Bugboys mission

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, she was a nice fresh specimen.
Thanks David, the weather has indeed improved, conveniently coinciding with my return to work so packing in as much as possible on days off!

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May 2023

Wednesday 10th A slight improvement in the weather today took me over to Wanstead Park, mainly to see if the local Green Hairstreaks were out. Things looked promising as I wandered through Wanstead Flats, an Orange-tip fluttered past in desperate search of somewhere to put down as a cloud obscured the sun. He did inspect several Cow Parsley’s but found them all unsuitable for some unknown reason, but it would seem energy levels got the better of him and he ended up on a blade of grass, sticking out like a sore thumb!

When the cloud passed, he fluttered about a bit, allowing a few more shots before his batteries were fully charged and he was off again. Also awoken by the return of the sun were a couple of Specklies, a Holly Blue and a Large White but none allowed pictures.

At the Hairstreak lekking spot I managed to catch sight of just one, a very distant and fleeting sighting. Small Coppers are also found here (there’s carpets of Sorrel) and I found a nice blue badger in a trio that were flying. A female Holly Blue also sat for me.

Disappointed at the lack of Hairstreaks I moved on to where the hibernating Nymphalids are found earlier in the season, finding some more Holly Blues and my first Painted Lady of the season. It was particularly small and when I first caught a flash of movement out the corner of my eye, I thought Small Heath. It was obviously significantly larger than that but no bigger than your average Small Tort.

It looked like increased cloud cover was going to cut short my day but I had enough time for another look for the Hairstreaks. None were seen at the lekking spot but exploring wider I stumbled across at least three egg laying females, well they seemed to be looking for something to lay on although they oddly completely ignored all the Broom and Gorze in the vicinity and spent the time sniffing around the ground which was mostly just grass and Sorrel. I focused my attention on one particularly fine example who settled conveniently during a cloudy spell.

After that I had enough time for one more session with the Coppers before the cloud cover moved in properly.

[Wurzel]

Cracking Greenstreaks Bugboy I love it when they take on a more pastel hue when there's a little cloud Up until a few days ago getting what you could during cloud breaks was the only way to get anything from the season Hopefully things will stay fair for a while now - we're due to good times

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That's a fine caeruleopunctata, Paul. Nice Holly Blues & Green Hairstreaks too.

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, yes we are, I’m still at work for another week before a week off so all should be well for the next 7 days!
Thanks David, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a nice blue badger like that.

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May 2023

Thursday 11th, somewhere different. There had so far been no mention of any Queen of Spain down in Kent but I thought I’d have a little peek myself anyway, if for nothing else to see if the field was still there after all the talk of selling it off for housing. The other idea of going there, well near the coast was the hope that I might stand a better chance of avoiding the rash of storm clouds that were predicted to plague most of the country.

I was pleased to find the field at Walmer still intact, although the adjacent field was now fenced off ready for development. Such a waste, it looked very lush and was probably full of caterpillars of Browns and Skippers amongst countless other inhabitants. Anyway, I arrived just as a large dark cloud slowly obscured the cloud so if something had emerged, I was unlikely to find it but a quick scan of the field showed there was plenty of Field Pansy around so if anything had managed to survive the winter it wouldn’t go hungry.

The plan now was to walk down to the coast and follow the coastal path up to Dover. My idea of staying near the coast to avoid the cloud and rain worked a treat, I had a cloudless sky for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, butterflies were very much in short supply and during the four hour walk I amassed a total of just fifteen to twenty butterflies of nine species:
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Speckled Wood 1
Small White 3-5
Peacock 3-5
Wall 1-2 (first of the season)
Orange-tip 1
Holly Blue 1
Red Admiral 1
Small Heath 2
A rather pathetic total on a warm sunny May day, anyway, a selection:

With the lack of butterflies my attention was inevitably caught up in other fauna, a Raven put on an excellent show harassing the local Jackdaws as it played in the cliff face updrafts and I got ridiculously close to a Corn Bunting.

In fact I probably took more pictures of the Spitfire that was (presumably) taking paid guests on joy rides along the white cliffs than of butterflies!

Better days were just around the corner thankfully

[Wurzel]

"I’m still at work for another week before a week off so all should be well for the next 7 days!" cheers for this Bugboy
This continues to be a hard work year - even when the weather is just right the butterflies aren't about in the numbers that we've seen previously Lovely looking Small Tort there

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...Unfortunately, butterflies were very much in short supply and during the four hour walk I amassed a total of just fifteen to twenty butterflies of nine species..

That's largely been the story for me this year, Paul. Very few of any species although the range is normal.

I don't blame you for concentrating on the Spitfire. Seeing one of those doesn't come about every day!!

