millerd

[millerd]

Somewhat abruptly, the weather turned sunny and hot. That demanded an early start and the relative cool of some hilly countryside, so on Thursday 18th July I went down to Box Hill again. I wondered if I might see any Chalkhill Blues this time, but didn't come across any at all. However, there were still a few Marbled Whites on Burford Spur.

There were also several Dark Green Fritillaries. The males were well past their best, but were still charging up and down the slopes looking for females, occasionally putting one up but not eliciting any interest at all.

However, I found a male on the path at the top of Burford Spur which had found something thoroughly unpleasant from which to suck minerals. Luckily, he kept approaching this disgusting perch indirectly, so could be photographically detached from it.

Initially, I had possibly even less luck than the male DGFs in respect of pinning down a female: I counted half a dozen or so before I got near to any. However, patience paid off and I managed to find one that was focused on nectaring and also managed to evade the attentions of the males.

By now the sunshine had started to supercharge the butterflies, but instead of heading straight for home, I dropped by at Denbies for a coffee and a quick look at the hillside.

Dave

[millerd]

By contrast with Box Hill, Chalkhill Blues were flying at Denbies, but there were no DGF. There were a few Marbled Whites in common though.

It was really warming up now, so this time I did head for home, putting off a possible detour to Bookham until things were cooler.

Dave

[Wurzel]

Great to see all the Chalkhills and DGFs Dave - I almost missed them this season, though I think the Chalkhill may be around for a little longer fingers crossed Shipton was crazy hot last week but I did manage to find three male Brostreaks in the two hours I was on site- it worked out well as we totally missed all the thunderstorms in Salisbury and I got to pack for our camping trip to Dorset. Fingers crossed for some good BH weather this week...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel! There are still female DGF around (I saw one on Friday at Box Hill, and another at Denbies today), and the Chalkhills are still emerging by the look of today's fresh ones. Good news from Shipton - I'll try and squeeze in another look at Bookham too.

After returning from Denbies on 18th, I did a quick local circuit, but most things seemed to be hiding - or in the case of the ten Red Admirals seen, dashing madly around after one another or one of the Commas.

Dave

[millerd]

Friday 19th July was properly hot (up to 31 degrees at Heathrow) and 12 hours of sunshine to go with it. With this in mind, I went out early onto my local patch and concentrated on doing a count, the first since the big grass cut. This is what I ended up with:

Meadow Brown 166
Gatekeeper 41
Peacock 39
GVW 19
Essex/Small Skipper 17
Comma 13
Red Admiral 7
Small White 6
Large White 6
Brimstone 3
Speckled Wood 2
Small Heath 1
Small Tortoiseshell 1
Common Blue 1
Brown Argus 1
Holly Blue 1
Painted Lady 1

It was heartening to see over 300 butterflies of 18 different species, but rather less so to only find singletons of six of these.

Highlights were the Brown Argus, the first of the second brood I'd seen here this year...

...and the Painted Lady - a butterfly on a brief nectar stop before hurtling off northwards - only my sixth of 2024.

Honorable mentions go to a very fresh Brimstone...

...and an equally new female Holly Blue. I didn't get a proper view of the upperside, but the underside was unusually marked with prominent black spots along the underside hindwing margins.

Not a variety I recall seeing before in either sex.

Dave

[millerd]

Saturday 20th July was a lot cooler, still warm but virtually sunless. I had a short visit to Bookham in the hope of seeing Brown Hairstreaks, and a short walk locally as well. All I came back with from both outings were a few shots of Commas, Gatekeepers, Small Skippers and Essex Skippers.

Encountering the "Grasshopper Problem" again on my local patch when following the skippers, I decided to track down one of the offenders.

Unsurprisingly, this is a Common Green Grasshopper.

Dave

[millerd]

Sunday 21st July was blessed with more sunshine and remained warm at 24 degrees. I stayed with my local patch, and found that the butterflies that had been concentrated in the uncut patches of grassland had begun to disperse a little now. Bits of grass that had been flattened rather than mown were perking up, which helped as well. Nearly 400 butterflies from 16 species was the day's tally - and a couple of those were not on the list I made for two days earlier.

I hadn't expected to see any more Marbled Whites, but one must have strayed from somewhere else (it was not one I'd seen before).

