jackz432r

[David M]

Interesting last couple of posts, Paul.

The WLH sequence is extremely informative. This is not a butterfly one normally sees indulging in such intimate behaviour.

Your more recent update is uplifting too, especially that Red Admiral who decided to make a roost in the artificial flowers. It reminded me of the Southern Comma I saw in France that kept alighting on artificial blooms in the doorway of one of the local residents!!

[Paul Harfield]

Thanks Mike, Wurzel & David for your comments . That Red Admiral is still in there

Saturday 3.11.2018 Knowle Village

The tracks and field margins around Knowle Village have been one of my favourite butterfly spots over the last few years. Saturday midday was sunny with quite an increasingly stiff gusty breeze blowing, but I was still hopeful. The wind kept any butterfly activity to a minimum, but a couple of Red Admirals, a single Speckled Wood and a surprise Peacock made it all worthwhile. They were all either hunkered down out of the wind or battling against it in flight.

3.11.2018 This Peacock was an unexpected surprise

3.11.2018 Red Admiral doing its best to avoid the wind and my lens

Sunday 4.11.2018 Fareham

When I spoke to my Father a few days ago he was quite excited to tell me what he had found whilst cleaning out his log store. What he initially thought was fungus growing from a piece of plywood on closer inspection turned out to be three identical butterflies in a group. Unfortunately 2 had already gone before I had a chance to investigate. Whilst visiting on Sunday I thought I should check things out and sure enough one remaining Peacock was still in situ. A cursory inspection of another storage area close by revealed 2 more hibernating Peacocks. I am sure a more detailed inspection might have turned up more, but they have now been left not to be disturbed any further. Hopefully they will all survive till the spring.

4.11.2018 One hibernating Peacock from the group of three discovered in my fathers log store

4.11.2018 1 of 2 further hibernating Peacocks found in another storage area

[Wurzel]

That's great news Paul fingers crossed they settle down and make it through to next season I'll have to take more care when I top my logs up next time just in case

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Good to see a Peacock still active in the November sunshine, Paul. Perhaps even better to know that a few are safely hunkered down for the winter.

Personally, I'm concerned at how few vanessids will be on the wing next spring given their scant numbers during this late summer/autumn.

[Paul Harfield]

Thanks David & Wurzel

Wednesday 21.11.18 In The Garden

On the 27.10.2018 I reported that a Red Admiral had found an unlikely roosting spot in my garden, amongst plastic foliage. I have been keeping tabs on it and surprisingly it is still there .At one point I thought it had gone, but then realised the following day that it had just adjusted its position and was tucked further in. I have no idea if it has been away and come back to the same spot of course. Even on those few sunny days recently this basket is in a very cold spot out of the sun.
When I checked yesterday I was amazed to find it had been joined by a second Red Admiral

[Old Wolf]

Hello Jackz432r,
Nice find on the hibernating Peacocks. I hope they make it through to Spring.

I love the Admirals in the plastic planter. You are getting quite a collection in there

[Wurzel]

Great find there Paul - the white legs, face and markings on the trailing edge of the wings really help to break up the outline, for a while I couldn't quite work out what I was seeing

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

An interesting post on the Red Admirals, Paul Were they still there after the heavy frost we had a couple of days ago?

Mike

[David M]

An interesting find is that, Paul. I wonder whether they'll stick around for a while? I also wonder whether they are fooled into thinking the artificial blooms are real? I've noticed at this time of year that Red Admirals will make a beeline for any apparent nectar source, and those are usually late flowering garden plants or non-indigenous species, such as hebe, which is where I find them in Swansea between November and March, as we have quite a bit growing (and flowering) on the coast during this period.

[Paul Harfield]

Thanks Old Wolf, Wurzel, Maximus & David for your comments
Mike - As I write this both Red Admirals are still present!

All further updates on them will be here
viewtopic.php?f=8&p=139095#p139095

[Paul Harfield]

So one last White-Letter Hairstreak post including a few random images before I look back at everything else I saw during 2018.

White-Letter Hairstreak - 2018 - Conclusions and Plans for Next Year

This year has been even more successful than last year in finding new sites. 100% good weather for the whole flight season, careful planning, some well chosen days off and an understanding family have all contributed to that. There was one weekend during the flight season that I did not spend looking for the White-Letter Hairstreak, so there is scope for fitting a bit more in . However, my intention to continue to locate new sites as well as monitoring those already found will very quickly (has already?) reach saturation point. It could easily have been very unsuccessful if the weather had been poor. I am sure that will come at some point, but 'make hay while the sun shines' as they say.

9.6.2018 Reared male White-Letter Hairstreak just after release back at its birthplace

I am now even more convinced than ever that this butterfly is very much more widespread than is generally reported. I have found White-Letter Hairstreak at 3 locations this year by making completely unplanned stops at places that just looked promising on the spur of the moment. I also now have 7 or 8 locations within 3 miles of where I live where I can reliably see White-Letter Hairstreak. I don't believe I live anywhere out of the ordinary so I have to believe that the story would be much the same wherever I lived (within its distribution).

