September 2024

[David Lazarus]

I was just in the process of muttering darkly at one of the Small Coppers for persistently chasing other butterflies when I realised what its latest target actually was - a male Clouded Yellow. This one was avidly nectaring, flying from flower to flower in rapid succession, but eventually I managed to catch up with it. By a complete fluke I managed a reasonably clear open-wing photo too.
With 130+ butterflies and 14 different species today, there will be quite a chunky report to follow in my PD...

Excellent work, Dave .... I congratulate you

I was rather fortuitous today .... not just with the weather ... I just needed to get out and about and decided to spend the morning in a field of clover at Lingwood Common in hope of a passing migrant - no such luck [ ]

However, after nearly tripping over a resplendent, fresh male Brown Argus hanging on a grass stem in the cold westerly breeze I happened to be in the right place at the right time. The sun came out and so did his wings:

Brown Argus male
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

If this was not good enough on its own - a Brown Argus at Lingwood Common, I was so pleased after a difficult year for the species - behind him was a good looking Small Copper. Having missed an earlier opportunity, I decided to creep round the BA only for him to spot what I was after and preceded to chase it around

Then to my surprise they both settled on the same leaf to bask - he must have decided it was okay to share a leaf with a female Small Copper - "just wait there please, don't move":

Brown Argus male & Small Copper female
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

Now that doesn't happen every day, month, year ... perfectly lined up too

It turned out to be a morning filled with a few Small Copper sightings, four in total at Lingwood Common to cheer my heart a little after they too were down in numbers around here. After he left the scene I managed to get a better shot of her:

Small Copper female
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

Small Copper
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

Small Copper
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

Also in the cloverfield was a Painted Lady that scarpered fairly quickly and 8 Red Admiral, one of which allowed me to approach which has mostly not been the case this summer:

Red Admiral
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

There were 4 Small & 6 Large White, with 5 Green-veined White:

Green-veined White female
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

There were also 7 Small Heath and 3 Common Blue, past their best but still photogenic nonetheless with a kind of purple haze:

Common Blue male
Lingwood Common 11/09/2024

There was also a Comma and a Speckled Wood in the trees.

I quickly dashed to Danbury Common before the rain and saw a handful of butterflies including 2 more Small Copper:

Small Copper female
Danbury Common Danbury Common 11/09/2024

So a pretty good morning considering the unpredictable weather - 11 species with 58 seen including the 6 at Baddow Meads when I arrived home.

[millerd]

I was just in the process of muttering darkly at one of the Small Coppers for persistently chasing other butterflies when I realised what its latest target actually was - a male Clouded Yellow. This one was avidly nectaring, flying from flower to flower in rapid succession, but eventually I managed to catch up with it. By a complete fluke I managed a reasonably clear open-wing photo too.
With 130+ butterflies and 14 different species today, there will be quite a chunky report to follow in my PD...

Excellent work, Dave .... I congratulate you

Thanks, David - it was an amazing bit of good fortune.

I particularly like your male Brown Argus with its understated spotting (and willingness to pose next to the female Small Copper!). It has a distinct sheen to it.

Cheers,

Dave

[David M]

...I was just in the process of muttering darkly at one of the Small Coppers for persistently chasing other butterflies when I realised what its latest target actually was - a male Clouded Yellow...

That's an excellent find, Dave. Send a few further west if you see any more, will you?

[Stevieb]

Despite the cool conditions I had three species visit my verbena this morning. Melksham, Wiltshire

Good numbers of Red Admiral and Comma on my lunchtime walk around Bewley Common too.

12th Sept

12th Sept

12th Sept

12th Sept

12th Sept

[millerd]

No Cloudies today, and fewer butterflies overall than yesterday, but blue was the highlight of this morning's walk around my local patch.

A fresh male Common Blue managed to evade one of the Small Coppers for long enough to pose.

Then right at the end of the walk, among the Red Admirals and Commas on the ivy, I spotted a beautiful brand new female Holly Blue.

Fresh butterflies from these two species in mid-September usually means a third brood, but as there has been very little of a gap in emergence this year in either case I wouldn't like to guess.

