June 2020

millerd · Post by **millerd** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:56 pm

As well as the first Small Skipper of the year, today was the day the first summer hutchinsoni Commas appeared. I found three altogether.

: in the wars already...

: ...but not this one

Again, this is pretty early - they often don't appear until Midsummers Day.

Dave

Andrew555 · Post by **Andrew555** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:45 pm

Great work with those High Browns David!

I wish I could have been there!

The cooler weather over the last few days helped make the butterflies I was seeing more approachable. I was particularly happy to capture a Meadow Brown with wings open.

Below are Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Dark Green Fritillary male, Meadow Brown male, Speckled Wood female and Large Skipper male.
All taken at Friston Forest, East Sussex. Didn't see any myself but a gentleman passing by on Wednesday told me he had seen a Silver-washed Fritillary earlier in the day.

Chris L · Post by **Chris L** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 5:05 pm

Lots more lovely photos to look at. Thank you everyone. The day I have Large, Small and Essex Skippers all in my locale at the same time is a bit daunting for me. So long as they all sit up for a photo and I can identify them later at home (with help possibly) I will be ok.

I too saw a Comma a week ago and I didn't know if it was one from Spring or a new character. It was close to a place where a really old, frayed, battered Peacock still guards its piece of pathway it has claimed. It makes me sad to see it.

The Dark Green Fritillary taking off photo from Testudo Man is a lesser captured pose (because it is so difficult presumably). The butterfly appears quite eagle like and a spectacular photo it is too.

David M · Post by **David M** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:22 am

millerd wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:56 pm As well as the first Small Skipper of the year, today was the day the first summer hutchinsoni Commas appeared. I found three altogether. Again, this is pretty early - they often don't appear until Midsummers Day.

It is early, Dave, but still nice to see (I haven't encountered a Comma since the beginning of May).

This cooler spell of weather ought to slow things down a little. The season was in danger of burning out in all honesty, with emergences a good two weeks in advance of normal.

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:35 pm

Popped into Chantry Hill at Storrington, Sussex to see if any Dark Green Frits had emerged yet.....nope.North side of the Downs here,always a bit later,but this year they'll probably be about right,another week I suspect.Last of the Dukes still fighting the good fight.

: Chantry Hill Duke

Still some good looking Grizzled Skippers around.

: Chantry Hill Grizzled Skipper

Also,Small Blue,Common Blue,Brown Argus,Large and Small Skippers(2),Painted Lady up top.No DG's yet, looking forward to them.
Then moved onto Southwater woods to see if any White Admirals were up yet......nope,another week I reckon.
First new Commas appearing though in Marlpost.

: Southwater Comma

Thanks
Dave

Buchan Boy · Post by **Buchan Boy** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:46 pm

Spotted the window of opportunity with this mornings sunny start,6th June,a bit windy,but I know the Silver studded Blues are starting to emerge at Iping Common,Sussex, breezy but got there before the breeze turned into gales and rain came down,all done by 9.30 am.....
Good numbers starting to appear,could do with a lesser breezy day to do some kind of count.

: Iping Common Male Silver studded Blue

: Iping Common Female Silver studded Blue

: Iping Common

Weekend made just a few hours in

Thanks

Dave

P.J.Underwood · Post by **P.J.Underwood** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:54 pm

Did anyone spot this last week. It was photographed on Thurs 28th May in the Storrington area. It was photographed by the daughter of a reliable friend who lives in the Storrington,Sussex area. It was in her garden. Did anyone else see it?

Allan.W. · Post by **Allan.W.** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 7:42 pm

A few pictures of bits and pieces from a few days back ,the weather looks to be changing , and we,re finally getting a bit of rain !
Had two visits to pay my yearly respects to the wonderful (and very rare !) Late Spider Orchids at two fairly local sites , one I have been familiar with for 30 + years ,and the other ,a first time visit ……………...Little Stunners all !
At one of the sites I found this moth ,whose name is ………………………………. funnily enough ,the Black Veined moth !
The Small Heath and Large Skipper were both from my "new" local circuit .
Regards Allan.W.

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 7:46 pm

As Eric Olthwaite might have put it, it were a bit over-cast this afternoon.

However that didn't stop a good few Meadow Browns bobbing about around our local fields. Very little else though bar Large Skippers and a few moths. Swallows were having a field day though.

I did spot a bit of interesting behaviour from a pair of Large Skippers flying closely together. I thought they were about to mate as they paired up and one repeatedly was bending its abdomen toward and over the other. The other seemed less interested in that sort of behaviour, but they stayed very close together for ages and didn't mind me taking close-up snaps.

I went for several circuits round the fields and each time I came round they were still together.

The underwings are a bit different, but they seemed to be both male based on the sex brand. Albeit they didn't open their wings in unison very often !

Might be related to the weather ? Definitely good pals whatever !

Allan.W. · Post by **Allan.W.** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:47 pm

Wonder if Erics still got the shovel with three brass rivets ??

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Sat Jun 06, 2020 10:27 pm

No one does wide-eyed innocent excitement tinged with wonder and a hint of jealousy over something like Howard Molson's new shovel quite like Palin.

All to line up the killer line about where Howard's going to put it.

Mind you, I'm getting a bit like that when talking about my new hobby of butterflies. I can see a few eyes glassing over. No one in the family has yet feigned being french to avoid me talking to me though.

Trev Sawyer · Post by **Trev Sawyer** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:43 am

Oh, quelle journée au bas de la terre. Je suis très fatigué demain, Vera.

Anyway... Back to the butterflies...

David M · Post by **David M** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 9:30 am

June 2nd - finally saw my first Painted Lady of 2020 at Alun Valley, Glamorgan:

Chris L · Post by **Chris L** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:47 am

That's a faded sort of dusty looking Painted Lady David.

I missed that mention of a continental Swallowtail (plus photos) visitor. Thank you for sharing. Do these visits happen often?

Roger Gibbons · Post by **Roger Gibbons** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 11:37 am

Has Eric got a hundred shovels? That'd be good.

Roger

Some time ago I made a post on UKB in haste and didn't notice until later that I had spelt my name starting with a T instead of an R. Sort of changed the meaning.

Allan.W. · Post by **Allan.W.** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 4:19 pm

A Swallowtail reported today at Dengemarsh ( near Dungeness ) ,and over the last couple of days ,a Rose coloured Starling
and a Red footed Falcon ……………………. don,t know if they,re still about . Lots of Rose coloured Starlings being reported around the country at the moment …………………… Definitely worth checking through any Starling gatherings !
Regards Allan.W.

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 6:00 pm

No Swallowtails in our fields today unfortunately.

As well as the ones shown below, there was a Brimstone, lots of Small Heaths and a single Brown Argus looking a little worn but very active.

David M · Post by **David M** » Sun Jun 07, 2020 7:19 pm

P.J.Underwood wrote: ↑Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:54 pm Did anyone spot this last week. It was photographed on Thurs 28th May in the Storrington area. It was photographed by the daughter of a reliable friend who lives in the Storrington,Sussex area. It was in her garden. Did anyone else see it?

First I've seen, PJ. Winds were briefly from the SE during that hot spell at the end of May so it's not surprising a few migrants got in.

Must be something of a shock to see one of these during your normal daily routine!

zigzag_wanderer · Post by **zigzag_wanderer** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 9:06 am

This was the Brown Argus from yesterday. Shame to leave it out just for being a bit worn (*reminder to slot self-deprecating line in here*).

It brooked no nonsense from passing skippers, heaths, browns, bees or flies.