July 2014

[Rosalyn]

Friday evening was lovely and sunny so Phil and I visited Barnack Hills and Holes to look for Chalkhill Blue. Lots of Marbled White still around but past their best. We only managed to locate 2 C Blues but they were reasonably obliging.

Today I was doing transects, as the weather was not a bad as predicted, bit of drizzle around lunchtime, I set off to do the weekly count. I hardly ever take my camera because it is too tempting and it ends up taking an age to finish. Passing Riddy Wood on the Woodwalton Farm I encountered a White-letter Hairstreak, damn cursing I carried on. Despite the heat I decided to go back on the off chance and after a bit of wandering up and down I found another one! (it had different markings) not in tip top condition but a nice find none the less.

I did venture into Riddy Wood (not too far, I didn't want to get lost) and it's not as overgrown as I had been led to believe. Lots of nettle but some open spaces with plenty of Blackthorn so I'm even more intrigued by the Black Hairstreak sighting earlier.

[kevling]

East Lane, Bawdsey - Suffolk: At least half a dozen Clouded Yellow seen this afternoon by the lagoons (within a 50 metre stretch). The walk along the coastal path also yielded 100+ Gatekeepers and similar numbers of whites. A dozen species seen in all.

Regards Kev

[Yellow Hairstreak]

On my lunch breaks at the UEA (University of East Anglia) I have picked up around a dozen species this week. There are far more Gatekeepers than the same time last year, but so far much fewer Commas and Common Blues. The single Painted Lady that hung around for a good ten minutes is the first that I've seen in my two years on the campus.

Friday 18th, I saw around sixteen species at Foxley Wood in Norfolk with Gatekeepers once again in very large numbers (and once again, no Commas and just a single Common Blue). It was nice to see the Silver Washed Fritillaries doing okay there, and I spotted around half a dozen in all - possibly more. Two White Admirals made an appearance but did not settle, and there was a very large abundance of Skippers (Large, Small and Essex).

Finally, a quick visit to Mousehold Heath on the Friday evening brought me a single Purple Hairstreak nestling in one of the oaks. There are also some White Letter Hairstreaks around by all accounts, but not spotted them yet.

Jason

[jenks]

I`ve enjoyed reading the diaries and viewing all the wonderful photos that have been submitted recently. Normally I would have been out`n`about myself but pneumonia put paid to my activities for the past 8 weeks so I`ve had to be content with reading others accounts. Have to say very therapeutic although a little frustrating !. Still, I`m now playing catch up so Sunday 13 July saw me off to Bentley Wood. Great to meet Wurzel again & thanks for the information. The morning from 08.30 to 10.30 was cloudy with some drizzle. Ringlet was the most active butterfly during these times and the most numerous seen whilst I was there ( I left 16.30 ), 50 to 60 being seen. The cloud lifted mid morning and the butterflies increased with numerous Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Small and Large Skipper being seen. Getting down on my knees & examining every Small Skipper eventually paid off with 2 being identified as Essex. Also seen were Purple Hairstreak ( 6 or so around the tops of various Oaks ), White letter Hairstreak ( 3 in the tops of the Elms by the Ralph Whitlock memorial ), Small and Large White ( 10 or so of each ), Marbled White ( 5), Silver washed Fritillary ( perhaps surprisingly only 9 or 10 seen ) and singles of Brimstone, Red Admiral and Comma. But, best sighting, 2 Purple Emperor flitting briefly around the Sallows by Donkey Copse. Could possibly have been the same individual but I think not as the 2 were seen in different areas of Sallow hedgerow. Disappointingly no White Admiral seen. Ah well, another day.
After an overnight stay in Salisbury I went to Durleston Country Park on Monday 14 July, hoping for Lulworth Skipper. Note for Susie ( if I`m not too late for your proposed visit here ), Lulworths were abundant here with 40 to 50 being seen. Almost all, however, were males, I only saw 2 females with the characteristic crescent of golden rays on the forewings. Large numbers here too of Marbled White, and 8-10 Dark Green Frits in the gully by the lighthouse.
At Bentley Wood I had got talking to 3 gents from Gloucester so on Friday, 18 July I went to Lower Woods, Wickwar, hoping to see White Admiral. This was a new place for me and I thought it fantastic !. The best area seems to be Horton Great Trench. This is a wide ride through the wood with a carpet of flower meadow either side of the track, leading up to tall hedgerow. I was not disappointed here, 6 White Admiral being seen, but the number of Silver washed Frits was simply amazing. I keep a 5-bar count of butterflies seen but after 60 I stopped counting. Even allowing for duplication, I must have seen 80 - 100 SWF`s as my walk was taking me further into the wood and I was not re-tracing my steps. Also seen were large numbers of Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Small and Large Skipper, Peacock, Marbled White ( 4 ) and singles of Red Admiral and Holly Blue ( new for me this year ). I was here from 10.00 to 14.00 and left with a resolve to visit these woods again.

So after a belated start to my summer butterfly visits I`m now racking `em up !.

