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Re: millerd
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 6:33 pm
by Neil Freeman
millerd wrote:A mostly cloudy couple of hours at Ryton Country Park on Saturday 27th with no butterflies at all. A quick look at the blackthorn revealed no Brown Hairstreak eggs this year (unlike this time last year). There are always some disappointents.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Unfortunately Saturday was a bit gloomy up this way all day
I have not seen any Brown Hairstreak sightings from Ryton at all this year, a bit worrying.
Cheers,
Neil.
Re: millerd
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:10 pm
by Wurzel
Great reports Dave, I've been doing some catching up as I've been snowed under at work
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Great shots of the Red Admirals but the stand out butterfly has to be the Holly Blue, it looks so fresh for September
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Still trying to catch up on my PD, maybe by Christmas I'll have gotten there
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: millerd
Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:04 pm
by Goldie M
Hi! Dave, I don't think the Butterflies up North think about a third Brood
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I wish they did
Love the Holly Blue nice to see, not seen one since the Spring Goldie
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: millerd
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:36 pm
by millerd
That's a shame about the Brown Hairstreaks at Ryton, Neil. If I pop in during the winter I'll look out for eggs.
Thanks, Wurzel and Goldie. Amazingly another Holly Blue today, even better than the last. I've seen them almost every time I've gone out locally, from April onwards. Very reliable in these parts!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
It would be good if it took until Christmas for you to catch up, Wurzel - it'll brighten up those long dark damp evenings...
Friday 3rd October: Another splendid sunny and warm day straight out of summer. With the forecasts universally agreed that tomorrow will mark a big change in the weather (the season, even), I had to escape work and head on out round my local patch here on the western fringes of Heathrow. As you might expect, I saw half a dozen Red Admirals and around the same number of Speckled Woods. The former were resplendent and new-looking, but the latter were a bit on the tatty side now. However, they were full of life, chasing each other around in prolonged spiralling flights high into the trees. There was not a great deal else numerically, but early on a Holly Blue joined a couple of Speckled Woods in one of their sorties, and there were some Whites: two Large, one Small and one Green-veined. I was surprised to find a couple of Small Heaths hanging on in the meadow area, and then finally I spotted another Holly Blue down low on a thistle, deigning to open its wings just a little for the camera. That's definitely an October first for me!
![SW1 031014.JPG (417.51 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SW1 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_68f4deddaab24c82ee23d32d7bf131d0)
![SW2 031014.JPG (416.33 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SW2 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_da67d60b373b3684b80695c7170badae)
![SpW2 031014.JPG (423.91 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SpW2 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_ef0c5b91b553ac91173ec1fbfa3ce844)
![SpW1 031014.JPG (462.21 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SpW1 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_239bf4c451cb9ab2c77bea384aae9993)
![SH2 031014.JPG (393.27 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SH2 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_be7ddd35ccc80a41e2362809e7472539)
![SH1 031014.JPG (369.61 KiB) Viewed 1090 times SH1 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_3d54ade415bedb5d6db1813624c61b7e)
![RA1 031014.JPG (400.95 KiB) Viewed 1090 times RA1 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_479074b59473e0da373985e07639b1df)
![RA2 031014.JPG (465.78 KiB) Viewed 1090 times RA2 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_835c44c546741a45f96379b965733282)
![RA3 031014.JPG (401.45 KiB) Viewed 1090 times RA3 031014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_793015cf7bb4b59e5d44efe30ff62ec9)
![HB1 031014.JPG (350.92 KiB) Viewed 1090 times A glorious sight for early October!](./files/thumb_9839_038250f2a7efa6a8f61af503f44c63bf)
- A glorious sight for early October!
Just previewing the photos, I notice that the third Red Admiral above has the extra white spot - but only on one side. The second one has one on each wing, and the first one none. However, the first one has noticeably more blue in the corner of the hindwings, including blue centres to the black spots further in. Endless variety to look at...
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 5:04 pm
by Pauline
Great shot of the Holly Blue Dave - it looks in fantastic condition too
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
You could count on one hand the few I have seen this year.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Re: millerd
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 8:22 pm
by David M
That Holly Blue in October would be noteworthy for timing alone, but for it to appear so fresh makes it even more satisfying.
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:40 pm
by Goldie M
I second Pauline, One seen only this year , lovely shots of all the Butterflies Goldie
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:01 pm
by millerd
Thank you, Pauline and Goldie! I've been lucky with Holly Blues locally this year, seeing the first one on 8th April and then regularly ever since. Not in any great numbers, perhaps, but they've been around most times I've been out. The habitat round here is good, with quite a bit of holly in the hedgerows and plenty of ivy everywhere. I hope you both have more luck next year.
Nevertheless, as you point out, David, October sightings are not particularly common. The literature does acknowledge a third brood in a prolonged warm season, and I have seen recent reports from elsewhere this year as well. Still, a shiny new Holly Blue is a delightful sight at any time of year.
Saturday 4th October: It was still sunny and pleasantly warm at nine this morning, so I popped out nearby. You could see the clouds ominously massing out to the west and the breeze was getting up. However, I quickly found a few Red Admirals alternately basking and soaring about, plus a couple of Speckled Woods gyrating in a sheltered sunny spot.
