millerd

[Pauline]

I certainly agree with the others Dave. Those SSS images in particular are very nice indeed

[millerd]

Thanks for the moth I/D, Wurzel - I've not knowingly seen one before. Thanks to all for the kind comments about the SSS - a lovely subject for a photo if you can get close to them! Probably my favourite skipper. July has been jam-packed, Kev - glad you like what I've been seeing. It's amazing what you discover going through the ritual "delete" session after an outing. I think the camera's eye is better than mine these days.

Thursday 27th July: a very brief trip out locally at the end of the day to pick blackberries as much as anything. A short burst of sunshine encouraged a few things into the air - Common Blues, Brown Argus and the inevitable Comma.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 29th July: With some early sunshine and a free morning (and Bugboy's recent success there) I thought I'd try Bookham again for Brown Hairstreaks. Unfortunately, by 1200 it was starting to rain, and I'd seen none. Another hopeful enthusiast I bumped into had had no more success than I had. However, there are still swarms of Gatekeepers around, with a fair variety of colour as they gradually wear.

one of two pairings seen

makes a change from brambles...

particularly bright

distinct pale patches

pale patches on one side only

One or two other species made an appearance: notably Common Blues...

not sure what the creature to the left is

and three Small Coppers, the first of which was a heavily marked male, and the last a fresh blue-spotted female...

...but also a somewhat worn female Silver-washed Fritillary and an elderly male Small Skipper.

The rain worsened and continued on and off till dusk, so that was it for the day.

Dave

[bugboy]

Sorry to read you drew a blank again... best not read my latest report....

Your bug photobombing the female Common Blue is a type of Rove Beetle, possibly Paederus littoralis

[David M]

What a great Small Copper, Dave. Really boldly marked on the upperside forewings with much larger than usual black spots.

[Wurzel]

Great selection of Coppers and Hedge Browns Dave I feel your frustration with the Brostreaks Dave, though there is still time, at least that's what I keep telling myself

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thanks, both of you - at one point I wondered if I wasn't going to see any Coppers this year. Thankfully, things have changed.

Sunday 30th July: Weatherwise a repeat of Saturday, but there was a bit of brightness later in the day, so I failed to resist the temptation to go out locally. Numbers seemed to have dropped, but lack of proper sunshine no doubt affected that. I saw all the usual suspects, including a worn-looking Small Heath (though there were quite a few others, this is the only one that stayed still).

One Common Blue opened up briefly, a Small Copper made an appearance, and one Holly Blue cooperated too, showing that the early ones from the second brood are already fading.

During a brief shower, I found two Small Whites companionably sharing a leaf waiting for the rain to stop.

The various wild buddleia bushes were attracting Red Admirals and Large Whites, but I noticed something different: a Small Tortoiseshell, probably the first of the second brood.

The other butterfly of note was a Comma. Second brood individuals, darker and destined to hibernate, have already started appearing around here. However, this one looked really new but was (as far as I can see) an example of the hutchinsoni form. It seems a bit late for these, six weeks after the solstice.

Dave

[millerd]

Monday 31st July: A significant day as it was my last day at work before retirement. However, from a butterfly perspective, on my local patch it was more of the same really, in very similar weather. There were a lot of female Common Blues around today, in various shades of brown and blue.

One poor lady ended up being chased by four males at the same time.

There were several Brown Argus in amongst them, just to complicate matters.

In the wooded parts, a few Holly Blues fluttered along, mostly high up.

New Speckled Woods were involved in the other melees with Red Admirals and Commas.

One of the Commas was another bright new hutchinsoni individual.

Finally an inquisitive Red Admiral came ever closer, with the inevitable result.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A great set of photos Dave And can I offer my congratulations on your retirement looks like you'll be getting out butterflying even more next season
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Thank you, Wurzel! Hopefully there will be a bit more time and the chance to go further afield more often.

