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Thursday 11th June: exactly 24 hours after my last wander out - same places, same time of day (1700-ish). Sunny, windy - but a good 5 degrees warmer today, and a different selection to be seen.

Firstly, there were two male Brimstones, nectaring briefly on the bramble flowers coming into full bloom now, followed by a Small White doing the same. Small Heaths and Common Blues were both still in good numbers over the open meadow areas between the M25 and the River Colne, plus a few Brown Argus. There were still a few fresh individuals of each. The Brown Argus is much more numerous here than it was last year - very good to see. They have been joined now by one or two Meadow Browns. I also tracked down the Small Tortoiseshell I'd seen the other day (I suspect it's the same one) and was buzzed as usual by a Red Admiral. To complete the picture, a Large Skipper basked in a sheltered spot beneath the brambles. Dave

HI Dave,
Nice selection for this quiet month. The emerging Bramble blossom is a sign of things to come,
eg. White Admiral and Silver Washed Frit.
Bring it on !
TREVOR.

We don't seem able to get any really stable weather conditions, but as Trevor mentions things will (hopefully!) get a little better as we head towards mid-summer hard to believe how quickly it goes when your having fun is'nt it Dave

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

Thanks, Trevor. It really won't be long before those two species are out - but not on my local patch, unfortunately; though it's only 20 minutes to the nearest reliable location.

I do hope so, Bill - today (13th) is utterly different to yesterday (cool, cloudy, breezy this morning )

Friday 12th June:Once again, I set off out at the same time of day exactly. Very warm, humid, mostly cloudy, but above all very little wind. It was a while before I saw anything at all, but eventually I came across roosting Common Blues. The sun started to break through, and today's warmth was enough to wake some of them up. Clearly they are still emerging by the fresh look of some I saw. Also stirring right across the meadow area were Meadow Browns - I saw at least a dozen today, all males, and they were happy to fly even when the sun was in. Small Heaths were frequent too, but starting to look a bit worn now. Returning homewards, I reached the last sheltered grassy area where every summer a series of Red Admirals set up a territory. At seven o'clock - which it nearly was - there is little or no sun here, but on a warm evening that doesn't worry a Red Admiral. It didn't today: within a few moments of setting foot in this patch, I was investigated by a brand new Red Admiral. It swooped and soared, barrelling up and down the corridor between the trees and repeatedly trying to perch on grass stems that generally had no chance of bearing its weight. As I kept still, hoping it would have more success, it landed on my stomach. I moved, and it set off again, but then came back to land inconveniently on my camera hand. The next time it flew off, I held my other hand out and it came straight down, like a bird of prey returning to the wrist.After that, I couldn't get rid of it. It landed on my arms and in my hair, and back on my hand again. It was not sucking up minerals, but just sitting there as if I was some kind of prominent bush. Eventually, after a final landing on my stomach again, I managed to disengage its attentions and escape, leaving it to patrol under the trees in the fading light. Because of the generally low light levels, particularly with the Meadow Browns hiding in the grass, and with the friendly Red Admiral, I tried a bit of flash here and there as you can no doubt tell.

Dave

Saturday June 13th: It continued cloudy and quite cool until around half past two, when a few chinks of blue appeared towards the south. Following the maxim about venturing out in cases of doubt, I headed for Fairmile Common, near Cobham. The 20 minute journey took twice that (I love the M25), but it did mean the sun was much more in evidence by the time I arrived. I spotted a lady with a camera in the area right next to the car park which I think was cleared last year: she was engrossed in what proved to be reasonable numbers of Silver-studded Blues. I had a look at other parts of the site too, but overall this bit proved to be the best. To start with, all we saw were male butterflies, but after about five o'clock, females began to appear too. Almost all the butterflies were fresh-looking, the males shining blue - almost silver in some lights, and the females with an iridescent sheen when they caught the sun. There were a few other species around: a female Holly Blue flying along the bramble hedge caused a bit of confusion for a moment - a very shaky record shot only of this one - there were a couple of Meadow Browns, and also two very energetic Painted Ladies. Right at the end, my companion (whose name I didn't catch) found a mating pair of Silver-studded Blues. A fine way to wind up proceedings.
However - the postscript to the adventure was that my car wouldn't start. Green Flag were very prompt, diagnosed a wonky starter motor, whanged it with a hammer and I was home before eight. Not bad - though it means I won't risk an outing tomorrow and the garage beckons on Monday.