Dave

[David Lazarus]

As it was a little cold out with a north-westerly breeze I thought I would just take a wander round my local patch as the skies were clear, as it can be on a beautiful September day. It was the first time I went out butterflying wearing a jumper in the hope I might find something. As it happened it did warm up sufficiently for 7 species and 65 butterflies to be seen before the dark clouds put an end to proceedings.

Highlights were another couple of fresh-looking Brown Argus & Small Copper within a sheltered south-facing spot in Baddow Meads under the Chelmer Road Bridge. This time a very good looking female Brown Argus checking out the plantain:

Brown Argus female
Baddow Meads 12/09/2024

And quite close to her was a splendid female Small Copper - quite perfect she was still with her little tails - not sure what she was looking for:

Small Copper female
Baddow Meads 12/09/2024

The majority of butterflies seen were whites with 18 Large White, 24 Small White, and 8 Green-veined White.

Large White female
Baddow Meads 12/09/2024

The Red Admirals seem to be coming with 10 seen enjoying the plentiful ivy flowers in the sun:

Red Admiral
River Chelmer 12/09/2024

And lastly, I managed to save another butterfly - I think that makes six this year. I was watching a female Small White searching for somewhere to lay her eggs when she veered off into a busy dual carriageway and was hit by a car. I risked life and limb to go out and pick her up before she was flattened in the hope she was still alive - probably stupid of me as it was busy.

I managed it, and here she is looking a little bit stunned:

Small White female
Chelmer Village Way 12/09/2024

I wasn't sure she had made it through the traumatic event until a little twitch gave me hope, and I left her on a shrub in full sun for her to warm up. And off she went

[bugboy]

Spent the day (well most of it until the growing clusters of heavy shower clouds scared me back onto the train home) down around Newhaven. Lots of Whites of all three species, saw more Large White in one day than I've seen the rest of the year, plenty of Red Admiral and 1 Painted Lady but no other more sought after migrants. Common Blue, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Comma and Speckled Wood were also seen. I did catch a glimpse of a third brood Wall, she only allowed a single distant shot though.

[David M]

...I managed to save another butterfly - I think that makes six this year. I was watching a female Small White searching for somewhere to lay her eggs when she veered off into a busy dual carriageway and was hit by a car. I risked life and limb to go out and pick her up before she was flattened in the hope she was still alive - probably stupid of me as it was busy...

Well done, David.

Similar thing happened to me in Tenerife last March. I'd watched an African Migrant fly into the road where it was promptly hit by a van. I raced over to the gutter to pick up what I thought was going to be a dead butterfly, but after a minute or two she came round and flew off strongly when I released her in a safer place.

[David Lazarus]

Well done, David.

Similar thing happened to me in Tenerife last March. I'd watched an African Migrant fly into the road where it was promptly hit by a van. I raced over to the gutter to pick up what I thought was going to be a dead butterfly, but after a minute or two she came round and flew off strongly when I released her in a safer place.

Well done yourself - a man after my own heart.

It is amazing how they can survive - no pain either. I wonder if they experience shock or trauma, perhaps not I suspect. Just a little bend in her apical tip and off she went.

[Jack Harrison]

David:

And lastly, I managed to save another butterfly - I think that makes six this year. I was watching a female Small White searching for somewhere to lay her eggs when she veered off into a busy dual carriageway and was hit by a car

I have told this story before, but it's worth repeating.

In the 1980s I was based at Aberdeen.  One early June day, I made the long drive to the Chequered Skipper country around Fort William.  I searched without luck and finally drove along the 'Road to Isles' A830 where I had seen CS in the past.  I gave up, turned around to set off for home.  Not far short of Fort William, an unmistakable Chequered Skipper flew up from the left, and I hit it fair and square.  I stopped, found the corpse: it was clearly dead.  That was the only CS I saw all day, and I had killed it

Jack

[David M]

Friday 13th - Pleasant hour spent at Port Eynon on the south Gower coast today. More butterflies than I was expecting:

Small White 60-80
Small Tortoiseshell 14
Painted Lady 6
Large White 5
Red Admiral 4
Meadow Brown 3
Small Copper 1

[Stevieb]

