millerd

[millerd]

Cheers, Allan. That view was of the River Colne just a stone's throw from the M25 and from Heathrow T5. Sounds a little worrying, but it's a pretty healthy bit of water, and people certainly fish stretches of it (not sure what they catch, mind...). That shot was taken just off to the side of the main grassy area where I do most of my butterfly-hunting.

Thanks to all of you for the Brown Argus appreciation. It's always good to find the first individuals of a new brood (the depth of colour is amazing), but finding that striking example of an identifiable ab. was the icing on the cake. I was lucky it stayed around long enough to be photographed too. The second one was none too shabby either!

Considering there is no shortage of Gatekeeper/Hedge Browns round here, Wurzel, extra spotty varieties are pretty well non-existent in both sexes. I have to make do with the standard model.

You're right, Old Wolf - 18 species in the day, with the real potential for 22 (a seven-day period would definitely have included that number) is pretty good for a rather ordinary bit of grassland on the fringes of Greater London. No rarities usually of course, but the year total for 2022 will be 26, adding Orange Tip, Brimstone (seen today 2nd October, strangely!), Clouded Yellow and the surprise of a Large Tortoiseshell to the list. Green Hairstreak has been seen here in the past, and White-letter Hairstreak not far off, but that really stretches the limit of possibilities I think. Who knows!

I went back to Chiddingfold on 3rd July, but it was strangely quiet on the butterfly front, and there were no more Purple Emperors. Even the White Admirals seemed to be in hiding, and I ended up with a mere handful of photos.

However, I was shown something I would never have identified by myself - a glow-worm larva.

Dave

[millerd]

On 4th July I returned to my local patch - only 17 species today! However, three of those were among those that had been absent two days earlier, namely Purple Hairstreak, Small Copper and Large Skipper. By contrast, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Marbled White and Ringlet failed to appear today. Overall, I probably saw around 300 individual butterflies again.

The various skippers were beginning to show signs of wear now.

Large...

...Essex...

...and Small...

This second Small Skipper and the spider seemed equally unaware of each other's presence, and the butterfly had a lucky escape.

Not quite all the butterflies were worn though. This Essex Skipper looked pretty fresh and struck a typical pose.

Having just commented to Wurzel that my local Gatekeepers never sported extra spots, this one turned up...

However, all the others I saw seemed "normal".

The Small Copper was the first I'd seen here for a month - another new brood had kicked off.

This Peacock was new too...

..and this Small Heath looked quite fresh...

...but this Speckled Wood less so.

I managed a Comma underside today - also fresh and still the hutchinsoni summer form.

There was also this one, which looked very yellow-brown from a distance, but at a distance it remained as it flew when I tried to approach.

However, it wasn't quite as distant as the selection of Purple Hairstreaks flitting around at the top of the oaks by Junction 14. The best I could do today was to catch one in flight.

At least Red Admirals are much more amenable.

Finally, to follow the aberrant Brown Argus from two days earlier, I found another new one, a nice new and normally-marked male.

Dave

[bugboy]

I wish my local patch offered up such a stunning array of butterflies! I remember you telling me about those snelleni at the time, they look more NBA than the real thing I saw this year!

I suspect that Skipper living dangerously next to the spider was safer than it seems. I'm fairly sure I can make out a smaller spider shaped object underneath her, so I think she was rather ... preoccupied

[trevor]

You've found some cracking Brown Argus this year Dave.
I naturally thought your ab's were taken on a trip up North until I read the text.
I've only ever seen one BA with white in the forewing spot.

Great stuff!
Trevor.

[millerd]

Cheers Paul and Trevor - they were indeed very striking Brown Argus (and almost made up for me not seeing any of the Northern variety this year!). At least the male in the last post looked more as it should do.

I had time on 4th July for another look at Staines Moor. Not so much variety down here (no Essex Skippers for a start), but what there was did provide some different focus.

I only found one Small Copper (and that tried to avoid my gaze by blending in with some distinctly coloured bramble leaves).

There were dozens of Small Skippers, compensating for the lack of Essex by being generally fresher than those on my patch to the north.

