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bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Thu Aug 18, 2016 9:25 pm

Nice close ups of that male Brown Hairstreak. I was there on Monday as well and got some decent results, not sure how we missed bumping into each other...

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:04 pm

Great close up view Paul

The lack of numbers be due to a contracted emergence as I saw 6 males at Shipton a week and a half ago and today 2 males and a very fresh female - so hopefully they'll be around for some time - it just makes finding them hard work/fun!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:08 am

I think you may have bumped into Roselyn at Shipton. She said she spoke to some guy who was after female brown hairstreaks but had very limited time on Monday.

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:05 pm

Hi David, Wurzel & Bugboy thanks for your comments

bugboy wrote:I think you may have bumped into Roselyn at Shipton. She said she spoke to some guy who was after female brown hairstreaks but had very limited time on Monday.

Yes that would be me

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:11 pm

A few recent bits and bobs:

: Red Admiral -West Meon - 7.8.2016

: Female Common Darter - West Meon -7.8.2016

: Male Common Darter - Wootton Coppice - 21.8.2016

: Female Common Blue - Stephens Castle Down - 28.8.2016

: Male Common Blue - Stephens Castle Down - 28.8.2016

Monday 29.8.2016 Haslar, Gosport

Yesterday afternoon I popped in briefly to a favourite Clouded Yellow spot hoping for some action. This is a partially overgrown carpark near Haslar sea wall that has been reliable for clouded yellows over the last few years. On arrival it did not look too promising with just a few whites about. However, upon closer inspection one of these whites turned out to be a helice Clouded Yellow

. It looked pristine but was very flighty and I only managed one very poor shot before it disappeared over the wall. I was also pleased to find a single Small Copper (No.5 for 2016!) , a couple of Common Blues and a Meadow Brown. One last circuit of the area then threw up another 'normal' female Clouded Yellow

. This one was much more feeble looking like it had just arrived, weakly fluttering and settling. Hopefully there will be a few more around before the season is out.

: Female helice Clouded Yellow - Haslar - 29.8.2016

: Small Copper - Haslar - 29.8.2016

: Female Clouded Yellow - Haslar - 29.8.2016

Jamie Burston · Post by **Jamie Burston** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:19 pm

Stunning shot of the backlit Small Copper!

Katrina · Post by **Katrina** » Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:44 pm

I agree, lovely warm colours.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:20 pm

Great Small Copper Paul

And I'm especially envious of your Helice a form I've yet to catch up with

Have a goodun

Wurzel

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:07 pm

Yup, there's been a few Helice spotted in recent weeks, still never seen one myself though so here's a

for that one! The Red Admiral underside is also rather stunning as well!

David M · Post by **David M** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:23 pm

Well done on the helice. I'm still waiting to see this form in the UK.

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:17 pm

Hi Jamie, Katrina, Wurzel, Bugboy and David Thanks for the comments

Wednesday 31.8.2016 & Thursday 1.9.2016 More Clouded Yellows at Haslar

After failing to capture a decent photo of the Clouded Yellows on Monday I decided to return for another try. Almost as soon as I left the house on Wednesday the sky clouded over and by the time I arrived at Haslar it was breezy and cool. After a little searching a Clouded Yellow did appear flying briskly back and forth, but it soon disappeared. The conditions were now such that any butterfly action was unlikely. There was certainly no sign of the helice or any other Clouded Yellows

. One consolation though was a single Brown Argus (only my 2nd of the year

), a couple of Small Coppers and a Green Veined White.

I jumped at the opportunity to go back the following day, particularly as the weather looked pretty good. I think I arrived at just the right time. No sign of the helice, but after a few minutes and a quick look round a lovely female Clouded Yellow showed herself. Fluttering from flower to flower in a relaxed enough state for me to get plenty of shots. This appeared to be the only clouded yellow here today and I spent the next hour following her around. I even had time to try for an open winged shot but I soon gave up on that idea

. I just took the occasional break for some Small Copper action.

: The best open wing shot I could manage after many attempts!

Once I had pursued this Clouded Yellow enough I turned to leave just as a male flew up from the ground which I had not previously seen. Unfortunately it flew straight into a spiders web

. The plump female Garden spider was lightning quick in despatching this insect and gift wrapping it to enjoy later. The whole process was completed in a couple of minutes. This was not the way I had hoped to get my open winged shot.

: The fatal bite! Still flapping at this point. Not really the open winged shot I was looking for

: She seemed to be looking at me rather smugly at this point!

: Job done!

Pauline · Post by **Pauline** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:41 pm

Some interesting shots there Paul. A couple of years ago I was in a similar situation with a female Brown Hairstreak egg-laying. I managed to get a sequence similar to yours but I received some criticism I seem to recall for not 'rescuing' the butterfly - but as you are aware it happens in a flash and it is often too late to react unfortunately:

bugboy · Post by **bugboy** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 5:52 pm

Fantastic Cloudie images, including the ones of the unfortunate spider meal. Every now and again its good to be reminded its not all sweetness and light in the natural world and we are merely (and should remain) observers to it's goings on.