Jenks

[dave brown]

I am aware, and have been allowed access, of a Monarch butterfly in a private garden near Hamstreet, Kent. Although a possible escape or release cannot be ruled out, it must also be considered that it could be of an Iberian source following recent days of seeming favourable winds and weather from that area. I will post a few photos later on my diary to see if they can add anything to the discussion. There have been a few migrant moths around the south coast of late. In the meantime we shall carry on checking the local area for news of potential releases.

Updated Personal Diary with photos at 20.15 hours.

[MrSp0ck]

Clouded Yellow male seen at Hutchinson's Bank Nature Reserve Open Day, Surrey. 2nd Brood Small Blue,Small Copper, Brown Argus
Dark Green Fritillary.

[Vince Massimo]

I found a freshly emerged female Brown Hairstreak on the footpath outside my house in Crawley this morning. It had slightly crumpled wings and had probably come from underneath one of the cherry plum hedges that form the boundaries of most of the properties in this road. I moved it to a safe location and grabbed a few record shots.

Brown Hairstreak female - Crawley, Sussex 20-July-2014

Need to look for eggs in the hedge this winter

Vince

[Marc Heath]

With a bit of luck today, and despite some atrocious weather conditions I managed to connect with my first ever British MONARCH at Ruckinge, Kent. It has been present 2 days now and after finding out it was still present and arranging access to the owners garden, I was treated to views as it sheltered from the heavy rain this afternoon. I managed a few shots which were not good as it was obscured but what a sight to see. Hopefully I will post some shots later on my Blog: http://www.marcheath.blogspot.com

Marc

[MrSp0ck]

Our Local 99p shop was selling Asclepias tuberosa in the spring 3 plants for 99p, so my garden is one with lots of Milkweed. If other gardeners have also planted any the Monarchs will be able to Breed, as there might be lots of places with it's foodplant we don't know about.

[A_T]

Silver-washed Fritillaries out in force at Llynclys Common.

[David M]

Your last image is particularly good, AT.

[Jack Harrison]

Isle of Mull 20th July

Summer brood GV White just emerging. Heavily marked form thompsonii.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Isle of Mull 21st July

Mass emergence of Common (!) Tortoiseshells today. Tortoisehell is single brooded here, unlike in the south.
Seen in several places including many using thistles on dunes, Calgary Bay. The form on Mull does seem to be consistently quite dark.

On the adjacent hillside (needed a climb beyond my capability) wife Stella saw Small P.B. Frit and Scotch Argus (first observation this year).

My son has been visiting and we managed a decent view of White-tailed Eagle. He isn't a birder but might be now!!!

Jack

[sahikmet]

Today at Aston Rowant lots of Chalk Hill blues and Small Skippers. Only a few Silver -Spotted Skippers. Sezar

[Stampy98]

Several Essex skippers on the wing in Hailey Park, Cardiff today. Also over 120+ small skippers present. 13 species present on-site.

[David M]

Several Essex skippers on the wing in Hailey Park, Cardiff today. Also over 120+ small skippers present. 13 species present on-site.

Nice to know that, Stampy.

I've started scrutinising Small Skippers at the Alun Valley High Brown site lately, as it's only a matter of time before this species turns up here.

[Perseus]

Hello,



An amble up to Mill Hill produced upwards of 250 butterflies and included thirteen different species in as many minutes. The total personal species tally was 17 species including a first of the year Dark Green Fritillary, a fresh Wall Brown, my first two immigrant Clouded Yellows, a second brood Dingy Skipper, and about a hundred Chalkhill Blues (a week before they are due to peak). Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns. and Marbled Whites were all ubiquitous on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Less than frequent (lower slopes only, recorded in single figures) were Speckled Woods, Large Whites, Small Heaths, Common Blues, Brimstones, Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks and Small Skippers. My first of year teneral Common Darter (dragonfly) landed in front of me. As I was about to go home I spotted a blue Southern Hawker patrolling the unruly hedge at the bottom of the lower slopes. www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2014.html#21July


Picture at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shoreham/14688903046/



Adur Butterfly & Large Moth List
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Butterfly-list2014.html

Cheers

Andy Horton
glaucus@hotmail.com
Adur Valley Nature Notes
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Adur2014.html
Adur Valley Nature Notes: July 2014
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/July2014.html

Local Speakers
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Speakers.html

[MrSp0ck]

At Headley Heath Surrey today 24 species seen, including 2nd Brood Dingy Skipper flying with Silver Spotted Skippers, they were chasing it off most of the time.

[Susie]

Clouded yellow at Goring this afternoon. Loads of butterflies in the garden today. A dozen or so peacocks, some red admirals, small tortoiseshell, large and small whites, gatekeepers, meadow brown, comma, brimstone and tatty large skipper.

[MikeOxon]

Plenty of Silver-spotted Skippers on the sun-baked slope at Aston Rowant NNR this afternoon. They were 'skipping' from one Scabious flower to the next, low and fast, so that the best way to get a close view was to 'stake out' a good cluster of flowers and wait!

Aston Rowant NNR - 22nd July 2014
Nikon D300s with Tamron 90mm macro lens + 1.4X TC - 1/180s@f/13 ISO400

Mike