Bugboys mission

[millerd]

The Skipper disappearing up the foxglove is brilliant, Buggy! And to have them popping up everywhere when you are looking for something else... is all I can say really. Great record of your visit!

Dave

[David M]

Superb commentary and images yet again, Bugboy. It's like stepping back in time as the season in Scotland is much further behind than in the south of England & Wales.

Love all the images, but that abnormally yellow Green Veined White is particularly attractive.

[Wurzel]

I too like the disappearing Skipper sequence - now you see me now you don't

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[bugboy]

Thank you all, it was a very enjoyable time despite the best efforts from the Scottish weather

10th June, The Journey Home.

Whilst travelling around the ‘colonies’ these past few weeks, I’d seen several reports that Mountain Ringlet (like everything else this year) were early and already flying on Irton Fell and I hoped I could persuade Janet to take a slight detour back to Manchester.

She agreed it was worth a shot so we left early and according to the forcast, seemed to have a 50/50 chance of hitting good weather by the time we got to the Lake District. Leaving Scotland was a repeat performance of our arrival, rain of various sorts all the way to the border. Northern England was where things started to clear up and then it was on and off as we travelled through the District.

We found the car park easily enough but sadly the weather was having a little spat, not quite rain but rather breezy and low cloud was being whisked over the Fell. We did climb up to the site, the wooded path is a pleasant enough walk, but the cloud was exactly where the Ringlets are to be found. Needless to say we found no sign of life! Like the Large Heath, the Mountain Ringlet remains on my hit list

Not so much Gorillas as 'Ringlets in the Mist'

The view north east with Sellafield top left

To add to the frustration, we could clearly see Sellafield bathed in sun across the hills and just as a little final encore, when I checked the weather an hour later it had apparently all cleared up and sunny right across the fells .

Just like everywhere else I’d been the past two weeks though, the scenary was breathtaking and I take my hat off to Janet for driving us through the Lake District via Hardnott and Wrynose passes in her estate car.

[Neil Freeman]

Just catching up on your travels Bugboy, interesting reports from Ireland...the Cryptic Wood White is the only one I need to complete my UK list, or rather it would be if you hadn't now made it 60 species with the Large Tortoiseshell

I really enjoyed the reports from Scotland and especially Glen Loy, brought back memories of my own adventures up there last year . Not sure how far you ventured along the Glen but I found some early Large Heath ssp. scotica there last year. They were a long way past the bridge, on the opposite side of the track to the river.

Sorry to see you missed the Mountain Ringlets...that is the vagaries of the weather up there.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

Shame about epiphron, Bugboy. You picked the right spot - there are hundreds up there, but as you discovered, they won't fly unless conditions are bright.

[bugboy]

Thank Neil, I blame the other Neil for the Large Tortoiseshell! We did wander a fair way along the river past the bridge, just under an hour at normal walking pace I think.

Thanks David, conditions on the Fell couldn't have been further from 'bright'. When we reached the point where the Ringlets supposedly start appearing, visibility was down to a few feet!

12th June, back home & into quarantine.

The first thing I did upon returning home was see my doctor. I’d noticed a few small rashes whilst travelling but with no other symptoms didn’t take much notice. However, on my last day I noticed some blistering and on consulting ‘doctor Google’ it would seem I had Shingles (either that or I had 12 hours to live). The real-life doctor confirmed it was the former and so I called into work to let them know I was a disease risk, and finding out that a couple of colleagues haven’t had Chicken Pox I was officially banned from work! Luckily, I was suffering very little pain (I understand some cases can be excruciating), just mild stinging nettle like tingling and since my flat warms up like a sauna in hot weather, I decided to go out with my camera. None of the rashes or blistering were on visible areas so at least I didn’t look like a plague victim!

I stayed local and took an afternoon stroll on the Marshes. Butterflies were few and far between indicating the June gap was in full swing here but I managed to find a few fresh Large Skipper.

Where last time I had found dozens of fresh Common Blues there were now just a few decrepit individuals.

One thing I was hoping for were some fresh Small Tortoiseshell, so I headed for a hedgerow where they always turn up in the spring from hibernation and there gorging on Bramble was exactly what I was after.

After finding a few more I took a slow meandering walk back and found a couple of first gen Holly Blues, females and just like last year somewhat obsessed on patches of Goats-rue. I watched a female search out the perfect place for her egg and once she had laid and fluttered off I had a quick look at surrounding patches, easily finding several more eggs, some of whom had already hatched.

I was surprised I hadn’t seen any Hutchinsoni Comma’s yet, given the large numbers that had come out of hibernation here, but that changed as I neared the end of my stroll. Waiting for me near the kissing gate at the entrance of the site was this beauty.

[millerd]

I'm amazed you're still seeing the odd Holly Blue, Buggy - they have temporarily disappeared here. That's worth a bit of . Sorry to hear you're technically ill but glad it is ironically forcing you out into the open air with the butterflies!

