May 2021

[David M]

..A productive couple of hours with some very obliging Glanville Fritillaries. White Sheet Hill, Wiltshire

That one's a shock, Steve.

Where did they come from?

[David M]

Weds 26th - Finally got an image or two of Wall Browns at Kenfig Dunes, near Porthcawl. Other species included Common Blue, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Small Blue and a female Brimstone:

[bugboy]

Glanvilles in Wiltshire, Marshes at Hutchinson Bank, are butterflies being moved around like trading cards now . On a related note, 3 or 4 marshes found flying around a slope behind Ivinghoe beacon today, along with oodles of still emerging Dukes!

[Matsukaze]

After the best part of two decades of looking for butterflies I have started acting like a normal butterfly enthusiast and visiting well-known butterfly sites, rather than hanging around tips and quarries trying to find rare butterflies in unlikely locations. Today it was Cotley Hill in Wiltshire, only a short drive away from me and one that I have often passed, but a place I have never visited. It's some years since I last saw Marsh Fritillaries, and greatly enjoyed watching their hyperactive behaviour - their flight was quite dragonfly-like, perhaps even more reminiscent of the black-and-yellow ascalaphids that fly in southern France. They were far too active for photography, something they shared with the numerous Small Heaths on the hill. Also Adonis and Small Blue (but not Common), Dingy Skipper, Brown Argus and Green Hairstreak, all firsts for the year. Star of the show for me was the little Cistus Forester moth which I don't think I have seen before. Unlike the butterflies and its burnet cousins they was happy to pose for photographs.

I see from Stevie's post that I chose the wrong down on the Wiltshire/Somerset border to move on to afterwards, although I could see White Sheet Hill and must go along tomorrow to check out the Glanvilles. The Long Knoll at Maiden Bradley has scrubbed up quite a bit in the last decade, and there was no sign of the Marsh Fritillaries and Adonis Blues that I have seen here in the past. Butterfly interest was limited to numbers of Small Heaths and a very battered Small Tortoiseshell patrolling the top of the ridge line, behaviour I have seen from them here before. A little population of Cistus Foresters which were as obliging photographic subjects as their Cotley Hill cousins.

[Old Wolf]

Congrats Otep and Bert on your lifers .

My first trip of the year on Saturday 29th was to Grangelands Rifle Range NNR, Bucks in search of Dukes. No Dukes (possibly due to very little cowslip present) but a single and rather tatty Painted Lady, 20+ common blue, 10+ Dingies, 5+ brimstone, 3 or 4 small heath, 2-3 orange tip and first brown Argus of the year were seen.

Location 2 was a new one for me, Ivinghoe Beacon which had 4-5 Dingies, 10+ brimstone and a patrolling possible small tort. I was hoping for Dukes but didn't see any but judging by Bugboys comment, I may well have been looking in the wrong place (pm heading your way buggy).

Location 3 was Bison Hill which didn't disappoint, 25+ Dukes seen including my first duchess and a possible ab. 3 Grizzlies, 20+ Dingies, 4 small heath and plenty of Brimstone, a single peacock and my first Small Copper of the year.

[Stevieb]

Today it was Cotley Hill in Wiltshire, only a short drive away from me and one that I have often passed, but a place I have never visited.

Matsukaze,

There's a bit of controversy with regard to the ‘topping’ and scrub clearing work at the start of the year at Cotley. The whole area had been flailed almost to the ground.

Not sure what it looks like now but it looked pretty severe a month or so back. It used to be my ‘go to’ place for Small Blue. I even had roosting Nightjar there.
Nice to hear that there are still butterflies there.

Glanvilles in Wiltshire

Bugboy,

I believe a few were released a few years back but they seem to have become established and self sustaining now, and are recorded each year, although in small numbers. Very much like Hutchinson Bank.

Regards

Steve

[Matsukaze]

Today it was Cotley Hill in Wiltshire, only a short drive away from me and one that I have often passed, but a place I have never visited.

Matsukaze,

There's a bit of controversy with regard to the ‘topping’ and scrub clearing work at the start of the year at Cotley. The whole area had been flailed almost to the ground.

Not sure what it looks like now but it looked pretty severe a month or so back. It used to be my ‘go to’ place for Small Blue. I even had roosting Nightjar there.
Nice to hear that there are still butterflies there.

I walked up the slope from the A36 roundabout, not quite reaching the top, and doing a detour around the punchbowl to the left. There was plenty of hawthorn scrub, particularly adjacent to the woodland, and it didn't look to me like this area had had work done on it recently - did this take place at another part of the site?

The Small Blues were towards the top of the hill, two or three of them. There did not appear to be a lot of foodplant for them, in contrast to the abundant Horseshoe Vetch. I am happy to have seen them - the species is a favourite of mine and all my local colonies very small, fragile, and probably more physically demanding to access than I particularly care for at the moment.