A couple of extras seen this morning on the common, Painted Lady and Small Copper. Bewley Common, Wiltshire

Large White (5)
Small White (9)
Green-veined White (4)
Small Copper (1)
Common Blue (1)
Red Admiral (6)
Painted Lady (1)
Comma (7)
Speckled Wood (1)

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

13th Sept

[David Lazarus]

As with my last visit to Wallasea Island I was pleased to find some fresh 3rd brood Wall at One Tree Hill this morning. There were four in Johnson's Meadow West including this male:

Wall male
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

There were still good numbers of Meadow Brown [33]:

Meadow Brown female
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Meadow Brown male
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

It felt a little subdued and much of the meadow had been cut very short but there were a few tatty Common Blue, a nice female Brown Argus and a couple of Small Copper:

Common Blue male
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Brown Argus female
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Small Copper
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

All three whites were in good shape with some lovely specimens:

Small White female
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Large White female
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Green-veined White male
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

Green-veined White female
Johnson's Meadow West 13/09/2024

14 species but only 78 butterflies seen during a morning visit, with Red Admiral nectaring on over-ripe blackberries, fresh-looking Comma and a Peacock:

Red Admiral
One Tree Hill 13/09/2024

Comma
One Tree Hill 13/09/2024

Peacock
Willow Park 13/09/2024

Also in Willow Park's wooded area were some handsome Speckled Wood:

Speckled Wood male x 2
Willow Park 13/09/2024

In the afternoon I went for my first visit to Woodham Fen and walked down Fen Creek and along the sea wall of the River Crouch estuary in hope of seeing some migrants - no joy again. However, I did come across a fresh-looking female Holly Blue which was just out of my reach for a good photo opportunity, and one female that was not looking so fresh:

Holly Blue female
Woodham Fen 13/09/2024

Holly Blue female
Fen Creek 13/09/2024

27 Green-veined White and 13 Small White along the river but not much else.

[millerd]

There were still a dozen or so Adonis Blues on the wing at Denbies this morning...

...but only a handful of very scruffy female Chalkhills seemed to be left.

A Small Copper was the first I'd seen here for months...

...and I was surprised to come across a Silver-spotted Skipper as I'd seen none at all on my last visit.

In view of the numbers of migrants reported arriving recently (and the number seen on my local patch) I was again disappointed to see just a couple of Red Admirals and a few Large Whites today - not even a Painted Lady.

Dave

[David Lazarus]

Another day at Wallasea Island looking for migrants resulted in 11 species and 173 butterflies along an approximately 8 mile circuit. Still no Clouded Yellow sighted at Wallasea in 2024, but there were 5 more Painted Lady and 5 Red Admiral. There was also a solitary Peacock. One of the Painted Lady was particularly small. That is the flower of a Sow Thistle Soncus oleraceus for scale:

Painted Lady
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Also of note were almost double figure 3rd brood Wall Brown with 5 of them at the Marina entrance, an almost guaranteed sighting to be had there on a warm day in the next week or so. The little blighters were so active together that it was hard to count numbers let alone get a decent photograph with my iPhone 11 Pro - they seemed to be all males that I could identify from the record shots:

Wall Brown male
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Apart from that it was a blue day - or at least a Common Blue day as there were only 4 Brown Argus and a disappointingly solitary Small Copper. 40 Common Blue with a high percentage of females - some lovely examples but I was not able to get decent photographs of some of the better ones:

Common Blue male x 3
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Common Blue female x 3
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Small Heath continued to be the most abundant at 69 seen but the density is obviously going down at this time of year. Once again some tiny ones were seen. No Meadow Brown were sighted:

Small Heath
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Apart from that, there were double figures of each of the whites with some fine fresh examples - you could probably add the Large White to the migrant list:

Large White female
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

Green-veined White female
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

For you moth lovers, there were still a couple of Silver Y about. It is rare for me to see one nectaring during the day - mostly I see them nectaring on Red Valerian or Buddleja at dusk in the garden:

Silver Y
Wallasea Island 14/09/2024

All-in-all, a great day in full sun with up to 20 C temperatures - a recommended place to visit on a hot sunny day if you are in the area. And there is always hope of the first sighting of a Clouded Yellow at Wallasea Island in 2024.

