www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Katrina wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 8:10 pmBeautiful NBA shots!

Indeed! Always a joy to see that form.

Katrina wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 8:10 pm Beautiful NBA shots!

Thanks Katrina.

David M wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2024 5:10 am

Katrina wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 8:10 pmBeautiful NBA shots!

Indeed! Always a joy to see that form.

Thanks David.

Male Brimstone through the garden just now. He may have a chance of meeting his own offspring. This is the one species to be having a really good year here in what's generally been a very poor spring for butterflies.

Warm sunshine?! About time...

I caught up this morning with three species I had yet to see this year by means of a circular route within an hour of home. First of all, Marbled Whites at Box Hill......with a bonus Small Blue thrown in.Then came White Admirals down at Bookham (as well as a new hutchinsoni Comma which wouldn't pose)......and finally Silver-studded Blues at Fairmile Common. Dave

Definitely overdue a visit to both Box Hill and Bookham, I've not visited either since last September!

Today I popped down to the WLH colony near leigh-on-sea station which I knew were out, a few pictures had appeared on social media last week from this particular colony. Today was slim pickings but the reason is quite obvious when looking around. I'd noticed the start of DED last year, but over the winter a large number of the taller Elms have succumbed and many more look like they're on their last few months of life. No doubt many hundreds, if not thousands of larvae hatched this year only to to perish, finding nothing to eat. The dead elms have also opened up the area allowing the bramble to encroach back away from the path giving what Hairstreaks are about a much wider feeding area, a large portion of which of well beyond the reach of any camera. I don't doubt this is just a short term blip and is likely a cyclical event that's been happening since DED first appeared. Once this round of die back is over the smaller, still healthy suckers will fill the gaps and eggs won't be laid on dying Elms, leading to Hairstreak numbers to once again swell.

Took a trip to Lulworth - Skippers all over the place - Dingy, Large, Lulworths and also a Small Skipper. Smattering of Blues (Common, Small, Holly, Adonis, Brown Argus)was made complete on the way home with Silver-studs at Higher Hyde Heath...PD report due around Ocotber Have a goodun

Wurzel

With the sun actually making an appearance I headed up the hill. Thirteen species seen though surprisingly only one Adonis Blue (female) and one Marbled White. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

Large Skipper x 5
Dingy Skipper x 3
Large White x 2
Green-veined White x 5
Brown Argus x 8
Common Blue x 16
Adonis Blue x 1
Marsh Fritillary x 8
Speckled Wood x 1
Marbled White x 1
Meadow Brown x 26
Ringlet x 3
Small Heath x 28
Also a nice Bee Orchid

i made the most of some sunshine & went down to Sundon. this time my Fritillary Quest was not in vain. I saw a handsome male Dark Green Fritillary.
he was very energetic & i only managed to get a record shot
the Small Blues are still plentiful. i am very pleased with this pic
Charles

The wet Spring has certainly favoured plant growth in the Cornish sand dunes. The number of Silver-studded Blue is still increasing and hopefully they will have a good season.

It's been a funny old year. Today is the latest I've ever seen a hibernated Peacock - and it was in pretty good nick as well. Dave

Great June day down in Devon today, at last it felt like a normal sunny Summer Day. I was rewarded with a sighting of a pair of White-letter Hairstreaks mating, and then a GateKeeper landed very close to me, just settling long enough for a quick shot.All photos not to my normal standard as was trying out a new camera ,which I am not used to, but at least was able to record the events,and share with you all.Lets hope Summer has finaly arrived, and long may it last.

I came across this female Heath Fritillary today:
She was fluttering low in the Common Cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense:
As she was near to the path I thought I would keep a close eye on her, while I was on my hands and knees, as I thought she was finding the perfect plant to lay her eggs:
and to my joy and delight, she did not care that I was there, and lay on one side to oviposit:
She was still going in the same position half an hour later. She seemed to be laying either under a Cow-wheat leaf on a twig or on the underneath of the leaf - I could not tell and had to leave for Pound Wood & Hadleigh Great Wood.

Could the day get any better? My first sighting of a White Admiral in Hadleigh Great Wood as well as 300+ Heath Fritillary across the three South Essex woods - happy days

Went to reacquaint myself with Bookham today but it was a bit of a lacklustre affair, serious case of June gap with only Meadow Browns managed to creep into double figures in the three hours I was there:
White Admiral 3 (none settled)
Large Skipper 5 (these really are very late this year)
Comma 1
Speckled Wood 1
Small Heath 3
Meadow Brown 15 (all male and very fresh)

Having just seen Neil's note about HIM, I'm kicking myself for not wandering up to the master trees!

After lunch I stopped off at Ashtead Common to see if any Black Hairstreak were still about. Only the one was found but she was fresh so worth the stop over. Other than that it was similar to Bookham without the WA but with a RA. I also found my first Ringlet of the year

With reasonable spells of sunshine on the cards yesterday I decided to pop over to the London Wetland Centre. My main quest was to see Norfolk Hawkers (at least 7 seen & the most common dragonfly proper, just nudging ahead of Emperor & Black-tailed Skimmer) & delighted to find a Downy Emerald-not a regular species here.

However it was incredibly quiet for butterflies with just:

Brimstone 3
Comma
Holly Blue
Meadow Brown 3

This was over 3 hours. My wife arrived late & stayed after I left & added one each of Small White & Speckled Wood.

The general lack of other insects was also notable.

aeshna5 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2024 5:29 am..The general lack of other insects was also notable.

That's my experience too, aeshna. It's really rather depressing.

David M wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2024 9:57 am

aeshna5 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2024 5:29 am..The general lack of other insects was also notable.

That's my experience too, aeshna. It's really rather depressing.

Indeed! Hopefully things will pick up with a big improvement in the weather?

Apologies if this has already appeared on the forums .An interesting post on Lee Evans (the birder) Twitter/X page for June 15th......
thought it may be of interest. Allan.W.

Wurzel wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2024 6:36 pm Took a trip to Lulworth - Skippers all over the place - Dingy, Large, Lulworths and also a Small Skipper. Smattering of Blues (Common, Small, Holly, Adonis, Brown Argus)was made complete on the way home with Silver-studs at Higher Hyde Heath...PD report due around Ocotber
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Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi, was it Durlston you were at, and were there plenty of Lulworth's out? I'm planning a trip down to see this butterfly this year. Thanks.

Four additions to my 2024 species list today during a multisite trip westwards.

Large Blues......Ringlets at two different sites......a Small Skipper with the Large Blues......and the last of the four species was SPBF. They included this fresh and slightly aberrant female. Dave