![SpW1 041014.JPG (414.05 KiB) Viewed 1051 times A last chance to bask in the warm](./files/thumb_9839_becb72dd8136bfee2cba654f81a08bc1)
- A last chance to bask in the warm
![RAx2 041014.JPG (503.34 KiB) Viewed 1051 times Taken from a distance: making the most of the sunshine](./files/thumb_9839_1b9b95132f8f63531fe2eaa6e16b982e)
- Taken from a distance: making the most of the sunshine
![RA1 041014.JPG (429.44 KiB) Viewed 1051 times A nice underside](./files/thumb_9839_2c645316c4db5f713d92264df7518919)
- A nice underside
This was to be a last glimpse of summer before autumn barged its way in an hour later... by ten o'clock it was cloudy and noticeably cooler; by eleven it was drizzling and by twelve it was pouring down, dark and cold. An amazing clear-cut change of season and predicted with uncanny accuracy several days ago by the Met Office.
![Summer departs.JPG (309.47 KiB) Viewed 1051 times Summer departs...](./files/thumb_9839_07bbd89517caa4195e3db9fffd7c06a4)
- Summer departs...
![Autumn rolls in.JPG (453.76 KiB) Viewed 1051 times ... and Autumn rolls in](./files/thumb_9839_cc5edbb51e3d4d28df86fb56d6417b25)
- ... and Autumn rolls in
With a bit of sunshine in the weeks ahead (even if it's a fair bit cooler) no doubt Red Admirals will still be around, but I'm not so sure about the Speckled Woods.
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:38 pm
by trevor
HI,Millerd,
Who cares about Red Admirals with extra white spots when you have a Holly Blue with its wings open.
And whats more a beautiful shot too!. Well done.
All the best TREVOR
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 10:38 pm
by millerd
Thanks, Trevor. I'm beginning to realise what a lucky shot that was to bring the season to a close (or nearly so).
It turns out my day wasn't quite finished today - the rain cleared around half past three, leaving brilliant blue sky and temperatures of only about 12 degrees. I just had to look and see whether any Red Admirals would be tempted out. They were, of course: I saw two, plus a Speckled Wood and strange to say (since I hadn't seen one for a while) a Comma perched high up in an ash tree.
It's now really cold outside - I wonder what will be around in the morning?
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:12 pm
by millerd
Well, to answer my own question... The morning of Sunday 5th October brought lots of sunshine, but at ten this morning it was only 8 degrees instead of the 18 at the same time yesterday. However, I should know by now that for butterflies, sunshine is much more important than the actual air temperature, particularly if it is calm and pockets of warmth can build up. At just before midday, I set off round my local patch once again, the shirt sleeves of yesterday morning replaced by three layers! Very quickly, I found a couple of Red Admirals on a large patch of ivy, and then after a while, came across another lower down and relatively easy to get close too. This one looked small, and pretty new - but then all those I've seen lately looked new.
![RA1 051014.JPG (337.9 KiB) Viewed 1017 times RA1 051014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_a82b050bb8d23c4e93dd9bc8226923fb)
![RA2 051014.JPG (438.08 KiB) Viewed 1017 times RA2 051014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_b145974dbfd6c30febc532e9d4e4d2b2)
![RA3 051014.JPG (409.2 KiB) Viewed 1017 times RA3 051014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_755ba6d6dfaecb91db8a683d0c5f2dd7)
A couple of whites ambled along the hedgerows, and for once one stopped just within range. As suspected, it was a male Small White. After a while you do notice that Small and Green-veined do not fly quite the same, but for the life of me I can't describe exactly what that difference is...
Continuing round the loop, several Speckled Woods flitted in the sunshine, stopping to sunbathe more frequently than recently, and keeping well out of the shade. One individual was nectaring up on the ivy - not something I've seen before.
![SpW2 051014.JPG (438.29 KiB) Viewed 1017 times SpW2 051014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_635a4f0f1b0cd6091884dd52554a79e5)
![SpW3 051014.JPG (417.64 KiB) Viewed 1017 times SpW3 051014.JPG](./files/thumb_9839_8947b6d68aab9e20c23c41a40f2ae014)
I caught up with a lady taking photos of swans on the river, and we ended up chatting about what there was of interest around. She liked wildlife in general but took an interest in dragonflies. I explained I was looking for butterflies, so she told me that a few minutes earlier a shiny blue one had been down on the path, but all she had snapped was a white splodge. She carried on: I stayed, knowing that Holly Blue males when taking minerals often return to the same spot for hours on end. I was right, as moments later, the Holly Blue returned to the path, taking particular interest in a large patch of horse dung. I observed it for around half an hour in all, and identified its routine. After taking minerals from the dung or the path for several minutes, it would fly up and settle on the nettles at the side of the path. After another minute, it would slowly open its wings and bask. At around maximum extent, it would then twitch, fly off and flutter up and down the path before settling back down to slurp up some more goodies. I watched this sequence repeat five or six times (about every five minutes I suppose). The only deviation was when a passing family disturbed it and the basking took place higher up on the opposite side of the path. I assume that whilst taking on minerals, with wings closed, the relatively cold air today caused the butterfly to need to warm up - so it flew up to sun itself. With less heat in the sunshine than at other times of the year, it had to open up quite a lot to do this. Once warmed, back to the path it went... and repeat! In the end I had to drag myself away, leaving a lovely butterfly happily sitting atop a pile of manure. Something we've all done, I'm sure...
