CallumMac

[Goldie M]

Catching up on your posts Callum, your seeing and photographing some fantastic Butterflies I missed the Northern Brown this year so it was good to see a shot of it Goldie

[David M]

Looks like a nice spot, Callum, and a bit easier for you to get to than the others you've visited lately.

Nice NBA and I'm glad you found the helleborine.

[CallumMac]

Thank you all!

a bit easier for you to get to than the others you've visited lately

I must admit it was nice to be able to do a site visit as a day trip and still have time to run errands on the way home...!

I missed the Northern Brown this year so it was good to see a shot of it

Sorry you've missed them this year Goldie but at least my photos have given you a flavour! There were some very fresh individuals at the weekend so maybe there's still a chance for the next fortnight or so?

Is this NBA the 'Castle Eden Argus'

Yep the Castle Eden or Durham Argus (salmacis). For the time being at least, until A. agestis arrives and pushes the 'official' range of this species even further north... I still reckon there's a population or two of "mainly NBA" hybrids clinging on in the Wolds

[CallumMac]

A bit of a catch-up post! The combination of unsettled weather at weekends and nice weather during the week has meant my butterfly-watching has been a little broken over the last fortnight, but here are a few highlights:

A visit to North Cave Wetlands the weekend before last produced an assortment of the usual species. Amongst them was this interesting Gatekeeper - I think this is probably an example of ab. excessa.

A brief field trip to Speyside that Monday coincided with some glorious sunshine and the butterfly highlight was a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, but my camera was too deep in my rucksack and the butterfly was gone before I got it out! However, the trip did give me the opportunity to track down a couple of interesting northern orchid specialities on the journey home.

Creeping Lady's-tresses, a species of wonderful Caledonian pine forests.

Tyne Helleborine, a subspecies of Dune Helleborine that has adapted to polluted ex-coalmining locations on Tyneside.

The weather last weekend was much less amenable to finding butterflies, but a visit to the Humberhead Levels (where the Large Heaths appear to be done for the year) led to this wonderful Barn Owl encounter.

During this week's heatwave, I've made a concerted effort to make the most of the evenings. Silver-washed Fritillaries have arrived in Yorkshire within the last couple of years, and on Tuesday, I tracked down one of the new colonies, in Bishop Wood near Selby. Unexpectedly, I also found my first Broad-leaved Helleborines here.

My other main target of the week has been to find a local site where Purple Hairstreaks can be viewed at eye-level (a la Alners Gorse). So far, the closest thing has been Calley Heath, which yielded these slightly dodgy record shots. Calley is certainly promising in this regard, but more sites to try next week as well!

[Wurzel]

Great set of shots Callum yep that Hedgie looks good for an excessa Love the Barn Owl shots

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[CallumMac]

Cheers Wurzel!

The weekend weather was no good at all for butterflies up here. But I had a very pleasant surprise on Monday evening as I did the dishes at the kitchen window. My partner bought me a "Belightful butterfly feeder" a few months back. I will admit to feeling pretty sceptical but it's the thought that counts! Nonetheless, I loaded it with sugar solution and hung it from the pear tree in the garden. Since then it's been visited by an assortment of flies and wasps - which at least demonstrates that the sugar solution is smelly enough to attract insects. But last night, I glanced up from the washing-up bowl to see a rather more exciting visitor!

[Goldie M]

Hi! Callum, I've never seen those feeder's before, i must look out them, your's certainly paid off Goldie

[CallumMac]

Hi! Callum, I've never seen those feeder's before, i must look out them, your's certainly paid off Goldie

It did indeed. I am still at a career stage where I have to rent, and am moving around fairly regularly, so I'm limited as to how much I can control what flowers are in my garden at any time. In my current garden I have a buddleia ("rescued" from elsewhere) which should flower for the first time this autumn, and a nice patch of bird's-foot trefoil grown from seed and now at the same stage, but this feeder is a nice, immediate solution which I can take with me next time I move.

