Goldie M

[Wurzel]

Great set of reports Goldie Sorry you didn't get the Adonis but you've got to leave something for next time

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, Thanks for your post I'm home now and the weather is much cooler, last night we'd rain but today it's been okay and we've been in the garden ( working ) It's amazing how quickly the weeds grow, we've seen loads of whites today but they didn't hang round for long Done the front garden , now for the back Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
The 6 Adonis I mentioned in the tiny butterflies thread wern,t from Lydden ,but a closer site (to me ) near Wye ,I was going back to Lydden ,Sunday last ,but the weather wasn,t up to much ,so I didn,t bother ,but hopefully will this coming Sunday (weather permitting !)
I reckon there should be a few Adonis out there now and fingers crossed ,one or two Silver -Spots.
Glad you had some joy down in Kent ,,,,,,,,,,, shame you missed the Small Blues ….still,theres always next year !!
Regards Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Allan, I hope you got the Adonis and SSS, I keep saying may be next year but I never seem to be in Kent in August Still I did see the Heath Frits so it's not all bad.

Since we've been home we've been busy in the garden and sorting out the suit cases etc we finished the garden front and back after aching back's, legs, you name it so I went across to Hall-Lee-Brook yesterday just to see if that Small Copper I'd seen there before at this time of year was still there.
No guessing how ever to the fact they'd once again cut the grass and this time gone closer into the edges
Hence no Copper! Still I managed to get a couple of shots of Speckled Woods and I was amazed at the Black Berries bing so ripe, if I go again I'll definitely take some thing to carry some back in
The Speckies were in very nice condition, considering they were on the BB I know why I also saw Holly Blue's but got no shots,
there were loads of White's which I've seen also in my garden so they've had a great year, I expect with being White that's helped them a lot against the Sun's rays.
I was surprised yesterday when an Admiral flew into my Sunshade and stayed there for quite a while I took a shot of it but had to twist the photo to show the Admiral's better side you might say It's started to rain today so I suppose that's it for a while. Goldie

[Pauline]

Oh Wow Goldie. What a smashing shot of the Speckled Wood on the blackberry - so very Autumnal I can't believe I'm saying that and it's only the start of August!!!

[bugboy]

I agree, a great shot of the Specklie Goldie

[MikeOxon]

I agree with Pauline - a super photo - but I might have thought it was taken a month later

What an unusual year we've been having - I was looking back and remembering the cold, snowy Spring and now it seems to be Autumn already after the heat wave.

[Goldie M]

Thanks Pauline, coming from you that's great I couldn't believe it myself when I saw all the Blackberries, it's been an up-side year for Butterflies, I wondered about it when I saw those Heath Frits in Blean Woods, by the time I get to Kent they're usually gone, I just hope I get to see the Brown Hair Streaks before the seasons out.

Many thanks Bugboy, let's hope we see more before the seasons out.

Hi! Mike, glad you liked my Speckie, Like you say it's been a funny year, I don't know about you but I can't stand the heat when it gets to over 30c , it was really hot in Kent and we'd to for go some outings, let's hope the Autumn isn't spoiled too much by being early, I've noticed the leaves are falling already off my Cherry Tree.Goldie

[Wurzel]

I echo, somewhat belatedly, everyone's opinions on the Specklie shots Cracking stuff Fingers crossed that there are still some butterflies left by the end of the month

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

I've been picking blackberries for a month now, Goldie, but none of the butterflies have started to suck up the juices yet, and only that tiny Brown Argus has posed on one - certainly not as photogenically as your Specklie did! Lovely shot.

Cheers,

Dave

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Goldie,

Funnily enough, I took some photos of Specklies on blackberries this afternoon...don't know when I will post them though as I have some catching up to do.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, many thanks for your post, i was surprised to see so many Berries and so many Speckies in good condition eating them Usually round here I find the Admirals and Small Tort's seem to arrive in September /October, that's when I usually get my shots of them in the garden, it will be interesting to see what happens this Autumn, I hope this heat has not been to disruptive.

