Page 4 of 6

Re: September 2020

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:29 pm
by MikeOxon
Nice clothes pegs, Jack :)

The RA obviously thought so, too. The colours reminded me of those feeding platforms, set up in butterfly houses, with brightly coloured patterns on them. The butterfly doesn't seem too miffed at having been fooled, as the extended proboscis shows that it's finding something worthwhile!

Mike

Re: September 2020

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:22 pm
by Allan.W.
After the excitement of this mornings Kent Long -tailed Blues ,i decided on a short trip just up the road from us , on this small site Common Blue numbers are now rising as well as many fresh Small Coppers ,and numerous Whites ,but unfortunately no Clouded Yellows ,best find
was a mint fresh Brown Argus female .
P1230547.JPG
P1230555.JPG
P1230572.JPG
This female Brown Argus also had reduced wing markings.
P1230544.JPG
Regards Allan.W.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:19 pm
by Stevieb
Clouded Yellow back on the Common this morning. Also Brown Argus, Small Copper, Large & Small Whites. Bewley Common
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept
15th Sept

Re: September 2020

Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 5:00 pm
by Padfield
On the Suffolk sandlings today, no exciting migrants or rarities but still plenty of butterflies about, including dozens (I saw maybe 50) of graylings ...

Image

Image

... dozens of small coppers ...

Image
(male)

Image
(male)

Image
(female)

... as well as peacocks ...

Image

... brown argus ...

Image

... small heath ...

Image

... and comma:

Image

I saw only my second painted lady of the year a couple of days ago, at Shingle Street:

Image

I didn't even see any of these on my trip to Spain at the beginning of August.

Guy

Re: September 2020

Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 8:04 pm
by David M
Padfield wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 5:00 pm...but still plenty of butterflies about, including dozens (I saw maybe 50) of graylings ...
Amazing! How are you hanging on to them for so long, Guy?

I've been walking the Swansea coastline for the last few days given the unseasonably balmy conditions, and have seen precisely none, and nor would I expect to in mid-September.

Are the rocks made of kryptonite round your way?

Re: September 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 7:48 am
by adrian riley
Stevieb wrote: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:51 pm September off to a decent start with lots of fresh butterflies on the hill this lunchtime. Beacon Hill

IMG_5266 (2).JPG

IMG_5268 (2).JPG

IMG_5283 (2).JPG

IMG_5299.JPG

IMG_5304 (2).JPG

IMG_5315 (2).JPG

IMG_5292.JPG

IMG_5264.JPG

IMG_5275 (2).JPG

IMG_5329 (2).JPG

IMG_5368 (2).JPG

IMG_5253.JPG

IMG_5248 (2).JPG
Hi, Stevieb.
Your Southern Hawker Dragonfly is actually a female. Note only two anal appendages rather than three. Also the last few spots on the abdomen are green rather than blue.
Cheers, Adrian.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 7:50 am
by adrian riley
Bertl wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:05 pm Not much on the wing today at Drum Castle near Aberdeen. Weather was overcast. No idea what the dragonfly is!!!
Hi, Bertie
Your dragonfly is a Common Darter.
Cheers, Adrian.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:02 pm
by Bertl
Thanks Adrian

Re: September 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:38 pm
by Stevieb
adrian riley wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 7:48 am Your Southern Hawker Dragonfly is actually a female. Note only two anal appendages rather than three. Also the last few spots on the abdomen are green rather than blue.
Cheers, Adrian.
Many thanks Adrian

Re: September 2020

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 8:25 pm
by Padfield
From 8 green-veined white eggs, laid on 26th August on annual wall rocket and hatched on 4th, 5th and 6th September, I was able to find 6 caterpillars today - all now 4th instar I think:

Image

Image
(note the 3rd instar head capsule still adhering - this one must just have moulted)

Image
(the third instar head capsule is on top of the leaf on the left of the picture)

Image

Image

4 of these are in small pots and 2 in a big pot. The ones in the small pots - with smaller plants - are slightly smaller. I may put these into a single, bigger pot so they don't decide to go roaming if they think their plants are too small:

Image

Guy

Re: September 2020

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:18 am
by David M
Thursday 10th, Port Eynon, Gower coast:

Small White c100
Large White 20-30
Small Tortoiseshell 10-15
Meadow Brown 6
Common Blue 3
Red Admiral 2
Brown Argus 1
Speckled Wood 1
1.SmWhitefem(1).jpg
1.RA(1).jpg

Re: September 2020

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 12:51 pm
by Stevieb
Clouded Yellow nectaring on sunflower this morning. Bewley Common
17th Sept
17th Sept
17th Sept
17th Sept
17th Sept
17th Sept

Re: September 2020

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:26 pm
by aeshna5
Around Whitehawk Hill, Brighton today I saw 5 Long-tailed Blues, but probably more about.

Also:

m Common Blue
Small Heath
3 Wall Brown
2 Speckled wood
2 Red Admiral
2 Large White
c20 Small White

Re: September 2020

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 9:18 pm
by NickC
I'm really enjoying all the clouded yellow photos posted in this thread.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:10 pm
by Deborah
Can’t quite believe I’ve just seen a pristine White Admiral in my garden. I didn’t have my camera and of course by the time I’d run and got it, it’d gone. I’m going to be patrolling all afternoon in the hope it returns. Unfortunately the amazing weather ends tonight and a week of showers is forecast. Unlucky timing.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:11 pm
by millerd
Long-tailed Blues are still flying in Brighton, enjoying the sunny but windy conditions today - though they are starting to look rather worn.
LTB1 180920.JPG
LTB7 180920.JPG
LTB6 180920.JPG
Dave

Re: September 2020

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:12 pm
by Padfield
Nice sighting, Deborah!

On the sandlings today, the graylings were going great guns again, and though they were all old and grey the love juice was still flowing:

Image

Image

Other than that, I saw mostly small coppers, with a few peacocks and single small heath, brown argus and common blue.

Image

Image

My green-veined white cats have put on a growth spurt over the last few days. All 6 (that I can locate) are now 4th instar and some will soon graduate to 5th. Just as older orange tip caterpillars leave the seed heads occasionally to feast on leaves, so these cats have been leaving the leaves to feast on seed heads:

Image

Image

Image

This one, photographed yesterday, still has its 3rd instar head capsule adhering:

Image

There is another 3rd instar head capsule visible in this picture, on the leaf on the left:

Image

This species certainly races through the instars!

Guy

Re: September 2020

Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 3:56 pm
by Deborah
The White Admiral hasn’t re-appeared, but a single Wall has been around a lot. Also this intriguing caterpillar on an apple tree. I went to pick it off thinking it was a dead twig and it felt squishy so I dropped it! I think it’s a Geometer moth but which one?

Re: September 2020

Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 4:56 pm
by Allan.W.
Queen of Spain Frit ,seen and photographed today at St.Margarets ,Kent ,originally repoerted as a Dark Green Frit !!
Allan.W.

Re: September 2020

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2020 1:40 pm
by Stevieb
Still plenty about on the hill with good numbers of whites still. Beacon Hill
DSC_0042 (2).JPG
DSC_0074 (2).JPG
DSC_0102 (2).JPG
DSC_0011 (2).JPG
DSC_0009 (2).JPG
DSC_0066.JPG
DSC_0045 (2).JPG
DSC_0001 (2).JPG