September 2024

[David M]

Looks like we will get easterly winds for a few days early in the month, as well as warm temperatures.

Hopefully that will bring a few over from continental Europe.

[Jack Harrison]

1st September.

Just checked my nearby 'hot spot' for Scotch Argus. Normally a few linger into September but none seen today. It has been a poor year for Scotch Argus.

Jack

[David Lazarus]

I saw a post somewhere about a bad year for Large White but can’t remember where I saw it.

I was actually thinking during the past week or so that I am seeing quite a good number especially here in Chelmsford and mid-Essex where they are visiting gardens, parks and along the river.

I just saw 20 plus within a couple of hours with 50 or so Small White - indeed it’s all white here with little else apart from Speckled Wood in the dappled shade and a few Small Heath in the dry short grass areas.

I love how the Large White are flying around quite powerfully on the chase of the opposite sex when, unlike the other whites, they put on the breaks to sip on some nectar:

Large White female
River Chelmer 01/09/2024

briefly before flying off again to join the fun:

Large White female
River Chelmer 01/09/2024

And like I mentioned in my reply to Dave's post within the August sightings thread about the complacency of seeing a Green-veined White, I can quite easily do the same about a Small White when actually all three of the more common whites around here are quite beautiful whether fresh or worn

Small White male
River Chelmer 01/09/2024

and particularly the females when they are fluttering low down through the plants in search for the right leaf to deposit an egg. I am not sure which plant she was ovipositing on today:

Small White female ovipositing
River Chelmer 01/09/2024

Let's hope they remain relatively common and not overlooked when habitat loss and intensive farming requirements [and invasive/exotic plant species - see GVW post in August] reduce their numbers further - the same might happen as the not-so-common House Sparrow.

[bugboy]

Spent a few hours on Denbies today, leaving before it got too hot, but managed to track down eight Silver-spotted Skippers. Both Chalk Hill's and Brown Argus outnumbered Adonis. due to the heat the females were very reluctant to let me know what species they were but most seemed to be Chalk Hills. Some of the SSS looked fresh so perhaps they are having a prolonged emergence and perhaps not quite as a bad a season as we think, its not a good season for them though.

I didn't see any Common Blues, I wonder if that is a particularly lovely female Adonis photobombing the Skipper, typical that it appeared when I was concentrating on something else! Also about were plenty of fresh Meadow Brown and Small Heath, a few Whites and good numbers of Speckled Wood along the North Downs Way too and from Westhumble.

[millerd]

...I saw a post somewhere about a bad year for Large White but can’t remember where I saw it.

I was actually thinking during the past week or so that I am seeing quite a good number especially here in Chelmsford and mid-Essex where they are visiting gardens, parks and along the river...

There certainly weren't very many earlier in the year, David - I suspect their numbers (and those of the Small White as well) weren't topped up with migrants as they usually are. This is likely why there have been fewer Red Admirals and virtually no Painted Ladies or Clouded Yellows either. This situation is no doubt linked to the adverse weather earlier in the season which affected the near Continent as much as the British Isles (or possibly more so).

However, like you, I've been seeing plenty of Large (and Small) Whites recently and perhaps normal service has resumed!

Plenty of interest on my local patch near Heathrow today, where the temperature rose to 29C this afternoon. Recent conditions have certainly suited the Small Heath, and today's total of 44 individuals is the highest for some while. They are widespread across the site, but every now and again you come across a little mini-hotspot with half a dozen or so close together. In one such spot, a gaggle of the species resolved itself into four singletons and what turned out to be a mating pair. The unattached butterflies eventually left them alone, but not before one of the pair issued a warning by flashing its wings.

Over the years I have encountered very few pairings of this species.

Curiously, not long before this, I had seen a similar melee of white butterflies which had a pair of GVW at its centre. This pair also shrugged off their pursuers (another male GVW and a male Small White) to settle in peace.

There were new examples of several other species, including these three...

...and the best of all considering its scarcity everywhere this summer, a Small Copper.

All being well, a fuller report should appear in my PD in about a week.

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Heading down to Dorset for a few days and stopped off at Fontmell Down. I managed an hour on site in warm but mostly cloudy conditions before a thunderstorm rolled and brought a halt to things.
Lots of mostly worn Meadow Browns plus a few each of Small Heath and Common Blue plus 30+ Adonis Blues.

I failed to find any Silver-spotted Skippers this time but I did see a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, my first of the year but it was impossible to follow on the steep slope.

More details in my PD later in the week when I am back home.

Neil.

[purplepalpatine]

Tatty but strikingly marked GVW at Clun Castle yesterday

[millerd]

A different sort of day here near Heathrow today - cloudy, bright and warm rather than baking hot. Surprisingly, there were still quite a few butterflies about despite the lack of sunshine. I spotted the Small Copper I'd found yesterday chasing a female Common Blue, then found two more Coppers in widely separated spots. After such a lean period with this butterfly, it was encouraging to find three during the same walk.