Dave

Sunday 14th June: A cloudy day, but enough brightness and warmth to make a walk worthwhile. A Meadow Brown flew up from the grass outside the front door as I emerged - I'd not seen one so close to home before. I extended my usual route to take in Harmondsworth Moor, a round trip of about seven miles. As it happened, the extension didn't prove very fruitful, with just a handful of Common Blues, Brown Argus and Meadow Browns flying under the grey skies. The Brown Argus had seen better days: I was hoping for an early Marbled White or a Small Skipper, but neither were out yet.

However, the main part of the walk, both out and back, was much more productive. Plenty of Meadow Browns and Small Heaths again, across the whole meadow area between river and motorway. Common Blues were everywhere, too, and when the sun did emerge for the odd moment, so did they. There are still new ones emerging, both male and female, with some lovely examples of both. A couple of males: The females were more interesting, with a great deal of variety:The last of these, a delicate pale brown shade, was tiny - as small as a Brown Argus or even a Small Blue: I also came across a mating pair: I also counted five Small Tortoiseshells today, mostly (like this one) settling on the warmth of the path. However, more notable were the Painted Ladies. Altogether, I had six encounters, but because of their strong flying nature, I may well have encountered some more than once. Nevertheless, I only saw one here during the whole of each of the last few years, so it's good to see them. With improving weather, there will probably be more over the next few days. Dave

That Small Tortoiseshell has incredibly bold markings, very nice individual!

It was a bit unusual, Buggy. Even taking photos of the more common species throws up lots of variety - one of the things I like about this hobby.

15th June: Back to quick after-work walks again. Today at half past four it was mostly cloudy. I went less far than usual and saw a lot less, but as usual there were different sights to see. The first butterfly was a male Large White - never easy to get close to but the clouds kept this one less active. Nearby I found a seething nest of Peacock Caterpillars. It's not often you can report attending a black mass without raising eyebrows, but that's what it was: a very black patch against the background of nettles. A little further along and there on the verge was this beetle. About 3 - 4 cm long, it looked like a female stag beetle, only smaller. A little research tells me that it is in fact the Lesser Stag Beetle. (I should have guessed...) Moving further on to the meadow near the motorway, I found a Large Skipper along the hedge-line, patrolling and perching as is their wont. A scattering of Small Heaths, one or two worn Common Blues, and I turned around. Suddenly two larger dark shapes darted across in front of me and dived to the ground. This turned out to be a pair of courting Small Tortoiseshells. They were very lively - every now and again they would go to ground where the female would sit open winged while the male advanced literally quivering with excitement, climbing onto her. Then she would fly off and repeat the same ploy somewhere else down in the grass. I took a few shots, but their constant movement and skittishness, coupled with low light made it impossible to freeze the action. Soon they were beyond reach. A different sort of walk...

Dave

Fantastic reports recently Dave - those Silver Studs are to draw, especailly the females - brill Plus I see that you still managed to squeeze in a Holly Blue

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Yes, that Holly Blue is quite a sighting for mid-June.

Nice diversity of species you've seen too.

Thanks for the encouraging comments, chaps. It's surprising what variety is out there amongst the commoner species at a quietish time of year.

I did see another Holly Blue today as well, but no photo this time

16th June: a short walk alongside the railway in Bedfont Lakes Country Park today after work. Sunny, very warm and not too much breeze, but not much flying. The first I saw was the Holly Blue mentioned above, patrolling a bramble/hawthorn/blackthorn hedge and finally soaring high up over it. It stopped once - just long enough to confirm its ID. There were also a few Common Blues about, but they emerge earlier here than the patch near home, so the first brood is clearly fading fast. One individual was being pursued by a Small Copper, which unfortunately sharply doubled back and escaped the attention of my camera. I have found this species very elusive so far this year. One reason for coming here today was to look for Small Skippers, but there were none to be seen. A few Small Heaths bumbled about, and a couple of Meadow Browns which included the first female I've seen this year. Finally, I saw one elderly Brimstone, one new Small Tortoiseshell, and posing nicely on a knapweed flower, a single Large Skipper. Hopefully in a couple of weeks or so, there will be a lot more to see in this spot.

Dave

Just catching up Dave and loving the story and shots of the RA. Some great SSB images there too - my particular favourites ...615 which captures that gorgeous silvery grey colour against a complimentary background and the first mating pair. IMO a really well composed shot. I am also very envious of the Painted Lady - I'm beginning to think I must be one of the few left who haven't seen one yet

Wonderful Red Admiral moments Dave, also enjoyed your other fine images but I especially liked the S-s B shots...just keep em' coming

Regards,

Bill

"When in doubt - venture out"

Hi! Dave, fantastic shots of the SSB's which I've yet to see, my list is Quite long on unseen Butterflies I hope to catch up on some this year, ( hope is the Word ) Goldie

Hi Dave, just catching up on your diary again. Great reports with some smashing photos to accompany them. Hard to pick any favourites but the Red Admiral and Silver-studded Blues particularly stand out

What is your secret with Holly Blues? you seem to be a magnet for them.