[bugboy]

Today it was Cotley Hill in Wiltshire, only a short drive away from me and one that I have often passed, but a place I have never visited.

Matsukaze,

There's a bit of controversy with regard to the ‘topping’ and scrub clearing work at the start of the year at Cotley. The whole area had been flailed almost to the ground.

Not sure what it looks like now but it looked pretty severe a month or so back. It used to be my ‘go to’ place for Small Blue. I even had roosting Nightjar there.
Nice to hear that there are still butterflies there.

Reports of the Cotley Hill destruction were somewhat premature. Quite a bit of bramble scrub has been cleared but now the rain has prompted the grasses and other plants to grow there seems to be little to worry about as far as butterflies are concerned, all the species usually found there are present and correct in decent numbers.

Glanvilles in Wiltshire

Bugboy,

I believe a few were released a few years back but they seem to have become established and self sustaining now, and are recorded each year, although in small numbers. Very much like Hutchinson Bank.

Regards

Steve

Not sure how self sustaining the hutchinsons bank Glannies are

[Stevieb]

Reports of the Cotley Hill destruction were somewhat premature. Quite a bit of bramble scrub has been cleared but now the rain has prompted the grasses and other plants to grow there seems to be little to worry about as far as butterflies are concerned, all the species usually found there are present and correct in decent numbers.

That's good to hear bugboy. Might pay a visit sometime this week.

[MrSp0ck]

I see Marsh Fritillary are now on the species list at Hutchinsons bank.

It was dumped there last year during lockdown, along with sites like Denbies Hillside and 30+ other sites across the South East, bred in the cutting, and we were not pleased, if they introduced Cotesia bignelli to the site, as it could effect the Cotesia free Glanville population.

[MrSp0ck]

I see Marsh Fritillary are now on the species list at Hutchinsons bank.

Yet another unofficial release I assume. That place is turning into some kind of butterfly zoo.

Cheers,

Neil.

It seems thanks to the Marsh Dumper last year, they bred on at least 2 of the sites and produced some butterflies this year, in 2020 Marshies were appearing all over SE England during the 1st Lockdown. I know Upper Thames region they were seen on over 30 sites, and at least 6 sites in Surrey, so im sure they will be seen elswhere too in the next few weeks.

[MrSp0ck]

Not sure how self sustaining the hutchinsons bank Glannies are

There were 23 Glanville larval webs last year, each being closely monitored and marked onsite, 22 of which were found again in January when the larvae woke up from where the hibernation webs were located, web 2 was 6 inches up a hawthorn tree for example. It seems larvae survival has been high this year, with many of the adults just emerging in sync with other colonies. Web 1 was the only one not found again ? reason unknown but the larvae may have merged into web 2 last summer.

What was interesting is that web 10 contained both Glanville and Marsh Fritillary larvae together, during last July and August. Ive known Glanville webs to merge into mega-webs over the years. I produced a map of the webs in 2020, and will again in 2021.

Im sure other webs were missed in other parts of the site.

There are many photos of the larval webs at Hutch, so it seems to be self sustaining now. This photo taken on 24.02.2021

[Chris L]

Thank you David and Old Wolf. It was a real delight to see the Wall (my first ever) on what was a generally disappointing butterfly day out. I walked 10.8 miles in about 4 hours in pretty much breeze free, full sunshine and saw 28 butterflies in that time ! I saw a few Pearls and a few Wall which was my reason for travel so I suppose I shouldn't have been too disappointed. I achieved what I set out to see.

I must say this page of discussion is absolutely fascinating for me. Marsh Fritillary dumping and Cotesia Bignelli (which I had to Google).

Next on my lifer list is Marsh Fritillary. I live in the southern corner of Derbyshire. I think that a trip to Chambers Farm Wood, Market Rasen might be by nearest place for those.

[Charles Nicol]

back to Pegsdon in the Chilterns for my final trip of May 2021... a wonderful afternoon of warm sunshine & gentle breezes. i was eating a sandwich next to a thorn bush when a Green Hairstreak alighted & posed for a snap
later on a very fresh and energetic Painted Lady flew in.

[David M]

Saturday 29th - Rodborough Common, Glos:

Small Heath 40-60
Dingy Skipper 40-60
Common Blue 30-50
Duke of Burgundy 16
Brown Argus 10-15
Small White 3
Speckled Wood 2
Painted Lady 2
Orange Tip 2
Green Veined White 1
Peacock 1
Green Hairstreak 1
Adonis Blue 1

[David M]

Sunday 30th - Fairwood Common, Gower:

6 Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries seen, my first of 2021 and a whole three weeks later than last year!!

[David M]

Monday 31st - a couple of Wall Browns seen in the environs of Kilvey Hill, Swansea, with several Common Blues in the cemetery lower down:

[David M]

Monday 31st - 3 Marsh Fritillaries on Fairwood Common, Gower:

[Charles Nicol]

moved to June