www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Hi, I'm planning a week "down south" to hopefully clear up on some Butterfly photographs I'm currently missing. I can only spare seven days and am particularly after Lulworth Skipper, Brown Hairstreak, Essex Skipper and Chalkhill Blue. I'm tentatively looking at Sat Aug 5th to Sat Aug 12th, what do you southerners reckon?, will these dates sufficently cover these species? Should be ok for sites, just after a bit of date confirmation - cheers.

Hi matey, I'm from up north too but this might help : http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/flighttimes.php

Enjoy your week!

I'm planning on doing similar only a week later.

I'm not too confident with Brown Hairstreak though, I think I may be a tad early, though you never know.

Hi - I know they were out at the end of July last year and would imagine they'll be well out by around the 10th August. In my experience check the published times then completely ignore them and go two weeks earlier - works a treat. Just checked Petes flight times and as I expected they're totally right starting Brown Hairstreak last week in July but as for other website and book published flight time tables............

Brown Hairstreak are marvellous and wonderful creatures. I saw them for the first time last year and it was an emotional moment. Seems they have master trees like the Purple Emperor, but they favour ash trees rather than oak. (I'm sure somebody'll correct me if I'm wrong). They are really elusive and difficult to spot, on a butterfly walk last year about 10 of us saw just two individuals (female). The eggs are dead easy to find on sloe bushes in winter when there's no leaves on the trees. They are white and nestle in the juction of branches.

The two top spots for me in the South are near Gatwick Airport. The Mole River Valley, and at some fields near Ifield Crawley. I understand this is the furthest East they venture, and they can't be found in East Sussex, only West Sussex.

I saw them in late August, and believe them to be around well into September....which makes me wonder if they are the latest butterfly of the year?

Danny