www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi Pauline

Yes, Flossie is as mischievious as any cat and you wouldn't realise she'd been in an accident. I guess she wouldn't be around today if Helen Hadn't brought her home.

I can't complain too much as we eventually photographed and filmed several LTBs, making my 59th species filmed in Britain. Maybe next time we meet up I won't be quite so engrossed in the butterflies and will take more note of the people around me and we will definitely have more of a natter.

Keep up with the great photos.

Hi Pauline, it was only a fleeting acquaintance as we were both busy trying to pin down a Long-tailed Blue and I only had 20 mins or so in my lunch break. Neil Hulme was there at the time. I think it was the Wednesday or Friday. I'm youngish (!?) with dark hair and big sideburns!

Know who you are now Leigh and just love your Puffin shots

17 October

I must digress briefly to record what was, for me, another memorable October event, and it was my interest in butterflies that was the catalyst. Way back in the Spring (which seems a long way off now) a friend called to say that she had read in the local paper that Brown Hairstreak eggs had been found for the very first time at a site very close to me. In fact, this site was about 200 yards from the vet which I regularly use, so on my next visit to collect medication I decided to have a look. As I was searching I was approached by the senior ranger who showed me where he had found the eggs – in a hedge which he had planted himself some 12 years ago. He had checked for eggs every year since without success until this year. During our conversation he mentioned that it had been a similar story with dormice which had initially been quite elusive but they had now put up 50 boxes which were regularly monitored. Now, I have wanted to see a dormouse for as long as I can remember so I was very excited when the ranger invited me to join them when they conducted their dormouse survey in October.

The hazel dormouse is a distinctive native British mammal that is infrequently seen owing to its rarity and nocturnal habits so it is easily overlooked even where present. Moreover, it spends most of its active time high off the ground and passes at least a third of the year in hibernation, again making it unlikely to be seen by the casual observer. Hazel dormice are sensitive to weather and climate, both directly and indirectly, through their specialised feeding requirements. They are particularly affected by habitat deterioration and fragmentation and also by inappropriate habitat management. For these reasons, they are highly vulnerable to local extinction. They are consequently good bio-indicators of animal and plant diversity: where dormice are present, so are many other less sensitive species. The successful maintenance of viable dormouse populations is a significant indicator of an integrated and well-managed countryside. Their continued presence is therefore highly desirable.

One of the most reliable means of collecting data on this species is monthly monitoring of the boxes and guidelines exist to detail how this should be carried out. A licence is required to conduct this activity which includes weighing and sexing any dormice which are found. Data from regular surveys of the boxes is submitted to the National Data Monitoring programme which is administered by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and is used to inform and plan activities to encourage the survival and growth of this species, including the habitat management – in much the same way as butterfly recording. I felt very privileged to be part of this process and some photos of the activities on the day are shown below.
Checking boxes
Dormouse located
....weighed
... and sexed
before being carefully returned.


.... and the added bonus is that I now have a new site close by to look for Brown Hairstreaks next year

An interesting report Pauline and what a privilege. Never seen o.ne myself.

Is there any native British mammal as cute as that?

Nope! They look adorable, they don't do any damage, they don't even bite - what's not to like . BTW this particular individual was a young female weighing in at 14 g. In other boxes we found a Yellow-necked mouse which apparently aren't as rare as they used to be and a Pygmy shrew which promptly did a runner. After I left they even found a very contented toad in one of the boxes!!! Certainly a day I won't forget!

Thank you for the comment Leigh. I am fascinated by these little creatures along with a large percentage of the British public apparently.

Wow,what a privilage,Pauline!

Doormice are found in several Essex woods but like most people,i have never seen one and would love to. Would loved to have swopped places with you that day,though you may have had something to say about that!

Great pictures,thanks for posting them-and making the rest of us rather green with envy!

Hi Pauline, stunning Long-tailed Blue Photos in your diary bet you're glad you came 'out of retirement' to share them with us The Dormouse entry is very interesting too, what gorgeous little creatures they are.

Mike

You've done a great job with Flossie Helen. I know she had to be on cage rest which meant an awful lot more traveling back and forth for you both whilst trying to see LTB but it has clearly paid off - wish there were more folk like you two.

