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Evening Neil

Is it your intention to spend the rest of the Summer teasing and tormenting me Not only a Small Copper with blue spots but a Purple Hairstreak too, wings open no less! Well, I despair

Well done with the Purple Hairstreak open wing shot, Neil. It's one of the UK's most difficult images to capture.

Many thanks all for the kind comments, they really add the icing on the cake to great days out

Pauline, I am so sorry I am driving you to despair, its totally unintentional. I am not singling you out, I had Wurzel groaning a bit a few weeks back .
I must admit, I went looking for the Small Coppers but the Purple Hairstreak just happened when I wasn't expecting it

Wednesday 31st July

Yesterday (Tuesday) the Peacock Pupae had started to change colour, in fact one had emerged early in the afternoon.....
A little later I released the adult into the garden where it posed briefly on my path before taking off over the neighbours garden.
After the past few days of rain showers, some of them heavy and thundery, with warm sunny spells in between, today was miserable and grey with constant rain………
……..and guess when most of the rest of my Peacocks decided to emerge.

I had been keeping the cage outside when the weather was reasonable but bringing it in to the garage overnight as the pupae were more exposed on the netting than they would be in the wild where I would presume they would be tucked away in sheltered locations.
I got up this morning to find nine recently emerged adults hanging down drying their wings.
Not wanting to disturb them I left them and went out a couple of times on some errands thinking I would release them into the garden when the rain stopped. Well, it rained all day and it was gone 6.00pm before it finally stopped and the clouds turned a lighter shade of grey and I had a chance to release them.
I put the cage out in the garden and just unzipped the side for them to find their way out and fly off.
There are just four pupae left to emerge, all look healthy enough so maybe tomorrow.

Bye for now

Neil.

Hi Neil.

I've really enjoyed reading about your Peacocks. I'm sure it was a very satisfying moment as they took flight for the very first time ...

Good hunting.

Kindest regards. Mark

Thanks Mark,

It was a great moment

This was the first time I have done anything like this for more than 35 years, brought back loads of happy memories

All the best,

Neil.

Thursday 1st August

The last four Peacocks emerged early this morning, they were hanging there drying their wings when I got up. It was a much better day today so as soon as they started to flutter about inside the cage I released them into the back garden.
Out of fourteen caterpillars collected from the back garden, all fourteen made it through to adults that I released back into the garden. I didn't collect the caterpillars until they were in the last instar which probably meant that any survivors at that stage were probably free from parasites . I know from Vince Massimo's excellent 'early stages' thread that Peacocks have a parasitic wasp which emerges as a grub as the caterpillars are entering their fourth instar but am not sure if there are any other parasites which would still be effecting them when full grown or as pupae.

The Red Admiral from a few days ago is still around and still looking quite good despite being out in some heavy rain showers. Interestingly I never see him during the day but he always turns up early evening to defend the airspace above the nettle patch until about 7.30pm when the sun goes behind the trees at the bottom of the garden. Tonight a second Red Admiral tried it on a few times but was seen off by the 'owner'
Bye for now,

Neil.

nfreem wrote:
Out of fourteen caterpillars collected from the back garden, all fourteen made it through to adults that I released back into the garden.

You can't do better than 100%, Neil.

I'm sure the whole episode has been a great pleasure to you.

Excellent news about your Peacocks Neil Are you going to try something similar next year - perhaps with Chequered Skippers or even better Glanvilles - I know a good site where you could release them

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hee hee, steady on Wurzel

Tempting as that might be, I think there are enough dodgy introductions around already.

I will probably do something again, depends on what chance throws my way. The Peacocks were from eggs laid in my garden so I didn't even have to go looking.

Cheers,

Neil F.

Friday 2nd August.

I had hoped to get a chance to make it down to Aston Rowant this week to see Chalkhill Blues and Silver-spotted Skippers, my original plan was for Wednesday but with a weather forecast for rain all day, which turned out to be bang on, I decided against it, and with Thursday already ‘booked up’ with family plans, this left me with Friday.

With a forecast for early showers clearing away through the morning I figured on getting there around mid-morning, hopefully whilst there was still some cloud and the butterflies were still warming up.
So it was that I arrived just after 10.00 under an overcast sky and with just a small hint of drizzle in the air. Nevertheless it was quite warm and starting out over the hill side I soon saw Meadow Browns and some Chalkhill Blues fluttering about. I am used to seeing Meadow Browns flying in quite dull conditions and even light rain but I was surprised at how many Chalkhills were flying given how dull it still was.

This gave me a chance to get some Chalkhill Blue underside shots but this proved easier said than done as it was a bit breezy and the butterflies were either bobbing about on stems or going lower down in the grass.
I managed to get a few shots which I am not entirely happy with but am still posting as they include a couple of aberrations which I have personally not seen before. Living in the midlands Chalkhill Blues are a species I don’t see unless I go further afield such as today (Friday).
By mid-day the sun was poking through and the hillsides were alive with butterflies, mostly Meadow Browns and Chalkhill Blues which must have numbered in their hundreds if not thousands.
I had already seen a few Silver-spotted Skippers on flower heads earlier in the morning but these too became more evident as they warmed up and began zipping about.

