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I have spent four days this last week in Dorset.The weather was glorious.On Wednesday I spent an hour in the company of the Monarch,which is beginning to lose parts of its wings.I also had a commentary on its habits from a chap called Chris K from Barnsley.I was thus able to take some video of it going to roost.It has been mentioned-as often seems to be the case with such rarities-that it might have come from a local breeder.
Durleston Country Park was a haven for Butterflies.Red Admirals,Small tortoiseshells,two painted ladies,Adonis and Common blues,large and small whites ,and the Lulworth Skipper (I hope!)
Ballards Down was again alive mostly with Adonis Blues.
I was also lucky to see the Short billed Dowitcher and a holly bush .....milk boy,of which the only two specimens are in Dorset.
That was enough for me.
P.J.U.

That is a definite Lulworth PJ So was that three ticks in one trip? Even if it was only 2

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Nothing so exotic here; despite being sunny, the chill in the air has reduced the number of butterflies compared to last week, when it was heaving with RA and Comma. Still a few around.... Out on the bike this lunchtime saw just one ST and a few Small White...

Any ideas what this dragonfly is - seen over the last weekend on the Isle of Wight?

On my walk with the dog this morning I was delighted to stumble upon my second Painted Lady of 2012 The air was rather cool so it wasn't particularly active but would spend its time soaking up warmth on the ground before flitting up to the thistles.

Also a Brown Argus Five Red Admirals, two Large Whites, several Small Whites and two Commas

We went to Kingley Vale this week,to see what was around.It must be a glorious site for butterflies earlier in the summer,with all the unspoilt meadows.Coming down the nature trail there were a large number of Speckled woods,Red admirals,Small whites and Meadow Browns.The highlight was a photo of this yew tree some 2000yrs old I am told.
P.J.U.

Ian Pratt wrote:Any ideas what this dragonfly is - seen over the last weekend on the Isle of Wight?

My friends on the IOW think it was a juvenile common darter with some tinges of red. Ian

Ian Pratt wrote:Any ideas what this dragonfly is

I'd agree with Common Darter but I'd go for the other end of the age range and suggest it is an over-mature female. Immature dragonflies (known as 'tenerals') are usually pale in colour, whereas mature specimens tend to darken with age.

With rain forecast for tomorrow Brother Hoggles and I decided to make the most of this morning with a butterflying visit to Dungeness. In particular we wanted to see Small Coppers, so we began with a walk around the Old Lighthouse. Our first butterfly was a Small Heath ( of which we saw 5 ) Lots of Small Whites and quite a few Large Whites too.

We then saw this chap Ever had that feeling someone's watching you?

And on our walk around the power station fence we came across several more Together with 2 Common Blues We didn't see any Red Admirals at Dungeness today unlike on previous visits when they were constantly skimming over our heads. But on some waste ground nearer home we saw 4

Just returned from a 3 day trip to The Cotswolds area, 1st time away for ages for us and wasn't expecting much in the butterfly world. However, as usual took the camera just in case!! As expected the butterfly sightings were pretty few and far between with just Red Admirals, Whites and a couple of Small Tortoiseshell and Comma however for the wildlife enthusiast there were still several surprises and great sightings. A walk around the Cotswold Water Park produced several handsome Roesel's Bush Cricket as well as a grass snake and lots of dragonflies, mainly Common Darter and Migrant Hawker with many males of the latter settling.
The 2nd day we went to an old favourite place, Bradford Upon Avon where a heron was tame enough to get an uncropped photo with my 70mm macro lens!! The best find however was a fab Elephant Hawk Moth larvae near the riverbank.
The 3rd day along the Thames footpath produced Dark Bush Crickets and a Brown Hawker, normally a species which is hard to photograph so was well pleased to see it settle in the reeds and find it still there after climbing barbed wire fence etc.
On the side of the cottage we rented there was an unfortunate Large White larvae that had been parasitised by Apanteles glomeratus with several cocoons of the guilty party by the dead larvae.
All in all a great trip and lots of insect life, even if most wasn't butterflies!!

Very rewarding 4 hour visit to the West Williamston Reserve near Pembroke. Despite cool temperatures, the sun shone throughout and there were butterflies aplenty:

Small Tortoiseshell 30-40
Speckled Wood 20-25
Red Admiral 5
Brown Hairstreak 4
Comma 3
Green Veined White 3
Small White 2



Small Tortoiseshells were all over the yellow hawksbeard blooms along the foreshore with many looking exceedingly fresh. Sadly, I didn't see any Peacocks this time - they were common here 4 weeks ago so one wonders whether they hibernate slightly earlier than Commas and Tortoiseshells.







Along with the 4 adults seen, I counted 25 Brown Hairstreak eggs (3 of them being laid in front of me), which is something of a relief after not being able to locate any on my last two visits here.

While spending a couple of hours this morning looking for the Re-brested Flycatcher at Holme NOA, I kept my eye on the Buddleia weyerana (the gold one & very attractive to butterflies). Saw 12-15 White species, 12-15 Red A's, 2 Small Torts, 2 Comma & 1 Painted lady. Those bushes have been covered in bf's all the time the temp is high enough & also attractive to Humming bird hawk moths. I intend to get some bushes. Eric

Who said the butterfly season is nearly finished

I had one of my best days out along my local favourite footpath today in plenty of warm unbroken sunshine in the middle of the day.
As I approached a large dominant Ash tree I disturbed 3 or 4 Red Admirals feeding at a sap run similar to that posted by Chocky (on a smaller scale)
Further along the footpath, in an area currently laden with ripe Blackberries, I found Red Admirals and Commas galore 25ish Red Admirals counted and 8 Commas but probably a few more than that. They were all particularly tame and inquisitive. At one point I had a Comma on my nose and a Red Admiral on my arm
A little further on there is a large clump of Buddleia which is past its best but still has enough flower to attract a crowd. Several Red Admirals, my first Small Tortoiseshell locally for several years, 2 Small Whites, a surprising female Brimstone and a very fresh Small Copper. Very pleasing considering I only saw one Red Admiral along the same stretch of footpath yesterday. I am still a little worried about my local Speckled Wood population though, only 2 seen today More details/photos to follow in my diary.

Orange tip seen and photographed yesterday on the Isle of Wight!

Ian Pratt wrote:Orange tip seen and photographed yesterday on the Isle of Wight!

This looks like Hebomoia glaucippe - the Great Orange Tip. Where's your nearest butterfly farm?

Mike

MikeOxon wrote:

Ian Pratt wrote:Orange tip seen and photographed yesterday on the Isle of Wight!

This looks like Hebomoia glaucippe - the Great Orange Tip. Where's your nearest butterfly farm?

Mike

You have sussed me out! Butterfly World at Wootton- great for practising butterfly photography.
Ian

Only 6 month away from the first Orange Tip sightings .. spring is on its way!

26 September. NW Norfolk. Cloudy but mild at 15 degrees.

One male Brimstone and one very fresh Small White in my garden.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:26 September. NW Norfolk. Cloudy but mild at 15 degrees.

One male Brimstone and one very fresh Small White in my garden.

Jack

Thought you'd relocated to the Isle of Mull, Jack?

Not yet in Mull: that will be the first week in November.

Jack