June 2021

[millerd]

Swallowtails at Strumpshaw on 8th and 9th June, and at Hickling on 9th in the sunshine...

...followed by Heath Fritillaries at Hockley Woods on 10th June mostly under cloud.

Full reports on all these adventures in my PD when I manage to catch up and sort the photos...

Cheers,

Dave

[DaveO'B]

Swallowtails at Strumpshaw on 8th and 9th June, and at Hickling on 9th in the sunshine...SWT1 080621.JPGSWT3 090621.JPGSWT1 090621.JPG...followed by Heath Fritillaries at Hockley Woods on 10th June mostly under cloud.HF2 100621.JPGHF1 100621.JPGFull reports on all these adventures in my PD when I manage to catch up and sort the photos...

Cheers,

Dave

Nice to meet you at both sites Dave!

I had rather better luck at Hockley than at Strumpshaw - the Heath Frits were just starting to warm up and were posing well.

[Glostopcat]

Saturday 5th June at Prestbury Hill in Gloucestershire 15 fresh marsh fritillaries seen in the Bill Smyllie field and 7/8 duke of burgundy butterflies including some fresh individuals seen in both parts of the reserve.

[Medard]

Your bug is a male Oedemera nobilis .

Cheers Greenie

Thank you Greenie, when all else fails there's always someone who has the answer here on UKB.

Another bug  picture taken at the Sweet Track, Shapwick Moor NNR and a Moth, same location, I will take a shot at Common carpet.
Bugs and Butterflies seem in short supply this year at the track.
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

[Medard]

It may be a pipe-dream this year, but I haven’t quite given up yet.

We'll see how things develop and hopefully by the end of the month there will be more clarity.

Hi Roger,David
Being the eternal optimist I haven't given up on September either.
Doigts croisés

Here's a Suggestion, if France is of limits Spain may be open for business, September is a good time to get acquainted with the Twin tailed Pasha, the one pictured was found in Catalonia. 14-09-2018
https://jamesgibbs6929.zenfolio.com/

[petesmith]

Being the eternal optimist I haven't given up on September either.

Hold on to that optimism Jim! As David said, I think any trips this year may end up being last-minute, depending on how/if travel opens up. Having cancelled my planned early July expedition around SW France, I am now waiting to see what, if any, options present themselves later in the summer. Maybe Spain, as you say, or even a late trip to Cyprus...

At least some of us are fortunate in being able to travel at short notice!

[David M]

Being the eternal optimist I haven't given up on September either.

Hold on to that optimism Jim! As David said, I think any trips this year may end up being last-minute, depending on how/if travel opens up. Having cancelled my planned early July expedition around SW France, I am now waiting to see what, if any, options present themselves later in the summer. Maybe Spain, as you say, or even a late trip to Cyprus...

At least some of us are fortunate in being able to travel at short notice!

If we can get some kind of vaccination 'passport' launched (the EU have already got theirs up and running in certain member states) things should (theoretically) become easier. Whether that'll happen by the start of July is debatable though.

[David M]

Sunday 6th - another, more extended, search of Fairwood Common near my home produced the following:

29 Marsh, 9 SPBF (1hr 15mins)

[Stevieb]

A few from the hill this lunchtime. Beacon Hill, Wiltshire

11th June

11th June

11th June

11th June

11th June

11th June

[Jack Harrison]

11th June N.Scotland.

This fellow has seen better days (but eventually flew off strongly).
The missing wing tips suggest that when hibernating it might have been victim of a mouse.

Our recently acquired cat Bertie (the previous cats died of old age) is the most incredible 'mouser' (always bringing in his trophies to show us).
I like to think that one of Bertie's captures was the mouse that got the Tortoiseshell Serves that mouse right.

Jac

[Allan.W.]

Grizzled Skippers ,still emerging at my local Kentish sites ,4 weeks later at 1 site and 5 weeks later at one of the others ,that said, some are showing considerable wear ,i,ve noticed more "normal" specimens at my sites this year but still high numbers of Taras ,intermedia ,
Scabellata and the odd Alboinspersa .
At my closest site ..........i thought that time was up for them at this site ,but happily not ,and i even found a single Taras on this site my first.
At the main site ,this afternoon i had my first 2 Meadow Browns of the season ,and Large Skipper numbers are now rising,but very few Common Blue
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Grizzled Skippers ,still emerging at my local Kentish sites...

