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I went to Denbies Hillside last Monday in the hope of seeing an Adonis Blue. It was a hazy day about 18 degrees C. and there was very little to see (meadow browns, small heaths, one skipper and two large whites) were about it. The only blues were a couple of very worn females which I think were commons.
My question is: am I too late to see an Adonis blue this year or is there still time and is it worth another try, perhaps on a sunnier day?
Cheers
dave

Dave - according to the flight times charted in the species pages your trip was made at the height of the season for second-brood Adonis Blue, so I guess either the weather was wrong or there has been a poor showing this year. Possibly the latter if my failure at Cerne Giant Hill a couple of weeks ago is any guide.

I tried Lulworth & Fontmell downs 3rd week in August with nothing to see either

There were a handful of Adonis Blues at Hazelbury last Sunday - not as many as I expected.

Also saw a few Chalkhill Blues, Common Blues, and Holly Blues. It made me wonder if there are any sites where, in the course of a year, you might see 5, or even 6 different blues. I assume 7 is out of the question.

Simon

I have been out to look for second broods of common and small blues this year and have found in the small number of places I have visited there are very limited numbers. In fact I could not find any small blues at all at a place where there were lots earlier in the year. I have only found small numbers of common blues also. I did not try for Adonis earlier in the year so I do not know if they were more abundant earlier in the year or not.
What I would like to know is this the usual situation or is this a bad year or has it been different in other parts of the country or have I just been unlucky and should stop winging and try again next year
Dave

Hi Dave, Adonis (and all the blues I think) have been down in their numbers this year down here in Sussex. It's not too late to see them this year, but I would recommend looking for the first brood next year - possibly first brood numbers are greater in your area.

Simon - 6 blue species in a year is possible - The Dorset coast has them all, with the chance of long and short tailed blues too!

Alexander

Dave - Common Blues have been very scarce in Somerset this year, particularly the second brood.

Simon - I think Small Blue occurs at Hazelbury, which would give you 5 blues there. The Sites list here suggests Portland Tout Quarry would have 6 species - all except the Large Blue.

In 1864, the Bath area once held 7 species of Blue, including the Silver-studded, Large and Mazarine, but surprisingly not the Chalkhill, which occurs there now:

http://www.somersetmothgroup.org.uk/por ... List/s/428

I wonder which place has the most butterfly species?

Hi Matsukaze,

Interesting link. I'd not seen the moth group site before. They've got some interesting software running for showing flight times and distributions - will certainly help me ID stuff in the garden. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

I've heard about Small Blues at Hazelbury, but never seen one - and I've yet to meet someone there who has seen one. Perhaps they are no more.

I wonder where the Large Blues flew around here - it's hard to think of anywhere suitable now, unfortunately.

Simon

I looked for small blue earlier this year at Hazelbury but saw none. A fellow butterfly hunter (Gordon) reckoned he saw just one. I saw four at the Odd Down Park and Ride site near Bath. I visited Hazelbury yesterday and was disappointed to find hardly anything, not even any of the late nymphalids, just one or two meadow browns. Oh and a couple of juvenile cock pheasants.

I had a look for Small Blue at the car park as well. I did not see the butterfly but noticed an individual acting suspiciously around the front of some cars, presumably looking for butterflies as the area contained the food plant. What the car park CCTV operatives made of it I do not know. It is a very strange place to look for butterflies!

Hi Simon,

For what it's worth, according to NBN Gateway the ant which the Large Blue parasitises has not been recorded from around Bath (though must presumably have occurred there in the past). Strangely, it does seem to exist somewhere around Radstock - must try and find out where.

Hi Chris,

On Saturday I walked from Oare to Avebury, initially keeping along the hills that overlook the vale of Pewsey and which end up at Pewsey Down NNR - not sure what they are called [plenty of Adonis Blues around Pewsey white horse, by the way]. The whole line of them very much has the feel of Collard Hill, similar slope and vegetation, but as far as I know the Large Blue was never in Wiltshire. Presumably the ants weren't there.

Simon