Lovely to hear from you Essexbuzzard. There is no way I would have swopped that day but I hope some time some place you will get to see one as I promise you it will be worth it.

10 October 2013

I can’t believe that I actually went looking for butterflies today. Overnight the weather had changed from warm sunny days and mild nights to a biting cold wind interspersed with some sunshine. I took a chance and went to Shoreham for what was probably my last excursion of the season and met up with several other enthusiasts, including Neil, Colin, Peter and several individuals who had never before seen LTB (one of which I now know to be Leigh). I felt out of place. I was wearing a thin, short-sleeved top, whereas they had come wisely attired in overcoats, boots and hats. It really was cold but gradually the temperatures started to creep up and the first butterfly I spotted was a Small Copper, a little worn, but nevertheless active – a good sign, but where were the LTB’s sighted the day before? ....... and then Neil accidentally flushed a male from a path I had walked along 3 times previously without any joy, indicating that they were also warming up and on the move. It wasn’t long before the male LTB returned and this time he settled briefly on a discarded sandwich wrapper before flying off across the road. Whilst we waited for his return visits we were entertained by a lovely fresh 3rd brood Common Blue which Peter had spotted and an helice Clouded Yellow. Neil confirmed he had seen her egg-laying a couple of days previously but in the still cold temperatures she was very inactive.
I managed to coax the Clouded Yellow from the path, out of danger and onto a yellow flower. I was concerned that in the excitement of watching the LTB she might have inadvertently been trodden on. Neil subsequently transferred her to a safer and more sheltered location, manoeuvring her gently and carefully, and here she remained until the sun emerged from the passing clouds.
As the temperatures rose she became active and Colin managed to get some cracking open-winged shots of this aberrant female. He has very kindly allowed me to include one of them here.
Yet again we were distracted by the briefest sighting of the LTB before he flew, yet again, across the busy road. It seemed a somewhat incongruous setting for such a lovely butterfly, a small strip of green sandwiched between a dockyard and a busy road.
I continued to be surprised at how active these butterflies were given the low temperatures and strong wind. The male LTB in particular was very skittish making close-up shots difficult. When he did settle it seemed only right to let those who had not seen this little beauty have a first shot at it. I did manage a couple of distant shots but having photographed it elsewhere I was just content to have seen it yet again.
All too soon it was time for me to go. On the drive home there was time to reflect and I realised that I had now seen and photographed LTB at 4 different sites in 3 different counties (Hampshire, Kent and Sussex). I cannot match Neil’s amazing total of individuals seen but I can claim a minimum of 12 different individuals plus many, many more sightings and I am well happy with that. A summer that I shall certainly not forget.

Colin's image is remarkable. That's surely one for the species-specific albums.

I couldn't agree more David. Colin has taken some great open-winged shots and he is way too modest about them. I was pleased to be able to include one of them in my diary as this was a gorgeous specimen and I wasn't able to get such a spectacular result myself.

Thank you so much for the compliment Mike. Yes, my resolve weakened as the fine weather continued along with the butterfly sightings. I was convinced that each outing would be my last but the butterflies just kept coming and I was concerned that by next Spring I might have forgotten some of the detail. I hope you and Cathy are both well and look forward to seeing you out and about at some point.

David M wrote:Colin's image is remarkable. That's surely one for the species-specific albums.

Already there - in the aberrations album. I believe it to be ab. aubuissoni: "The ground colour yellowish-orange, intermediate between the type and helice. The hindwings dark dusted, with a large orange discoidal."

Cheers,

- Pete

Hi Pauline

I love the Dormice photos and please please please if you ever go again and are allowed to take a friend I would love to see these beautiful little animals.

Flossie is well worth the effort. Just glad she's still around.

All the best.

Thanks for that information Pete. It was clear to all who saw her that she was no ordinary helice and a little bit special so it is good to have that confirmation.

