millerd

[millerd]

Thanks, Goldie - I really hope you catch up with them this year. They are such graceful insects and I could watch them for hours. I pretty well did yesterday!

Tuesday 20th June: another hot day providing many photos to sort. However, I did undertake to post these on behalf of the foot in question, so by way of a curtain-raiser...

A full account of the day will follow.

Dave

[millerd]

Tuesday 20th June: A slightly cloudy and cooler feel first thing, and probably my only opportunity to see Purple Emperors this season. I headed down to Chiddingfold where I knew Trevor would be established in a faint aroma of tuna... Coming in from the Botany Bay entrance, I wandered along what is now a very shady path and crossed the bridge over a mere trickle of a stream. At this point, lack of proper observation cost me a photo of a fresh male Purple Hairstreak. I spotted the butterfly in time to identify it, but too late to avoid disturbing it; I had to watch it make its way lazily up into a hazel. Drat - or words to that effect...

However, things rapidly improved, as climbing the hill I spotted two familiar figures in classic pose peering down at the track. Trevor and Philip Underwood had just found the first Emperor of the day. Very shortly after that, another appeared, and over the course of the morning, at least three were seen - though only two were seen on the ground. Trevor's bait worked magic, and kept the insects engrossed for lengthy spells, with them often returning after being disturbed.

They spent most of the intervening time perched in hazel trees, sucking up honeydew and peering down at us.

We had the butterflies to ourselves - there were just the three of us, which made a pleasant change from previous years.
What else was around? Silver-washed Fritillaries, Commas, Admirals both Red and White, Skippers Large and Small, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, a single Brimstone and a couple of Marbled Whites. The SWF were constantly in motion as the sun climbed but one or two of the other species obliged with photos.

As Trevor has said in his diary, it was an excellent morning and it was good to spend it in such good company - cheers to you both!

Of course the day was not yet over...

Dave

[millerd]

20th June: Part Two.

After returning home for a siesta (what a civilised idea that is in hot weather), I ventured out onto the M25 again around four. The traffic was a bit slow and the car thermometer crept up to 38 degrees at one point. However, by the time I reached Box Hill, the target for this expedition, it was down to only (only!) 30.

I was here to see the annual butterfly display on Burford Spur, where Marbled Whites and Dark Green Fritillaries take over the slopes for a few weeks. I wasn't disappointed: there were well over a dozen new DGF and hundreds of lovely fresh Marbled Whites. The former were still very active, but thinking about roosting in the trees, and the latter were starting to roost in the grass. Any movement at all sent up clouds of them, plus Skippers and Meadow Browns in good numbers. Unfortunately, it was too hot to stay for very long, but this piece of hillside is worth a visit any time over the next couple of weeks - the sooner the better while the butterflies are still fresh.

Dave

[David M]

I'm so envious of your Emperors, Dave. This is one species I have to travel at leat 2 hours to see, and it always comes at a difficult time of year for me too with my French Alps commitments.

Most UK species I see in abundance on the continent, but there are a few which I can only realistically see in Britain - Purple Emperor is one of them, as well as White Letter Hairstreak, Scotch Argus & Large Heath.

[bugboy]

Don't suppose you or Trevor can send a few friendly Emperors over to Bookham could you! Saw one today who seriously threatened to settle in front of me but buggered off into the trees at the last second!

Box Hill does look good at the moment doesn't it, I was there last Friday for my first DGF and MW fix of the year

[trevor]

Great to see you again, today, Dave.
Yes we all had a wonderful time, and plenty of action.
I do, particularly, like your shots of H.I.M. lazing ( momentarily ) in the trees.
Good to see your Dark Greens.

Trevor.

[Maximus]

Nice Emperor shots, Dave and the DG Fritillary shots are not bad too!

Mike

[Pauline]

It might not be first hand but seeing your lovely images of PE is the next best thing Dave What a pity we didn't get a chance to meet at BB

[Wurzel]

All these shots of Him are starting to get to me now ...what with the season being early I might miss out as Mrs Wurzel has booked me up for the next two weekends

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you everyone. It was a great day and luck was there as well, considering the day before and the one after were nothing like so good. One day we'll meet, Pauline - our territories do definitely overlap a bit so it's bound to happen one day. Second brood Wood Whites in August?

Wednesday 21st was a day back at work and far too hot to contemplate any activity after I finished. As reported, it reached 35.5 degrees hereabouts and was still around 30 at sunset. I doubt I would have seen much anyway, except perhaps for Red Admirals flying after dark, something I've seen here before in hot weather.

