August 2013

[David M]

Just to further frustrate Willrow; a male Holly Blue was posing nicely on shrubs opposite the local Premier shop in Abergavenny as I was on my way to the lock up to feed the aviary birds this morning.

This is one species I haven't paid much attention to this year, so now that things are slowing down slightly with regard to new species emergence, I hope to get the opportunity to spend some time observing this lovely butterfly.

[Vince Massimo]

Some interesting recent sightings of migrants and aberrations (with photos) have been reported on the Sussex BC website.

http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings.html

Just click and scroll

Vince

[CJB]

Hi UK-B'ers,
I managed to get to Ashton Rowant for 90 minutes this afternoon; it was well worth the trip!!
I arrived to hear reports of at least 10 clouded yellows currently patrolling the hillside. I almost ran/fell down the path to get there and as soon as I arrived it was an amazing site; there were butterflies everywhere you looked. I bumped it to two non-ukber's who informed me of the CY's and I headed on. Within 5 minutes I located a CY and the sun went in so it sat very still and voila!!!!

Clouded Yellow

This is another UK first on my mobile and takes the tally up to 44 UK species. I was surprised about how small it was compared to the ones I have seen in the Alps, but it was stunning nonetheless.

The list for just today was:
Clouded Yellow.
Small Copper.
Large Skipper.
Silver Spotted Skipper.
Comma.
Peacock.
Small Tortoiseshell.
Red Admiral.
Gatekeeper.
Meadow Brown.
Ringlet.
Chalkhill Blue.
Common Blue.
Brown Argus.
Small White.
Large White.
Green Veined White.
Speckled Wood.

Not bad for 90 minutes wandering and makes up for a week in Scotland without seeing any of the local specialities.

Flutter on!

CJB

[David M]

Within 5 minutes I located a CY and the sun went in so it sat very still and voila!

Apparently, there was one sighted on Thursday when I visited, so maybe numbers are increasing. Let's hope so.

Routine walk round Castle Meadows in Abergavenny produced all 5 UK vanessids; 40+Peacocks, 5 Small Tortoiseshells, 4 Commas, 2 Painted Ladies and 1 Red Admiral.

Large Whites were about in huge numbers - there was even one in our greenhouse (which I caught and released).

[badgerbob]

Despite the weather not really being 100% suitable I did a Wall Brown count on my circuit this afternoon and managed 81 individuals. If the weather had been better I might have hit the 100. In both of the main areas it was either cloudy or windy. I hope to get another chance in a few days time.
There were also a few fresh Small Tortoiseshells flying and enormous quantities of Small White.

[Willrow]

Just to further frustrate Willrow; a male Holly Blue was posing nicely on shrubs opposite the local Premier shop in Abergavenny as I was on my way to the lock up to feed the aviary birds this morning.

This is one species I haven't paid much attention to this year, so now that things are slowing down slightly with regard to new species emergence, I hope to get the opportunity to spend some time observing this lovely butterfly.

Lovely butterfly indeed...their sneaky hideaway little b****rs I'm still on forty nine species and Celastrina argiolus is being personal about evading me this year, its looking decidedly unlikely that Holly Blue will have the honour of becoming No 50 and it most certainly doesn't deserve such an honour Further to this there now appears to be Clouded Yellow actually tripping 'butterflyers' up at Aston Rowlant, where I only happened to spend the entire day Tuesday and didn't get a sniff of one...not even a rumour of one I've got a feeling that it will be Brown Hairstreak - now there's a real decent helpful species...will make a lovely No 50 methinks...

Regards,

Bill

PS. Thank you for thinking about me and my chronic Hollyitis David as you casually went about your mornings business

[essexbuzzard]

Late report from Thursday 8th,went to Aston Rowant, lots of Silver Spotted Skippers now out,probably near peak. Courtship,mating and even egg-laying all seen. Plenty of Chalkhill Blues still,some a little worn,some fresh. Quite a few Brimstones and Common Blues. Was delighted to see several Clouded Yellows,including a helice,on the north side of M4. List Small Skipper,Essex Skipper,Silver s Skipper,Clouded Yellow,Brimstone,Large White,Small White,G V White,Small Copper,Brown Argus,Common Blue,Chalkhill Blue,Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock,Comma,Dark Green Fritillary, Marbled White,Gatekeeper,Meadow Brown and Small Heath. The abundance of butterflies here this year is legendary!

[Ian Pratt]

Second brood small blue at Afton chalkpit car park Isle of Wight yesterday with several brown argus. Nothing else.Ian

[David M]

Hurrah! As of today I'm also a member of the 2013 Clouded Yellow club!

I nipped out with my friend's South African lodger as she'd never seen Peacocks before. Well, we were almost sick of the sight of this species after half an hour, and in addition we saw plenty of Whites along with Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma and a beautiful, fresh Painted Lady.

Then, I spotted something distinctive on a suburban buddleia - my first CY since 2010! If they're present in downtown, inland Abergavenny I reckon there's an excellent chance of me seeing a few more once I return to Swansea. Will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled.

[Willrow]

Kenfig NNR, South Wales - last Friday. I will admit that my mission was to see and study Red-veined Darter a scarce migrant dragonfly that has bred at this excellent reserve, with mission accomplished before lunch I decided to commit the afternoon to the activities of butterflies nectaring on Sea Holly Eryngium maritimum surprisingly this beautiful plant is a member of the Umbellifers and was in full flower, a delight to my eyes and obviously to the taste buds of several of our commoner butterflies. The interaction between such species as Grayling, Common Blue, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell and the whites was fascinating, there was little if any bullying for the best source of nectar, it was obvious that there was more than enough for all - and all included many hundreds of Six-spot Burnet.

