Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I don't even like Chianti and I've never tried fava beans Dave I reckon that the Ringlet had definitely gotten the wrong end of the stick

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

November 2019

All trick-or-treated out I'm left wondering if, rather than when, I'll see another butterfly now Still at least I've got plenty of summer reports to look back on Won't be long now til the Easter Eggs are in the shops

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Bentley Wood 14-07-2019

After the constant grey the day before I awoke, unsurprisingly, to a lighter sky with blue sky poking through. As the morning progressed and I got stuck into all of the chores which I could have done yesterday the weather got better and better and the sunny spells grew longer and longer. The weather forecast had drastically changed from first thing as well and while I sorted the rubbish and recycling the sun burnt through my T-shirt and the sweat beads prickled on my forehead I resolved to try my luck for a final time at Bentley.

Once on site I started off down the track chatting on the way with a couple that had left the car park at the same time as me. It was surprisingly quiet on the way down the main track with only the occasional Purple Hairstreak flitting up high and a Red Admiral dipping in out of view as it flew amid the fronds of the Bracken. Down at the Crossroads I turned left and made my way towards Donkey Copse again employing the shambling crook necked gait for Purple Emperor searching. The usual species criss-crossed the track or flew along the wood margins on the journey down including a few Silver-washed and a couple of Peacocks which brightened up the palette of browns and sandy gold colours which are prevalent in mid-summer. At the corner I ignored the grassed left hand track and hung about chatting with a fellow enthusiast who had set up shop here. As we chatted a bat like butterfly flew by, it did a couple of circuits around eventually veering off high in the canopy from whence it didn’t return. There was a similar story at Donkey Copse itself when I reached there – another enthusiast, some more chat but this time no Purple Emperor.

I carried on to the end and while I wandered the trackway as it became enclosed by the overhanging trees two things happened. First I realised that I’d not taken a single shot the whole time I’d been in the Wood and second I spied an odd looking Silver-washed. As I set to rectify my lack of shots I discovered why the Silver-washed looked so odd – half of its hind wing was missing. So as it perched and fed instead of the minty looking shark fin it was a mismatch of part minty part speckled orange.

The final stretch of the track was much livelier with a Red Admiral and two Peacocks down on the deck, Silver-washed on either side of the track and a multitude of browns taking up most of the available perch spaces. At the far end I looked through the small tunnel of trees out to the pasture beyond and then I turned about to start back. As I did a little silver butterfly detached itself from somewhere above me and fluttered down alighting on the fronds of Bracken. It was a cracking looking Purple Hairstreak. I spent some time with it as it sat looking glorious in the sun. As it shifted position I was able to watch it change colour from a light beige through to silvery grey and I also saw small orange markings on the rear end of the fore wing; markings that I wasn’t aware of before. Also while shifting position it flicked its proboscis out as if scenting or more correctly, tasting, the air. After a few steps and various tongue wagging it seemed to find what it was looking for – a bit of bird dropping which it started to take salts from. It was brilliant and more than made up for the lack of shots of His Nibbs.

Hhhmmm that looks good...

Almost there...

Almost there...

Yum!

The journey back to Donkey Copse was filled with pretty much similar fare as the journey from though it was nice to find a pair of Hedgies posing for a photo. Back at the Copse the pair of chaps I’d met earlier were both waiting and staring up so I settled down and waited here for a bit. Purps kept fluttering about up high and there were various Silver-washed, the odd Peacock and an interesting looking Meadow Brown as well as a Hutch to stave away the boredom of staring into the trees looking for any movement.

