millerd

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:43 pm

Thanks, Susie. Interestingly, when I disturbed the little chap, he kept buzzing round me in persistent fashion for some while! It must be what they do

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:03 pm

20th June
I decided to take the day off and have a circuitous wander round Surrey.
First up was Thursley Common, where the Silver-studded Blues had just started to emerge. I spotted nine, all males, widely spread out, plus one Speckled Wood in the wooded margin to the heathland. It is worth noting that this area has ground-nesting birds and therefore a bit of care is needed as the paths are not very evident.
Not too far from Thursley is Botany Bay. I had hoped to see the first White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries, but there was not a sign. I made do with around a dozen Wood Whites (some of which were egg-laying), several Large Skippers, a couple of Speckled Woods and a Common Blue.
Moving on, I headed now for Denbies, wondering if the sunshine had brought out the Marbled Whites. Indeed it had, but only a handful. Small Heath were numerous, and were accompanied by Meadow Browns, Large Skippers and a solitary Holly Blue.
A short step now to Box Hill. Preparations are underway here for the Olympic cycling, and car-parking at the top has all but disappeared - as has the tea counter! However, a mobile arrangement has been substituted by the NT for the time being. As for butterflies, I saw Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, large Skippers, Common Blues and a Brimstone. No Marbled Whites here yet, nor any Dark Green Fritillaries.
The final port of call - Fairmile Common. The Silver-studded Blues were out here too, and in greater numbers than at Thursley, especially considering the small area I looked at at Fairmile. I counted ten males and two females. All were very new, and the females showed off the amazing sheen they have when fresh and the sun catches them.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:22 pm

Cracking shots Dave

It gives me hope for "my" SSB's at Slop Bog. I'll check em next chance I get. That last shot of the female SSB is lush

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:39 pm

Thanks, Wurzel - best of luck with them. They are definitely my favourite Blue. It has taken a few years to get a shot of a female like that: they usually spend so much time buried in the vegetation that they get worn in no time. Generally, the only way I find them is because there are attentive males clustering around a tussock of grass which is hiding a female.

Dave

NickMorgan · Post by **NickMorgan** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:41 pm

Lovely pictures of amazing butterflies. They are all foreign to me! I was completely stumped by the female Silver Studded Blue. I wish we had those species up here, but at least it is easy for me to identify the limited number of species we have!

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:11 pm

Thanks, Nick. I envy you the sight of Small Tortoiseshells - currently absent from my part of southern Britain...

I realise I missed a day earlier:

19th June
A brief visit to Harmondsworth Moor after work today, mostly to see if Marbled Whites had appeared (they hadn't). I did however see several fresh Meadow Browns and Large Skippers, a few Small Heaths, and a couple of care-worn Common Blues - plus a number of this attractive yellow moth.

Dave

ChrisC · Post by **ChrisC** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:18 pm

yellow shell for the moth.

Chris

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:56 pm

24th June
As I was in the vicinity, visiting a miniature railway with my seven-year-old, I dropped into Dawney's Hill (near Woking) this afternoon, There were about a dozen Silver-studded Blues out here, all males, over a wide area. Nothing else seen, bar one or two Small Heaths.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:29 pm

That is another lush photo Dave

That's it I'm off to Slop Bog this week!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:34 pm

Go get 'em, Wurzel!

Little gems...

Dave

Gothic_dreams · Post by **Gothic_dreams** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:38 pm

Lovely photos Millerd, look forward to seeing more

Chris

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:00 pm

And me more of yours, Chris - many thanks for the kind comments.

25th June
A very brief opportunity after work to whisk round a small part of my local patch: I saw only one species, but nine Red Admirals isn't bad going in a small area. Six of these were attempting to occupy the same leafy glade next to the river - this does not work and there were constant dogfights and spiralling tussles up into the trees. I pointed the camera more in hope than expectation, but managed a distant shot which nevertheless caught no fewer than five in a mélée together. When any were close enough to look at properly, they were unsurprisingly a bit worn.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:44 pm

27th June
It was six o'clock, overcast, but still very warm and muggy. A visit to Harmondsworth Moor can't hurt, I thought. I found good numbers of Meadow Browns of both sexes, but the star of the evening was a pretty fresh Marbled White, the first I've seen here this year. With no wind and barely any sun to energise it, it was relatively easy to approach.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:41 pm