Both of today's newcomers looked fresh, so hopefully there will be a few more to come.

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

At Lydden, Kent, on Sunday 1st, a reasonable sprinkle of Adonis Blues in varying condition. Good numbers of fresh whites of all three species was pleasing to see, as they seem to have been scarce this year. But Silver Spotted Skippers are on their last legs, with just two faded adults seen.

[millerd]

They say clouds have silver linings, and the frustration of being carless and therefore not easily able to go anywhere other than my local patch again today produced something quite extraordinary.

A cloudy start, though still quite warm and muggy, and I'd already reconnected with two of yesterday's Small Coppers, seen lots of Small Heath and one or two Common Blues when it brightened a bit. A small very pale butterfly was chasing Small Heaths and then took a particular interest in a male Common Blue, but I couldn't work out what it was. A faded Brown Argus? An out-of-place Holly Blue? A bleached Small Heath? It was very energetic, but with a darker bit of cloud going over I was able to follow it to where it settled. Strange - I couldn't make out any spots on the underside, and the antennae were very noticeably yellow. It was only after taking a couple of shots of the butterfly that I worked it out - it was a Long-tailed Blue.

I took a lot of shots, and luckily when it brightened rather more the butterfly opened up to reveal that it was a male. It was very worn and had lost its tails and hindwing spots, but was unmistakable.

A bit of context...

...and a closer view of the sign in the photo above to better indicate where it was.

The condition of the butterfly, the time of year, the recent winds from the direction of the continent - all these would support the assumption that this is a genuine migrant. Alternatively, it hitched a lift on an aeroplane or some other form of transport, emerged from some imported leguminous vegetables or nursery plants, or was captive bred.

Whatever its origin, this is the first LTB I've seen locally, my 26th species here this year, and no.51 on my 2024 year list.

Dave

[MrSp0ck]

There have been a few sightings recently, and they normally arrive early August so would be tatty by now.

[David Lazarus]

This time I did not have to go to the Essex Coast to see one as this Painted Lady came to me - quite a few sightings being reported along the Essex Coast and inland in the past week or so:

Painted Lady
Garden Meadgate, Chelmsford 03/09/2024

And a couple of Red Admiral also

Red Admiral
Garden Meadgate, Chelmsford 03/09/2024

but mostly Large White [15]:

Large White female
Garden Meadgate, Chelmsford 03/09/2024

also, 10 Small White.

[David M]

...It was only after taking a couple of shots of the butterfly that I worked it out - it was a Long-tailed Blue...

Sure is, Dave. Well done!

Looks to have been around for a while too so perhaps this means we may get a new brood soon.

[Jack Harrison]

millerd:

Alternatively, it [LT Blue] hitched a lift on an aeroplane

I once brought a Hummingbird Hawkmoth back from Cyprus in an Air Force C130 Hercules. The damn thing whizzed around inside the cockpit widows, and was driving us crazy. The Flight Engineer eventually caught it between two cardboard coffee cups. He knew of my strange interests and after landing at Lyneham, presented me with the cups labelled "Captain's Moth".

Jack

[bugboy]

Spent a few hours this morning at Bookham, the sun came out but didn't see anything to point my camera at. Denbies in the afternoon was better although had to wait for the cloud cover to thin a bit to wake the residents up.

[millerd]

No more LTB on my local patch near to Heathrow today - though there was another migrant in the form of a fast flyby Painted Lady. It did land on the path, but against the pinky-brown of the stony surface it was virtually invisible and I annoyingly disturbed the butterfly by nearly stepping on it - it promptly vanished into the trees.

I saw several Commas today, including these three. One was a new one, once again sitting next to a spot of meconium from its days in the chrysalis.

Close by was another, but an entirely different kettle of fish, flying energetically around and chasing anything else that came near (Specklies and whites). It finally landed for a rest, revealing itself to be a hutchinsoni individual from the previous brood - in remarkably good condition two months adrift of the main emergence of this form.

The third one was another new one, nectaring sedately on ivy flowers. However, it was somewhat asymmetrical, the patterning on left and right sides not matching - probably a congenital defect affecting scale development in the chrysalis rather than anything else.

13 species seen today in cool-ish and often cloudy conditions - more in my PD soon.

Dave

[Wolfson]

A wet day in The Far West today, but a few nice finds early in the week.

[Pete Eeles]

It looks like that Grayling has managed to lay an egg on its own leg! How bizarre!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Wolfson]

In August, I watched a Graying laying eggs and was struck by how far she bent her abdomen. I guess a gust of wind and a weak grip could result in sticking an egg on your leg.

[Allan.W.]

Huge numbers of Red Admiral overnight at both Sandwich Bay and Dungeness bird obs ,with up to a hundred reported along the Dungeness power station wall ! Allan.W.