www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Jack,
Mountain Ringlet is the last on the 'never seen' list. I've even see Cryptic Wood White while on a fishing holiday, but didn't recognise it as such at the time, being so cryptic. Bearing in mind I've seen quite a few Queen of Spain and Large Tortoiseshell, and the odd Camberwell Beauty, I really should polish off the UK list now. Cue sunshine.
Neil

Neil:

I really should polish off the UK list now.

Impressive.
Long-tailed Blue, Short-tailed Blue, Pale Clouded Yellow (the two species), Scarce Swallowtail have all eluded me during then past 67 years. And presumable you too Neil.
But I HAVE SEEN MOUNTAIN RINGLET - so there ( yah boo sucks)

Jack

Hi Jack,
It will be mine soon.
Neil

Sussex Kipper wrote: I really should polish off the UK list now. Cue sunshine.

You missed it, Neil. 24-28 May - a once in a decade weather event where NW Scotland was the warmest part of the UK.

Sadly, I missed it too.

Quick Off The Mark

With sunshine in such short supply it's hardly surprising that our long-suffering butterflies are reacting so quickly when the cloud finally clears. After yet another miserable day the sun appeared at 4.15pm this afternoon, and within a couple of minutes a male Speckled Wood was basking on my garden bench in Worthing.

I like that Speckled Wood photo Neil, an unusual combination against the blue of the bench

Cheers,

Neil F.

Thanks Neil. I believe the colour is Double Dutch. Probably needs a coat of paint but I can always claim it's shabby chic.
Neil

Plenty Of Acteon (with apologies!)

Yesterday (9th June) I headed off early for a trip down Memory Lane. Only twice since our weekend family butterfly outings in the 1970s have I revisited the beautiful Lulworth Cove and adjacent coastline. Once was on a geology field trip in 1978 and on the other occasion, just a few years back, it rained so hard I never left the hotel. This time I was free from the educational tour and blessed with good weather.

It wasn't long before the early morning warmth started to stir my target species, the Lulworth Skipper, and they were soon zipping around at high speed, often fearlessly disappearing over the cliff edges in the stiff breeze. Although individually unspectacular, they made a fine sight jostling for position on almost every stem of Viper's Bugloss, sometimes more than half a dozen at a time. I suppose I saw about 150 individuals in all. We are clearly well into the flight season as the vast majority were quite worn, although the recent weather will have taken its toll on their condition. However, with such a protracted flight period there are still both male and female butterfies emerging, and more will come throughout June. As always they showed considerable variation in colouring and size, ranging from tiny, plain-looking, dusky males, to golden males with a hint of the 'sunshine' pattern on the forewings. The females varied from being almost unmarked in this way, to very strongly marked.

Other species seen around the area included Adonis Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Wall, Dingy Skipper, Small Heath and Red Admiral in modest numbers, together with about 20 Large Skippers. But it was a day with the 'little brown job' I was interested in, and it was quite nostalgic picnicking amongst the butterflies, with the sound of families enjoying themselves drifting up from the beach below.

I later moved on to a site near Corfe Castle. I couldn't locate the Lulworth Skippers here but the visit was far from wasted as the display of Bee Orchids was nothing short of spectacular. It turned out to be a memorable day and a very welcome respite from the relentless poor weather.

hi kipper, lovely shots. if i'd known you were visitig Dorset i would have met you down there, lulworths are on my list

Chris

Thanks Chris. With me, trips are often planned at the very last moment, so unfortunately it's sometimes tricky to give advance warning of butterfly operations. Now I have Mia to consider things are usually restricted to the Thursday to Sunday period, but that still means I'm very fortunate to have quite a lot of flexibility. Thursday to Saturday this week might be Mountain Ringlet time if the weather holds!
Neil

Alright Neil? Cracking shots as usual! Being Dorset born and bred I've probably seen this species hundreds of times but I didn't know what I was looking at They are on of my target species for this year so hopefully they'll be around for a few more weeks. Does your photo looking across from Stair Hole to the cove represent where you were finding them as Newlands recommends the opposite side of the cove( Bindon I think?)? If they are around in good numbers on the eastern side that would be ace as I could then incorporate a walk to my favourite place ever - Durdle Door

Have a goodun
Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,
Yes, there are plenty on the way up and at the very top of the cliff immediately west of Stair Hole at SY82107987 (it is important to note that the cliff-top is unguarded up here). However, most are to be found on the rough grassland of Bindon Hill, immediately above Lulworth Cove. This means crossing the stile in the fence-line onto the slightly scary-looking slope above the water. NOT FOR CHILDREN, not for those with vertigo, but safe enough for sure-footed adults who keep to the uppermost pathway, now with the fence-line close to your left. Everyone going up there should be careful.
Good luck, Neil

I'd always associated Lulworth Skippers with July - August. Surprised to see so many out in the first half of June.

When would you estimate they'd be at their peak, Neil?

Hi David,
Probably quite soon at Lulworth, some time in late June/early July. The literature is out of date now and I know that quite a few people have been chasing the species far too late in recent years. In the freakishly hot spring of 2007 we saw many species emerge very early, but the Lulworth Skipper seems to have had difficulty sorting out its phenological calendar since then and is now a much earlier species than it used to be in the UK. However, at the moment it does seem to have quite a protracted emergence window, although its entire flight period may be over increasingly early in future years. I reckon end first week June is the best time to see them here if the weather is reasonable. There may be local differences as I haven't seen any reports from Durlston yet, although I'm not sure how closely anyone's looking.
Neil

Thanks, Neil.

This perhaps explains why I failed to see any at Ballard Down in late July last year.

I'll store your advice in my memory bank for future reference.

You people OK down there is Sussex? I believe you have been getting a little bit of drizzle

Jack

Hi Jack,
It was a spectacular wash-out down here, with the A27 closed between Portsmouth and Chichester. Hannah had a tough journey to/from work at Eastleigh, via Winchester, Petersfield, Midhurst etc. It's a bad enough journey at the best of times. First time I've seen standing water on my lawn.
Neil

Sussex Kipper wrote:First time I've seen standing water on my lawn.

Don't suppose you're inconvenienced by the hosepipe ban then?

Hi David,
But it's sooo tempting to use one.
Neil

But it's sooo tempting to use one.

Think outside the box. Use the hosepipe in reverse and pump the floodwater back into the mains, or the loo, or the bath. Now would that be illegal I wonder?

Jack