I think she bought it from NHBS.com...

[CallumMac]

1/8/2019 - Walmgate Stray/Calley Heath

I popped out onto the Stray during my lunchbreak hoping to find myself some Painted Ladies. Numbers were somewhat lower than expected (given the scale of the eruption along the coast, a mere 30 miles east) but there were a few around, accompanied by Commas, Peacocks and Small Torts amongst others.

After work, I stopped in again at Calley Heath. I've been looking for a site where I can see Purple Hairstreaks low down near to home, and I'm increasingly convinced that this is it. Tonight I got my best shots yet (but still plenty of room for improvement), including open-winged images of both sexes.

The PHs here seem to be totally obsessed with a particular type of gall on the oak trees, seemingly feeding from something on them, and at times literally trampled over each other for prime position!

Also of note, a Red Admiral at Calley Heath meant that this was the first time I can ever recall seeing all five of the British vanessids on the same day.

[millerd]

Nice shots of those Purple Hairstreaks, Callum! The trick now will be to find them at the start of the season when they are fresh, and with a further bit of luck down on the bracken and brambles at a decent photographable height - something I have routinely failed to do anywhere this year! I think the thing those two are fighting over is just an immature acorn, though you do sometimes see a knobbly gall develop on these which prevents the nut from forming. I think they must exude something that the butterflies really like as they certainly squabble over them.

There are a fair number of oaks at Calley Heath with branches down to head height and lower on the sunny side of the trees. It will be worth checking next year's leaf buds for eggs any time from now on - I had a cursory look at a few on Monday, but didn't find anything, though I had the feeling the female I saw was checking out suitable sites.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

Good find with the Purple Hairstreaks, Callum. I really must try to find a place near to where I live where I can reliably see them.

[CallumMac]

Thanks Dave and David. I suspect those were the last of 2019 for me - I haven't made it back down and won't again until next Weds at the earliest.

03/08/2019 - Uldale Fells

A visit to my parents in the Lakes this weekend was tactically planned - it's a good time of year to visit Cumbria! On Saturday I set myself the challenge of proving that there are Bog Orchids growing within walking distance of their house. The first part of the challenge - finding the orchids in question - was made simple by a bang-on grid reference and some helpful marker twigs.

The second part - walking back to their house - was an 18km hike that passed over the highest summit of the Uldale Fells (the group sitting north-east of Skiddaw)!

The hills themselves were swarming with butterflies - mainly Painted Ladies, Peacocks and Small Heaths, with a few whites and Small Tortoiseshells for good measure.

A particular highlight was the ford over Burntod Gill, just below Trusmadoor - about 13km in, and with only downhill left to go! Marsh Thistles lined both sides of the stream here and were a honeypot for the butterflies. I stripped off my boots and socks and did a 15-minute butterfly count whilst stood ankle-deep in the cool water!

04/08/2019 - Smardale Gill

On Sunday morning, I said my goodbyes and headed back towards Yorkshire, but only as far as Smardale Gill. Obviously the target was Scotch Argus, and it was fabulous to see that this population is still thriving (given the concern expressed last year about the colony at Arnside). Numbers must have been well into triple figures, and at least one pair were ensuring there will be numbers next year, too!

To my surprise, there was also a single Northern Brown Argus still clinging on, though looking much worse for wear.

Just like Saturday, the most abundant species by some distance was Peacock, and there were lots of Painted Ladies amongst them, as well as a single, very fresh, Comma.

Every time I've visited this reserve I've seen Red Squirrels, and this was no exception.

Finally, it was interesting to see this wasp totally smashed on the intoxicating nectar of a Broad-leaved Helleborine!

From the far north last weekend, to the far south this weekend: look out for me if you are in the Surrey Hills (especially Denbies) on Saturday!

[bugboy]

Great shots Callum. I kept a sharp eye out for Red Squirrels last year up there but didn't see any, hopefully next time .