That made a very respectable 57 sightings of the species here this year, compared to just 9 in 2023 and 11 in 2022.

Peacocks were around in good numbers, though nowhere near the peak of last year. One had found a teasel, one of their favorites for pre-hibernation nectar.

More Meadow Browns were appearing in the hedges along with the Gatekeepers...

...and the GVW and Large Whites.

Away from the grassy areas, there were a few more Speckled Woods...

...and some newish Red Admirals.

However, the species that caught the eye most was the Comma.

The last of these, a female, was sharing a patch of short nettles with another Red Admiral.

They both appeared to be egg-laying on this same patch, carefully keeping out of each other's way.

Dave

[millerd]

I was becoming a little fed up with the M25 and negotiating the J10 roadworks - which are on the way to Box Hill, Denbies and Bookham - so I decided on my next trip out to avoid the road entirely and on Monday 22nd July I went down to Chobham Common to look for Graylings.

On my previous visit for Silver-studded Blues, I had noticed that the areas of bare sandy ground that the Graylings love had been encroached by grass growth (the scourge of the wet spring and early summer), so I was a bit concerned as to what I might find. I'm pleased to say that the species was coping, but having to fly further between settling points, and though it was perhaps early in their season here I didn't see perhaps as many as usual.

While looking for Graylings nectaring on the ling and bell-heather, I did find a few rather worn SSB, a couple of males and a female.

The only other species seen were a few Small Heaths and Gatekeepers, and a sprinkling of skippers including this female Small one.

However, the reason for the trip was Graylings, and as far as I could tell almost every one I saw was male, and I saw no courtship behaviour. Once you've tracked them down, they do pose well - even though sometimes I was pointing the camera in hope rather than deliberation as they are so good at disappearing against the background on my viewfinder as well as in reality.

Dave

[Wurzel]

I totally agree about the Grasshopper problem Dave - it was like that when I was looking for Lulworths this year too Cracking looking Graylings - that site does seem like a much more workable one as the foliage looks very low growing decreasing the errant grass blades
Friday still looking better than Thursday...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

..Once you've tracked them down, they do pose well - even though sometimes I was pointing the camera in hope rather than deliberation as they are so good at disappearing against the background on my viewfinder as well as in reality...

A familiar issue, Dave! They are remarkably cryptic once they tuck their forewings behind the hindwings.

[millerd]

Cheers, Wurzel - I'm glad I'm not the only one to suffer from Grasshoppers! Chobham (even in a year like this one that has caused the grass to grow wildly) does have a fair bit of bare ground, paradoxically in places that suffered from the fires a few years back.

Thanks, David - it's always very satisfying to get home and discover that there are some in-focus Grayling shots rather than blurs and background...

Back to home turf on Tuesday 23rd July - it was still warm with a high of 24, but bright rather than sunny, which was enough to mobilise the local butterfly cohorts. It was one of those days here (as many are ) that featured the Holly Blue as a highlight, but I'll showcase a few other things first from among the other 14 species seen - plus a moth.

The moth was a Jersey Tiger, wonderfully flamboyant in flight but still striking when settled.

Peacocks were still intent on feeding up before their big sleep (I have seen one or two indulge in territorial behaviour, though usually with Red Admirals and Commas).

Three species only appeared in singletons: Common Blue...

...Small Heath...

and Small Copper.

This latter butterfly was the first I'd seen since 5th June - but I haven't seen many second brood individuals anywhere this summer.

As expected after the grass cut, skipper numbers had reduced noticeably, but both Small and Essex were still in evidence if I looked in places where uncut grass and flowers remained.

Fleabane was now blooming in patches all along the path edges, and is a particular favourite of Gatekeepers.

Small Whites prefer the goats' rue, flowering for a second time in places.

A Speckled Wood and a Comma were on a stand of brambles - both often end up on fermenting blackberries later in the year, but though ripe, the berries were not yes mushy.

Which leaves the Hollies for a second post.

Dave

[millerd]

23rd July - local Holly Blues.

I counted six of the species today, the highest number of the summer brood so far. This brood has been very slow getting underway, in common with the other small lycaenid butterflies. Five of the six were males, four of them puddling in various places...

...and one nectaring on bramble.

The other was a female. I did a double-take at first as she was on the reinvigorated goats' rue apparently laying - just as I'd seen the previous generation do a few weeks earlier. Normally I see them do this on ivy and nothing else at this time of year.

