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June 2016
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:49 pm
by David M
An hour and a half on Fairwood Common on the Gower in Swansea this afternoon returned:
Marsh Fritillary 7
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary 4
Green Hairstreak 2
Small Copper 1
Common Blue 1
Green Veined White 1
Re: June 2016
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 9:15 pm
by Matsukaze
Good numbers of Small Blues yesterday at Combe Hay, just south of Bath; they are also out at Stoke Camp on the Mendips.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 1:50 pm
by dilettante
I saw at least 8 Painted Ladies while out cycling today around CambsnEssex/Herts border. Part of a wider influx?
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:48 pm
by Adrian Dowling
My wife saw 2 yesterday while out walking the dog in East Kent, so possibly some new arrivals coming in.
Hopefully more to come in the warmer weather that's forecast over the next few days. I still haven't seen one yet this year.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:51 pm
by Vince Massimo
I had 3 Painted Ladies in Tilgate park, Crawley today. My first of the year.
There has been a big build-up in the Netherlands this weekend
https://twitter.com/chrisvanswaay/statu ... 0026152961 and large numbers have been reported along the east coast of the UK today
https://twitter.com/MigrantMothUK/statu ... 7681082368
Edit: There has also been a recent influx of (among other things) Diamond-backed moths.
![IMG_7343-01G.jpg (222.12 KiB) Viewed 1644 times Diamond-backed moth - Crawley, Sussex 7-June-2016](./files/thumb_3678_697b7b4afd2777226c8750bd64bd61aa)
- Diamond-backed moth - Crawley, Sussex 7-June-2016
Vince
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:57 pm
by Hoggers
I saw 15 Painted Ladies at Dungeness this morning
( and 4 Small Coppers..! )
Hoggers
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:37 pm
by Pauline
I saw 1 Painted Lady at Paulsgrove on the 3rd but failed to get even a record shot!
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:53 pm
by David M
No Painted Ladies in south Wales yet, but I did see my first Meadow Brown of 2016 pottering round my neighbour's garden this afternoon.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:34 pm
by Greenie
Large Skipper , male , topside shot at Hutchinsons Bank yesterday .
Managed underside on transect , and first Meadow Brown at High Elms LNR today .
Two mating pairs of Small Blue at Hutchinsons Bank this afternoon .
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:26 pm
by Allan.W.
Hello all'
Started out early this morning(5.30 am),and headed to Littlestone, to try for a couple of special plants of the area ,found both after a bit of a search,and also in the process disturbed a fresh Painted Lady,i wonder if it came in with the hundreds of Diamond Back moths,that are everywhere at present,as you walk,you disturb 4-5 at every step,the sun was now well up and it was very warm,headed along the coast towards Dungeness,arriving just after 7am,a walk around part of the moat,i found 5-6 Small Heath,and a couple of Common Blue and Brown Argus,all before 7.45 am.,and a single male Small Copper,staunchly defending his metre of shingle , walked out to the Long pits where I came across several male Common Blues and one weather beaten female,but it looks as though the Grizzlies have finished here now,back across the shingle and a last circuit of the Moat, I added 4 more 1st brood Small Copper, a couple more Brown Args,a large white,Red admiral and a couple of Small whites,and a stunning "blue" female Common Blue which wasn,t hanging around to have its picture taken ! and about a dozen more Small Heath,that was it, as I neared the Old lighthouse,i bumped into Hoggers and his pal,snapping away,at what turned out to be 5-6 fresh painted ladies,nice one !
In the afternoon,we visited Samphire Ho,near Dover,a bit breezy,but plenty of butterflies about we saw Several Common Blues, the first two Painted Ladies,immediately on leaving the car park,along the beach scrub we noted,several small whites,my first Large Skipper of the season,a single Dingy skip, 4 male Adonis blue,2 Small blue, but the star of the afternoon was Painted Ladies, in one spot and all on red valerian I counted 8, in all I reckon we saw about 20 . the last stop ,literally 10 minutes ,at Western height car park,we saw 4 Small blues ,and a single Wall, the Grizzle shot was from the last couple of days of May.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:40 pm
by Matsukaze
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and good numbers of Small Heath at Priddy Mineries on the Mendips this afternoon. Also a few Painted Ladies about at the moment.
I've still yet to see a Small Copper this year - is anyone else finding that they are having a bad year?
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:02 pm
by David M
Matsukaze wrote:I've still yet to see a Small Copper this year - is anyone else finding that they are having a bad year?