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, I got that Small torts good side, she'd seen better days! I hope you've used my week at work well, I'm off from next Tuesday for 8 days, we're about due some rain me thinks
Thanks David, haha, it was like a bus that day, at least three times it came past!

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May 2023

Saturday 13th. At last, a pretty decent day and it was time to try and find some Fritillaries and put my winter recces to use. The downside was another rail strike which meant trains were somewhat limited, starting later and finishing earlier so I had a smaller window than I would have liked. The walk from Amberley was less than an hour with plenty of butterflies, although in the late morning with increasing warmth and sun, not many were sitting still.

Having arrived at Rewell Wood I now had the somewhat large task of locating some PBF without much of a clue as to where to start! I used Google maps to navigate my way to what looked like some newly cleared/planted areas. Arriving at the first one seemed to show promise, Speckled Yellow Moths and Green Tiger Beetles both suddenly started appearing in numbers, both species I associate with PBF habitat, and halfway along the path a Fritillary fluttered past and vanished across the plantation. There was a stiff breeze blowing but at the corner of this clearing was some shelter and here I found a couple more flitting around, a male patrolling and a better-behaved female. She’d had some form of accident, but I followed her around for about 5 minutes as she went through various tasks in her daily routine.

Also sheltering from the breeze here were a few Small Heath, a Small Copper and a Peacock.

Having never been here before I fancied a look around Fairmile Bottom too, having heard good things about it in the past. Unfortunately, the management of that site seems to be at best questionable. Massive overgrazing lead to not finding much at all, just Brimstone and a solitary Dingy Skipper, no sign of any Dukes. It’s mind boggling how a site can be so poorly managed when we know so much about the needs of one of the primary species inhabiting it.

So after that disappointment I returned to the wood for some more Fritillary searching, encountering two more flybys before Millerd found me, also wandering around somewhat aimlessly and having similar luck to me. After comparing notes and catching up we went our separate ways with me returning to the sheltered spot where I had more luck with a better conditioned female.

Notable by their absence up until this point were Green Hairstreaks but I stumbled across one nearby on some Bluebells.

I wandered a bit more before it was time to leave, discovering another new plantation (full of baby Christmas trees) with a decent growth of lush Sorrel and it was no surprise to also find several more Small Coppers.

The walk back, due to still being quite early, was rather fruitful as well. Brimstones had been numerous all day and I had a go at taking an award-winning photo… needs work!

A couple of Painted ladies also showed up, hilltopping on a southwest facing ridge, battling over the best spot with a few Red Admiral.

Despite the best efforts by the rail companies, a pretty decent day, all things considered.

[Wurzel]

Certainly seemed like the Rail Workers were out to get you Bugboy great to see that the day turned out alright in the end. That second Pearl is a cracker

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[trevor]

A couple of mrgreens are due for the closed wing Pearl and the GH on the Bluebell
Looking forward to your Wiltshire wanderings!

[Katrina]

from me for the Holly Blue, PBF and Green Hairstreak
Impressed you managed to travel despite the strikes.

[David M]

Nice work with the Pearl Bordereds, Paul...and that Small Heath is quite a dasher too!

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, if it’s not the weather it’s the trains this year !
Thanks Trevor, you might have to wait for my Wiltshire wanderings, haven’t even got round to going through those pictures yet! Hopefully worth the wait.
Thanks Katrina, some more of those species await in future posts
Thanks David, a few more rather nice Small Heaths below


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May 2023

Sunday 14th. On my last day of my 2 week break I decided to pop down to Mill Hill for the first time this season. I’d read that Common Blues had already started emerging but given the season so far, I figured an early Adonis was pie in the sky! There’d also been some concern about the Grizzled Skippers here, often the first to show of their species in Sussex if not the country, but they were very late this year and only seen in one’s or twos so far so it was a bit of a surprise that that was the first species found in the gloomy start of the day, and a second shortly after. Indeed it wasn’t until the sun started to burn the clouds away that they stopped being the most numerous butterfly seen.

As the sun gradually burned patches in the cloud cover other butterflies quickly started to appear, Small Heath, Dingy Skipper and Common Blue all became quite numerous and easy pickings, even a male Wall sat long enough for his picture.

More Grizzled Skippers popped up too, all females, photos proving each individual was indeed a separate one.

As is usual here, most of the action was taking place along the bottom of the slope. A particularly plump female Dingy caught my eye, going about egg laying on Trefoils and Vetches.

I took a wander up to Anchor Bottom, on the off chance an early Adonis would make an appearance but non were about, in fact there wasn’t a great deal about at all, but returning back to Mill Hill I did one last circuit, picking up a fifth Grizzled, this one near the top car park, and a mating pair of Small Heath amongst the various other species still active.