Curiously, it was two species of Whites that perhaps were the stars here. Firstly, I came across a mating pair of Green-veined Whites. I didn't immediately spot the second butterfly until they rearranged themselves a bit.

Soon afterwards I came across a female Small White being hassled by a persistent male. She appeared to be showing a typical rejection pose, elevating her abdomen at the male each time he approached. However, after several minutes of this, she appeared to give up and quite suddenly allowed him to couple.

Also seen on the site were Small Heaths, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers, a few Common Blues, one Large Skipper and a couple of Peacocks.

Dave

[Wurzel]

"Having just commented to Wurzel that my local Gatekeepers never sported extra spots, this one turned up..." that's visualization/manifestation Dave Another lovely set of shots with cracking Brown Argi (great term Old Wolf) and that interesting 'yellow' Comma and also interesting to read of the Small White behaviour - was that persistence paying off or did she suddenly get a whiff of the pheromone and change her mind?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I have no idea why she suddenly relented, but it happened pretty quickly and took me by surprise. I've read that GVW females mate more than once, so it is not unlikely their close relatives do as well.

On 5th July I probably should have returned to Chiddingfold, as I read later that this was the best day for Emperor groundings and also the most sociable in terms of enthusiasts gathering there. But no matter: instead, I headed down to Denbies for some new Chalkhill Blues, and as it turned out Bugboy was of similar mind and appeared as well. Good to see you as ever, Paul.

Looking back through misty memory at the photos taken that day, I seem to have concentrated a lot of attention on various Dark Green Fritillaries, which for the most part were rather past their best. I do remember that there were quite a few and that they were doing a fair bit of nectaring, or in the case of the females, diving into the grass to seek out the violets and lay their eggs on (or more likely near to) the plants.

I also found some organic produce to forage - tiny, but very tasty.

However, given that the main theme of the day was supposed to be the Chalkhills, I managed to connect with one or two of them as well.

There were as yet far fewer females on the wing.

There doesn't appear to have been too much else to point the camera at today - just one of several Marbled Whites being blown around like fragments of tissue paper...

...and the obligatory Essex Skipper playing peekaboo.

But there was one exception. One male Chalkhill looked a little different when roosting. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the upperside at rest, though in flight I couldn't detect anything unusual.

Interesting to see that though most of the underside markings were absent, there were one or two additional "silver studs" in the hindwing marginal markings.

Dave

[millerd]

On 6th July, I had another morning down at Bookham. No Emperors today, but I did get to see a few Purple Hairstreaks down at ground level. I had intentionally arrived quite early as I know this species is partial to a bit of morning dew from the grass.

I hoped (as I do every year) that I would find one with its wings wide open and displaying either the brilliant purple patch of a female or the overall blue-violet of a male - but it was not to be. A few individuals did stop, and even cranked their wings open a bit, but there was no purple to be seen.

maybe a hint of colour on this male's hindwing...

at least a fresh dove-grey underside is worth capturing

Some highlights of what else was out and about:

the best of a very tatty bunch

seen at a distance, but quite close to a SWF in size

There was also a brand new male Holly Blue, but it chose to pose on the most disgusting thing it could find in the entire wood, so I won't post that photo.

Dave

[Katrina]

I like the silver studs on your Chalkie

[trevor]

Shame those Purple Hairstreaks were so unco-operative Dave.
I read somewhere that on the hottest day of the heatwave many were seen on the ground.

Great Chalkhill shots, especially of the females, as for the DGF I missed them this year.

Keep well,
Trevor.

[millerd]

Thank you, Katrina - I've encountered Chalkhill Blues with silver studs before, but I usually forget to look out for them and only spot them in the photos later on (as I did here! ).

Yes, Trevor - I heard that the peak of the heat brought Purple Hairstreaks down like confetti from the treetops...

I now had a plan in place to head North for a few days to see a selection of species unavailable down here in my part of the world. The weather looked favourable throughout (a bit overwarm perhaps, even up there), so I felt fairly confident of success. However, the best laid plans as they say...

Before all that, I had a final look round my local patch on 6th July after returning from Bookham. Several Commas were basking in the afternoon sun...

