millerd

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I think I shall just keep taking shots of Small Whites until someone tells me I've found something different! (Is that another airborne porker I see? )

There are a few more Hollies and Specklies to come over the next six weeks' worth of posts. My experience at Denbies reminded me that at the tail end of the season, staying local often produces far more variety than going further afield (unless it's the south coast of course!).

For 12th September, it was back to my local patch. It was very warm - 26 degrees (which was the last time it reached this level this year), but not particularly sunny.

A Peacock was a bit of a surprise, but stayed resolutely at a distance, and edge-on.

However, this Small Copper posed much more nicely.

Dave

[millerd]

After a sunless much cooler day on 13th, and a day of other activities on 14th, I was back out locally again on 15th September. It was relatively cool again, mostly dull, and I only found a dozen butterflies of six species. These included what turned out to be my last Small Heath here of 2022.

There were a couple of Small Whites, including a strongly marked female.

A female Small Copper had seen better days...

...but this Red Admiral was a fresh one.

The Common Blues now appearing were new ones, likely third brood - but they get themselves damaged very quickly here.

Dave

[millerd]

16th September was much sunnier, but still cooler than what we'd been used to - probably more like average for the time of year. I only found four species locally, but both Speckled Woods (12 seen) and Red Admirals (6) had good days. The others were a single Small White and one Common Blue.

The Red Admirals all seemed to be very new and were making good use of the ivy at last.

Most of the Specklies were fresh too.

Two of them were a little different. This one had subdued markings...

...and this female was more colourful than usual, with spots of different shades.

Dave

[millerd]

17th September turned out exceptionally sunny (11 hours locally) but I had only a short window in which I could go out unfortunately. Coverage was less than comprehensive, so I only turned up 8 butterflies of three species. A couple of the four Red Admirals were splendid new examples. I love this species at this time of year: they are big, bright and beautiful with loads of elegance and energy in flight as well.

The other butterfly of which I managed to get a shot or two was another male Large White.

Finally, there was also this moth, which I hope someone can identify.

I struggle with these especially when (as here) I can't really describe the colour in order to search the relevant bits of the internet!

Dave

[bugboy]

Your moth looks like a very pale/washed out Yellow Shell. They are rather variable.

[Allan.W.]

Yellow Shell for me too............Allan.W.

[Wurzel]

Great set of posts Dave - you did well with the Large Whites - I only had 4 passable shots of this species all year Lovely selection of Specklies and Blues as well. Your female Small White from three posts back was interesting - the spots looked square and concave - one of the indicators of manni but I'm in danger of seeing things now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks for the moth I/D Paul and Allan - I'd seen Yellow Shells from time to time earlier in the year, but this one looked so pale and almost pink that it didn't occur to me that it might be the same species... I'm now even more convinced that I wouldn't be able to cope with full-on mothing.

Cheers, Wurzel - I decided that Small White didn't have enough black at the forewing apex to be anything more exotic, despite its heavy spotting. I'm beginning to think that if any of us see a real mannii, it will have to be completely obvious!

18th September had a greater selection of species, including another elusive Cloudie. Of seven species seen, I managed a few more Common Blue shots, and another Specklie.

Dave

[millerd]

19th September was a "blank" day for butterflying, with virtually no sunshine locally. However, 20th September was an improvement: five hours of sun and temperatures back up to 20 degrees. I managed a count of 17 butterflies on my local walk, with 8 species represented.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly a female Clouded Yellow, which I was able to approach and follow closely for a while as she hopped from flower to flower in an urgent spell of nectaring in the morning sun. The only downside to this was that she wasn't the most pristine of individuals.

Also seen today were:

Small White 5
Speckled Wood 4
Large White 2
Common Blue 2
Brown Argus 1
Holly Blue 1
Red Admiral 1

A few shots of these...

With the opportunity of a reasonably approachable Cloudie to hand, I also had a crack at some open-wing shots as the butterfly passed by - with the usual mixed bag of results.

Context shot - that's the M25 in the background

I had now managed a shot of some sort of all 26 species seen on my local patch this year.

Dave

[bugboy]

Good efforts with that Cloudie. It's a good way to lose quite a bit of time with a cooperative one

[Neil Freeman]

Nice Cloudie shots Dave. I'm always a bit jealous of your local patch at this time of year, especially when it produces Cloude Yellows

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Cloudy images Dave It's great when they're as co-operative as that one so you can get some open wing shots
As for 'manni' - well I think I'll wait til I visit abroad and hopefully get one there Although saying that the one in this post looks interesting...ahhh stop it

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

HI! Dave, love your Cloudy shots, you don't usually get open winged shots like that Goldie

[millerd]

Many thanks to all of you for the Cloudie appreciation. This female butterfly was very cooperative as it was taking on fuel at the start of the day and never strayed far between nectar stops. I noticed that its rate of wing-flap was lower when it was about to settle, but that meant anticipating where its next stop might be... It was a shame that this individual was not exactly pristine, but as it was the only one I've seen on my local patch this year (barring something unusual happening in the few weeks left before Christmas), I'm not complaining.

