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19th May 2019, 2-3 pm, Manor Farm, Hazy sun, 18 degrees

I don't visit this location often because quite frankly it hasn't been very good in the past. It is a working dairy farm but its fields are open to the public. However it is now organic and the field boundaries are left to grow wild. They are even re-introducing hedgerows! It appears to be improving a bit because today I saw...

2 Brim, 1 OTip, 4 C Blue (3m + 1f), 1 Sm Copper and 8 Small Heath all along one side of one field.
Also 4 Mother Shipton moths (a record for one location/day for me). This one was a lucky shot - posing so I could get a shot of its under-carriage.
And a Cantharis rustica soldier beetle
Plus a Sainfoin just coming out and plenty of Ribwort Plantain in flower (much overlooked I think)
Last night a Cockchafer Beetle dropped by for a visit.

Good to read of the Farm 'reverting' though if Brexit goes ahead will Farmers keep going with the stewardship that's been encouraged by EU policies fingers crossed that they do...getting back to Lepidoptera thanks for posting the underside view of the Mother Shipton - I had a similar view today, didn't have a clue what it was and it flew away before I could get a look at the topside

Have a goodun

Wurzel

ernie f wrote:19th May 2019, 2-3 pm, Manor Farm, Hazy sun, 18 degrees

I don't visit this location often because quite frankly it hasn't been very good in the past. It is a working dairy farm but its fields are open to the public. However it is now organic and the field boundaries are left to grow wild. They are even re-introducing hedgerows!

Well, it's a start at least, ernie. If all farms allowed field margins such latitude then some of our wildlife might increase in numbers!

22nd May 2019, 10.45-11.45 am, Magdalen Hill, Mostly sunny, 17 degrees

A short trip here today, only to the scrape and back.

2 Small Copper, 4 Brim, 12 C Blue (1 ab), 1 Sm White, 1 Br Argus, 6 Sm Blue

My first Small Blues of the year. Tried to get a mug shot.
The "mug" shot, after a bit of cropping.
This one shows individual blue scales.
This one shows difference in degree of blue on the wing depending on light/shade and sun direction.
And finally a nice female ab Common Blue.
There was also one Holly Blue still in my garden when I returned home.

23rd May 2019, 9.45-11.45 am, St Catherine's Hill, Full Sun, 20 degrees

21 Brown Argus, 22 Common Blue, 3 Brim, 3 Sm Heath, 2 OTip, 1 Griz Skp, 1 GV White, 1 Spec Wd, 1 Peacock, 4 Dingy Skip, 1 Sm Blue, 1 Red Ad, 2 Adonis Blue, 1 Marsh Frit

Cuckoo Heard

Pics now

Brown Argus - the one on the right was wing-rolling right in the face of the one on the left.
Never seen Adonis at this location before. The warden of Magdalen Hill put me onto them.
This Grizzlie spent ages taking salts from the chalky path.
Hampshire is not known for its Marsh Frits. This is the first one I have ever seen at this location and the closest one to where I live.

Great work with the Small Blues Ernie Loving the Marshie too - it's great finding a butterfly in a new setting/site

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks Wurzel. It was a good day for me. Even when I got home I found a Small Tortoiseshell in my back garden - not a species I have seen there before. This brought my daily tally to 15 species. I have not looked back through my records yet but it feels like that is a max species count for any day in May for me.

A great count and an excellent range there, ernie. Looks like many species are consolidating on last year's positive showing.

David - I am sure you are right. The current weather is making it a bit easier for them too.

25th May 2019, 8.45-10.45 am, St Catherine's Hill, Mostly sunny, 17 degrees

I started off in the same place I saw the Marsh Frit and Adonis Blue two days ago. Saw neither today.

Then I continued my butterfly count, this time along the central section of the hill facing the river.

8 Dingy, 25 C Blue, 10 B Argus, 3 Griz, 4 S Heath, 2 Brim, 1 L White, 1 H Blue, 2 Sp Wd
Also 1 Burnet Companion and 2 Mint moths

Also a Strangalia maculata beetle.
The most notable records I seem to be getting over the last week or so are for Brown Argus.

I have broken three of my records with them.
Location max = 44 (St Cats)
Daily max of 35 (Mag Hill)
Annual max of 80 (all locations visited so far this year).

And we are not finished with them this year of course so things can only get better.

25th May 2019, Home Farm, 2-3 pm, mostly sunny, 20 degrees

Two entries in my PD today. This one because my wife wanted to go to a garden centre. I take her in the car and this gives me the opportunity to "slope off" for a quick butterfly hunt.

I spoke about this location recently, Same stuff as before but suddenly there were also 3 (maybe 4) Burnet Companion moths. I gave chase.
This fellow got so peeved by me chasing after him and getting right up his snout with a camera that he vibrated his wings the speed of a hummingbird while clinging on for dear life. He just would not stop so I gave him his space and chased a different one instead.
Then a nice Sloe Bug to round off the hour.

Good skills Ernie - that's a technique I use too Another good one that I use is taking everyone to Ikea and calling in at Bentley Wood one the way home

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Good to see Marshies popping up unexpectedly, Ernie. There was a time not so long ago when it was taboo to mention seeing them in Hampshire at all as they were so infrequent. I like the backlit blue shot too!

Cheers,

Dave

ernie f wrote:...The most notable records I seem to be getting over the last week or so are for Brown Argus.

I have broken three of my records with them.
Location max = 44 (St Cats)
Daily max of 35 (Mag Hill)
Annual max of 80 (all locations visited so far this year).

And we are not finished with them this year of course so things can only get better.

That's really encouraging, ernie. Strange that Common Blue isn't delivering similar statistics. Perhaps the rock rose did a lot better than the bird's foot trefoil last year?

Wurzel - Yep. Gloria loves going to garden centres. I now have at least one butterfly location for every garden centre within a 20 mile radius of our house!

Dave (Miller) - Thanks. I had no idea that Marshie would be there and when I went back two days later it wasn't anymore. Also, I was careful not to say precisely where I saw it. St Catherine's Hill is a massive location and where I saw it was not that obvious anyway.

David - I don't know why the Common Blues are not so common at the moment. Getting 200+ at Magdalen Hill is a possibility but so far I have only seen a fraction of that number there this year. Maybe more to come?

27th May 2019, 10.30-11.00 am, Noar Hill Overcast, 16 degrees

A quick look here today. Just 2 Small Blues in the lowest pit on the reserve. I got a proper mug shot this time though rather than my last effort which was a cropped shot.

27th May 2019, 2.30-4.00 pm Wrecclesham Pit, 40 percent sunshine, 18 degrees, gusty light breeze

3 Glanvilles here.
The front legs of the Glanville are vestigial. I like to think of them as "arms". It was gusty today. When the wind blew one way, one perched individual would fling out an arm the other way to balance. When the wind blew it the other way - out would go the other arm. It was quite comical to watch.

Brilliant stuff Ernie Where abouts at Wrecclesham are they - it's been a few years since saw them there?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Wurzel - I'll send you a private message.

Hi Ernie - I dropped by Wrecclesham yesterday morning, but couldn't work out how to access the likely area - could it have been you I saw contemplating the field across the back of the cricket pitch? I was discouraged as well by the lack of sunshine and those gusty winds and went over to Chiddingfold instead.

I should have persevered - those are great shots of the Glanvilles in distinctly tricky conditions.

Cheers,

Dave