September 2018

[David M]

Autumn tomorrow.

However, there can often be pleasant surprises in September....

[Robin]

Very pleased to see a Small Copper in the garden this afternoon along with a Holly Blue and 2 Small Whites. It's two years since we have had a Small Copper here. We used to get all three generations.

[David M]

Nice to hear that, Robin. Small Copper numbers seem to be good right now; maybe as good as they've been for quite a while.

I hope your visitor returns again.

[Robin]

Thank you David. It's back today with a friend! Taking a lot of interest in one another but no action so probably two males. Also Comma, Holly Blue and 3 Small Whites.

[CallumMac]

On the Small Copper subject, I've just had several extremely freshly-emerged ones on my UKBMS transect just outside York. I'll put pictures on my PD a bit later on.

[Allan.W.]

Today at Dungeness ,3 Clouded Yellows ,10 Small Coppers ,5 Common Blues ,all males 1 fresh (3rd brood ), 6 Meadow Browns
all much smaller than the norm: numerous Large Whites and Small Heath,a few Small Whites .
Mating pairs of Large White ,Meadow Brown and Small Copper.
At Orlestone forest ( morning ,brief visit. ) 4 Small Copper ,2 Red Admiral and 1 Painted Lady.
Regards Allan.W.

[Jack Harrison]

Two more Painted Ladies today near Nairn. But no Red Admirals for the past two months.
Increase in wayside numbers of GV Whites so suspect a small third brood.

Jack

[Jonny721]

Nice to find a couple of 2nd gen male Adonis Blues at Aston Rowant yesterday afternoon, my first ever sighting of this species. One was quite worn but the other was still pretty fresh showing the colour nicely

[David M]

Nice to find a couple of 2nd gen male Adonis Blues at Aston Rowant yesterday afternoon, my first ever sighting of this species. One was quite worn but the other was still pretty fresh showing the colour nicely

Nice find, Jonny. Were there any Silver Spotted Skippers still hanging on there?

[Allan.W.]

A few of my weekend highlights from around and about in mid-Kent. All from Lydden NNR ,Except the female Small Copper
from an early morning visit to Orlestone forest .

[Rivoldini]

Here's a strange one in Tyne & Wear this morning.

[David M]

That's quite bizarre, Rivoldini. I've never seen a Small Tortoiseshell like that before.

[Charles Nicol]

Autumn tomorrow.

However, there can often be pleasant surprises in September....

Never was a truer word spoken ! Yesterday morning i was admiring Clouded Yellows in the South of France.... this morning i saw one near Huntingdon Bus Station !!

[Rivoldini]

That's quite bizarre, Rivoldini. I've never seen a Small Tortoiseshell like that before.

I thought the same. Two fore wings or two hind wings, or one side different is understandable but just the one wing was odd. I cannot find anything similar on the web so cannot put a name to it. It was there all day Sunday but I checked today and it has moved on,
Ron

[David M]

...Yesterday morning i was admiring Clouded Yellows in the South of France.... this morning i saw one near Huntingdon Bus Station !!

So good to bring one back with you, Charles.

[Deborah]

If I'm right this would count as a nice surprise in September. I think this is a newly emerged third generation Map? I read that this happens relatively frequently in Southern France, but only in hot summers here in the North West (Brittany). It doesn't look tatty to me!

[David M]

Wow! You gave me a shock there, Deborah, until I 'clocked' your location.

[Jack Harrison]

I have to wonder why Maps don't occur (naturally : there have been a few short-lived introductions) in southern England. Maybe they have a very low vagrancy/dispersal.

Yesterday, 5th September, at Aboyne gliding club airfield, (Deeside, Scotland), significant numbers of Small Tortoiseshells (2nd summer brood?) and Small Whites. Nectaring on thistle.

Jack

[badgerbob]

The other day I found a fully grown Red Admiral larva climbing up the door of my garage. On opening the door it fell off so I placed it in the foliage in the garden. Later I found it having a half hearted attempt at building a larval web. The next day it had given up on the web and had started to pupate. Unlike the Wall Brown larva I followed in the Spring that took 7 days to become a pupa from starting to pupate, the Red Admiral had changed to a pupa the following day. It is an amazing pupa with gold leaf shine on it and many patterns that the camera just can't catch.

Red Admiral larva turning to pupa.

Red Admiral pupa.

http://bobsbutterflies.blogspot.co.uk

[Allan.W.]

At a windy but warm Dungeness this afternoon ,I found 17 Small Copper ,2 Clouded Yellows ,several of Small and Large Whites
3 Meadow Browns , 5 Common Blues (2- 3rd brood ) 6 Small Heath ,1 Brown Argus and 1 Painted Lady.
Regards Allan.W.