August 2023

[David M]

Butterfly numbers rocketed during July. Hopefully August will see some better weather so they can make the most of late summer.

[millerd]

Brown Hairstreaks have been out at Bookham for a few days, and today's warm and reasonably sunny weather made a trip down there a must. In the company of several other like-minded folk, including Paul (Bugboy), over a dozen were seen - all except one were males. The solitary female had newly emerged, but before her pristine image could be captured she sailed off into the hedge to no doubt await the attentions of the males who were all building their strength with nectar from the thistles.

Dave

[aeshna5]

Brown Hairstreaks seem to be getting more widespread in my part of the west London suburbs. Had my first at Yeading Brook meadows on Sunday * one was seen a few days earlier at adjacent Ten Acre Wood. Also 2 found at Paradise Fields, Ealing on Sunday. A population was known at adjacent Horsenden Hill for a few years.

Yesterday several were seen at a well known site near Ruislip Gardens. Good to see this elusive beauty spreading its range.

I was pleased to find 21 Brown Argus at Warren Farm, Ealing in less than ideal conditions with a lot of cloud, but occasional sunny breaks.

[bugboy]

Brown Hairstreaks seem to be getting more widespread in my part of the west London suburbs. Had my first at Yeading Brook meadows on Sunday * one was seen a few days earlier at adjacent Ten Acre Wood. Also 2 found at Paradise Fields, Ealing on Sunday. A population was known at adjacent Horsenden Hill for a few years.

Yesterday several were seen at a well known site near Ruislip Gardens. Good to see this elusive beauty spreading its range.

I was pleased to find 21 Brown Argus at Warren Farm, Ealing in less than ideal conditions with a lot of cloud, but occasional sunny breaks.

I grew up near there. I spent a substantial part of my childhood in Ten Acre Woods and the surrounding fields and woods back in the 80's. I used to catch Walls in some nearby horse paddocks which I'm sure is a thing of the past now!

[millerd]

During the hour or so this morning before it poured down once again, a dozen species were flying on the nearer parts of my local patch. Highlights included the fresher of two Painted Ladies...

...a Speckled Wood breakfasting on fermenting blackberries...

...a Holly Blue dining less pleasantly...

...a nice fresh male GVW...

...and a very new Comma that appeared to be the hutchinsoni form despite the late date.

More in my PD as and when I catch up!

Dave

[aeshna5]

Brown Hairstreaks seem to be getting more widespread in my part of the west London suburbs. Had my first at Yeading Brook meadows on Sunday * one was seen a few days earlier at adjacent Ten Acre Wood. Also 2 found at Paradise Fields, Ealing on Sunday. A population was known at adjacent Horsenden Hill for a few years.

Yesterday several were seen at a well known site near Ruislip Gardens. Good to see this elusive beauty spreading its range.

I was pleased to find 21 Brown Argus at Warren Farm, Ealing in less than ideal conditions with a lot of cloud, but occasional sunny breaks.

I grew up near there. I spent a substantial part of my childhood in Ten Acre Woods and the surrounding fields and woods back in the 80's. I used to catch Walls in some nearby horse paddocks which I'm sure is a thing of the past now!

Yes, no Walls anywhere around here. I think along the Thames Estuary are probably the closest ones now. However Marbled Whites are now very common which didn't used to occur here.

[millerd]

Denbies Hillside this morning: Plenty of Chalkhills, including increasing numbers of females.

I also tracked down a few Silver-spotted Skippers...

...but the highlight was the first of the second brood Adonis Blues.

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Finally, Scotch Argus 6th August (Nairnshire)

The weather has been cool and cloudy recently, so little wonder they are late this year.  Around 10 individuals seen over 20 minutes this afternoon, but many were surprisingly worn.

Typical habitat among ferns with patches of heather and tall grass.  Favourite nectaring flower is Devil's bit Scabious.

I had to park off the very narrow road which seems to be racetrack for cyclists.  And for reasons that I don't fully understand, it is the custom to disguise the number plate.  The Mini is the car normally used by my wife.  I have a much more staid Škoda.

Jack

[bugboy]

Just another day at Bookham, three of the sixteen I saw today.

[David M]

Almost gave me a heart attack, Paul!

At first glance I thought you had a mating pair.

[millerd]

Just another day at Bookham...