Dave

[bugboy]

To be fair Dave, that was 10 days ago now (I'm a little behind ) and I'd be very surprised if any were still about now. It gets even better dave, the doctor signed me off until the end of this week, when I have already got another two weeks booked off. By the time I get back to work I'd have had 6 weeks off... I'll need retraining!

14th June, Essex Heaths.

With my Shingles not getting any worse I decided to go a bit further afield. Due to everything emerging early this year, I had some catching up to do after my trips. It looked like it was going to be a rather hot day and what butterfly above all else adores the sun! I’d missed out on Heath Frits last year, intending to go to the Essex colonies I’d waited for reports unaware that they were deliberately being kept quiet due to low numbers. This year things are looking much better, quite a bit of habitat improvement was done last year and over the winter which looks to be paying dividends, when I found the paths, who’s edges were swathed in Cow Wheat they were riddled with them!

If anything it was too hot, and with no cloud cover there didn’t seem to be much reason for any of them to stop. Luckily I found a female who was too busy gorging on nectar to worry about my presence.

Most photo’s for the morning were snatched opportunities here and there and I was content to watch them go about their business, which mostly involved invading each other’s business.

By the afternoon they had started to settle down into feeding mode again so I was able to start getting the shots I was after.

‘Courtship’ was commonplace,

well I say courtship, if butterflies had lawyers, sexual harassment would far out way all other grievances! I certainly wouldn’t get away with this sort of behaviour down the pub that’s for sure!

Was it something I said?

There was a lot of other activity apart from the Fritillaries, Large Skippers, Holly Blues, Commas, Red Admirals and Meadow Browns were all in attendance and for the most part all hyperactive in the heat and I caught a brief glimpse of my first White Admiral of the season.

I’m very pleased to see this colony seems safe from extinction for the foreseeable future. I just hope the habitat management keeps up.

[David M]

Fair play to your spirit of resolve, Bugboy. I recall Neil Hulme going out butterflying when suffering from pneumonia so for you to do likewise having been diagnosed with shingles is beyond the call of duty!

Respect.

[bugboy]

I look at is medicinal David, Shingles is often brought on by stress, I can't think of many things more stressful than locking myself away for a fortnight, what's stressful about hunting butterflies in woodland and meadows?

15th June, Surrey Studs.

Next on my hit list was the Silver Studded Blue which had been flying for several weeks by this stage on some sites. I know Chobham Common is quite late for them so I hoped I was on time to find some fresh ones. I needn’t have worried, it would seem I was spot on and I found them in a number of spots as I wandered the site, in fact they seemed a bit more spread out than in previous years. It was a day with plenty of cloudy spells making them easy targets for my camera.

I only managed a couple of females, one of whom gets the award for best studs of the day!

A moth lifer for me came in the form of the Peacock, slightly less eye catching than it's butterfly namesake.

There were Meadow Browns and Ringlet bobbing about but the only other butterfly that I managed were Large Skippers.

As I was leaving I took a slight detour to look for dragonflies at one of the ponds, a few were flying around but something rather large was checking me out. Europes heaviest fly, the Dark Giant Horsefly Tabinus sudeticus. Roughly the size of a big wasp. I’m not sure if they stick with biting like other horseflies or remove an entire arm and stash it for later!

I didn't want to try and get her in a better photographic position, I was a bit scared of her !

[Wurzel]

Good to see you're still getting out and about Bugboy I wonder if there are any other contagious diseases that can lead to a week off work? I could certainly do with catching up with some species myself.

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I look at is medicinal David, Shingles is often brought on by stress, I can't think of many things more stressful than locking myself away for a fortnight, what's stressful about hunting butterflies in woodland and meadows?

I cannot challenge a word of that, Bugboy. In fact, I'd say that being surrounded by butterflies in a wonderful setting on a pleasant day renders Prozac obsolete!

[bugboy]

I look at is medicinal David, Shingles is often brought on by stress, I can't think of many things more stressful than locking myself away for a fortnight, what's stressful about hunting butterflies in woodland and meadows?

I cannot challenge a word of that, Bugboy. In fact, I'd say that being surrounded by butterflies in a wonderful setting on a pleasant day renders Prozac obsolete!

And my rehabilitation continues.....


16th June, a day of season premiers.

First stop today was Box Hill, or rather Burford Meadow at the base, I didn’t want to push myself too much by climbing up to the top this time (I am technically still ill after all) and my targets can all be found down here anyway.