Eventually we decide to try back on the corner to see if His Nibbs has decided to play ball and so having become a group of four with another chap joining us, we start off. We hadn’t gone far when a PE flies high, the striped markings and bat like shape making it stand out from the smaller, thinner winged White Admiral that was also scything through the air nearby. After a couple of fly-bys he disappears off further into the wood along a ride that had the look of having been forgotten. Back at the corner as I’m enjoying the 2 Peacocks and Silver-washed that were bedecking the log pile the group fragments; the late comer heads off, his first Purple Emperor seen, the original well met bloke to departs for the car park to brew up some fresh coffee leaving myself and contestant number 2 scanning the canopy and awaiting another possible appearance of His Nibbs. Shortly this occurred with the butterfly again stubbornly remaining up high. The frustration was starting to wash off on the other butterflies as well I felt as a Purp drifts down and lands too far away for my lens in the middle of a Bramble.

I say my goodbyes and start the walk back stopping now and then for this and that including a Small Skipper and another Purp down. This one partially opened up but the light could only manage to catch a single purple scale showing up as a blue dot on the forewing. At one point I thought that my luck had finally changed but the butterfly that landed down on the deck was too dark and turned out to be a Peacock. So all too soon I was back, in the car and heading for home…

So not a vintage year – yes I saw them but it would be better if the weather reports were more accurate…Last weekend the Saturday was supposed to be the worst day and was perfect but I couldn’t go and Sunday was supposed to be perfect but was cloudy all day! Then this weekend I went on Saturday and they got it right – as it clouded over at exactly the time they said it would curtailing activities and then today it was supposed to be cloudy all day only it wasn’t - it was fantastic! I came away having discussed a few methods to ensure some grounded Emperor shots including:

1. Set up camp on a stretch of the main car park and remain until my memory card is full.

2. Drag along a complete novice that has no interest in butterflies whatsoever, in fact someone that has never even heard of a Purple Emperor, and then send them down the track a few paces ahead of me. Then when His Nibbs visits them I can nip and clickity click job done!

3. Give up on Bentley and replace one of my other big trips with one to Botany Bay instead!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

A fascinating account from Bentley, Wurzel - but unfortunately very frustrating it sounded as well! You'd always be very welcome at Chiddingfold, certainly - though even there results are often achieved only by visiting on a daily basis! We did have a solid week of decent weather this year, it has to be said. With luck you'll get to see some Wood Whites as well as all the usual suspects.

Cheers,

Dave

[trevor]

At least you had some purple action of the mini variety.
Locally and in other parts of Sussex I had a fabulous time with the Purple Hairstreak this year.

As Dave mentioned, forget the rest, and come to the best for His Majesty, and join
in the Chiddingfold party next year.

All the best,
Trevor.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, you must have been really hungry that day That's the best laugh I've had for a while

I didn't see too many Green Veined White in my Garden this year which is unusual, I thought it was just a round here they seemed scarce but if you you didn't see too many either they mustn't have had a good year.

More lovely shots Wurzel, keep posting Goldie

[jenks]

Great account and photos of your day at Bentley Wood, Wurzel. I looked back at my own 2019 records and found that I was there on 19 July so just a few days after you. (One of the advantages of being retired, I can plan trips on a weekday ! ) My sightings were pretty much the same as yours but no White Admirals were seen. My notes showed, in order of first appearance; Ringlet c50, Gatekeeper 25, Red Admiral 8, Purple Hairstreak 30-40, Small White 10, Small Skipper 14-15, Peacock 9-10, Large Skipper 6, Silver washed Fritillary c100 (including 1 valezina ssp), Meadow Brown 30, Large White 6, Purple Emperor 1 (over the tops of Willows at Donkey Copse), Marbled White 25-30, mostly in the meadow from the copse to the pond, Common Blue 2 here, Brimstone 1. Odonata included Emperor, Migrant Hawker,Broad bodied Chaser, Ruddy Darter, Common Blue and Azure Damselflies. Birds included Garden Warbler, Yellowhammer,Buzzard, Red Kite and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
So a good day for me but I had to wait until 25 July to see my first, and only, White Admiral for the year in Slade Wood near Caldicot.