Cracking shots Dave- my Marbled White tonight just wouldn't sit still and when it did it wouldn't open it's wings

Still now I've got photos of one many more should follow!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Gothic_dreams · Post by **Gothic_dreams** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 11:32 pm

Stunning Marbled White shots, one of my favourite butterflies and lovely to see quite a fresh one

Chris

Debbie · Post by **Debbie** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 5:56 am

The marbled white is beautiful. Debbie

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 7:17 pm

Another favourite, the Marbled White. Thank you all.

28th June
Once again, a very late excursion, and only locally, at the glorious tail end of a hot day. There were numerous sparring Red Admirals again in various spots (mostly the shadier ones) and when I came to the conservation area I was met with good numbers (over 30) of Small Heaths and more Meadow Browns than I've seen in previous years - over a dozen in a smallish area. There were still a couple of Common Blues, including a blue female that deserved a photo, but wasn't prepared to sit for one. Large Skippers completed the roster here, mainly females now, but beautifully orange in the late sunshine.
On the way back, I came across a summer Comma (f.hutchinsoni), perching and chasing anything that moved - Red Admirals, dragonflies, swallows - and even reacting to the aircraft taking off from Heathrow passing only a couple of hundred feet up. Lovely butterflies, and pleasing to see them out at last. Near to home, I watched a pair of Red Admirals that I took to be courting. They chased in and out of the treetops in close association (with none of the spiralling up and swooping down of the dogfights). A couple of times they landed close together 20 feet up, only to take off again after a second or two. I lost track of them when they landed together on the ivy surrounding an ash tree and as far as I could tell, disappeared into it. If this is what they do, it is unsurprising that finding a mating pair is pretty well unheard of.

Dave

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:34 pm

Another scoot round in late afternoon on a more restricted route in rather blustery winds. The Red Admirals were undaunted in their usual haunts, and another new Comma appeared as well. Nothing else except a male Small White, the first of these for a little while.

Dave

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:40 pm

Cracking shots of the Comma Dave, I'll keep my eyes open for those now!

Everything round my way seems to be two weeks behind everywhere else?!

Havecs goodn

Wurzel

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:38 pm

30th June

A whole day available, so I thought another Surrey tour was in order to see what new delights might be out.

Botany Bay first: I was there between about ten and midday, and was disappointed to see no sign at all of White Admirals or Silver-washed Fritillaries. I came across a few Ringlets (first ones for me this year), Meadow Browns, Speckled Woods, Red Admirals and Large Skippers - and only a handful of each. Oh, and a solitary Comma.

On to Denbies, where despite quite a lot of sun, a fierce wind was blowing up the slope, deterring the butterflies from venturing forth. Calmer interludes saw good numbers of Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and Large Skippers. Suddenly there was a flash of orange at the top of the hill - a Dark Green Fritillary? And so it proved to be, as a few minutes later it threw itself into the grass close to the path and I was able to get a photo.

Before heading to the top of Box Hill, I thought I'd try Juniper Bottom. This lovely valley is well-sheltered from the wind, and SWF are seen here too - but not today. There were Ringlets, Meadow Browns, Green-veined Whites, Speckled Woods and no less than three Brimstones, all males. I couldn't approach them closely enough to tell whether they were new individuals or hibernators from 2011.

And so to Box Hill for much-needed tea (the new café is open). Refreshed, I went out onto Burford Spur, where surprisingly the wind was not too bad. When the sun shone, the hillside came alive with butterflies - Meadow Browns in bigger numbers than last year, Small Heaths, and Marbled Whites predominently, though there were as always Large Skippers too. However, the best part was seeing perhaps a dozen Dark Green Fritillaries whizzing over the slopes, mainly being chased by all the smaller butterflies they constantly disturbed. The average male DGF appears to be a bit of a wimp.

I just had time to pop into Fairmile Common. The Silver-studded Blues were mostly already roosting, but one or two opened their wings. The low evening light brought out different aspects of the blue colour - the new ones in particular shimmer beautifully in a variety of shades. I counted about thirty butterflies without searching particularly hard.

Dave