It really recharges the batteries to be on the coast listening to the sea in the background and watch the butterflies going about their lives on one of my very favourite plants. It doesn't have to be a day chasing about the UK after the rarer species, I'm more than happy spending a few hours in locations such as Kenfig NNR studying the antics of our more common insects. Great day much enjoyed

Bill

[Mark Senior]

Ok this is not a very exciting report in terms of rare butterflies seen but perhaps of interest to some .
For some months I have been monitoring the butterflies on a patch of waste ground just up along Tarring Road to the west of West Worthing station . The patch is around 10 metres wide and 200 metres along bordered by large trees on one side and a hedge of various bushes including buddleia on the other ( railway side ) . The
vegetation is lush long grasses with thistles and some nettles .
The dominant butterfly species of this site is Speckled Wood . Frequently 20 to 30 are seen on each visit . Frequent Large , Small and the odd Green Veined White pass
through the site as do a good number of Holly Blues ( not uncommon to see 6-8 on a visit ) All the usual vanessids have been seen this year , Peacock , Small Tortoiseshell , Red Admiral , Comma and Painted Lady . Gatekeepers and Ringlets are present in small numbers but very surprisingly not a single Meadow Brown has even been seen . A small colony of Small Skippers is present and although I never saw any 1st brood Common Blues there seems to be a small colony present at the far western end . A single male was seen for 2/3 weeks but just as I thought it was destined for a lonely life it has been joined by others with at least 4 males and 2 possibly 3 females . There is no birds foot trefoil present on the sight but I have seen a female laying on Black Medick of which there are reasonable patches on the site .
Not seen this year or last but seen 2 years ago were 2 or 3 Orange Tips .

[Jack Harrison]

Isle of Mull

Scotch Argus are everywhere on Mull (and just across the water at Lochaline on the mainland and doubtless, in most suitable places in the west of Scotland). My observations certainly put to bed the oft-repeated (even on ukb) “They fly only when the sun is shining”. Both sexes are active in cloudy bright conditions when the temperature is 13C or higher.

This is a typical habitat (at the rear of the Salen Hotel). Not sure how damaged it will be when they light that bonfire on 5th November. (Just visible in the distance). But they are certainly not restricted to such habtats being found in woodland paths and along roadside verges.



On the other hand, another butterfly that is common on Mull, Small Tortoiseshell, is definitely a sun lover.

Jack

[Mark Tutton]

Given the reports of clouded yellows I took look at a coastal site at Sandy Point, Hayling Island first thing this morning.
I wasn't disappointed - before getting completely soaked by a huge shower I had tracked down an incredible seven - four males and three females including a delightful Helice - and possibly two. All were in a very uninviting gravel area behind the lifeboat station - but there was abundant fleabane on which they were nectaring. A couple were quite worn which I think would mean they have been ashore for a few days but most were pristine examples. Also noticed a good emergence of very fresh small coppers including a couple of ab. caeruleopunctata.
Given the apparent abundance of immigrants at present I have been looking carefully at all of the blues I am seeing at the moment - no long or short tails yet.
Mark.

[rezamink]

Visited my local Silver-spotted Skipper site in Surrey on the 7th August and was very pleased to see such good numbers! the other surprise was I saw up to about 10 individuals nectaring on buddleia! which i'd never seen before...

Silver Spotted Skipper on Buddleia!

[kevling]

I'd been longing to see my first Clouded Yellow for a while. Last week in the French Alps, my dream came true with lots seen (more reports from that trip to follow). But it wasn't quite the same as an English sighting, so imagine my delight as I was loading the suitcases back into the car at Gatwick's Long Stay car park on Saturday,and a Clouded Yellow buzzed right in front of me.
I'm in CY heaven right now!

Regards
Kev

[MikeOxon]

I was loading the suitcases back into the car at Gatwick's Long Stay car park on Saturday,and a Clouded Yellow buzzed right in front of me.

Sure it didn't fly out of your suitcase?

[Jack Harrison]

Sure it [Clouded Yellow] didn't fly out of your suitcase?

Some 40 years ago I flew RAF Hercules aircraft. One day just after we had taken off from Cyprus, a moth started flapping around inside my windscreen; it was a real nuisance. After a while it vanished.

On landing at Lyneham, Wiltshire, the Flight Engineer presented me with a paper cup stuffed gently into another cup with a label “Captain’s Moth”. It was a Silver Y that he had caught in the cockpit. And we had always thought that they reached the British Isles under their own steam!

Jack

[sahikmet]

Today at Chabham Common, Graylings 20+, Oystershell Hill SU970652 son or near the path leading to the top of the hill.

[David M]

the other surprise was I saw up to about 10 individuals nectaring on buddleia! which i'd never seen before...

Wow, I've never even heard of that before, let alone seen it.

Sounds like the makings of a good thread - 'Butterflies you DON'T expect to be nectaring on buddleia'. I can follow up your opener with High Brown Fritillaries on buddleia a week last Saturday!!

First to nail a Mountain Ringlet wins an award!

[Ian Pratt]

Very good at Walter's Copse Newtown IOW yesterday- fleabane the main nectar plant:
Wall brown 2
Peacock 20
Large white 10
Small white 5
Green-veined white 3
Common blue 10
Brimstone 10
Red admiral 1
Southern hawker 1
Meadow brown 10
Gatekeeper 5
Painted lady 1
White admiral 1
Silver-washed fritillary 15
Comma 2
Small copper 1
Speckled wood 2

Very good to see so many butterflies.
Ian