Cheers,

Neil.

Thank you all for your comments, especially on the SSBs and the exceptionally friendly Red Admiral. You're very generous!

The Red Admiral moment is one I will remember, Pauline - and those SSB are something I never get tired of seeing (as Bill says too!). I hope you get the chance too, Goldie: is there any way you can detour via one of the Surrey sites on one of your trips to Kent? Fairmile Common is only ten minutes off the M25...

Holly Blues, Neil... I've seen a lot locally, but they pop up as singletons almost everywhere I've been. Watch the hedgerows and one will be along shortly! The next brood will be out before long I suppose, as the first eggs were laid in mid-April.

18th June: No HB today, however, though the first of a new brood of something else were flying locally. I went out after work (around five or so) in warm hazy sunshine. Along relatively shady paths near the river, I came across a couple of Speckled Woods flying in and out of the trees, and in three separate locations the sunny patches were patrolled by Red Admirals. I watched one quite single-mindedly pursue a bee for ages back and forth. This species is an almost constant fixture here from February to November and a joy to watch. Moving nearer to the motorway, the Large Skipper corner now had three or four inhabitants, including a female hiding in the undergrowth which I only spotted by the attention being given to it by the males. I think one of them may have been successful, as they disappeared out of sight deep in the foliage. As usual, quite a few Common Blues and Small Heaths flew over the meadow area, and as I walked through the grass, increasing numbers of Meadow Browns erupted from under my feet. Every one was a male.

With nothing more interesting around, I returned past the Large Skippers and had one of those moments I have here every year - "that wasn't a Fritillary, surely?" Well, no it wasn't, and it never has been, and probably won't ever be, but it was what it always is, a new Summer hutchinsoni Comma. In fact, it turned out to be two of them, which meant the time they spent perching was minimal, because they wouldn't leave each other alone. Their energetic sparring at one point drew the attention of a hefty dragonfly, but this beastie clearly couldn't work out which one to target, and in any case was left far behind when the Commas separated and plummeted to earth. Very entertaining! Dave

H.Commas - where is the season going to? Great shots Dave

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I know, Wurzel - and more signs today with two more species for the year seen.

19th June: After an early finish at work and with far better weather than promised I knew I could take a detour off my trip up the M40 this afternoon: the lanes of Oxfordshire took me to Whitecross Green Wood. Last year I visited this delightful spot on 17th June, so it was interesting to compare. This year I saw only a handful of Large Skippers, compared to dozens seen last year. One Marbled White appeared today, plus Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods, and a few fading Common Blues. However, this was not the main event. There were at least a dozen Black Hairstreaks at two of the usual hotspots in the wood, though compared to last year they were flying higher and did not come down to nectar at all. Consequently, photos were tricky as the butterflies played peek-a-boo amongst the blackthorn and hazel bushes. One was clearly sucking up honeydew, with its tongue trailing between its forelegs. Other individuals were living proof of the value of deceptive tails, with clear bird-strikes to the hindwings. One more took off at the moment the shutter opened, affording a (rather blurred) view of the orange spots on its upper hindwings. The Marbled White was a pleasant coda to the visit. Dave

Excellent Black Hairstreak images, taken in very trying circumstances . The frustration of it all !.

Well done !
TREVOR.

Thank you, Trevor - yes, there was a touch of the traditional neck-ache watching them flit around the tops of the bushes and then tantalisingly down a bit, only to settle partly behind a leaf, or exactly edge on. However, the shots you get in those circumstances really reflect the afternoon's experience in a way some of the more "perfect" shots don't.

20th June: grey, a bit of drizzle, but muggy and warm. Always worth a wander out locally, though. I had reached the meadow area near the motorway before I saw anything at all, but once there the sky brightened a bit and the grass started to burst forth with Meadow Browns. Overall, there were probably hundreds, the males now being joined by lovely new females. Almost every square metre had a butterfly. The females were much larger and brighter than the males, and if possible even more floppy in flight. There were more Small Heaths today as well, and plenty of Common Blues with the odd newer one still amongst them. All three of these species are doing well so far here this year. Other species seen were Small Tortoiseshells (3) and one each of Painted Lady and Red Admiral flying fast over the highest part of the field, plus one Large Skipper to complete the ramble. Oh, and I did come across some more Peacock caterpillars as well. I tend not to mention the abundance of day-flying moths that always complicate the butterfly-spotting - here are a few that stood out today. The first is a Cinnabar, the second I am guessing is a Five-spot Burnet (I can only count five spots...), but the last I have no idea about.

Dave