Yes. I've only seen two thus far.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Re: June 2016
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:35 pm
by Vince Massimo
The day started by photographing a Holly Blue egg which was laid in the garden on 28th May. The host plant was Pyracantha, but another was also deposited on the adjacent Cotoneaster.
![IMG_7311-01G.jpg (245.18 KiB) Viewed 1880 times Holly Blue ovum on Pyracantha - Crawley, Sussex 5-June-2016](./files/thumb_3678_f6373032017fa6bd66582d8751ffc145)
- Holly Blue ovum on Pyracantha - Crawley, Sussex 5-June-2016
Other larval host plants used by Holly Blue in my garden in the past have been variegated Holly (obviously) and Ceanothus, as well as local Ivy and Dogwood.
At my local patch (Broadfield Pond) I have been monitoring a Small Tortoiseshell larval web which is presently full of 4th instar larvae.
![IMG_7323-01G.jpg (287.23 KiB) Viewed 1880 times Small Tortoiseshell larval web - Crawley 5-June-2016](./files/thumb_3678_6042b9a36cbdff09c9d40d41e7ad1721)
- Small Tortoiseshell larval web - Crawley 5-June-2016
In another nettle patch I found an older web where the larvae had started to disperse. Some were basking out in the open, but others had formed shelters from nettle leaves. In my experience these are usually of the upturned leaf variety, but there were some down-turned ones as well. Previous observations have shown that these shelters are used as resting and moulting places
/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=7156
Both shelters on this stem were occupied by larvae.
![IMG_7340-01G.jpg (290.56 KiB) Viewed 1880 times Small Tortoiseshell larval tents - Crawley 5-June-2016](./files/thumb_3678_5684096d29ac4ca5b84b14a6dc6af65a)
- Small Tortoiseshell larval tents - Crawley 5-June-2016
In the same nettle patch there were 3 Red Admiral larval tents (all occupied) and just a few metres away, 6 Orange-tip larvae feeding on Garlic Mustard.
Vince
Re: June 2016
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:24 pm
by Testudo Man
A great weekend had, with plenty of butterflies on the wing.
Highlights for me were Adonis Blues, but low numbers, with only 2 females sighted. I would think there were less than 10 males too!
2 Painted ladies, Red Admiral, Comma, 6+ Brimstone, 1 GH, Large Whites, good numbers of Brown Argus, Common Blues, Small Blues, male Orange Tip...Several Brown Argus and Common Blues found in Cop.
Location - Queensdown Warren and Darland banks, Kent.
Several photos, cheers Paul.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:02 pm
by David M
Lovely Adonis images, Paul. Well done.
Painted Ladies have now reached Swansea with two seen this afternoon, including one which took a liking to my neighbour's roof.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:46 pm
by Jack Harrison
6th June
Painted Lady near Inverness. See my diary:
/viewtopic.php?t=4056&start=660#p110952
Jack
Re: June 2016
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:39 pm
by Rosalyn
The weather in Cambs has been poor of late to say the least so Phil and I set off for sunny Scotland. First stop was Glen Etive where we found a small clearing in the forest and within only a few minutes we had Chequered Skippers and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in sight. Although well into their season the Chequered Skippers were not looking too shabby. We saw our first Painted Lady of the year here as well. Next stop was Glen Loy where we not only found Chequered Skippers, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Green Haistreak in good numbers but we also found Neil Freeman, which was handy because an extra pair of eyes is alway welcome and Neil proved to be an excellent in flight spotter. Most of the males skippers had seen better days but occasionally a female passed by and these were in much better condition.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:18 pm
by David M
Great stuff, Rosalyn! I've been monitoring the weather forecast and it seems to have been pretty warm up in the west of Scotland lately so your trip was well timed.
Always nice to see a few Chequered Skipper images on UKB!!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Re: June 2016
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:23 am
by Neil Freeman
Rosalyn wrote:.... Next stop was Glen Loy where we not only found Chequered Skippers, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Green Haistreak in good numbers but we also found Neil Freeman, which was handy because an extra pair of eyes is alway welcome and Neil proved to be an excellent in flight spotter. Most of the males skippers had seen better days but occasionally a female passed by and these were in much better condition.
Hi Rosalyn,
It was great to bump into yourself and Phil in Glen Loy yesterday, a great couple of hours in good company in a beautiful part of the world
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
.
Some lovely photos you got there
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
, I have still to sort through mine which will probably be in later in the week when we are back home.
Cheers,
Neil.
Re: June 2016
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:28 pm
by MrSp0ck
The Glanvilles are still emerging at Hutchinsons Bank, mixing with a few older ones from before the rain last week.
Small Blues and Female Glanville.