Half an hour with a very obliging Holly Blue led to a lot of photos, for which I won't apologise!
![HB9 051014.JPG (483.25 KiB) Viewed 1017 times A completely different angle to the sun - startlingly blue!](./files/thumb_9839_a498f3455ffe6d676b10f23223328511)
- A completely different angle to the sun - startlingly blue!
After all that I did see another two Red Admirals, and finally a Comma (probably the one I'd glimpsed late on yesterday).
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 7:12 pm
by trevor
HI Millerd,
You have done it again! but even better this time.Those Holly Blue shots are some of the best ive ever seen,and it is in
superb condition,it looks like the same specimen as the other day.
All the best TREVOR.
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 7:44 pm
by Wurzel
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 8:58 pm
by Neil Freeman
Hi Dave, great reports and some superb Holly Blue photos. I must admit Holly Blues have been a bit scarce around by me this year, I saw a few spring brood but have only managed to see a couple of summer brood.
millerd wrote:...One individual was nectaring up on the ivy - not something I've seen before...
Dave
I regularly see autumn Specklies nectaring on the Ivy in my garden, particularly females but some males as well. I have seen females nectaring on flowers right through the year but the with the males it is only at this time that I regularly see them on flowers, usually Ivy but I have seen them on other flowers as well.
Cheers,
Neil.
Re: millerd
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:38 pm
by Goldie M
Once again fantastic shots of Holly Blues, I seem to be going green these days quite a lot
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Goldie
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: millerd
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:03 pm
by millerd
Thank you all for your kind comments!
I think it was the same Holly Blue, Trevor: even though I found it in a different spot, it wasn't that far distant. Comparing my (poor) shot of the underside of the one I saw on 3rd, the pattern of spots matches near enough exactly.
I've never come across such an obliging individual, Wurzel and one so fresh in October?
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
Definitely not something you could set out to see. The behaviour was fascinating, too.
You're right, Neil - my nectaring Specklie was definitely a female. It was large, too, not much smaller than a nearby Red Admiral and noticeably bigger than the males I'd been seeing earlier.
There's a lot of luck in this, Goldie - and I bet I out-greened you two years ago when you posted your beautiful white Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
That was an amazing butterfly.
Well - nothing more today. It rained all day, it was chilly and I was stuck at work.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
I would defy anyone to conjure a Holly Blue out of that.
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 2:02 pm
by millerd
Saturday 11th October: A calm sunny interlude at around midday drew me out onto my local patch again. Five species seen altogether, including a profusion of Red Admirals. I counted over a dozen in two separate patches of ivy, a mixture bright new specimens and a few more tattered individuals.
![RA6 111014.JPG (408.51 KiB) Viewed 947 times my tree impression again](./files/thumb_9839_3a21f94cdfd795d72b535b5eb563748f)
- my tree impression again
In one, the angle of the light produced a purplish iridescence on the hind wing not something I've seen before.
In amongst the Red Admirals was a single Comma for a bit of colour contrast.
Moving away from the ivy, I found a single Small White, and then three Speckled Woods still patrolling the edge of the path.
There followed a long gap with nothing at all (not even a dragonfly), and then another pair of Red Admirals. Out of habit, I continued onto the meadow area near the M25, but no Small Heaths flew up from the grass, and the Common Blues have now long gone. However, something did appear, moving along from flower to yellow flower, and then plummeting to lie low when the sun went in: a male Clouded Yellow. Not quite a brand new one, but likely to be the offspring of those I saw back in early August.
Holly Blues last weekend, a Clouded Yellow today - whatever next?
Dave
Re: millerd
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:23 pm
by Pauline
Lovely shots of the Clouded Yellow Dave
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 5:43 pm
by Wurzel
Knowing the roll you're on Dave a Camberwell beauty!
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Cracking shots of the Cloudy
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Unfortunately for me my Brownie points for this year are all gone and so the entire weekend was spent shopping
![Crying or Very sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)
Still I've saved my sorrows ready to drown them at the Social
Have a goodun
Wurzel
Re: millerd
Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:40 pm
by millerd
Thanks, Pauline. Once it had gone to ground it sat tight and I had lots of time to try and get the photos a bit better than usual. The sun had of course gone in (which is why it was there in the first place), so that didn't help.
Thanks Wurzel: I don't think my luck will stretch to a Camberwell Beauty or a Monarch - I should think you're more in with a chance of the latter than me, being further southwest!
Sunday 12th October: some very hazy sunshine in the early afternoon - however it was enough for half a dozen Red Admirals to come out to nectar on the ivy again, and to bask on and nearby.
It's a good thing I really like Red Admirals... There are some lovely ones around at the moment.
Dave