millerd

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I didn't know Grizzled Skippers were out now, Great shots of them and the Green Hair Streaks
I've yet to find them Goldie

[Chris L]

Cracking photos of the GVW on the last page Dave, though all of the photos are extremely good.

[millerd]

Thank you all for the appreciative comments - with spring properly springing out on us now, the butterflies have been bursting forth as well and some of them have provided some great views. it was a terrific session with that Green Hairstreak in particular, and the GVWs and Orange Tips have been very obliging as well.

On Monday 11th April, the temperature rose, and touched 19 degrees at Heathrow (the warmest place in the UK today). There was a lot of sunshine too. I stayed local and on my usual wander around managed to reach the highest butterfly count of the year so far, seeing all 10 of the species that have appeared so far. The scores today were:

Peacock 10
Speckled Wood 8
Orange Tip 8
GVW 8
Brimstone 7
Comma 6
Small Tortoiseshell 4
Small White 4
Holly Blue 3
Red Admiral 1

Small Whites reappeared today, positively identified among the GVW...

...though the latter provided easier photographic opportunities.

One surprise today (especially after mentioning specifically how few there seem to be) was finding four Small Tortoiseshells hanging around a large patch of young nettles on a recently cleared area next to the River Colne.

Speckled Woods kept popping up unexpectedly today...

...and the Commas I saw now seem to be females: no aerial battles and some gentle hopping from nettle to nettle.

a very fat abdomen, laden with eggs

Good numbers of Peacocks again, many still looking incredibly fresh for their age.

The Holly Blues were all up high, the single Red Admiral was just a flyby from a very ragged insect and none of the Brimstones stopped for a moment - which just left the Orange Tips. All those seen were males still, and they were mostly as active as the Brimstones. One basked at a distance...

...and another was caught by the wind out in the open and decided to sit tight.

In a cloudy spell, I visited one of the patches of Garlic Mustard (there is a lot of this plant this year), and lo and behold there was the expected roosting butterfly.

spot the Orange Tip

A bit closer...

This why I like spring!

Dave

[millerd]

As a bit of a postscript on Monday 11th, I popped down to Staines Moor. There were a handful of things along the path as I walked down, including a Small White...

...and a few GVW.

As ever, a Comma was haunting the sheltered corner by the gate...

...though there was another close by.

A bright female Speckled Wood sat on the wrong side of the barbed wire again.

Down on the Moor itself, it was really quite windy, but a few Peacocks were apparently enjoying the conditions, and I managed to find a single Small Tortoiseshell on a nettle patch.

It can't be long before the first Small Coppers appear down here - their favourite flower, the buttercup, is just beginning to show itself.

Dave

[bugboy]

Silly season is almost upon us! Definitely need to get down to Denbies now

[Pauline]

Just love those Green Hairstreaks Dave. Must get myself out to find some but I doubt I'll get as far as Denbies!

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Dave - I've only seen a handful of Garlic Mustard florets and a single OT so hopefully things will pick up a bit in the next week

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, Paul, Denbies is always worth a trip! By the end of the month it should be full of lepidopterous life!

Thank you Pauline - I imagine you'll find one or two Green Hairstreaks a bit nearer home...

Cheers, Wurzel - I'm sure you'll have a good helping of Orange Tips this weekend!

Tuesday 13th April started sunny again. I had to split my day because of a lunchtime commitment so initially headed out locally at around half nine. The first notable thing I found while searching one area in vain for Holly Blues was a brilliant yellow dot on the brambles from a distance. It turned out to be a bee so covered in pollen it could hardly move.

Over the next hour, I counted around 30 butterflies - in the right conditions they are definitely up early now. A few highlights: I found two Commas basking close enough together to squeeze into a single shot...

...and here's one of them on its own.

There were lots of whites and Brimstones...

...including one of several GVW.

Finally, I spotted one fluttering just that bit more feebly and jogging the memory cells left unused for about ten months I guessed correctly that it was a female Orange Tip, my first of 2022.

Dave

[millerd]

After lunch on 11th April, I ended up down at Denbies again. unfortunately the sun disappeared almost as soon as I arrived, but it remained warm and bright intervals brought out a few butterflies again. Several Peacocks were soaring about in various places, but I concentrated on the same spots as a couple of days before. Both Green Hairstreak hotspots yielded single examples today - I'm sure there were more, but not enough sun to motivate them into chasing one another.

They chose not to visit the blackthorn today - maybe this was the reason.

It stood out a mile - perhaps its camouflage hadn't yet kicked in.

Grizzled Skippers were also flying again: I managed a couple of closer shots this time.

It can't be long before Dingy Skippers join them here, and soon after that the Adonis Blues.

Dave

[millerd]

Wednesday 13th April was another very warm day, but once again with limited sunshine. I had to split it again between an early visit to my local patch before the sun went in, and a later one to look for roosting butterflies. A selection of the day's butterflies:

Dave

[trevor]

That's a very nice ' Pullman ' liveried female Specklie Dave, at as for the OT's and the Green one ..
Now that OT's have appeared around here, there's no cloud to settle them down !.

Plenty of time yet for ideal OT weather.
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Cracking stuff Dave Love the shots of the Greenstreaks and Grizzlies I'm hoping to mirror some your findings tomorrow, fingers crossed

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

The Specklies seem particularly vibrant this year, Trevor - as you say, lovely chocolate-and-cream colouring!

Best of luck, Wurzel! I suspect you'll be successful - it was a glorious day today.

Thursday 14th April. I was headed up to Yorkshire later in the day, but I had time to have a local walk first. The splendid weather first thing meant the butterflies were up and about early too. Speckled Woods seem to be early risers - I came across this lovely female first of all.