I took load of photos so to prevent this post getting too big will keep it for the Chalkhill Blues and save the Silver-spotted Skippers for the next one.

Bye for now,

Neil.

A nice set of Chalkhill aberrations! You did better on the 2nd than I did on the 1st August since, although it was hot and sunny, there was also a strong wind keeping the butterflies down. In addition, the M40 Southbound was at a stand-still for the entire couple of hours I was there (fortunately, I had taken a cross-country route).

Mike

Thanks Mike

There was a bit of a breeze when I was there but the lower paths were sheltered by the hedges which helped a bit. Also while still warm It was a bit cooler than Thursday so the butterflies weren't too hyperactive.

I had no problems going down the M40 from Solihull in the morning but hit congestion by Warwick on my way back, a car was broken down in the outside lane causing problems for the Friday tea time traffic

Cheers,

Neil.

Nice Chakhill Blue photos Neil, I know exactly how difficult and frustrating it can be trying to take photos of butterflies on wind-blown flowers! Looking forward to your SSB photos.

Best Regards,

Mike.

Great Chalkhills Niel - looking forward to the Silver Spots - hopefully they'll keep me going until I get back from Wales next weekend, and hopefully there will still be some around in good nick for me then too

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Cheers Mike, at least the wind eased off later but then the sun came out and everything went into speedy mode. Never happy are we

Thanks Wurzel, I am sure you will find something of interest in Wales. Bye the way, I am going to be a grockle again in a few weeks, going to be in Dorset again first week in September

Friday 2nd August – Silver-spotted Skippers

As mentioned above, the other species that I had had come to Aston Rowant to see was the Silver-spotted Skipper which according to reports was out in good numbers.
I saw the first one just after walking onto the hillside, soon to be followed by a few more, sitting on plants or taking off as I disturbed them along the paths. While it was still cloudy they were not so active but there was a fair breeze which made taking photos a challenge as, like the Chalkhill Blues, they were either bobbing about on flower heads or going down in the grass or on bare patches of ground.

By the time the wind had dropped a bit, the sun was coming out and it was getting quite warm which made the Skippers, along with everything else more active. Mind you, the photography is only part of it for me and the sheer pleasure of a hillside full of butterflies is something to be enjoyed in itself, getting some reasonable photos is the icing on the cake.
Walking along the hillside it was evident that although there were good numbers in the areas of longer grass at the start and lower parts of the slopes, the greatest numbers were in the areas of shorter turf where from mid-day onwards with the sun out they were zipping everywhere.

A number of times I saw females being chased by males into the grass where usually the male would be rejected and after a while leave the female alone. I assume this was because the female was already mated.
I also saw a few instances of males on the same patch of ground which surprised me as I thought the males were territorial and one would have chased the other off. As it was they went their separate ways quite peacefully.
I have still got a load of photo of other species seen to sort through so will probably do another post with these later.

Bye for now,

Neil.

Great shots and report Neil Four days to go til I can get out and start looking for them myself so I'm in the unusual position of having weekdays off but still hoping for good weather at the weekend

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Hi Neil, excellent SSS photos. Never easy to get in windy conditions!

Regards,

Mike

Thanks for the comments guys

A pretty dreary day today with incessant rain, still it gave me chance to catch up on a few things and keep this diary up to date.

Friday 2nd August – The supporting cast.

As well as the large numbers of Chalkhill Blues and Meadow Browns and the numerous Silver-Spotted Skippers, I was also pleased to see half a dozen or so each of Common Blue, Small Copper and Brown Argus

It was when I saw the first Brown Argus that I realised that, up until Friday, I had only seen one so far this year and that was in North Devon back in June.
In the areas of longer grass and along the lower slopes there were also a good number of Small and Essex skippers, many of them looking a bit tired and faded.
I also saw two definite Large Skippers, one of which, a female, was in surprisingly good condition and looked much fresher than many of the Small/Essex and even some of the Silver-spotted Skippers.
Other butterflies seen were many assorted Whites, Good numbers of Gatekeepers, Ringlets and Peacocks, a few Speckled Woods and singles of Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral.

Those who have visited Aston Rowant will be familiar with the Red Kites that are often circling around overhead. There were three or four overhead most of the time that I was there with up to a dozen visible over the nearby hills and to the south of the M40. Most of the time these were just silhouettes against the sky but I caught one just in time as it banked to get the shot below.
There seems to be a few Clouded Yellows and Painted Ladies coming in down south..........and I am heading north tomorrow for a few days at Arnside, oh well, can't have everything

Bye for now,

Neil.

You may find those Painted Ladies have got there first! One of the only two I saw in 2011 was up at Arnside...

I may be there on Wednesday around lunchtime on a detour during a voyage up to York - keeping an eye on the forecast. Watch out for ticks - really troublesome on that last visit.

Dave

Hi Dave,

The weather is looking pretty abysmal for the drive up tomorrow but Tuesday and Wednesday are not looking too bad...so far. Returning home on Thursday, exact time will depend on the weather

We are staying at the same B&B that we stayed at last year at the bottom of Knott Lane so I can walk up to the Knott

I was lucky with the ticks last year, didn't have one (hmmm....shouldn't have said that, I know what will happen now...)

Cheers,

Neil.