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First few Large Blue were reported from Collard Hill, Somerset yesterday. If the weather is as good as promised over the next few days it could well prove worth a visit. I know this has already been referred to in the sightings section, but it deserves it's own headlines surely!!!

Bill

Visited today - arrived at 4.00pm. Saw 2-3 flying. Also Small Heath, Common Blue and Speckled Wood. It was a bit of a smash and grab - was there less than an hour.

Great day at Collard Hill yesterday spent mainly in the company of Neil (Sussex Skipper) and a short time with Matthew Oates (National Trust's Conservation Officer) talking and studying all things Large Blue. The temperature hit over 27c and the dry drought like conditions are of some concern, the Wild Thyme Thymus praecox are a little on the scarce side at present, probably owing to our exceptionally dry April, but there is still time...excuse the awful pun

Neil spent ages running up and down the hillside trying to count how many eggs one particular female was laying, he was losing lbs by the minute, when he gets back home he'll probably be only half the man he was!!! We counted approximately 15 individuals, this is the earliest emergence yet, with the first one seen on May 27th. Last year 30,000 eggs were counted, it's hoped that they can provide another good year.

For some reason nobody seemed to have any luck getting open wing shots yesterday, quite a few photographers came and went during the day, but I did'nt hear one of them mention open wing shots. Try as we may neither myself, the Sussex Skipper or George (a fellow UKB member...'it was great to meet you and your wife') managed one. As more Large Blue emerge the chances of a good photograph will improve too, so I'll be visiting again in the next few weeks to capture that masterpiece. I heartily recommend a visit to this lovely National Trust reserve, the views across Somerset are breathtaking looking out from Collard Hill.

Bill

PS. Another record breaking date for all of us with a single Marbled White on Collard Hill (and a bonus Red Kite briefly overhead too).

It may seem contrary, but what you need for them to open up is warm bright overcast - definitely not hot sunshine.

Dave

For some reason nobody seemed to have any luck getting open wing shots

I did!!!!

millerd wrote:It may seem contrary, but what you need for them to open up is warm bright overcast - definitely not hot sunshine.

I noticed a similar pattern with Silver-studded Blues on Iping Common today - when it was sunny they would only settle with their wings up but when it became cloudier they were more prone to sit with their wings open. I guess they need the heat more when it's cloudy?

millerd wrote:It may seem contrary, but what you need for them to open up is warm bright overcast - definitely not hot sunshine.

Dave

Interesting Dave, contrary could be the right description, last year I managed several open wing shots on what was almost a cloudless hot day, I guess there could be a little more to learn about their 'cooling systems' , but your probably correct in 'warm bright overcast' being optimum conditions for wing open posture, and that does'nt only apply to Large Blue.

Thanks for your input.

Bill

I noticed the same thing with Heath Fritillaries last week. They landed with wings open in full sun, then closed them slowly over a few seconda. If I shaded them by leaning over them, they opened up again.

I think there comes a point when the butterflies get either hot enough, or too hot, and so don't have a need to open their wings to take in even more heat. Being able to close their wings gives them much greater camouflage than wings opened.

I too noticed all of the Silver Studded Blues at Iping common doing this a once the day really hotted up on Saturday. They would close wings, and face straight into the sun so they caught as little sun as possible thus making them incredibly difficult to see. Where were you John W?! I saw the sun for only about 10 minutes when I went back on the sunday... it was much better though!

I have seen several other species become much less active and keen to keep their wings shut in the heat of the day, though it's only the Silver Studded Blues I've noticed always face into the sun. It's annoying for photos as there's usually no light cast onto their wings.

A trick which works with many blues (I can't remember if I've done it with large blues) is to move a shadow slowly over the nectaring butterfly while its wings are closed and then after a short while to move the shadow off again. If it is hot, the blue will remain wings closed when the 'cloud' comes over but instinctively open the wings when the sun strikes it again. It's a bit like a knee-jerk reflex.

Guy

padfield wrote:A trick which works with many blues (I can't remember if I've done it with large blues) is to move a shadow slowly over the nectaring butterfly while its wings are closed and then after a short while to move the shadow off again. If it is hot, the blue will remain wings closed when the 'cloud' comes over but instinctively open the wings when the sun strikes it again. It's a bit like a knee-jerk reflex.

Guy

Hello Guy,

We tried that 'old trick' (the old ones are still the best ) without success! Could have been that these Large Blues were newly emerged and have a genetic code built in that tells them...'wait until your well and ready before exposing yourself in a wing open posture that could spell your early demise'...in the meantime keeping wings tightly closed means camouflage and protection. Whatever, it's bloody inconsiderate to photographers

Bill

FISHiEE wrote: I too noticed all of the Silver Studded Blues at Iping common doing this a once the day really hotted up on Saturday. They would close wings, and face straight into the sun so they caught as little sun as possible thus making them incredibly difficult to see. Where were you John W?! I saw the sun for only about 10 minutes when I went back on the sunday... it was much better though!