Great shot. I believe that threesome equals your entire tally for the whole of 2022, Paul? Such a different year...

Staying at home, I had to rely on the ever-faithful Holly Blues. When the sun finally appeared, they became more active and with no difficulty at all I counted nearly 30.

Dave

[bugboy]

Almost gave me a heart attack, Paul!

At first glance I thought you had a mating pair.

I'd have had a heart attack on the spot if it was

Just another day at Bookham...

Great shot. I believe that threesome equals your entire tally for the whole of 2022, Paul? Such a different year...

Dave

Indeed it does, and I had to go all the way to Pulborough Brooks for one of those!

[millerd]

...another day at Bookham, three of the sixteen I saw today...

They just keep on coming. This morning and into the early afternoon I counted 18, six of which were females; other folk were seeing more nearby. Both sexes were nectaring, mostly on creeping thistle but some on the hogweed. The hazy sun/cloudy brightness was ideal, inducing three of the females I saw to open up and bask. A tip-of-the-iceberg selection:

Before all the hairstreak action, I'd come across this curious Small Copper...

Not an ab. I'd say, but a congenital deformity rather like those seen in Meadow Browns.

A visit to Box Hill in the afternoon aimed at seeing Silver-spotted Skippers and some Blues derailed somewhat when the first butterfly seen was another Brown Hairstreak! This was the first I'd seen at this location.

As ever, a fuller account will appear in my PD. There are a lot of photos to sift through...

Dave

[David M]

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way.

On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites.

[adrian riley]

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way.

On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites.

As I now look out from my Norfolk study window, Peacock outnumber Red Admiral by five to one on the buddleias.
Ade.

[Neil Freeman]

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way.

On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites.

As I now look out from my Norfolk study window, Peacock outnumber Red Admiral by five to one on the buddleias.
Ade.

I have yet to see a summer Peacock around my local patch here in Solihull but my son who works outside further afield around the area says he has started seeing fresh ones this week.
Small Tortoiseshells were around in reasonable numbers a couple of weeks back but have disappeared this past week, probably tucked up into hibernation.
Whilst timings vary year on year, this is pretty much the sequence around here whereby summer Peacocks emerge to replace the Small Tortoiseshells.

Cheers,

Neil.

[millerd]

Fascinating how this varies geographically.

For me, Small Tortoiseshells peaked (if you can call low single figures a peak) in the first week of July, with Peacocks following in unusually high numbers a fortnight later (well over 100 on 17th). Peacock sightings have now dropped to just two or three seen amongst the Red Admirals each time I go out locally, and I doubt if I shall see a Small Tortoiseshell again this year.

Peacocks do sometimes have a second brood here, with nests of caterpillars seen in August and new butterflies in September. Though I did see examples of territorial behaviour amidst the throng of nectaring Peacocks in July, I suspect most, if not all, to have found their way into hibernation.

Dave

[David M]

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way.

On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites.

As I now look out from my Norfolk study window, Peacock outnumber Red Admiral by five to one on the buddleias.
Ade.

The summer brood possibly emerged later in your part of the country, Adrian. I believe you had cool easterlies for quite a while earlier in the summer.

[Neil Freeman]

Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells seem to have disappeared after their abbreviated late July feasting round my way.

On the local buddleias today all I could find were several Red Admirals and a couple of Large Whites.

As I now look out from my Norfolk study window, Peacock outnumber Red Admiral by five to one on the buddleias.
Ade.

I have yet to see a summer Peacock around my local patch here in Solihull but my son who works outside further afield around the area says he has started seeing fresh ones this week.
Small Tortoiseshells were around in reasonable numbers a couple of weeks back but have disappeared this past week, probably tucked up into hibernation.
Whilst timings vary year on year, this is pretty much the sequence around here whereby summer Peacocks emerge to replace the Small Tortoiseshells.

Cheers,

Neil.

Further to my previous comments, I have finally caught up with summer Peacocks, 20+ seen during a walk around Blythe Valley park over the other side of Solihull this morning.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

Further to my previous comments, I have finally caught up with summer Peacocks, 20+ seen during a walk around Blythe Valley park over the other side of Solihull this morning.

Well done, Neil. I've been watching the neighbours' buddleias this afternoon and no Peacocks again, nor Small Tortoiseshells. All I have seen are Red Admiral, Small White & Comma: