Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil WRT to LAC I've got 2 daughters so something to look forward too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Five Rivers

In between my little sojourn to Godshill for Graylings I also managed to check out some butterfly activity in the garden and at my local patch, Five Rivers.
For about the last week the small bit of old concrete path running up the garden has attracted butterflies for basking. It’s had a Red Admiral, Comma, a Small Tortoiseshell as well as a Peacock which I haven’t been able to capture on “film”. So when I was getting ready to head out to Godshill and I noticed a Peacock fluttering about I nipped out and got a few shots of it with its’ back to me. It refused to open up so I gave up and headed off to Godshill...

Once back from Godshill I dropped my wife and daughters off at the local swimming baths and returned home to get the dinner ready. I finished earlier than expected so I thought that I might be able to squeeze in an extra half hour at Five Rivers before picking everyone up? Just as I was locking up the back door I noticed the Peacock return and land on the side of the fence. So again I grabbed my camera and headed out and this time it was a lot more accommodating.

So with a flourish I set off to Five Rivers noting a Holly Blue on the journey along with a couple of Whites. The first placed I checked out was the small patch where I‘d found the communal roost of Skippers on my last visit but this area was barren. As I made my way up to the banks there were Meadow Browns, the odd Marbled White still and Hedge Browns , surprisingly, along the hedges. There were also good numbers of Skippers though some are really looking worn. With one individual looking almost bald on top!

It was not only the Skippers that were looking tired as I found a worn Hedge Brown that was having difficulty in flying as it had lost the whole of its’ hind and half of its’ fore wing.

Some butterflies were still looking nice and tidy with the odd Smessex looking okay and the most pristine of the bunch was a fresh Common Blue male. However that said it kinda feels like it’s “out with the old and in with the new” at the moment and I’m looking forward to some fresh second brood butterflies.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[ChrisC]

"I’m looking forward to some fresh second brood butterflies." amen to that.

CHris

[Debbie]

Great to catch up with your diary Wurzel and some lovely pictures to. Debbie

[Wurzel]

Cheers Debbie I'm looking forward to your next installment.

It's surprising how behind you can get after just one night away so again (as so often this year) I'm playing catch up...

Martin Down

Earlier in the week my younger daughter asked to go to Martin Down so how could I refuse? When I suggested that we should go on Friday morning she was packed and ready and waiting by the front door before I’d even had a chance to have my first sip of coffee. In fact she was so keen that we arrived at Sillens Lane before 9am. We had a quick look around the car park area before setting off towards Hanham Hill.

On the way there was the odd Meadow Brown and Smessex, a few whites skipped by while Hedge Browns defended their territories from anything that moved. We stopped briefly at the top of the low rise to have a chat with another butterflier who was also out and about and then continued on. As we cut across the meadow to Hanham more and more butterflies were appearing almost as of they were awakening for another busy day.
Once at the foot of Hanham Hill we set up camp on the spongy turf. While I strolled about my little girl ate her sweets and chatted to the fairies that she’d met. Along the edge I checked for Silver Spotted Skippers just in case but I wasn’t too concerned at not seeing this early as although it was warm I didn’t think it was warm enough for them yet, also I was heading over to Stockbridge that afternoon so I should catch up with them there.
About half way along the foot of the hill there is a small area of scrub with taller vegetation; an oasis almost amongst the close cropped turf and bare chalk. This was the main hotspot and we visited it a couple of times whilst we remained here.

The first time there was a Hedge Brown, 3 Meadow Browns, a Smessex and 2 Small Copper all nectaring in an area that couldn’t have taken up more than a metre and a half square. The Coppers were really fresh and their wings flashed golden in the sun. At one point they seemed to share a tender moment, perched on the same leaf with for wingtips touching before the male buggered off. Perhaps his intended wasn’t a pure as he’d thought or perhaps he was just a cad!

During a patrol along the base of the hill I also found a few Chalkhills (2 males and a female)which were being hassled by a male Common Blue. My daughter then moved camp to the scrub oasis and we sat and wait for the butterflies to visit us. As well as the usual browns, a Peacock, 2 DGFs (well worn), a couple of fly-by Chalkhills we also found 2 female Common Blues - neither of which could have been mistaken for Brown Argus, in fact one was almost as blue as a male.

But the real stars of the show where the pair of Small Coppers who were absolutely stunning. I was rather worried back along having only seen 2 (on the same day) over the whole spring but now I’ve encountered 7 or 8 in 4 different locations I’m a lot happier now about this species prospects. Just as we were setting off back a Brown Argus did a quick fly-by, stopping for a brief altercation with a Smessex.

So we headed homewards stopping every now and then so my little girl could have a breather. When we did we would be surrounded by Meadow Browns, Chalkhills and the odd Common Blue.

Slightly tired looking?

Almost back at the car the blues were replaced by whites and a stunning male Brimstone. So after a glorious morning we trundled out of the car park and I was most chuffed with what a little trooper my little girl had been.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Splendid Copper pictures, Wurzel. The different sheen you see from different angles is amazing. I especially like the two together - had you considered they might both be chaps?

Dave

[Wurzel]

Cheers Dave I had thought that they were both chaps, but when I came home and checked out the Thomas/Lewington I came to the conclusion that the one on the left was a female as she was larger and more heavily marked...but then I could be wrong Either way they have cemented their place as my number one butterfly, until I see a few more Brown Argus or a Brown Hairstreak or something new, or something very aberrant...I'm almost as fickle as them it seems

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Stockbridge Down

Straight after the trip to Martin Down I headed off to Stockbridge as we were going to be busy over the weekend and I wanted to make the most of the good weather while it lasted. As I approached the sun went in and I just couldn’t believe my luck . All year I seem to have been chasing the weather rather than butterflies, even now! Still just as I was brewing up some really good cursing the sun came out again and so I stepped onto the turf of Stockbridge . Straight away there was a female Chalkhill to meet me and as it turned out she was the least shy of all the females that I would see over the few hours that I was on site.

I took a few more steps along the path which cuts diagonally across the reserve and then stopped in my tracks to take in the spectacle. There were pale blue butterflies (Chalkhills) everywhere I looked. Occasionally a pale grey/brown female would erupt from the turf only to be pursued by two or more of the pale blue males and I’d try and follow them only to be distracted by another, and then another and so on and so on. In the end I had to just stop and watch as I wouldn’t have known which butterfly to focus on first. Just then a Skipper hove into view and it dropped to the ground almost as soon as the sun went behind a cloud. I approached it and second shot of the day was my target a Silver Spotted Skipper and a male not looking too shabby. After a few minutes of enjoying his company the sun reappeared and the temperature noticeably rose as did the Skipper. I tried to keep track of it but for my money this is the hardest skipper to follow.

A little further along were a mass of male Chalkhills frantically taking minerals from scat. As I watched them clamber all over it and jostle for position another one flew in to join the party. It seemed the way to get the best bits was to walk with your wings spread so as too barge any competitors out of the way. Some looked pretty worn while others were very pristine and one shot allowed me to compare old with the new.

Leaving the Chalkhills to their feast I continued onwards and also ever so slightly upwards until another Skipper caught my attention. This time it was a female and she appeared to ovipositing. She would land on the short turf, brace herself with her lags and then dangle her abdomen below her at 90 degrees to the plane of her thorax almost as if she was on parallel bars. She’d then swing her abdomen until it came into contact with the larval food stuff and then deposit an egg. I didn’t think that this was a particularly usual way of depositing ova?

The diagonal path continued to cut right across the down and almost at the top something along the edge of the longer grasses caught my eye. By now I was blasé about Chalkhills, there were so many of them I was almost blind to them but this was an orange colour...Another Small Copper my third or fourth for the day!

Eventually the path I was on reached the edge of the reserve and I started downhill following the boundary path. It went through a mixture or grassland and wooded habitats and the butterflies changed just as quickly as the habitat. On the more open grasslands there were Meadow Browns and Chalkhills with the odd Marbled White but the wooded area had Whites, Peacocks, Hedge Browns and Brimstone. Once I was almost at the car park I had a little purple patch with both male and female Brimstone so intent on feeding that I could get in really close as well as a female Small laying eggs and 5 Peacocks all in the one line of sight. The Small White would flit around for an age and then land and bend her abdomen around. Just as I’d have focused she’d take off and the same merry dance continued for a good 5 minutes. I don’t think she was bothered by me as I was generally stood well back and also I observed the same behaviour once I’d given up. Perhaps she was spreading her eggs around so that they weren’t all in the same basket?
Also here were a few DGFs flitting around and at one point a small, greyish brown Hairstreak lifted from a thistle and flitted around the canopy for a while. I am pretty confident that it was a White Letter as I know there is a colony near to this locale and it seemed darker than a Purple.

I was now at the car park at the other end of the road and I was a little off track for Silver Spotted Skippers so I set off back to the other side of the down...
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Wurzel,
Some great diary entries lately - and nice pics too.
Dave is correct about those Coppers sharing an intimate moment at Martin Down - both are male. However, the one at Stockbridge is a WPC.
BWs, Neil

[ChrisC]

WPC....... took me a while to get that one

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Wurzel,

Some more great posts and photos

You have really captured the 'coppery' sheen on the Small Coppers.

All the best,

Neil F.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Neil - back to the drawing board on the gender identification for me then , looking at the ones you positively identified I reckon the abdomen seems to be the key - thin and pointy for the males whereas the females are much broader and rounded.

Cheers Neil F - I had to strike some funny shapes to get those sheens Good job the only person there was bribed with Tootie Fruties

Stockbridge Down Part 2

...Having spent some time at the other side of the reserve I thought I’d better head back to try and find some more Silver Spotted Skippers as they were the main reason for my visit after all. Up the hill I started putting up Chalkhills and Meadow Browns with every step. One chap seemed to be struggling and closer inspection revealed half a wing was missing, as well as the spots on the underside of the wing making it possibly ab. obseleta?

As I worked my way towards the central area which the Silver Spots seem to favour I again got confused by Chalkhills. I wanted to try and get some shots but again there were so many of them I didn’t know where to start. In the end I settled for a Small Copper instead, and it was a caeruleo-punctata as well. Learning to sex Small Coppers is now on my “to do” list for the winter months (along with prep for Large Blues and Heath frits and getting to grips with manual) but having made errors using wing patterns I seem to have more success with looking at the shape of the abdomen. This individual however didn’t play ball in that respect so I’m not sure of it’s gender.

By now the sun was coming on strong and I was back at the Silver Spot spot where there was no shade. I patrolled the turf path for a bit and every now and again one would cross the path and with luck would perch long enough for an approach. I guess I found 5 or 6 individuals over an hour so I’m not sure how much of a “strong hold” this site will remain? Still those that I did find proved excellent value for the time put in. A very charismatic little butterfly with its’ white face and its’ changeable under wings – they ranged from line to gold to grey, all dependant on the position relative to the sun. Being a Dorsetian there is only one option for which species is my favourite skipper but this one does run a close second!

In the end I settled for shooting Chalkhills when they were massing on a poo. At one point I found 8 but this is in no way a record. The females were noticeable by their absence but who can blame them as every time they’d appear they’d be pounced on by males.

So after a full on day I was off home to rest and sort though the huge number of photos that I’d taken. This week maybe I can find a Browstreak at Shipton Bellinger or maybe even make the journey to Alners?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Trips to town

Over a couple of days last week I found myself walking round Salisbury town running errands or doing jobs at home. Whilst sorting out some of the more unruly bushes at the front I was startled by a large dark Moth. When it perched it showed scalloped fringes to its’ wings and was a mosaic of dark and light browns. From a different angle it appeared to have a large protrusion over it’s back and I am at a total loss as to what species it is, any id help gratefully received. There’s also a moth coming up later that I need more help with.

My wife and I always work out “breaks” – times when we can do what we want while the other parent looks after the girls. My first trip into town was for one of these breaks. Normally I just take them to Bentley Wood or Martin Down so I can sneak in an extra butterflying visit. However recently they’ve actually requested to visit places specifically to look for butterflies so I didn’t want to push another visit and ruin their enthusiasm. Instead I walked and the girls scooted along the river path to Monpesson House in the Close. I took my camera just in case but didn’t hold much hope of using it.
In the small garden at Monpesson there were two Small Whites but they were very flighty. We then took a walk around the Cathedral and the grounds held a Peacock. The girls then decided that they wanted to visit the park near Five Rivers so we set off back along the river path and there were a couple more whites flitting around but refusing to settle. I’d just put the lens cap on my camera when a Holly Blue flew towards me and then dropped down and settled in a small patch of Bramble and Ivy. It then started to walk over leaves until it reached to top of an Ivy flower and then it bent its’ abdomen around and it started laying eggs. I showed the girls and now they check out the spot each time we go to town.