Jenks.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave If I went to Chiddingfold I'd still have to do at least one visit to Bentley; it's a tradition or an old charter or something
Cheers Trevor I reckon 2020 will be the year when I try somewhere new for His Nibbs
Cheers Goldie It was all that walking and searching in vain, it means you work up an appetite Yep Green-veined Whites did't have a good year from my perspective, hopefully they'll bounce back
Cheers Jenks Although you didn't get the WA those are great numbers for the Silver-washed - god to see you got a Valesina too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Godshill 20-07-2019

Time is heading ever forwards and so it’s time to move away from the Woods and before traversing the Downs and hiking the Hedgerows I took a ramble on the Heath in search of my first (and possibly only) Grayling. After two weeks of nonsense weather forecasts today I went back to the tried and tested “have a walk round town and see what I reckon”. My meteorological meanderings complete I thought that it would probably be okay and so after lunch I checked in with the Oracle and with a positive endorsement set off with Iron Maiden blaring, Killers natch…As I pulled up in the car park the eponymous track had just finished and I was psyched and ready so I didn’t mind that there was as single strand of dark cloud sitting exactly over the spot I was heading to. I started off walking round the boundary of the cricket pitch before reaching the path that runs down the hill and crosses the stream.

On the way there were good numbers of Meadow Browns and Hedgies galore, some of which were almost the same size as the Meadow Browns but were distinguishable by their Ginger Nut biscuit colour n the fact that they would land on the Gorse rather than down on the ground. A Red Admiral shot past so fast and close that it almost took my hat off and then I saw my first Grayling. At least I thought I had. That’s the thing with butterflying, at the end of the season you package away and store the knowledge for next year and sometimes you forget where you stored so when you encounter a species for the first time there’s a bit of re-learning to do! In this case though I could be excused for my early misidentification as the butterfly even on the ground didn’t look like a Meadow Brown. I’ve seen blonde through to almost black Meadow Browns but they always appeared Brown, this one appeared Grey and this was accentuated by having white flashes on the forewings rather than orange. It could have just been down to age but the butterfly itself was in really god nick with none of the expected tears or rips it should have owned after spending more than a week in the Gorse and Heather.

Slightly further down the hill 2 aged Silver-studs, both males tussled tirelessly with each other and after I crossed the stream I started seeing Small Heath and golden Skippers as the Bracken yielded to the low, fresh Heather growth. I carried on up the slight rise to the main Hotspot track and once there I walked about a bit and there something different flew amid the Meadow Browns and Hedgies. It looked slightly larger than the Meadow Browns, I got the impression of a dark body and creamy edges to the wings plus it flew more strongly and threw in the occasional glide – my first Grayling. I managed to follow it and eventually it landed so I was able to get a few shots. At first I thought that it was ‘blind’ but as I crawled in closer I could see that the ‘eye’ was there just much reduced and it had been obscured by the wing tip which was bent over.

After watching it land a couple of times I left it in peace and made my way round to the large patch of Heather on the other side of the final side of the triangle. I saw my Graylings here last year and so I was wondering if they move from patch to patch every couple of years in line with the growth cycle of the Heather? Before I could look for any Grayling here however I had a Small Heath vying for my attention. It was quite large and much more sandy coloured than I recall and it was also doing the wing flicking that I observed last year.

Back on the Grayling search I was more than happy with my findings as there were at least three flying about in this little area. Each time I saw two interact my hopes were raised that they might enter into courtship but they were always dashed as after a brief ‘tussle’ the pair would break apart and head off in different ways. I consoled myself with stalking but it was proving difficult here. The land is pretty flat and I reasoned that even with the most cautious stalk my 6ft frame was sticking up too clearly against the horizon. In the end I took to 'walking' on my knees to get in closer for some shots and this worked out pretty well even though I made much more noise and kerfuffle...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Next year I think I'll adopt your weather forecasting technique, can't be any worse than the 'experts'! I'd say that Meadow Brown looks good to be an ab

[Wurzel]

Cheers Bugboy It was good to get the confirmation - now I'll have to try and work out if this particular ab. has a name I think I need to patent my 'Wurzel's Wonderous Wandering Weather Working-out Way'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Godshill 20-07-2019

With damp knees I set off back to the Hotspot track and reacquainted myself with the original Grayling before continuing upstream a bit more. In one of the dried out stretches another two Silver-studs flew, again both were male and one was in very fine fettle for this late in the season with the wing margins totally intact and glowing out against the contrasting dark edges to the wings.