Get in the queue Paul . Seriously, there has been quite a bit of interest shown so I thought it worth mentioning that the PTES run 'Wildlife Encounter' days around the country for a small fee. I happen to know that several of these events (including one at Blean Woods) involve Dormice. I have never attended the Dormice event but I have attended 'walking with wolves'. A few shots below before I return once more to the main topic.

Hi Pauline

Great wolf shots, Helen would love them.

Thanks for information. I'll look into this for a trip next year.

Thank you Paul - well worth looking into.

15th October – I can’t even remember now what day of the week that was but I do remember it was windy with the threat of rain. After the LTB sightings I was finding it hard to accept that the season was over and tho’ I don’t think I have ever looked for butterflies at this time of year I decided to have a walk round a local site, Oxenbourne Down, to see what it had to offer. I was not disappointed. In a short space of time I saw 6 Small Coppers in varying states of wear. This one would seem to be the one I have been looking for for 3 years now – the one with blue spots. What a pity I had not found it earlier but pleased to see it anyway.

There were a few very autumnal Commas decorating the foliage and grabbing what nectar they could find,
but the big surprise of the day for me was seeing 2 Meadow Brown in remarkable condition. I really wasn’t expecting that as I thought their flight period was long over but then again it has been a strange year where it seems anything is possible, and still the sightings keep coming.

Hi Pauline,

really good to see you still posting your later visits this year, great stuff

There is some interesting information in Thomas & Lewington The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland on page 265 where Jeremy Thomas speaks of Meadow Browns having a protracted emergence into mid-October on some of the southern downs.

All the best,

Neil

Glad you came out of hibernation - great Wolves ( I was going to call my son Wulf if we'd had a boy ) and really chuffed about the blue spot copper - now you've seen one you'll be falling over them next season See you at the meet up

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thank you Neil. I must have a different version of that book cos mine doesn't even go up to that page number (finishes about page 220) but you are absolutely right and on page 187 it states that mid-October emergence is not at all unusual. I really must start reading these books instead of just looking at the pretty pictures

Thank you too Wurzel - I used to have a hairdresser called Wolf. He was gorgeous, with thick dark hair, high cheek bones and eyelashes any female would kill for. Could have been a male model - pity he was gay! Anyway, I hope your prediction is correct Wurzel as I shall now hold you personally responsible for all 2014 SC sightings and take every opportunity to remind you

4 November

With butterfly sightings few and far between now, I find myself taking shots of anything that moves – and quite a lot that doesn’t! The day was cold but bright and with some time to spare I decided to visit Petworth Park to catch the end of the rut and possibly the odd butterfly. There are some remarkably ancient trees in the park and the policy is now not to remove any dead trees but to cut them to a safe height and leave them for insect and fungi habitat. The park has been home to this magnificent herd of fallow deer for over 500 years. They were reportedly hunted by Henry VIII on his visit to Petworth in the 1500s. Today around 900 of them grace the parkland. Agile and fast in case of danger, fallow deer can run up to a maximum speed of 30 mph over short distances and can also make jumps up to 1.75 metres high and up to 5 metres in length.

There are four main variations in coat colour. The common variety is the familiar tan/fawn colour with white spotting (becoming long and grey with indistinct spots in winter) on the flanks and white rump patch outlined with the characteristic black horse-shoe. The Menil variety is paler, lacks the black bordered rump and keeps its white spots all year. The black variety is almost entirely black with no white coloration anywhere. Finally, the white variety can be white to sandy coloured and becomes more white at adulthood. This is a true colour variety and not albinism, which is rare. The fallow is the only British deer with palmate antlers which makes them particularly photogenic.

Being particularly interested in behaviour it was touching to see how protective the bucks were, shepherding their flock (herd) away from any perceived threat and their tenderness towards the young. Their posturing and bellowing was amusing but with the youngsters growing fast the aggression was a bit half-hearted compared to what I have witnessed in previous years. There were numerous birds landing on the deer – removing lice, ticks? I can’t recall having seen that before. Naturally, I took a massive amount of photos so I shall post some below - make of them what you will:
Locking horns
Seeing double!
Watch the birdie
Two heads are better than one!
Sadly, I didn't see a single butterfly on this occasion, despite the sunshine, as the temperature just didn't get high enough.