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Sat Sep 03, 2016 9:18 pm

Pauline wrote:Some interesting shots there Paul. A couple of years ago I was in a similar situation with a female Brown Hairstreak egg-laying. I managed to get a sequence similar to yours but I received some criticism I seem to recall for not 'rescuing' the butterfly - but as you are aware it happens in a flash and it is often too late to react unfortunately:

I know what you mean Pauline. This is the second time I have experienced this scenario. The last time a couple of years ago at Noar Hill, also with a Clouded Yellow curiously. On that occasion whilst I wrestled with my conscience (dithered is probably more apt

) the butterfly managed to free itself

. On this most recent occasion the spider was so quick I did not have time to intervene.

Bugboy, I would like to think that if I had the opportunity I would still choose to leave things to nature. However, if I had not been there would the butterfly still have flown into the web

that disturbs my conscience even more

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 9:01 pm

A cracking, if gruesome series of shots Paul

It is a hard thing to reason - but it seemed in this case the decision was made for you - you're right the Spider does look smug but also beautifully marked

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:28 pm

Cheers Wurzel

Sunday 4.9.2016 Knowle

An afternoon visit to one of my favourite local butterfly spots was an almost completely white affair. I was hoping Clouded Yellows might have reached this location, but none were to be seen. In all I counted 26 Small Whites here, 12 Green Veined Whites including a couple of nicely marked individuals and singles of Large White, Speckled Wood, Common Blue and an egg laying Holly Blue. Most were taking advantage of the Fleabane which seems particularly abundant this year.

: Female Small White

: Female Small White

: Male Small White

: Small White Pair

: Female Green Veined White

: Unusual looking male Green Veined White

: This female Holly Blue appears to be tasting the Ivy buds and also looks like she has been at the Fleabane judging by her feet!

Katrina · Post by **Katrina** » Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:37 am

That first photo is lovely, well captured!

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:29 pm

Thanks Katrina

Sunday 11.9.2016 Southwick

After Saturdays miserable autumnal dampness, it was nice to see the sun again on Sunday. I went to a couple of locations at Southwick to the north of Portsdown Hill. At the first location one corner of a field has been left wild with plenty of Fleabane on show. Plenty of Whites here Small, Green Veined, Large and a single male Brimstone. The stars though were a couple of Small Coppers, male and female I think. The male having slightly unusual markings. Later in the same location Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Comma had joined the fun.

: Male Green Veined White - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Female Green Veined White - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Female? Small Copper - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Male? Small Copper with unusual markings - Southwick - 11.9.2016

I then moved on to a new location close by where again a large area has been left wild with plenty of Fleabane and Ragwort. First up another Small Copper

. Up to the end of August I had only seen 4 Small Coppers all year so it is quite pleasing that they now seem to be turning up wherever I go

. There were plenty of whites bobbing around amongst the yellow flowers, but what I really wanted to find was a Clouded Yellow. I soon spotted one energetically zooming around, a male which eventually stopped long enough for a photo. Later I spotted what I thought was the same male, but later examination of photos revealed them to be different individuals. Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood brought the total number of species for the day to 11

: Male Clouded Yellow - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Female Meadow Brown - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Male Clouded Yellow - Southwick - 11.9.2016

: Comma - Southwick - 11.9.2016

Paul Harfield · Post by **Paul Harfield** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 10:37 pm

Sunday 18.9.2016 Southwick

Not so many butterflies at Southwick this weekend, but just enough to keep me sane

Small Coppers continue to put on a good show in small numbers and a single Clouded Yellow brought a smile to my face

. There were plenty of Speckled Woods along the lane, lots of Small Whites and a couple of Red Admirals.

: Small Copper

: Female Small Copper

: Male Clouded Yellow. A different one to last week

Early on a Small Copper had disturbed something small from a Fleabane flower. I lost sight of this small fluttery thing and had assumed it was a small moth of some description. Later on I re encountered this individual and managed to keep it in view whereupon it became apparent that it was actually a very small butterfly. My initial thought was that it was a very late Small Blue. It eventually settled and revealed itself as a tiny Brown Argus

Smaller in fact than a Small Blue and also showing some unusual underwing spots. The abnormally small size would seem to be called ab. lilliputana. I was unable to get a shot with some size reference in it so my photos do not demonstrate how incredibly tiny this butterfly was.

: Tiny male Brown Argus ab lilliputana

: Nothing for reference here but this butterfly was tiny and also has unusual underwing spots.

Wurzel · Post by **Wurzel** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 9:28 pm

Cracking aberrants Paul in amongst the Cloudies, you're having a great run at the moment

- long may it continue

Have a goodun

Wurzel

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