May 2017

[David M]

Superb, Bob. I have yet to see anything even remotely resembling a malvae aberration in south Wales and I envy you.

Perhaps they're a speciality of SE England?

[Allan.W.]

Hello David,
You may well have a point David, I have a site near home(mid-Kent) which years ago used to have a fairly large population of Grizzlies ,not unusual
to see 30-40+ on the wing during a short visit, sadly like so many other sites the populations have declined ,for whatever reason, but you could always guarantee to see 10+ abberants on any visit. These days at the same site ,last year I saw about 15 (give or take) individuals ,and only two of these was a "normal" ,what this say,s I,m not sure ,but I believe I read somewhere ,that it points to a weakening (struggling)strain,this site is a late season site ,with most individuals appearing around the first week in May, compared to Dungeness where they seem to emerge about a month earlier.
The site mentioned is also fairly distant from the next population ,about a mile (and a bit away),so could the abbs; occur ,because they,re in-bred ?? with no new blood ? I don,t Know. Abberant individuals were also fairly common just over the border in East Sussex ,not sure if this is still the case. At the Kent site ,this year I saw the first ,here of the year ,last Friday ,and guess what ........ a Taras.
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

A sunny and mild early afternoon on Sunday 14th saw 11 different species of butterfly observed at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea.

The two most common were Small Blue and Orange Tip, but today saw me notch up three 'firsts' for 2017, with Common Blue, Small Heath & Brown Argus all recorded:

[lee3764]

Hello David,
You may well have a point David, I have a site near home(mid-Kent) which years ago used to have a fairly large population of Grizzlies ,not unusual
to see 30-40+ on the wing during a short visit, sadly like so many other sites the populations have declined ,for whatever reason, but you could always guarantee to see 10+ abberants on any visit. These days at the same site ,last year I saw about 15 (give or take) individuals ,and only two of these was a "normal" ,what this say,s I,m not sure ,but I believe I read somewhere ,that it points to a weakening (struggling)strain,this site is a late season site ,with most individuals appearing around the first week in May, compared to Dungeness where they seem to emerge about a month earlier.
The site mentioned is also fairly distant from the next population ,about a mile (and a bit away),so could the abbs; occur ,because they,re in-bred ?? with no new blood ? I don,t Know. Abberant individuals were also fairly common just over the border in East Sussex ,not sure if this is still the case. At the Kent site ,this year I saw the first ,here of the year ,last Friday ,and guess what ........ a Taras.
Regards Allan.W.

Hi Allan,

Here is a Grizzled Skipper ab: 'taras' I photographed at Penhale Sands, Perranporth in North Cornwall in May 2015. A perfect butterfly!

Cheers,

Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[Allan.W.]

Great Abberation Lee !
Had a late visit to a small site close to home,late afternoon,last visited about 30 years ago,and appart from a quick look about a month ago ,
not been back since,used to hold reasonable numbers of Small Copper and Grizzlies,and today it appears that it stills holds a few,5 in all ,in about an hour,2 flyebyes and 3 abberants ( including these two !) watched them pair ,and stayed coupled for 25 minutes.
Regards Allan.W.

[millerd]

Amazing, Allan! To see one is great, but to see two at once, and pairing, is astonishing. Terrific find.

dave

[False Apollo]

On Sunday 14th May I ventured down to Penhale, Cornwall to look for the legendary taras Grizzled Skippers. The omens looked good after seeing a female Emperor Moth egg laying by the main path. It was quite windy but after 11.00 am as it got warmer, the Grizzled Skippers started to appear. I estimated that around 50% were of the taras variety, the rest being of the typical form. I was extremely excited to photograph a mating pair of the taras form, the female being extremely striking. Throughout the walk around 4 of the most extreme taras form were seen.

Mike Gibbons

Mike Gibbons

Female Emperor Moth

[David M]

Fantastic, Mike. Well worth the journey.

Nice to see the uns as well...they're equally striking!

[Pauline]

You earned those rewards Mike - stunning butterflies

[millerd]

Extraordinary - I love the pair wingtip to wingtip!

Dave

[False Apollo]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I ventured down to Cornwall in May 2016 but was around a week early too to see the main taras emergence. I know that the following week they were seen well by a friend of mine. It seems timing is everything at this site as the typical form of Grizzled Skipper was out but I only found one 'semi-taras' form. This time I was there well into their flight period and at least 4 full taras were recorded, along with some approaching this stunning form. They did take a bit of looking for though!

Mike Gibbons

[David M]

A visit in less than ideal conditions to Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire on Saturday 20th returned 30-ish Brown Argus as well as half a dozen or so Dukes of Burgundy and a couple of male Adonis Blues.

Dingy Skippers were also quite common, and other species seen in low numbers were Green Hairstreak, Small Heath, Common Blue, Small Blue, Large White & Peacock.

[Essex Bertie]

Last week, I saw a female Orange-tip making several apparently abortive attempts to lay eggs on Charlock. She seemed to be trying to lay on or within the flower bud heads. Yesterday, I found just a single egg on a flower head and realised why she hadn't laid on the stem just under the flower head, as happens with Garlic Mustard and Cuckooflower. Charlock stems are incredibly bristly. Saying that, the flower buds have some hairs too, so I can understand her predicament.

[David M]

Welsh Marshies are out! Saw three or four during a quick recce at Welshmoor on the Gower on Sunday afternoon. A few Green Hairstreaks seen too.

[Tony Moore]

Lovely specimen - they are stunning when they're fresh like that .

Tony M.

[Essex Bertie]

Brimstone seen ovipositing on Dock today, Dunton Plotlands, Essex. Ova observed on plant by Rod Cole, Basildon Natural History Society

[David M]

A couple of Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries seen on Fairwood Common, Swansea on Monday afternoon:

[Rivoldini]

Pearl Bordered Fritillaries at North Yorkshire today. They took some getting as i was an hour before they started to settle down.

[MrSp0ck]

A very fresh male Glanville Fritillary at Hutchinsons Bank this afternoon, in the bottom corner of the big scrape. It flew off before a photo could be taken, as i headed back to a BC Surrey walk, to tell them we had just seen it, and lost it.

[IanGD]

There have been a few reports of Swallowtails emerging early this year so I thought that a visit to to Strumpshaw Fen on Monday could be worthwhile. I saw a couple flying over the reeds in the morning and later in the afternoon I was rewarded with good views of this specimen.