...though one was trying unsuccessfully to blend in with some dying foliage.

Among other things there were a few more new Peacocks.

However, the surprise standout was a very new female Large Skipper. Out of 35 sightings here of the species this year, this was the first female I'd come across (and the last few males seen were looking decidedly worn). Curious, but a very nice butterfly.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A lovely collection of DGFS, Chalkhills and Purps Dave That female Large Skipper does seem a little late to the party Dave but then some butterflies do have a penchant for the older man

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - yes, it's quite common to see a well-worn male bag a nice new female. It sounds as if that's a common strategy with the LTB amongst many others. I certainly hope that Large Skipper female hadn't left it too late as the last male I'd seen round there was very tatty indeed.

On 7th July I drove north to York, hoping that the forecast for my destination would remain a mix of sun and clouds with moderate temperatures. However, it was very warm when I left home, and I appeared to take the sunshine with me. I had originally decided to try and stop off at Crowle Moor en route and see the Large Heath there, but a combination of traffic, unexpected road closures and unanticipated wall-to-wall sunshine (plus reports of plagues of mozzies) made the plan a bit impractical. In the end, various diversionary routes brought me out on the York-Hull road at Market Weighton. Rather than waste the remainder of an increasingly warm afternoon I therefore decided to drop into Kiplingcotes, which is very nearby.

Nothing unusual presented itself. There were no Walls (likely between broods, and not easy to find here), and all the Skippers were Small (I saw an Essex Skipper here in 2020 when they had just started to reach this far north).

There were still quite a few Marbled Whites, looking fresher than those I'd seen at Denbies two days earlier...

...and plenty of Small and Green-veined Whites. A pair of the latter posed nicely.

Along the path from the reserve back to the car, the bramble flowers had attracted a number of Commas, a couple of Small Tortoiseshells and a Red Admiral.

One bit of behaviour caught my eye: an amorous Small Tortoiseshell had taken an interest in a nectaring Comma. He was extraordinarily persistent, but the Comma just kept on sipping at the bramble flowers.

Dave

[bugboy]

Small Tortoiseshell do seem to be more open to inter-species relationships than most, I've watched one be very persistent to a Peacock in the past and I'm sure I've seen one a picture of one in cop with a Meadow Brown (that might have been a male Meadow Brown though, they also seem to be a bit....relaxed when picking a mate, the most extreme ive seen was a meadow brown? with a Brimstone Moth!)

[millerd]

Interesting stuff, Paul. It's the first time I've seen a Small Tortoiseshell do this, but I do recall a couple of years ago seeing a Grizzled Skipper try it on with a male Adonis Blue - a real mismatch that was!

Having missed out on Large Heath at Crowle, on 8th July I drove from my base at Wilberfoss up to Fen Bog on the North York Moors to try my luck there. Unfortunately (according to a couple of locals I spoke to) I was too late for them - everything up here had appeared much earlier than usual because of the warm and dry weather. I thought I was also going to be unlucky with the Small Pearls as well, but there was at least one still on the wing.

There may not have been any Large Heaths flying, but I had no trouble finding Small Heaths - despite reading somewhere that they don't share habitat.

The commonest butterfly here by far today was the Ringlet, though they stayed away from the boggy areas...

...followed by the Small Skipper.

On the fringes of the bog, there were several Common Blues, including a brightly coloured female.

The only male I was able to approach kept its wings shut, but appeared to be the variety with very pale marginal lunules - flavescens

I hesitate to call this an ab., as it is not unusual and all gradations of lunule colour can be found from red through to the palest yellow. Wear makes a difference too of course, though this one was quite a new individual.

One splash of colour came in the form of a bright new Small Tortoiseshell. I think some aspect of the light and/or setting may have enhanced this, but it was a striking butterfly.

Then came the surprise of the day: a white butterfly appeared, moving between thistle flowers. However, as it flew past me, I could see that it was a Marbled White, something I didn't realise had spread quite so far north as this and certainly not up onto the wild and windswept moors. Unfortunately, my only shot really counts as a view of the site, rather than this butterfly...

...though an enlargement of the crucial corner does clearly reveal its identity.