Over the previous few days I had been aware from Bugboy that Worthing seafront was the place to be if I wanted to see any Long-tailed Blues this year. Consequently, when 21st September was clearly going to be a warm and sunny day, more summer than autumn equinox, I headed down to the hotspot on the prom. It was also a bit of a nostalgia trip for me, as back in the 1960s I spent several summer holiday weeks down here staying with my great-aunt Louisa, who lived just up from the seafront in Grand Avenue.

I had no difficulty finding the location of the butterflies, as when I arrived several enthusiasts were already in place, including a variety of familiar faces. An example:

The centre of attention here was a mating pair of LTBs - more on them later...

Obviously, Long-tailed Blues were the main target, but several other species were flying here: Common Blues, a Small Copper and a passing Painted Lady, plus several Clouded Yellows (though I failed to spot any of the helice form that had been noted on previous days).

I'm not certain how many LTBs I saw altogether, but they ranged from fairly worn to very new. Neil Hulme and Bugboy have commented in detail about their behaviour here, and I have nothing to add to their comprehensive observations, other than yet more photos of what must now be considered as a British Butterfly (regular migrant).

Of course, the icing on the already distinctly rich cake was the mating pair.

What a terrific day, and particularly good to meet up with so many other butterfly folk - Paul, Ben, Monica, Trevor, Katrina and Neil to name just a few (and apologies to all those unnamed!).

Dave

[bugboy]

It was great to see you back on your feet Dave, and on a beautiful day, with ridiculous amounts of sun loving butterflies. All round a very memorable day

[trevor]

You've summed up that day at Worthing perfectly, Dave. It was fabulous!
The weather was perfect, old familiar faces and two migrant species in a small area.
As you missed a good chunk of the summer, that day must be near the top of this season's highlights.
To cap it all you managed some first class shots too.

Great days like that don't come around too often!
Trevor.

[millerd]

Cheers, Paul and Trevor - a memorable day indeed, and great to catch up with you both (and everyone else as well). It was perhaps the best session I've had with LTBs since they started appearing regularly in late summer, with fresh males and the mating pair. No open wing females yet though - that said, there always has to be something more to strive for, or things might become less interesting.

22nd September continued warm and sunny, but I stayed local this time. Looking back at this end of the season, this may well have been the peak of the third brood of Common Blues here, as I managed to count 12 today, a respectable total.

Also seen was a Small Copper I'd not come across before despite it being far from new...

...a well-marked female Small White (but nothing to get excited about, Wurzel! )...

...and a few Speckled Woods. This one was showing hints of the greenish tinge that appears in the pale spots of older individuals of this species.

Failing to come within camera range were a couple of Holly Blues and a Large White, all relatively high up in the trees - as both species often seem to be during the warmest part of summer days.

A bit of a contrast to the excitement of the day before, but I did have another excursion planned for the coming weekend.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A fabulous collection of LTBs Dave :mrgreen : After the horrible couple of months that you had this must have been good karma paying you back Some real stunners there and I'd never noticed the little electric blue larking running along the hind wing margin by the tail before

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I was very pleased with the selection of shots I managed on the day, and I did feel lucky to have recovered sufficiently to have made it down there. That little patch of shiny blue-green scales by the tail-spots is no doubt there to add to the bird-fooling illusion that the hindwing corner is really a head - the spot is an eye and the shiny patch mimics the white eye-border. Combined with the faux-antennae tails, you can see how many butterfly lives are saved from avian consumption. (The first pebble-percher in my series of shots above looks to have lost its tails and survived such an attack, though the eye-spots and their silvery adornment have remained intact.)

After a cloudier day on 23rd (on which I decided to rest a bit) I went out locally again on 24th September when the sun shone and the temperature rose to 19 degrees. The eight species seen were an improvement on the six of 22nd, a Red Admiral and a couple of Commas being the additions to the list.

The Specklies were mostly showing quite a bit of wear now...

... as were the Common Blues.

It was good to see the same Small Copper soldiering on...

...and there were a couple of Small Whites. A nectaring male was easy to approach...

...but an interesting duskily-marked female was just glimpsed at a distance before disappearing.

Finally, I found a very worn Holly Blue female apparently nectaring on some late bramble flowers.

However, her nemesis was lurking unseen amongst the blossoms.

An attempt at escape came to naught as the predator extended a line...

...and reeled the butterfly back in...

...to be consumed at leisure.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great report Dave I almost missed the Autumnal Commas this year so it was good to see that there seemed to be a few about That Small White female is really interesting looking - I love the dusty markings along the costa, looks like tiger stripes at a glance As totrying to get it to manni I'm not going there anymore

Have a goodun

Wurzel