Amazing how they've been able to adjust to the abnormally cold spell during May, Allan. Some nice, aberrant specimens there again.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Didn't see too much in the way of butterflies whilst at work yesterday but did see some young field voles in greenhouse 5. Voles nest under snaggle-tears in the flooring material. The young ones look like balls of fluff on pipe-cleaner legs.

They are definitely more inquisitive than the adults.

[Pauline]

Super cute! I once had them breeding in a hole in the ground directly under one of my bird feeders so anything dropped landed on their doorstep!

[bugboy]

A visit to Abbots Wood in a failed attempt to locate any SPBF, admittedly a very small needle in a very large haystack this year. I did however find my first Meadow Brown (male) and Large Skippers (male and female) of the year. Quite a few fresh Red Admirals, notable numbers of Speckled Wood for the first time this year. On the way home also came across a very orange and very fresh Small Tort.

[millerd]

A day of 2021 "firsts" for me too... Meadow Browns and new brood Small Tortoiseshells on my local patch near Heathrow...

...and the first Silver-studded Blues at Fairmile Common (between Cobham and Esher). The first of these from here were only reported yesterday apparently, so it's very early days.

Cheers,

Dave

[zigzag_wanderer]

That hole looks absolutely ideal for them Pauline, particularly if they've got a take-one-drop-four great tit feeding directly above !

No small rodents spotted on my wander today. I gave Wolstonbury a miss this week and just stayed on the mid-Sussex weald. As per Bugboy, I saw my first MBs of the year today and quite a number of Speckled Wood. I only saw one Red Admiral though and definitely no Small Torts (still stuck at one 2021 individual).

Along with Small Heath, the other big winner very locally seems to be Dingy Skipper. I'm seeing them in much bigger numbers in my local fields than I did last year.

Thanks to Allan, Matsukaze et al I now know I'm seeing good numbers of Grass Veneer and Yellow Shell without having to ask. I've seen the latter at my work and also in areas locally left for no-mow-May.

Re. the former, I believe I'm seeing the Garden Grass Veneer (Chrysoteuchia culmella) rather than the Common Grass Veneer (Agriphila tristella) that came out in massive numbers locally last August. Happy to be shot down in flames if wrong - this is the first time I've dared visit the Latin quarter.

I do though find it slightly disappointing on behalf of the little fellas that if you see a grass veneer it's likely to be a Common or Garden one.

I found one limited stretch of the Herrings stream where Banded Demoiselle dominated, but elsewhere the Beautiful Demoiselle was out in very large numbers.

Any help IDing the black/orange insect appreciated.

[Matsukaze]

The final photo, of the grass-moth, is Crambus lathoniellus - the triangular marking at the apex tells you it's a Crambus and this is probably the commonest of them. It's a common moth on decent grassland habitat but doesn't occur everywhere like Chrysoteuchia culmella, Agriphila straminella and A. tristella.

[Matsukaze]

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Priddy Mineries (Somerset) today. I saw around 10 or so - they were very fluttery and active, and would rarely settle. Also plenty of Small Heath, a few Common Blue, and single Dingy Skipper and Marsh Fritillary (this last an introduction?).

[zigzag_wanderer]

The final photo, of the grass-moth, is Crambus lathoniellus - the triangular marking at the apex tells you it's a Crambus and this is probably the commonest of them. It's a common moth on decent grassland habitat but doesn't occur everywhere like Chrysoteuchia culmella, Agriphila straminella and A. tristella.

That'll learn me for going Latin too soon !

Have to admit that part of me was expecting to be corrected -which is a testament to the knowledge level on here.

Big thanks for putting me straight on that though Matsukaze. I've just looked up Crambus lathoniellus and I see its common name is the Hook-streak Grass-veneer. Good to know they aren't all Common or Garden.

Where not being built all over at a frightening rate, it's also good to know the local grassland provides decent quality habitat.