After this I decided to start making my way back. I took a slight detour away from the track onto the slight hill with the intention of walking back and stopping only for any Grayling that appeared. However this proved to be quite problematic as there were at least 8 Grayling flying in this little area, veering violently around the taller clumps of heather. I didn’t know quite which one to go for and again a few ‘click-steps’ and the butterfly that had been sitting so sedately was gone, cutting powerfully through the air and the gliding a short way with an envy inducing joie de vivre. At one point there were three in one view, a manic flutter and glide fest and something that was great to watch though left me feeling slightly giddy! I tried for a few shots but to be honest I was just enjoying the show.

I reluctantly dragged myself away and quickened my pace so as not to get distracted. As is always the way just as you’re heading home in earnest something pops up to drag you back in. On this occasion it was a massive Grayling which swiftly became a pair in cop and another addition to my ‘In Cop’ collection. Brilliant! Once again I set off and once again I got pulled back in this time for an Emperor Dragonfly laying eggs in the small pools that are all that remain of the stream. This could be one of the few shots that I have of a Dragonfly where I haven’t had to rely on ‘Sports’ mode! Then there was a final Grayling on the side of the hill in pretty much the same place as my last one from 2018. At this rate I didn’t think I’d ever make to the car, I had visions of some unfortunate hiker finding my mummified form stooped over a bit of branch which at one time held a Grayling LOL.

It was great to see Graylings again and even better was the fact that they were in greater numbers than last year. A fantastic afternoon!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

A splendidly evocative account, Wurzel. Graylings are very good value, always entertaining - I could watch them for hours. Well done on adding the pairing to your collection - whenever I find this, I always think "why wasn't I here in time to see them courting?" and have the chance to see a few flashes of the colourful uppersides.

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, that's a cracking shot of the Dragon fly the colour's really stand out, I like the Grayling shots as well but that Dragon fly
is super and laying eggs as well Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Just catching up again Wurzel, cracking reports and photos recently

That is a particularly pale looking Meadow Brown you found but I couldn't help but notice the one in your earlier report from Bentley Wood with the extra orange on the hindwings. It's become a bit of of a thing of mine looking for Meadow Browns like this since I first started noticing them a few years back.

Cheers,

Neil.

[trevor]

You had a good time with the Graylings, Wurzel. Especially like the mating pair shot.
Your Emperor dragonfly shot is amazing with a perfect reflection in the water.

Well worth damp knees!.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I was thinking that as well; I'd love to see the courtship or maybe a rejection but then it's always good to save something for another year
Cheers Goldie I got lucky with that Dragonfly shot as it suddenly just dropped down next to me, normally they just fly past at breakneck speed
Cheers Neil I would branch out into Meadow Browns but I seem to spend so much time on Hedge Browns - I see spots everywhere
Cheers Trevor It certainly was worth the damp knees - it would be good if the dampness got rid of the creaking which I'm sure scares away the butterflies half the time

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Shipton Bellinger 25-07-2019

So I’d finally made it – another year done; books marked, detentions ran, GCSE’s prepared for and to top it all a visit from The Evil That Walks With a Clipboard/iPad’ – OfSTED! So with an extra half day to spare I took the back way home and called in at Shipton. I pulled up in the little break in the main Hedge and as I left the darkness of the shade it became achingly hot. This didn’t bode well and so I set off down the main stretch of the Hedge already building it up in my mind as just a recce. All the fluttering or zipping orange blurs became Hedgies or Meadow Browns. There were a couple of Peacocks and an absolute shed load of Brimstones. The return journey held the same species but with Holly Blues, Common Blues and a single Comma joining the fray. It wasn’t looking good and he butterflies were either flying at ridiculous speeds or were hiding away further back in the Hedge amid the shade.