[bugboy]

I think I've seen more Large White in the last 3 days than in the previous 5 years combined! Fairly numerous in the Newhaven area on Thursday, even more numerous on the south Downs yesterday and it's not just the chalk that's making the cliffs around Dover white at the moment, plagues of them with just as many Small's.

With so many around I was bound to find my first Large White in-cop. I did, followed by another pair...and another... 7 pairings in the end, and those were just the ones sticking out like sore thumbs.

[Allan.W.]

Yes likewise Bugboy Whites everywhere ......mostly Large and Small ......some laying on the Sea Kale at Dungeness .....wonder how many Southern Small Whites havepassed by unnoticed ! . Allan.W,

[aeshna5]

Although a chilly start yesterday (so didn't attend a dawn mothing session) a warm sunny day when I was leading a largely birding walk (though always look at other taxa) at Ruislip Lido/Woods.

I was pleased to see 9 species. Like others more Large Whites than I've seen this year. Also good numbers of Red Admiral & Comma (several enjoying over-ripe blackberries) as well as only my second Painted Lady of the year (didn't even see one on Lesvos last week where Long-tailed Blue was most common followed by Plain Tiger).

Other species seen were Small & GV Whites, Small Copper, Small Heath & Speckled Wood.

Good numbers of Southern & Migrant Hawkers & Common Darters. Just the one Willow Emerald.

5 raptor species were seen with at least 2 Hobby, 2-3 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard & Red Kite.

[bugboy]

Yes likewise Bugboy Whites everywhere ......mostly Large and Small ......some laying on the Sea Kale at Dungeness .....wonder how many Southern Small Whites have passed by unnoticed ! . Allan.W,

I did inspect as many Smalls as would allow but saw nothing that made me question identity, although with so many around it really is a needle in a haystack scenario.

Today I walked from Benfleet to Leigh-on-sea and amassed a respectable 15 species (although only Small & Large White, Small Heath and Meadow Brown reached double figures.) Others seen were Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Green-veined White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood and Wall. I imagine David Lazarus would be interested in the Wall locations. the first 3 were here TQ79718582 (1.2) the rest were all males, 2 around the back of Hadleigh Castle and 2 along the central path on the eastern half of Two-tree Island. All looked very fresh

[David Lazarus]

I did inspect as many Smalls as would allow but saw nothing that made me question identity, although with so many around it really is a needle in a haystack scenario.

Today I walked from Benfleet to Leigh-on-sea and amassed a respectable 15 species (although only Small & Large White, Small Heath and Meadow Brown reached double figures.) Others seen were Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper, Green-veined White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood and Wall. I imagine David Lazarus would be interested in the Wall locations. the first 3 were here TQ79718582 (1.2) the rest were all males, 2 around the back of Hadleigh Castle and 2 along the central path on the eastern half of Two-tree Island.

Many thanks Bugboy, much appreciated - its a lovely walk. That makes 3 sites in South Essex that I know of with 3rd brood Wall. They seem to be doing very well this year.

After the blue day at Wallasea Island yesterday, I enjoyed a white day at The Naze along the North Essex coast where 200+ each of migrant Large & Small White were seen. Quite a sight. Not much else there, with only 3 Red Admiral and no Painted Lady which seemed rather strange given the large number of whites that had arrived. Only 8 species with 418 butterflies seen in total which just shows you how few in number the others were.

I also inspected every Small White I came across - ever hopeful, but no. And still no Clouded Yellow sighting

The twitchers were searching for a Wryneck and a Red-backed Shrike that have been at the Naze the last few days.

Large White male
The Naze 15/09/2024

Large White female
The Naze 15/09/2024

Small White female
The Naze 15/09/2024

Small White male
The Naze 15/09/2024

With so many whites, it was amazing I found 2 that weren't Large or Small - a couple of out-of-season [for The Naze] female Green-veined White - one tatty but one looking remarkably fresh and at the farthest point of The Naze sea wall.

Green-veined White female
The Naze 15/09/2024

Another 8 miles along the coast