MW3a 080722.JPG (168.16 KiB) Viewed 425 times

All in all, not really what I had set out to see, but still a worthwhile day out with a good selection of species.

Dave

[Wurzel]

That is a cracking looking Small Tort Dave - it's great when they rest on alight coloured surface, they really stand out Interesting to see that behaviour as well - I've seen a Peacock trying it on with a Small Tort and this spring vice versa I wonder if they're of loose morals or they're picking up pheromones from nectar sources?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - it's probably something to do with pheromones, and I guess relatively closely related species produce similar ones.

On 9th July, I was socialising and didn't get to see many butterflies (though several Holly Blues wandered through my sister's garden in Wilberfoss). A walk at Allerthorpe did produce a nice Large Skipper, however.

It was during this walk that I started to feel a bit off, but thought nothing of it.

The following day, 10th July, I drove over to my proposed base in Lancaster from which I had planned over a couple of days to visit Arnside, the Large Heath sites across the Kent estuary, and if time allowed even seek out Mountain Ringlets in the Lakes. I arrived early enough to venture up onto Arnside Knott, but it was very hot and the Graylings and the various Fritillaries I saw were not readily approachable. One ropy shot of a female DGF was all I ended up with...

...and though some of the others may have been HBF, the only species I could definitely add to my year list was Grayling. Aside from that, I really began to feel uncharacteristically unenergetic.

In the morning I decided to abandon the trip and drive home before I reached the point where I would no longer be able to. This was a good decision as I then succumbed to a chest infection which kept me indoors for a few days. This appeared to clear up, but by then the weather took a hand and became extraordinarily hot. To do my best to avoid unbearable conditions in my flat (which was already stiffling) I managed to find a nearby hotel with aircon at surprisingly good rates - but that also meant no butterfly expeditions (though the 40 degree heat locally would have scuppered them anyway).

(I also found out later that the large grassy areas of my local patch had been mown right back during my absence up north as they had become a severe fire risk, and given the heat and their proximity to the Airport it meant there was no alternative.)

Just as the heat eased, I suffered another (unrelated) medical issue, but eventually at the end of July managed to go out on my local patch again after a three-week gap. The dryness and its extreme haircut made things almost unrecognisable, and butterfly numbers had reduced considerably.

Dave

[millerd]

So, out I went onto my local patch on 28th July. I had a go at counting what I saw, and what a contrast it was to the start of the month. I found 70 or so butterflies, but only ten species - including, however, an impressive 27 Holly Blues and 14 Commas.

Of course both species are hedgerow habitat specialists and had been little affected by the mowing of the grassland (though I suspect a good number of Holly Blue larvae perished when the goats' rue was cut down). A few Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Common Blues and a single Small Copper managed to survive along the unmown edges of the grass...

...but gone were the Small Heaths and the profusion of Skippers I'd become accustomed to photographing. A few Whites (Large and Small), a couple of Specklies, and a handful of Red Admirals made up the rest of the tally.

Dave

[millerd]

Over the next few days (29th July-2nd August), I only had brief walks. Though it was very warm, the sun didn't shine much and I didn't feel 100% - so only a few photos.

As ever at this time of year, the second brood female Holly Blues were tucking into the pink bramble flowers between bouts of egg-laying on the ivy buds.

It is just possible to make out the right-hand edge of the egg in this second shot, under the second bud.

Dave

[millerd]

A similar day on 3rd August, warmer still perhaps and quite cloudy. I walked a bit further locally but found just nine species, Commas and Holly Blues predominating again. Becoming a bit distracting were the Jersey Tiger moths, with their flashes of brilliant yellow-orange as they dashed about under the trees and then landing only in the dullest and darkest spots. Horrendous to photograph well.

Despite their striking inflight colours, they were not really possible to confuse with the Commas. There was as usual quite a bit of variety seen here.

heavily marked

this looks like one that will go on to hibernate

particularly pale markings

A couple of other species...

...and then this well-marked female Small White. I did my best to take shots of as many of this species as I could, just in case something more exotic had wandered inland, but they are very tricky to approach and this one was the only one that obliged out of seven or eight seen today.

Dave