[millerd]

Definitely a slower than usual start down at Mill Hill this year, but a decent selection none the less, especially the Grizzlies.

Cheers,

Dave

[Chris L]

Lovely Grizzled Skipper photos BB

[David M]

You were right about the Small Heaths, Paul....especially that second one!

[bugboy]

Thanks Dave, the Grizzlies were definitely the standout species for me that day.
Thanks Otep, I find them to be very photogenic .
Thanks David, it’s always nice to get them when they’re not playing hide and seek behind errant blades of grass.


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May 2023

Tuesday 16th. Such as my rota at work is, after just one day back it was my day off and I'd planned a day down in Sussex again. This was a busy day for butterflies so I’m going to have to stretch it over 2 posts. The first half will be the supporting cast of the main event who to be honest were non too shabby by themselves. I managed to add a couple of new species to the season list, Small Blue and Brown Argus.

Dingy and Grizzled Skippers were there, the former much more numerous than the Grizzlies who seem to be having a very slow year.

A managed to capture a couple of male Dingies ‘jousting’, a word I use on account of the extended proboscis’s they have when battling over whatever they battle over. I’ve captured the tongues out before but never so clearly.

And here’s a female giving another male the brush off, upended abdomens isn’t the sole domain of the Pierids.

There were also a couple of common Blue but the stars of the also rans were the Green Hairstreak, many of which would have been worth the trip on their own and behaved impeccably!

tbc...

[Wurzel]

Cracking shots Bugboy especially some of those velvety fresh Grizzlies, gurt lush they are Love that BA on the Cowslip - there's a cover of Butterfly magazine if ever I saw one

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

That last Green Hairstreak is a beauty, Paul.

[bugboy]

Thanks Wurzel, Not sure it’s up to that standard, maybe if I had bothered to remove the dead flowers from behind it!
Thanks David, one of the few with a decent streak I saw this year.

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May 2023

Tuesday 16th part 2. Well since I was at Kithurst in the middle of May the main event could only be one thing, Dukes (and Duchesses) and boy did they put on a show! I arrived at 10 and very quickly found my first of the day, a fresh male, and in the next half hour or so several more equally fresh ones showed up one with very little orange on the hindwings, probably qualifying as ab. semibrunnea.

By 11.30 the numbers of Dukes and fellow enthusiasts had grown but I had still yet to come across a Duchess. This changed when I saw a freshly emerged one climb up from the undergrowth and spread her almost dry wings into the dying sun, dying because a particularly large, slow moving cloud took this moment to appear out of nowhere! Still this did allow for some nice underside poses.

After a few false starts the cloud finally cleared and she sat perfectly, warming up and disposing of the final few drops of meconium before taking her maiden flight, which is what I’d been waiting so patiently for.

She didn’t get far, the Dukes were now out in full force and navigating a route through them without being seen was impossible, and also not what she wanted anyway. The courtship was short lived, as is typical with this boisterous species, consisting of some fluttering of wings as the abdomen was coiled round to capture his prize.

The original plan for the day was to meet Neil H. enjoy the dukes for an hour or two and then go and have a look at one of the less well known PBF sites but such was the numbers and activity here, time quickly got away from us so we spent the whole afternoon here.

Shortly after Neil arrived we spotted another fresh female running the gauntlet through the males (a count later in the day gave a rough total of around 60 individuals with more seen in the wider area) and as we followed her we came across second female, both being pestered by two males each. Out of this melee we focused on another mating. Unfortunately, in my excitement to capture the moment I had my camera on the wrong settings for the first few shots, the results too far gone to rescue properly (at least for my amateur editing talents).

The sheer number of Dukes in such a small space was something I’ve never seen before and even more remarkable considering the amount of footfall this site gets, they easily outnumbered every other species and probably all the others combined.

Later in the afternoon we switched from looking for mating’s to looking for egg laying females, fresh males being a constant distracting for me.

The meadows here are a sea of yellow Cowslips so even though this female found a leaf that wasn’t Cowslip (no mean feat in itself considering the density of Cowslip plants) the resulting caterpillars won’t have to crawl far to find something to eat.

Having had a very busy day squabbling, mating and laying eggs, the Dukes and Duchesses wound down their activities at the usual bedtime of around 4, but I did find one male who was gorging himself silly on some Sycamore flowers, so much so I could disturb him and he’d come straight back.

A very memorable day all round

[Wurzel]

Brilliant to see those cracking Duke and Duchess shots Boyboy and also hear that the Dukes are doing well there That final one definitely has a different 'look' about it, good for an 'ab' Also seeing the under wing of your Duchess reminded me of something I've noticed before when looking at female Dukes/Duchesses, the costa on the fore wing seems slightly concave

Have a goodun

Wurzel