjoyable day, good to catch up.

Take care,
Trevor.

[trevor]

The Long Tailed Blues did eventually put in an appearance yesterday after a two hour lull.
They varied in condition from reasonable to barely recognisable, no fresh ones were seen.
One specimen was so worn that Paul Atkin ( bugboy ) re-named it as a Long Tailed Grey!.
For a short while activity was hectic, but landings on pea flowers were brief, we were
lucky later on when two specimens landed on foliage to bask open wing.
It was good to have the company, at different times, of Steve Kirtley from County Durham,
Martin Buck, and our own Bugboy.

[Wurzel]

That cute little moth is a Mint Moff Trevor
Here are a few for the LTB - I've not seen a UK one yet but I'd like to see one in Dorset to be honest Maybe when I go to Southbourne for the Cloudy?
By the way have you developed a way of travelling through wormholes as when I was in North Wales last week you were both in Sussex and also only a mile away

Have a goodun

Wurzel