Thursday 22nrd June was another day at work, but mostly cloudy and more sensible in terms of temperature. I had an hour around five to look around my local patch under the warm overcast. On reaching the open meadow area between the motorway and the M25, I found surprising numbers of butterflies. They were mostly Meadow Browns, but every footstep disturbed one or two. In amongst them were Small Heaths, and a selection of Skippers - photos confirmed there were both Small and Essex flying, as well as a few more tired-looking Large ones.

Essex Skipper

Small Skipper

Small Skipper

As I ambled along the edge of the meadow where there are banks of brambles, I watched what I thought was male Meadow Brown completely ignore a basking female. Unsurprising, really - it was actually a male Ringlet.

In the end I saw three or four. This may not seem significant, but I rarely see more than one or two here all year, and this is a dry year, something they don't much care for. Species 20 for 2017 here, too. Heading for home, inevitably there were a selection of Commas...

...and just as predictably a series of Red Admirals all the way back, each territory overlapping with the next with border disputes aplenty. One settled in front of me.

Dave

[Goldie M]

Hi! Dave, I think my trip to Fermyn will be on the cards soon for his Highness, I went 17th July last year but that could be too late now, well done with your shots of him Goldie

[Pauline]

One day we'll meet, Pauline - our territories do definitely overlap a bit so it's bound to happen one day. Second brood Wood Whites in August?

You're on Dave! I'll put the date in my diary

[Wurzel]

Great to see the Essex Dave And those Commas are wonderfully marked

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Than you, Goldie. I do hope you get to see HIM at Fermyn - I think I was really lucky on the day I could get out this year.

Ok, Pauline - that's sometime in August then?

Thanks, Wurzel - yes an infinite variety of beautiful Commas. Definitely up with the fritillaries in my book. It was tricky with this Essex Skipper as it was part of a separate colony to the roadside ones, and mixing with the Smalls. It was good to have one of each to post in roughly similar condition.

After correcting the dates above I think I'm right in saying that Friday 23rd June was my next day out. I was heading to Taunton for the weekend, so despite overcast conditions, a stop at Collard Hill was essential. Mid-afternoon under the clouds, I managed to see ten or eleven Large Blues across the site, learning from Gabrielle the volunteer ranger here this year that they have a penchant for roosting in the many gorse bushes. Several were seen in this way.

The cloud was relentless and the only brief glimpse of a butterfly upperside came in tiny moment of extra brightness.

Also seen: A phantom of a Painted Lady, a Small Tortoiseshell, a Marbled White...

...and lots of Meadow Browns and Ringlets - both of which relish these conditions.

I hoped to drop by again on my return journey...

Dave

[millerd]

Sunday 25th June. I did drop back into Collard again on my trip home, though rather later in the day. Still rather cloudy and not so warm either, but a few breaks in the clouds promised something. I actually saw only three Large Blues today and two were rather worn.

However, I watched a newer one at length until it was woken by the sun, hopped off its gorsey perch and nectared in the welcome sunshine.

The angle of the light markedly changes the colour of the wings - in some angles they were steel grey, at others deep blue. A lovely insect whichever way you look at it!

Dave

[bugboy]

Shame you didn't get a bit more brightness, that bit of blue you got looks lush without the bleaching effect of the sun

Edit* I see you had better luck on the return visit with uppers

[Wurzel]

Great stuff Dave Good to see that you got the upper wing shots in the bag as well

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Amazing that Collard's Large Blues were looking worn when last weekend those at Daneway Banks were still emerging.

Always nice to get a few open wing shots of this species though, so well done for that, Dave.

[trevor]

You had a similar experience to me at Collard Hill, on 15th June.
Lots of cloud and nearby blue sky failing to come any closer.
Gabrielle was a treasure, a guided tour of the site, and as a first time visitor,
some advice on where to look.
Glad your visit paid off, and some great shots too.

Trevor.

[millerd]

Thank you everyone. Getting two bites at the cherry made up for the somewhat indifferent weather, and it was great to see this splendid little gem of a butterfly with a ppersonality all its own. he hillside looked absolutely baked solid, so I hope this doesn't have an adverse effect on the egg-lay and on the ants as well. There was a lot less thyme in flower than last year.

Back to work, unpleasant weather and various other things kept me away from butterflies for four consecutive days - a record since March I think!

Dave