Pausing to rest, she sat and gradually opened her wings.

A splendid new butterfly.

Dave

[Wurzel]

A cracking array of your speciality species Dave The markings on the female are sublime

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

Yes, she was quite a looker, Wurzel. I find really fresh females quite tricky to photograph because the contrast between the dazzling reflective blue scales and the really dark black areas seems to baffle the focusing and brightness compensation on my camera, especially when the butterfly is not laid flat (as they rarely are).

With Wednesday 24th July promising more warm sunshine, I thought I'd go down to Bookham again with the hope of seeing a Brown Hairstreak.

Once again, there was no joy on that front, with a lot of the best areas from other years being overgrown with grass and the short newer blackthorn growth only just poking above it, if that. I had to make do with some very old and worn White Admirals - still nectaring on the remaining bramble flowers and much more approachable than they were in their June prime.

There were also a few SWF flying, including a female I encountered initially in the dark under the trees, settling alternately on the ground and then briefly on tree trunks - presumably laying eggs. She emerged to take a rest in the open.

At home later on, a short walk locally seemed dominated by Peacocks...(21 counted)

...and Commas (13 seen).

In fact, they were sometimes sharing a spot. I took this view because there was one of each, and only noticed the second Peacock in there when the shot was up on the laptop screen.

One of the Commas (that looked as if it had had a major argument with a bird) was skulking in the depths of a bush, and appeared to have discovered sap seeping from a severed tree branch.

Dave

[millerd]

Thursday 25th July turned out to be the coolest day in the second half of the month locally, with it being only just above 20 degrees - and just to rub it in there was no sun at all and a bit of light drizzle. However, I refused to be defeated on the butterfly front, and as it turned out one or two of them displayed an equally optimistic approach.

this Specklie looked blotchy, probably water damage

Pretty well giving up on seeing anything else, I then noticed a Holly Blue sitting it out on the brambles.

I then became aware of movement near my feet and found another seeking minerals on the damp ground litter under the bushes.

It didn't stay down there long (presumably getting chilly) and I watched it fly up and around - and then settle right next to the other one.

I've seen them roost in pairs like this in the past, and have several times watched one in flight elect to land close to another of the same species. Other Blues roost in little gatherings: Holly Blue population density is generally lower - but perhaps the instinct is still there.

Dave

[Pete Eeles]

Fantastic, Dave! I've been waiting for Holly Blue to show up in my garden ... lots of Ivy buds, but currently a "no show"

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Nice to see your Holly Blues have reappeared, Dave. That female is especially nice with the extensive black forewing markings.

[millerd]

Thank you, Pete and David! It's always good to see fresh Holly Blues, and it's encouraging to see the second brood start to get going, albeit a tad slowly this year. I'll be posting a few more shots of them I suspect...

There was a return to proper summer weather on Friday 26th July, with sunshine and a high of 24 degrees again. I counted the best part of 300 butterflies locally again (though over half of these were Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers ). Nevertheless, there were 13 other species flying, and today's standout female blue was a Common one, rather than a Holly.

All the half a dozen Hollies seen today were puddling males.

It's a good thing there are plenty of patches of damp ground for them. Only one came up for air...

The Commas provided some variety - no two seem to be alike.

Another Large White made an attempt at camouflage against a pale leaf...

...and a Red Admiral made a pretty good job of disappearing into the background in the darkness under the trees.

I was pleased to find a Small Heath that had survived the grass cut - numbers were just into double figures beforehand.

Speckled Wood numbers were increasing again (there were eight today).

One male provided a context pose, sitting hopefully waiting for a female to wander round the corner...

Dave

[Wurzel]

That female Common Blue is a right looker Dave
I was up your way this morning, watching Parakeets at Heathrow Close while waiting for my globetrotting daughter - I was going to call in and cadge a coffee but I reckoned that you'd already be out and butterflying

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[millerd]

I was up your way this morning, watching Parakeets at Heathrow Close while waiting for my globetrotting daughter - I was going to call in and cadge a coffee but I reckoned that you'd already be out and butterflying
Wurzel

I was indeed out, Wurzel - down at Denbies... If I'd been on my local walk, though, I could have shown you the sights, as the further end is only a few minutes from Heathrow Close in Longford.

Dave