I carried on up the hill and where the track widens a Red Admiral flew across and a couple of Specklies played at the top of the hill. There were also plenty of the ubiquitous Brimstones – though no Walls yet this year. Further on still I shifted my gaze more upwards, scanning for little orange triangles that I was hoping to see grinning back down at me. No joy though. When I came out to the first little break a DGF buzzed by, a few Common Blues played and a Marbled White clung to its existence with all four ‘pods’.

At the next stop I was hoping to find what I’d come to see but after several careful scans and a count of all the butterflies present I only had a Peacock, Marbled White, 3 Meadow Browns, 2 Hedgies but still no Brostreak and strangely not one Brimstone either. After the return journey I cut across through the Blackthorn thickets and checked out the old trackway and ‘double hedge’ but this proved ridiculously quiet with only a single Red Admiral worth noting.

So all in all not the start to the holiday I was hoping for. It would have been nice to have picked up a Brostreak on the first day of the holiday but they had only just started emerging at Alners Gorse anyway with fingers crossed that the weather would play ball and I could get some after my foreign trip I headed for home and a much deserved beer.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Martin Down 26-07-2019

When I visit Martin Down I often start the season with walking along the Sillen’s Lane end trackway towards the hotspot. After this I seem to alternate between this approach and reaching the hotspot by working the length Dyke from the main car park. However once a year I do like to make the hike to the top of the Down itself so that was where I set out for today. I was hoping to find some Silver Spots at the bottom of the slope and Chalkhills were also on my radar what with not having any tutor sessions at Laverstock to rely on for this species.

As I set out on the diagonal path heading towards the foot of the Down unsurprisingly Hedgies flew along the hedges and Meadow Browns dominated the meadows…well fields. Also present was a lovely fresh Painted Lady that cut an imposing figure amongst the sea of beige and there was also a sultry looking DGF still looking good at this later stage of their flight. A second and third DGF both played silly buggers further on my journey. They flew towards me after appearing in the distance on my left then upon reaching me they landed and appeared to settle for some nectar only to move off again into an area fenced off with electric fence.

By now my faltering meanderings had brought me to the foot of the Down where the soil is thin and sparsely covered. With the scrapes and bare chalk exposed along with the lack of plant cover the ground here seems to soak up the heat and so I wasn’t surprised to see so many butterflies; Small Whites, numerous Smessex, some lovely Brown Argus and Small Copper also a couple of DGFs announced themselves on my first trip along the bottom of the Down. There were also a couple of deer which eventually (after trying to stare me down) decided that common sense is the better part of valour and sprung away. One mistimed their leap over the electric fence and came a bit of a cropper – doing a less than graceful roly-poly into the neighbouring field.

The walk back produced more of the same, in fact probably THE same butterflies but a few Brimstones, Marbs and Common Blues along with a cracking Small Copper added novel interest. Unfortunately though there was a distinct lack of Silver Spots –the species I was hoping for here in particular.

I then took one of the little trackways and scaled half way up the Down locating a track that ran across the side and would hopefully link with another that would take me to the very top. As I set off I felt like I was being watched and there silhouetted further up the slope was a Hare; it was massive compared to the Rabbits I’d seen earlier, at least twice the size.

I stuck to the path and Browns erupted everywhere, Smessex zipped here and there and everywhere. In fact there was a plethora of butterflies, so many I gave up photographing and just enjoyed watching them take off and fly. A Small Copper here, Common Blue there, multitudes of Brown Argus and good numbers of DGF. It was fabulous! What wasn’t quite so fabulous was that my path stopped abruptly as it dove down into and then probably under a large tangle of Bramble and other shrubbery. A startled deer raised its head, watched me and then once it had worked out that standing still didn’t actually make it invisible, tore off down the Down. I carried on picking my way round various clumps of vegetation and trying to pick up a track whilst noting the same species I had already encountered. It wasn’t until the very top that I got onto a proper path again.