Tuesday 1st August: A morning to play with and reasonable weather to start the day. I opted to try Bookham again and see if I could pin down the elusive Brown Hairstreaks. Walking along from the car park at the 100-pound Bridge, I disturbed both male and female Silver-washed Fritillaries, though both were pale ghosts of their former selves. There was also a nectaring Peacock. Reaching the hairstreak hotspot, I found Bugboy already in place, but as yet unsuccessful. We saw good numbers of Common Blues and Small Coppers, but the numbers of Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns have reduced a bit - though still sufficient to make hairstreak-spotting less easy.

Buggy came a cross a nearly-new Painted Lady, which kept us occupied for a bit.

Then he spotted something on the hogweed. A nice female Brown Hairstreak, it almost immediately sailed off over the hedge as the sun went in. Heading off to look for it, I glimpsed something different down on the brambles - an elderly Purple Hairstreak sucking up juices from a blackberry.

This too soon took flight, only to watch us from the branches of a hawthorn.

Buggy and I completed another circuit of the path and meadow, and were just leaving the latter, when we very nearly walked right past what we were looking for. The female Brown Hairstreak was back. She posed beautifully for some while, moving off to rest a couple of times when she deigned to open up slightly.

A very good way to start retirement with lovely butterfly! The deep orange of the wings contrasting with the pure white underside to the body is reminiscent of a fox.

Dave

[David M]

Lovely Brown Hairstreaks, Dave, but I'm particularly envious of that Purple Hairstreak taking fluids from the blackberry. That's not a sight afforded to many!

[bugboy]

Several of those butterflies look awfully familiar It was a good few hours

[trevor]

Spending quality time with that lovely female Brown Hairstreak on your first
day ' out of the office ' must be a good omen for your new found freedom.
Great shots as always.

Good luck in your retirement.
Trevor.

[Neil Freeman]

Congratulations on your retirement Dave
Oh, to be able to get out in the week and make the most of those lovely sunny days that only seem to occur mid-week these days.
Still got a few years to go myself but starting to look at ways to bring it forward a bit

Cheers,

Neil.

[Wurzel]

Fantastic Brostreak shots Dave A fantastic omen of things to come now you can really start living

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Congratulations on your retirement Dave
Oh, to be able to get out in the week and make the most of those lovely sunny days that only seem to occur mid-week these days.
Still got a few years to go myself but starting to look at ways to bring it forward a bit

Agree entirely, Neil. Rarely a day goes by when I don't think about this (and I'm still in my forties!!)

[Katrina]

Congratulations on your retirement !! I look forward to an increase in butterfly postings!!

[Pauline]

I can stop feeling guilty now Dave What a smashing set of images although the Purple Hairstreak shots are a bit special Congratulation btw - you'll soon be wondering how you ever had time to go to work Make the most of the rest of the season

[millerd]

Thank you all for your kind wishes about retiring. I have to say that so far it just seems like an extended weekend, and the weather has not been particularly kind... Hopefully things will perk up soon.

On 2nd August I drove up to York to stay with my sister for a few days. The idea of a lengthy detour via Arnside was scuppered by persistent cloud and drizzle, which prevailed for the whole journey (aside from a curious sunny "hole" near Sheffield). Over the next few days, it was consistently windy, but mostly dry with some sunshine. We had a couple of trips out, but most of the butterfly activity was in the garden.

Saturday 5th August: we had a walk along part of the Wolds Way near Huggate, over chalk downland. Short bursts of sun brought a few things out and there were lots of plants to nectar on, including a lot of knapweed. Notable were two different Painted Ladies along a short stretch of path, accompanied by numerous Peacocks and a few Red Admirals.

Other species included all three common Whites, Small Skippers, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and this rather worn Marbled White, flying at what I think is close to its current northerly limit up here.

A lush extended patch of nettles alongside a main road was found to be hosting numerous Red Admiral caterpillars, including this one which was just starting to construct a new "tent".

There was also a nest of Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars nearby.

Dave

[bugboy]

Painted Lady sightings seem to be increasing, all mint homegrown stock from the looks of things. Hope the weather improves soon, I have another week off soon (yes I still have more time booked). Might well bump into you again now you have all this free time on your hands, there's still more Brown Hairstreaks to be found