Hi FISHiEE,
I was about 300-400 yards west of the car park, on the main track, between about 1.30pm and 3. There were plenty of SSB's within quite a small area so I didn't bother walking around much! I did briefly chat to two other photographers, one with a tripod, I don't know if that was you?

Fat b*****d in dungarees on the hill today from 10 am (ish.). Might catch someone if someone else is there.

John W wrote:
Hi FISHiEE,
I was about 300-400 yards west of the car park, on the main track, between about 1.30pm and 3. There were plenty of SSB's within quite a small area so I didn't bother walking around much! I did briefly chat to two other photographers, one with a tripod, I don't know if that was you?

Ah that'll be why then. I left around 12:30.

Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed our day on Collard Hil last Friday - along with Neil (Sussex Kipper), Bill (wilrow) et al. Shame we couldn't get an open wing shot of the Large Blues but it wasn't the day for it I guess.

We went back to Priddy Minories in the afternoon as I wanted to get some underside shots of the Small PBF but believe it or not they would not close their wings at all - still too warm maybe (this was at 7pm!)

Anyway - hope to see more UK Butterfliers on various hillsides soon - a great bunch of people!

Cheers
George

George wrote:Just a quick note to say how much we enjoyed our day on Collard Hil last Friday - along with Neil (Sussex Kipper), Bill (wilrow) et al. Shame we couldn't get an open wing shot of the Large Blues but it wasn't the day for it I guess.

We went back to Priddy Minories in the afternoon as I wanted to get some underside shots of the Small PBF but believe it or not they would not close their wings at all - still too warm maybe (this was at 7pm!)

Anyway - hope to see more UK Butterfliers on various hillsides soon - a great bunch of people!

Cheers
George

The irony of it all George...when you want them open they stay closed, when you want them closed they stay open...perhaps their unaware that we're UK Butterflyers and deserve some serious co-operation

Hope you had a really great break!

Bill

It's official Large Blue Day on Collard Hill tomorrow, the National Trust are putting extra Rangers on site to help with visitors questions. It's forecast that this could be peak emergence time...and the weather is set fair...YIPPEE

Bill

Open Day, Collard Hill. I was somewhat apprehensive about visiting with potentially too many visitors milling about, but the weather has been so frustrating that I felt I had to take a risk and go.

The early part of the morning was dry and dull, rain looked highly likely with dark brooding banks of cloud over the distant Quantocks, perhaps the weather may put many people off I thought...wrong!...it was a very busy morning with the National Trust Rangers recording most encouraging numbers. The Old Quarry area was the 'hot spot' the sheltered undulations proving home for about 6 or 7 Large Blue and the early visitors were treated to quite good views, albeit usually of the closed wing posture. From mid morning the showers started and stayed until after lunch, I decided to brave the showers and check out the Bee Orchid variant trollii aka the Wasp Orchid. I was rather pleased with myself as my intrepid search for others produced one more in a different location from the other 6 spikes. Fascinating to compare the normal Bee Orchid Ophrhys apifera with the variant trollii as both grew within feet of one another, one of the former to six of the latter.

The afternoon proved much more like the met office had promised, the sun was quite warm in the sheltered lower reaches of the hill, now there were as many as 20 to 25 individuals on the wing around the Old Quarry, many proved quite obliging for those who wanted to get a souvenir photograph. Visitors had travelled from all over the country, I met several members of UK Butterflies, it was a pleasure to enjoy some time in your company!

Jeremy Thomas and David Simcox put in a brief appearance, both must have felt great pride to see the 'fruit of their labours', both deserve the utmost praise and our undying gratitude for their work with Large Blue on the Polden Hills.

Towards late afternoon I met the lady in charge of the grazing management on Collard Hill, her story over the full 12 years is worthy of a book in itself, but of interest is the different trials undertaken with; cows, sheep and finally horses of different breeds before deciding that the best grazing animal was...wait for it...Welsh mountain ponies...(loud cheers erupt!!! ) The only time the ponies are off the hill is the six weeks of Large Blue activity. We under estimate the importance of the farmers and their wonderful animals in habitat management...so lets hear it for them...(even louder cheers erupt!!!).

Bill

I also visited Collard Hill on Sunday June 20th. The gods must have been smiling on me that day, because within 5 minutes of arriving on site, I was taking my first photograph of an open-winged Large Blue! All together I must have seen about 15 - 20, together with Marbled Whites and Common Blues. I must admit I didn't take much notice of any other species other than Large Blues! They were bigger than I imagined, a good 1 and 3/4 inches in wingspan, and a beautiful deep blue colour. There were a quite a few visitors but it didn't feel too crowded, which I had feared it might. Hello to Willrow who I had the pleasure of meeting at the site.