Not sure about going to Denbies this Saturday, it's a rather breezy place on even the calmest of days but we have weather warnings down here due to high winds on Friday and Saturday... . Sunday looks the better option at the moment

[Wurzel]

Fantastic shots of the Scotch Argus Callum - that's one of the species on my 'wish list', I haven't come up with a good enough excuse/reason for making the journey for it yet , I'm still working on it though

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Fantastic shots of the Scotch Argus Callum - that's one of the species on my 'wish list', I haven't come up with a good enough excuse/reason for making the journey for it yet , I'm still working on it though

Have a goodun

Wurzel

"To see a Scotch Argus" should be reason enough for any reasonable person

[CallumMac]

Fantastic shots of the Scotch Argus Callum - that's one of the species on my 'wish list', I haven't come up with a good enough excuse/reason for making the journey for it yet , I'm still working on it though

Have a goodun

Wurzel

"To see a Scotch Argus" should be reason enough for any reasonable person

I would second that - though actually, I think to get the full mind-blowingness, one should head a little further for the first experience of a Scotchie, and go to the Oban area. Shian Wood is highly recommended. Smardale is great but you don't get that full sense of seeing a species like no other, in a habitat like no other. Plus, it's not called an English Argus!!

Not sure about going to Denbies this Saturday, it's a rather breezy place on even the calmest of days but we have weather warnings down here due to high winds on Friday and Saturday... . Sunday looks the better option at the moment

Thanks bugboy, I hadn't really considered the wind. I don't have much choice but to end up at Denbies since I'm staying at the Tanners Hatch hostel on Saturday and Sunday nights, but if the wind proves to be a problem on Sat then I may head to somewhere more sheltered during the day - perhaps Brockham Limeworks for the SSSk. Are there any sheltered corners on Box Hill, or anywhere else in the area for that matter?

[millerd]

Great Scotch Argus at Smardale, Callum. I wish I'd seen your report before I set out yesterday as I might have made more effort to leave them at Arnside with enough time to fit Smardale in as well - the incentive of Red Squirrels would have tipped the balance for sure.

As Bugboy says, the forecast for Saturday is for 40-50 mph southwesterly gusts in the southeast of England, though it will be reasonably sunny and quite warm. Sunday looks a bit calmer. I can't think of anywhere in the Denbies/Box Hill area that would afford decent shelter from this sort of wind - possibly the Zig-Zag slopes at the latter may do so a bit, and there are certainly Silver-spots in this area.

Best of luck!

Cheers,

Dave

[bugboy]

Although I've never actually been there (silly since I'm a frequent visitor to the general area), Brockham Limeworks looks to be your best bet for shelter from the wind, although that's a relative thing when taking into consideration the winds speeds predicted. I'll probably sit tomorrow out but I may well be found hunting Brown Hairstreaks at Bookham on Sunday. A Bookham & Box Hill/Denbies day gives a good range of species. Alternatively there's always Chiddingfold for second brood Wood White (there should still be a few about) as long as you don't mind being surrounded by large trees in full leaf being blown around in gale force winds

[David M]

Good to read your Smardale Gill report, Callum. It's a few years since I went there but it is an acutely beautiful site, and as you say Scotch Argus are around there in serious numbers.

[PhilBJohnson]

During this week's heatwave, I've made a concerted effort to make the most of the evenings. Silver-washed Fritillaries have arrived in Yorkshire within the last couple of years, and on Tuesday, I tracked down one of the new colonies, in Bishop Wood near Selby.

-Reference 26th July

August 17th 2019
'This species appears in Sweden, further North than the Shetland Islands, so one might assume, that all it lacks further North in England or Scotland, is suitable "woodland violet habitat".
Interesting that, on BBC Look North recently, Yorkshire Water had a plan to plant more trees, to prevent hillside erosion, something that was feared after heavier "climate change rain".