First was Dark Green Fritillaries. I saw one flying around a large bank of brambles but nowhere near enough for a shot. Although it was quite early it was going to be another very warm day and temperatures were already high enough to turn the Fritillaries into orange torpedoes so I waded into the long grass hoping to disturb a freshly emerged one still learning how to fly. After a few false alarms (Commas) and some more distant sightings I finally happened upon my quarry, coincidentally around the same time as increased cloud cover which calmed him down. He was still a bit flighty but some careful stalking got me close enough. I hoped the cloud cover would cause him to close up for some underside shots but it was still too warm.

After 10 minutes I finally lost him but I managed the second of the days season firsts a lone Small Skipper and whilst taking his picture a couple of Marbled Whites flopped by making it a hat trick of season firsts in half an hour.

Before leaving the meadow I also found my first female Large Skipper of the year.

Prompted by the Marbled Whites I ventured onto the lower slopes of the hill, immediately finding hordes of Marbled White and, replacing the Meadow Browns from the meadow, Ringlets, new species number four for the day. The Ringlets were unfortunately not in the mood for photo’s but the MW on the other hand were more than willing, preoccupied as they were on Bramble Flowers

next stop, Bookham...obviously !

[trevor]

Not a bad idea, using the Dorking area as a convalescent home. Most Doctors, would,
I am sure, advise lots of fresh air and avoid that of London.
Great Dark Greens and Marbled Whites. They are on my 'to do' list, once the Emperor
has finished with me.

Take care,
Trevor.

[bugboy]

16th June, a day of season premiers. Part 2

So onto Bookham with the prospect of my first Silver Washed Fritillaries of the season and hopefully more than a fleeting glimpse of a White Admiral.

Walking across the ‘plains’ from the train station numerous Skippers were present, both Large and SmEssex, although none sat still long enough for positive ID’s. Small Heath were also rather numerous along with the odd tired looking Common Blue and a very old Comma. Bearing in mind we are in the middle of June this must be one of the oldest Comma’s around, particularly notable since Hutchinsoni (and presumably it’s offspring) were also on the wing here today!

Ancient Comma!

One Small Heath caught my attention, looking very odd in flight. He was difficult to pin down, and I spent some time trying to get close enough to work out what was going on. Eventually he relented and let me get close enough to see that one of his forewings was bleached. I suspect this was a pathological ab rather than genetic since it only affected the one wing, perhaps a shaft of sunlight hit his pupae as the scales were developing?

same animal from the 'normal' side

I tried in vain to grab an upperside as he took to the air, the best I could manage was this but it’s clear enough to confirm it was just the one wing.

Once into the Wood it didn’t take long for target species to start appearing left right and centre with Silver Washed Fritillary become the fifth season first of the day and I ended up seeing more White Admiral in this one afternoon than I saw in in the entire of 2016. Over the next 2 hours I had a field day with them .

I also found a mating pair of Meadow browns being mercilessly harassed by another male

Leaving I was also able to confirm at least one SmEssex was indeed a Small

An excellent end to a fine days butterflying

[bugboy]

Thanks Trevor, I missed your reply but yes the wilds of Surrey surrounded by butterflies do make a very good place to heal body and mind

17th June, Essex again

Still playing catchup on my diary so what species next, White-letter Hairstreaks that’s what. I headed off for an afternoon at Hadleigh Country Park where I’ve found them low down in previous years. It was another very hot and muggy day so I was thankful the colony I visit is within 5 minutes of the train station, no long hike needed. In previous years I’ve found them active quite late in the day, from about 4pm but today they were already active when I arrived at around 2 and in numbers the like of which I was not expecting in my wildest dreams. There were almost too many, constantly flitting and jinking around disturbing each other just as I lined up a shot.

I’d give a conservative estimate of about 30 and given that most were in very good condition numbers were most likely yet to peak.

I spent the best part of 2 hours watching and photographing them before going for a little wander to see what else was about. Golden Skippers, Ringlets and Marbled White where the main players.

Close examination revealed both Small and Essex Skippers. I like finding my debut Essex Skippers in Essex .

Obviously I returned the Hairstreaks before leaving who were still as active as when I left them.

This is also a good site for Comma’s, I suspect utilising the same Elms as the Hairstreaks

[SimonC69]

Wow. Just wow. Those WLH shots are awesome! Once next summer is out of the way and I've either succeeded or failed in my 50/50 mission I'm going to be going out with the express purpose of improving on existing species. Looks like I might be tapping you for sites and photo hints mate!

[bugboy]

Wow. Just wow. Those WLH shots are awesome! Once next summer is out of the way and I've either succeeded or failed in my 50/50 mission I'm going to be going out with the express purpose of improving on existing species. Looks like I might be tapping you for sites and photo hints mate!

Thanks Simon This site does have castle ruins for the other half . With WLH it's simply a case of finding a site where they come down and then spending as much time as you have spare. In my case my finger is permanently attached to the shutter button so the law of averages dictates some will turn out acceptable lol

[SimonC69]

.....This site does have castle ruins for the other half ......

Sold!!