After the girls had worn themselves out at the park sliding, swinging and “death sliding” we piled into the car and set off homewards. We took the longer and more scenic route and stopped for 5 minutes or so at the bridge near Old Sarum. In that time the girls had a drink and I watched a Red Admiral a couple of Banded Demoseilles a strange moth which I can’t indentify and a Hedge Brown.

A couple of days later both my wife and I had appointments at the Opticians. Luckily my wifes’ was an hour before mine so I dropped her off and went to park the car. I chose Five Rivers as it would be free and I’d manage to sneak in 20 minutes on my local patch. The sun was absolutely broiling by now. There were a few Skippers and Meadow Brown around as well as the odd Marbled White hanging on in there. On my way to the banks I stopped off to get a few shots of a mating pair of Meadow Browns.
eye appointment meant walking in again this time stopped at Five Rivers...sneaky.

Once at the banks there were a few more butterflies with Hedge Browns, a Peacock, a Comma and 2 Large Whites all feeding on the same Buddleia! The with the time ticking away and my walk to my appointment needing to become ever brisker I fund what I was hoping for, a second brood Common Blue male. He posed for just long enough to get a few shots before flying off to hopefully allow his species to live up to its’ name.

So now I take my camera everywhere because you never know what you could miss.

Have a goodun
Wurzel

[Pete Eeles]

Great ovipositing Holly Blue Wurzel - I love the "more interesting" shots! Thx for posting!

Cheers,

- Pete

[ChrisC]

old lady for the big one but i have a sneaking suspicion your other maybe a caddis fly but i'm sure someone will be along to confirm/correct.

Chris

[Wurzel]

Cheers for your kind comment Pete

Cheers for the ID Chris, I had a bit of a google and it is a species of Caddis Fly, I thought they would have had clear wings hence thinking it was a moth

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Knowle Church

Last weekend was spent at my parents’ house so butterflying wasn’t my main concern. On the Sunday before we headed home we spent the afternoon at Knowle Church. This is a ruined medieval church that was built inside a small Iron Age fort. It was surprisingly warm and sunny although a bit windy so we got the kite out, tied it to one of the chairs and the girls would come back and have a little fly in between playing hide and seek and disappearing before running round the base of rings to creep up behind you. While they were doing this I managed one or two walks round to see what this very small and unusual site had to offer.
The most numerous species were Meadow Browns followed by Hedge Browns. The Hedge Browns allowed close approaches but the Meadow Browns would lift up and then let the wind carry them out of sight. There were a few Small Whites flitting around the edges, a singleton Small Skipper as well as a few faded Marbled Whites. A trip back to the car meant that I caught up with a Comma and a Peacock as well as 2 Green Veined Whites, none of which stopped long enough for a photo. There’s something about blustery weather that means that butterflies don’t hang around? Some of my later wandering around the rings allowed me to get close enough to a Cricket and a small moth. I’ve seen loads of these in various different grassland habitats. They seem to be constantly taking off from just under your boot, flying and landing a short way away and then repeating this manoeuvre when a few steps later they’re under your boot again. Today I managed to get close enough to actually appreciate their subtle markings rather than curse them as they spook my butterfly quarry!

Not an awful lot about but it was nice to get a few photos in a relaxed setting where playing with the girls was the main priority . I reckon at the right time there could be Common Blues, perhaps a couple of Skipper species and maybe a Brown Argus – perhaps I’ll time a visit better next year to find out?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Wurzel]

Shipton Bellinger

With lots of people reporting Brown Hairstreak recently I thought that it was finally about time to head over to Shipton Bellinger and catch up. I took my younger daughter on this visit as she asked and so we started off up the hill. The sun was beating down and it was crazy hot. I was surprised by the number of Holly Blues around with at least 5 on the small section of path before the double hedge. We were almost there when we bumped into Colin so we had a bit of a chin wag. He’d had no luck and was sure that I would...Also around this area were a number of whites with at least pairs of Large, Small and Green Veined as well as Brimstones everywhere and a single Comma putting in an appearance.