At the top I took in the view and tried to get my breath back from both the ascent and also from trying to follow a DGF. As I turned to walk back down along the Dyke I spied a ghostly silver blue butterfly – a Chalkhill. It was swiftly joined by a second and then a third. It was good that they were about but now for the hard part, trying to actually get some shots of them! They were a right pain flying incessantly from flower tip to flower tip and when they did alight it was for a very short period and generally on a flimsy flower so that the slightest breeze had them rocking back and forth manically.

I realised my trip across the side of the Down had cost me time wise so now I had to rush down along the Dyke f I was to have any time at the hotspot. On the way it was quite quiet luckily and so I managed to get to the bottom of the slope without too many distractions. I checked out the little part of the Dyke that’s like a cul-de-sac, closed off by the path that runs to the wood. It was rich in flowers and the slope on one side and the tall shrubs/small trees at the end sheltered it from the wind. This seemed like as good a place as any to try for some shots. There were indeed a few Chalkhills about amid the chaos of Common Blues and Brown Argus. I’m still surprised at how vicious and cantankerous BA's are. As was the way today it seemed, there was another DGF, they seem to be having a good flight here even though I missed the main part of it.

By now the top of the glass was almost out of sand grains so I had to hotfoot it back to the car. A Small Copper waylaid me momentarily but as I was cutting it so fine the final Red Admiral merely got a hurried glance and a rushed mark in the notebook. Hopefully I’ll be back when I have more time after my forthcoming trip to Portugal.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Oxford 11-08-2019

Each year friends of ours come down from ‘Oop North’ where allegedly ‘It’s grim’ to house sit over the summer holidays. This in the past has meant a palatial manor house in Sussex surrounded with woodlands and its own stone circle but this year they returned to the Cellists house in a small village in Oxford. It’s a ramshackle old building, a converted forge, with some rooms only accessible by ladder, a toilet with access to the stairs, a bath in kitchen and a rambling garden out back.

After some coffee on our arrival I ventured out to the garden to see what I could find in the tumbling flower beds. It was surprisingly active and I’d only expected to find the odd white and maybe a Hedgie but instead there where whites falling over each other and a multitude of Hedgies, at least 9or 10 which in a 6 metre stretch of flower bed isn’t to be sneezed at. Having done my survey I set to walking up and down the flower bed stopping every few stops as something else caught my eye or dropped from the air in front of me. After 10 minutes I’d racked up the full complement of Hedgies, seen both a Comma and a Small Tort bomb by and managed to capture a couple of the Whites (all Small though I did see at least 1 Large and 2 Green-veined) on ‘memory card’.

After lunch we loaded up and the wagons rolled. Our hosts had mentioned a walk on the Downs which might hold good numbers of butterflies and so as I followed them I wondered if they could possibly mean Ashton Rowant. This would have been fantastic news as I knew that the Silver Spots were flying and I’d yet to see them in 2019. With an added frisson of excitement I put pedal to the metal. My hopes were confirmed later when up ahead I could see a Brown traffic sign announcing the very place I was looking forward to going! Only we carried on driving and a short time later pulled into a wood – apparently the car park would have been too busy and so we’d come to Cowley Copse instead. Never mind I hoped to notch up a few more butterflies in the wood. Only that didn’t come to pass as the sun went in and the wind picked up and it became cooler. The only thing I saw was a distant Painted Lady and two Meadow Browns of which only one hung around for a photo.

Back at the house and with more coffee and now cake I consoled myself with a Comma before getting back to the ‘visiting friends’ mode. Still as I drove home I wondered at what could have been.

Have a goodun

Wurzel