A rare find particularly in Hampshire. I believe this to be English Elm. A mature tree next to the A32 at East Tisted. There are White-Letter Hairstreak not far away but I was not able to spot any on this tree as yet

I have been informed that eastern Hampshire and The New Forest are areas where the White-Letter Hairstreak has its weakest counts. Those are areas I shall focus on next year. I already have some locations in mind. This year I have also found Elms in locations which are already well known butterfly spots, but where White-Letter Hairstreak never features in any species list. I am always up for a challenge, so it will be interesting to see if I can find the butterfly in these locations.

The site I reported in my previous post which was under development is apparently to be a football hub for the local area. My enquiry with the local council as to the future of the Elms there was met with an encouraging response:

Dear Mr Harfield,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
I have passed this query over to one of our colleagues at Natural England and to one of our Enforcement Officers to investigate. The elm trees – and a number of others – in this area appear to be subject to a large Area TPO (Tree Preservation Order) and the butterfly species are registered as “Conservation Priority: High,” as well. While the Area TPO will have been considered in details in the initial application for North Stoneham Park, we are grateful that you have brought the presence of this rare butterfly colony to our attention.
The Public Register links for the planning application is O/15/76023, which you can use to search at this link for all public documents pertaining to the Major Planning Application known as North Stoneham Park. You are free to view these in the intervening time it takes for us to investigate.
Kind regards,

The line of trees slightly right of centre in this image along Old Stoneham Lane is the area where the Elms are located. Hopefully they will be unaffected by this development

[Wurzel]

The feedback does look encouraging Paul especially as they already have the trees covered by a TPO, fingers crossed that it all pans out It was good meeting again at the Social perhaps we'll catch up in the field again - Shipton maybe?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

Excellent report, Paul. Well done for eliciting the (ostensibly) positive response from the authorities and I sincerely hope there IS a TPO on those elms.

I'd like to think you are right too regarding how much commoner WLH is than we think. It's possibly the most inconspicuous species in Britain but even here in the Swansea area, I have found quite a few in the only location I know which harbours multiple elms.

[Paul Harfield]

Thanks David & Wurzel for the coments

There is a bit of a backlog of stuff I did not have time to post about during the year. So here goes in no particular order:

Silver-Washed Fritillary
I had reasonably good year with this species and saw it 5 different locations. I saw my first on the 24th June at Curdridge. I saw my first mating pairs and also my first Valezina during an evening visit to West Wood in July (sadly no photo of that).

2.7.2018 - Female Silver Washed Fritillary - West Wood

8.7.2018 - One of several mating pairs - West Wood

I also saw several at West Meon. This was notable as it is the first time I have seen this species at this location. As well as a couple of males, I watched an egglaying female. Thankfully this is a secluded location, I spent some time on all fours trying to locate the eggs she had laid . The position where these eggs were laid seemed less shady than I have seen previously and I was able to capture the moment.

28.7.2018 - Female Silver Washed Fritillary at rest between egglaying - West Meon

The same female in action, the resulting egg and the context of the location.

[Wurzel]

Great news that you got to see a Valesina Paul - they're cracking looking butterflies - when I've seen them they are often more in the shade just wondering if yours was as well? You did better than me with the egg-laying female as well she's got her abdomen right round

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Maximus]

Hi Paul,

Have you any idea that mature English Elm has survived at East Tisted? Do you think it's due to it's isolation, or it's resistance to DED?

Mike

[Paul Harfield]

Hi Wurzel - My first Valesina was seen early evening gone 7pm. Most of the wood was in shade at that time but the Valesina was on Bramble in a pool of sunlight with several other Silver-Washed Fritillary

Hi Mike - I have just noticed I had described that Elm as an Oak! At least you knew what I meant I have edited it accordingly. There is plenty of other Elm close by so I guess it is just a resistant individual (they do exist)

[Maximus]

Thanks, Paul,I knew what you meant, my question was not well worded either

Mike.

[Paul Harfield]

Holly Blue

I don't profess to be able to compete with Dave Miller (can anybody ), but nevertheless I had a reasonably good year with this species. At least at the sites I visit regularly, I do not really notice the supposed cycles this species goes through due to parasitism, every year seems like a good one. Though looking back I did not manage any open wing shots this year.

26.7.2018 - A visit to Shipton Bellinger for Brown Hairstreak always provides a bumper count of Holly Blue

4.8.2018 - I watched for nearly 10 minutes as this Holly Blue seemed to be getting a great deal of satisfaction whilst it inspected every square millimetre of this Ivy leaf with its tongue. After it had gone I had a close look but could not detect anything on the leaf - Southwick, Hampshire

25.8.2018 - One of several Holly Blue seen whilst looking at a possible new site for Brown Hairstreak - Dean Lane, Nr Bishops Waltham

[Wurzel]

I agree with you about Shipton Bellinger and Holly Blues - there are always loads there every year. I've found quite a few Brostreaks by watching the Holly Blues and then they spook or irritate a Brostreak Can you imagine what would happen if Dave Miller with his HB Whispering ways was to visit this site

Have a goodun

Wurzel