We continued up the path with the hedges on either side dipping in and out of the shadows to keep cool with Meadow Browns doing their best impressions of a Brown Hairstreak to frustrate me. Once we reached the Master tree we had a little look around. Again there were lots of Brimstone this time joined by 2 male Common Blues and a female Hedge Brown with dark marks under it’s “eyes”.

My little girl really enjoyed the “spongy grass” so we carried on until we found a good area of shade where she could sit and have a drink and her treat while I had a mooch around. Again there were Brimstones everywhere but more importantly 14 males Common Blues. But the real stars of the show were a couple of fresh second brood Brown Argus. They were right feisty little so-and-so’s as I watched they took on Common Blues, Meadow Browns and even a male Brimstone on one occasion! There is something about the combination of the dark chocolate brown with the orange lunules, it’s such an aesthetically pleasing arrangement.

As we worked our way back we had to check out all the little passages and holes in the hedges for fairies and during one such visit a Speckie posed nicely on a stick.

So, no Brown Hairstreaks, but some Brown Argus which were just as nice to my mind. As we reached the end of the path we were caught up by a couple who’d just completed a Transect and had seen 5 Brostreaks, three of which were low down on Thistles. Oh well at least I know that they are definitely about now.
The final sighting of the day was another Holly Blue in the play park while pushing my little girl on the swing. Well she’d worked really hard all afternoon so she deserved a break! Martin Down tomorrow as well as possibly revisiting Shipton Bellinger now I know the “hotspot”...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[essexbuzzard]

Great stuff Wurzel! Good luck with the Brown Hairstreaks tomorrow,i will be looking for them too.

[Wurzel]

Cheers Essex, your luck helped and it seems you were lucked up too

Gardens

The past week has been a bit like old times with the weather being a bit hit or miss. It’s been warm but there has always been the risk of a shower or two or days when the sun hasn’t been able to break through the clouds. Because of this and also because of errands and work to do I’ve found myself taking advantage of the garden whenever I can.
One morning last week the garden seemed to have joined us in the house. I’d left the backdoor open the previous afternoon right the way through until the evening, almost forgetting to close it before climbing the wooden ladder. As I was pouring y cereal the girls started calling out “Daddy there’s a butterfly!” I thought it was a bit early but I checked out garden room and there was a Peacock that had obviously been there all night. It must have slipped in to bask as because of all of the glass it gets as warm as a greenhouse out there. While the curtains were closed it was perfectly placid but the minute they were open it started trying to flap its’ way through the perspex! After a few shots I opened the door and guided it down towards freedom. I went for closed wing shots as I loved the blue glints against the black.

The next day I spent 20 minutes in the garden, standing in the shade waiting for butterflies to land and bask on the small strip of concrete path. This seemed to be the best bet as I’d already spooked a Peacock that somehow had blended in perfectly with the stones. Despite one or two likely looking landings by a Small and Large White I had to wait a whole 3 minutes for my first Butterfly. It was a slightly worn Comma which looked like it was going to land on the path but opted instead for a Ragwort that seemed to have invaded my lawn.

A few moments later a Small White actually landed long enough for me to approach and take a few shots. I was trying to get some close ups of the butterflies head and I was lucky enough to get just what I was hoping for. Normally Whites flit over the fence on one side, fly all along the borders land for about a second here and there and then flit over the fence on the other side of the garden. So to find one actually perched was a rare occurrence.

Later in the afternoon we took a visit to my sister in laws so the girls could play with their cousin. They live in a cottage on a farm estate and the owners have left a small field to grow wild and mown a curved path through it. It acts as a fantastic butterfly trap, almost like a stop off point between the downs and the manicured and closely mown grass all around the estate. There were Meadow Browns everywhere and a male Common Blue. Unfortunately he was slightly too far in the grasses to reach but a very blue female was in perfect range.

Later while all the girls played ball and rolled around on the huge lawns I checked out the hedges along the side of the house. I found a Green Veined White posed on an golf ball flower head looking like it was perched on the moon. There was also some Buddleia and there were 3 Peacocks, a red Admiral and tired Meadow Brown all feeding on the bush, it was certainly living up to its’ name of Butterfly Bush! Finally once home 2 female Hedge Browns appeared just outside the back door. So a fantastic array from just hanging around the home.

Have a goodun

Wurzel