She was also spotted by a male, which initially settled close by.

He then tried his luck, but she immediately adopted the species' classic rejection pose of playing dead.

Eventually, she dropped down into the foliage and he had to abandon his quest. There were other males around as well.

Orange Tips were just waking up...

...as were the GVW, including this fresh female.

Holly Blues are still not appearing in any numbers - I saw two this morning.

Today's other highpoint was my first Large White of the year, species no.11 locally. It was high up, as many I see here are, but the zoom did its job quite well.

Dave

[millerd]

On my way north on 14th April, I opted for the M40 rather than the M1 to start with, and took the opportunity to drop into Aston Rowant. There were not many butterflies - a few Brimstones and Peacocks mainly. However, I did find two different Green Hairstreaks...

...and a single Grizzled Skipper.

I wasn't there long, so there may have been more with a more thorough look round.

Dave

[Wurzel]

"Best of luck, Wurzel! I suspect you'll be successful " - only a 50% success rate Dave -seems it's still a little early at Martin Down for the Greenstreaks That Holly Blue is cracking! Have a great time 'oop North'

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

It was good to get that Holly Blue shot, Wurzel, as they've been a bit sparse round here so far... I'm sure you'll catch up with the Green One soon - good you found the Grizzlies though. I must visit Martin Down this year - at least once!

Easter 15th - 17th April

The weather in Yorkshire was pretty good - warm and sometimes sunny, and there were butterflies around every day I was there. However, there was nothing spectacular, and though my sister's garden hosted several species, at this time of year there aren't enough nectar sources to keep them engrossed for long. I managed a few shots, missing out unfortunately on the Holly Blues that trundled purposefully through at regular intervals. I don't think they understood my southern accent...

I fitted in a couple of visits to Kiplingcotes, a Dingy Skipper site, but they weren't out here yet - things are 7 - 10 days behind the south of England, and looking at the trees maybe even more than my local patch.

Green-veined Whites were perhaps the commonest species here, and I disturbed a mating pair. It seems the male undertakes flight responsibility in this species, and he soon crash-landed in the grass.

I also had a walk at Allerthorpe, where there were more GVW, Orange Tips, Peacocks, and Brimstones. A couple of females were nectaring - this is one of them.

Dave

[Wurzel]

"I must visit Martin Down this year - at least once!" - give me a shout and I'll see if Mrs Wurzel will let me out Dave I got my Greenies yesterday
The colour on the under wing of the GVW is quite stunning Dave - I don't think I've ever had one so lemon yellow

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

I travelled back home later on Easter Sunday 17th April, partly to avoid the worst traffic. It was increasingly warm as I headed south, and I detoured off the M1 late afternoon to have a quick look at Dunstable Downs. I was likely too late to see anything of interest, my quick circular walk turning up only Peacocks (lots of them!) . However, when I reached home around half four, there were still a few things flying - it stays warmer longer round here! I counted a Peacock, a Speckled Wood...

...and a couple of Commas.

As I retraced my steps, something caught my eye. As happens every year, one gradually begins to recognise the tell-tale signs of roosting Orange Tips - they don't blend into their surroundings as they do when they are first out. Better still, this one turned out to be two - a mating pair.

Finally, I found another Orange Tip deciding which particular bit of cow parsley to roost on. They can be very picky, and this one tried a few spots before making a decision.

A nice end to the day's travelling!

Dave

[millerd]

There's always something reassuring about getting out on my local patch after a spell away, particularly when even an hour in late afternoon can be so rewarding. However, it was time to have a look elsewhere, particularly having read Pauline's post of Sunday evening...

Dave

[millerd]

With sun in the forecast again for Easter Monday 18th April, I set off early for Noar Hill. My concerns that there might be traffic were entirely unfounded, and the journey took barely 40 minutes. Consequently it was still very chilly when I arrived at the site, and this and the haziness of the sunshine for the first couple of hours meant that very little was flying except for a handful of Peacocks.

However, patience was eventually well rewarded for myself and the increasing number of other butterfly seekers. I chatted to several folk, including a chap called Mark who I have bumped into many times in the past, and later on our very own Pauline - out again on what amounts to a local patch for her. Good to see you and have a good chat!

I probably walked the length of the site and back three times before things began to warm up, and for some reason I strayed into one pit I hadn't visited before. Within a minute or two my first Duke appeared.

Tearing myself away, I was able to point one couple at the location soon after, and apparently they were also successful. I then encountered another couple who had decided to use the technique of settling down and waiting (rather than moving around searching). They had chosen an ideal spot, and had never seen the butterfly before. As we discussed its habits, like magic one appeared from the grass and posed in front of us.

It then displayed its underside right on cue, but was clearly rather new and a bit unsteady, as it fell off its perch and had to be rescued.

More satisfied customers!

I then wandered back towards the furthest pit, along the path under the trees. I remembered that last year along this path where it widens into a sunny open area I had found a beautifully marked female - and history promptly repeated itself. This time however, I had better views as the butterfly obligingly posed on a cowslip stalk.

Well-pleased with this encounter, I headed back gradually towards the bottom of the site (encountering Pauline on the way). It appeared that as things had warmed up, several Dukes had appeared in several spots, and as I worked my way back I came across at least two more.

The second one had very dark hindwings, with no orange markings except for the marginal spots.

Pauline had mentioned that she had seen a Dingy Skipper on her way up, and I managed to find it (or one like it) as I headed off. It was very lively, so not perhaps the best shot.

A great morning - some good company and lovely fresh butterflies, including one that will stick firmly in the memory.

Dave