Thanks Dave, I thought your shot was great , I've wanted to get a shot like that for ages of a Speckies on a Berry, so when I looked through the Berries and saw that Speckie Posing like that I couldn't believe my luck

Hi! Neil, I'll look forward to seeing your shots of the Speckies, Goldie

[Goldie M]

We went to Gait Barrow on Sunday,
We set off from home about 8.25 am and missed any heavy traffic and arrived there about 9.45am.

For the first time I joined a group looking for Brown Hair Streaks, it's not that I don't enjoy being in groups of people, it's just that I get impatient and wander off . any way I learn't a lot about BHS egg's and what to look for etc, we found quite a lot and two Hair Streaks were seen but not photographed
The morning was quite pleasant but the afternoon was very hot and GB began to feel like a desert. I began to feel my legs and seemed to be plagued by small fly's UGH! I was for ever pulling off my hat to swipe at them , enough , is enough!!!

Every thing seemed dried up and some of the Black Thorn bushes were brittle to the touch and just broke in your fingers, we did find some Northern Brown Argus that were very worn ,a White Letter Hair Streak also rather worn which shared a flower with a Bee a Ringlet that considering the conditions wasn't in too bad a shape and some Common Blue's that were in peak condition, one shot I took of the Common Blue reminded me( because it landed on the rope which was still there from when the Dukes were present and was there to protect them and stop people going into their space ) that I'd also missed out on them this year as well

Things weren't a total loss, it was disappointing though has I'd gone there specifically for the Bros Streak , still has they say (there's always another year,) In my case though having to leave because I was tired and the heat got to me also the fly's means the ageing process is catching me out. Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
Thought you may be interested to know ,that the SSS are now out in force at Temple Ewell/Lydden ,I reckon I saw 50 + early Sunday morning
particularly at the Lydden end . Chalkhills still in very large numbers ,but surprisingly no Adonis (yet !) . Also saw a couple of Wall along the top path ,between the reserves,i know this does,nt help you much now ,but as you said in your diary …………...Theres always next year !
Regards Allan.W.

[millerd]

Good that you at least saw a couple of Brown Hairstreaks - and the eggs as well. I haven't seen one anywhere yet in this hot spell. That WLH was a bonus, though - they seem to turn up anywhere! I sympathise with your view of organised groups too - I could never join a ramblers club as I'd be off down an interesting side path in no time!

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

Thanks for that Allan, One of these years I'll get down there in August but I've to go with the swing of things if you know what I mean I'd love a week-end in the South again, may be I'd get the Bros Streak as well then Trouble is once your home after three weeks a way your not too ready to set off again I usually get at least one or two first's in a year but this year none
I must organise better next year Goldie

Hi! Dave , just got your post, I didn't see the Bros Streaks by the time somebody shouted I was hurrying to get back to the group I would have been in time to take a shot if the Butterfly had actually stayed put, as it happened nobody got a photograph so I didn't feel too bad about wandering Goldie

[Wurzel]

A trip with NBA and a Whitter isn't to be sniffed at Goldie There might still be some time for Brostreaks if you can get back to GB?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Andrew555]

Some great reports and shots Goldie, I too love the Speckled. And I'm very glad you didn't get a branch on the head!

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I thought that at the time
I was pleased to see the NB and the Whitter, especially when the NB's although worn had their wings open. I don't think we'll be going back to GB this year, it's a huge place and although we now know where the BHS are
situated we don't fancy trailing round again The weather also is changing with rain forecast for the week-end.

I wanted to go to Arnside for the Scotch Argus but we'd both had enough and being has I'd seen them each year, we'd leave it for this year, we also think that making an effort to see the BHS in the South on a planned journey next year was better than trailing about getting no where, especially when we know people who can point us in the right direction, also there's more of a chance to see them down there.
We enjoyed meeting people at GB and seeing the eggs for the first time was great, knowing where to look for the eggs on the Black thorn etc, it's given us an insight

Hi! Andrew, thanks for your posts, it's been a good year so far, especially missing the branch on my head Hope we'll see more Butterflies before the Autumn sets in and get more shots Goldie

[David M]

...Things weren't a total loss..

Quite the opposite, I'd say, Goldie, with sightings of Northern Brown Argus, White Letter Hairstreak & Brown Hairstreak!

Things look set to be a little cooler going forward which will give us all some relief.